Travel Essentials - Skincare Edition

In eight days I am jetting off to the Gold Coast for a quick (but jam-packed) three day visit, before flying out to Lord Howe Island for a tropical getaway. I'm not usually a frequent flyer, so I am already getting in preparation mode to ensure I don't leave any essentials behind. February couldn't come quicker.

Today, I'm going to give you a nosey around the skincare and haircare bits that made the cut.

First of all when travelling, the smaller the better. Not only is this due to airline regulations, but also who wants to be lugging around extra bulk in their suitcase? No, thankyou. So my first tip would be to pick up a travel kit to decant your necessities into. 

I bought the Aesop Carry-On Travel Case Pack (AU$19), which comes with three 100ml plastic bottles and three plastic pots, as well as sticky labels and a transparent pouch to keep everything in. Oh so chic.

Note - the kit complies with worldwide aviation regulations for on-board carriage of fluids. 

I opted to decant the John Frieda Shampoo and Conditioner and also my trusty Bioderma for makeup removal (Priceline also sell a 100ml version), to go into the three bottles.

As for the pots, we have the Radical Skincare Hydrating Cleaner, Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask and Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre Moisturiser. 

RR TIP: Use a translucent mask, like the Origins Drink Up Mask, on the plane ride to and from your destination. The air on the plane will strip your skin of it's natural moisture, so a mask like this will give you a healthy, glowing boost.

Of course I needed to pack a few other goodies so I have a travel size of Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Eye Gel, a mini Moroccan Oil Treatment and a purse size Batiste Dry Shampoo in Tropical (to add to the holiday feeling).

The final essentials include cotton pads for makeup removal, cotton tips, hand sanitizer wipes and hair ties and bobby pins.

A good few days too early, but I can't help getting kicks out of having everything so organised (not to mention in miniature form).

I haven't started on the makeup bag yet, so when that's complete you might be lucky enough to have a squiz.

Don't forget to follow RR on Instragram @aja_rose and on Twitter @RosieRecommend

Until next time,

ajarose xo 

Vaseline Intensive Care Spray Moisturiser Review

So, I'm a little obsessed and I need to tell you about it. But not before the back story. 

One beauty thing I'm pretty bad at doing is remembering to apply body moisturizer. I get out of the shower and just can't be bothered. 

Laziness? Yep. 

This year is the year to turn it around. 

Almost a month in, I was doing pretty rubbish... Until I found the newly released Vaseline Intensive Care Spray Moisturiser in Cocoa Glow. Note: this is named differently overseas but is the same product for reference.

Oh dear lord is this stuff da bomb. 

I've tried the Vaseline Total Moisture Lotion offering in Cocoa Glow before (I actually have two bottles of the stuff in my stash) and when I have remembered to give the body a bit of pampering, that is what I've reached for. 

But until I watched Amelia Liana's video, which featured the Spray and Go version (here - mentioned at 8:10 into the video), I didn't know such a thing existed.  

Then enter Lily Pebbles raving about it as well (here) and you have a beauty product hunt down on your hands. Well, on my hands, but you get the picture. 

It's just so damn easy to use, sinks into your skin quickly and smells insanely devine. Basically I want to apply it after showering in the AM, after showering in the PM, before work, after work, mid work (yes that as happened) - pretty much any time I can get my hands on this stuff I'm spraying it. 

Obsessed? Yep. 

Priceline is now stocking this on Australian shores and it retails for $9.99. If you want to feel (and smell) like the best thing ever, get involved with this. 

Don't forget to follow RR on Instragram @aja_rose and on Twitter @RosieRecommend

Until next time,

ajarose xo 

Dressing Table Tour - VIDEO Post

It’s my new favourite place to take blog photos, as some of you may have already spotted, so I thought why not show you around my dressing table!

Want to know where everything is from? Check out this RR post for the details!

I’ve done this in video format, which I want to get into more of this year, so I hope you like it.

Let me know what you think in the comments of this post or of the video and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss any future videos and also to @RosieRecommend on Twitter to keep up to date on all things beauty in-between posts!

Until next time,

ajarose xo

Follow @rosierecommend on Twitter!

Rosie Recommends is now on Twitter! Totally up with all the technology and stuff.

Follow RR so you don't miss out on any juicy beauty goss in between blog posts - AKA when I buy something new or find a new obsession. 

Of course the username I wanted was taken so follow @rosierecommend (yep wasn't allowed the s at the end) and join the beauty bandwagon. 

Until next time,

Ajarose xo

MAC Magnetic Nude Collection Review

As a neutral makeup kinda gal, anything that claims to be barely there, giving you the whole 'no makeup, makeup look', has my name written all over it. 

So imagine my excitement when my inbox had an email with the subject line: MAC Magnetic Nude - Glimmering Metallics and Natural Nudes, patiently awaiting to be opened.

The recently released collection is just that, a beautiful array of neutral golds, champagnes and shimmers that to the touch, are like butter. 

Of the release featuring five shadows, three fluidlines, four lipsticks, five glosses, three blushes and three skinfinishes, I picked up two of the five shadows. I could have happily walked away with a lot more, however I don't know if it's because I haven't been tempted my a MAC release in awhile or if the prices have gone up, but boy these beauties aren't cheap at $37 each.

Before the price scares you away, go and swatch these offerings on the back of your hand. One swipe and I was sold. The formula, called Extra Dimension, is unlike anything I own and is a powder-liquid hybrid. 

I picked up Sweet Heat, a gorgeous pink champagne that will be beautiful as a brow-bone highlight or even as a highlighter at the tops of the cheekbones.

Sweet Heat

And Amorous Alloy, which is a deep, red undertoned brown that I think is going to look amazing in the crease, to smoke out a golden eye. 

Amorous Alloy

The shadows also have prismatic reflections of shimmer running through them, that makes the finish chic and not like you are wearing disco-ball glitter on your eyelids. You can wear a light wash of colour all of the lid for a sheer crystallised look or build the intensity up to a highly polished metallic eye. 

RR TIP - if you want to create an even more intense metallic eye, with these shadows or ones you have at home, lightly wet your brush before apply the product. The water will greatly enhance the colour pigmentation.

These bad boys are being welcomed into my collection with open arms and I highly recommend checking out your local MAC counter to have a play around. Don't have a counter near you? View the entire collection online here.

Until next time,

ajarose xo

The Bottom Line - Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara Review

There are certain products that have a somewhat gimmick tag attached to them. Do they really work or is it yet another ploy to make us spend our hard earned cash?  

One such product that faced the firing squad upon its release was Clinique's Bottom Lash Mascara.

Yep you read that correctly, a mascara designed just for your bottom lashes. 

How could this be any different to your ordinary everyday offering, I hear you ask? I asked the same question and tried to resist the urge of buying into another product. But that's the thing about gimmicks, they get you every damn time. 

 So is it worth the money? In a word, yes.

The brush - being so minuet in form means you can get product on every single little lash. Oh and it's pretty freakin' adorable. To put this oh-so-cute brush into perspective, here is a comparison shot next to the popular Benefit They're Real! Mascara. 

The formula - not too wet and not too dry, the formula hits the nail on the head as not to transfer onto your under eye area. It also does the perfect job of coating every lash naturally, without looking at all spidery. If that's the look your going for, this might not be for you.

To sum up, it's a great product I'm happy I bought, but you probably don't neeeed it. Unless you are anything like me, and you love a good excuse for makeup shopping.

Until next time,

ajarose xo

CLINIQUE BOTTOM LASH MASCARA, $28 

Available Here 

Rosie Recommends Turns One!

So I hear it's 2014. Where did that year go? I have absolutely no idea. 

Apart from the fact I'm still dumbfounded, 2014 is upon us and that means Rosie Recommends has officially turned one year old. 

I'm sorry for the lack of posts at the back end of December, also working in retail means it's the busiest time of year so when it came to blogging vs sleeping, the latter always took the cake. 

Moving into this new year, I hope RR continues to kick on and helps aid you in your beauty needs how little or big they may be. 

Here's to another fabulous (hopefully less speedy) year! 

ajarose xo