This is not a typical style fashion or beauty blog post, but today I want to talk about something a bit different. As many of you are probably aware, on Thursday May 7th 2015 the UK will have a general election to decide who will be the party in control of our government. Politics is something that really interests me and is also something I feel very passionately about. I'm not writing this because I want to persuade you to vote my way or campaign on behalf of a party, I'm writing this because I believe that voting is one of the most important things you can do for our country.

I think politics is something that many young people don't get involved in nowadays. Many just don't take an interest through thinking it's 'boring' or they 'don't understand'. Others just don't vote because they can't decide who to vote for. In the UK we have a voting system called First-Past-The-Post (FPTP). This means that the country is divided into 650 constituencies and in each constituency 1 candidate from any of the running political parties is elected. The party with over 50% (326) of their MPs holding a constituency gain overall power. (That's the simple version but of course there can also be many complications to that!) This means you have 1 vote to make a change. What you do with that vote is completely up to you! If you want to spoil your vote (putting a cross through it and not voting for anyone) then that's fine. That way you are still showing that you have taken an interest in politics and you are making a statement that you don't believe in the policies of any party. If you are on the fence about who to vote for then do some research. Go onto different parties websites and look up their manifestos and find out about what they would do if they were in government. Whatever you do voting is important because it is one of the only chances other than referendums that we as the people of Great Britain get to participate in the politics of our country. I especially feel sad when women don't vote, as people died so that women could get equal rights and even have the chance to vote. So if there's one thing you do today, make it registering to vote - becuase if you don't register you can't vote. You can register from the age of 16 and you can vote from the age of 18, but you will need to hurry as registration closes on April 20th!  It literally takes about a minute (I know because i've done it myself!). So please I urge you, make a difference in our county's politics and vote on May 7th.


                                                      REGISTER TO VOTE HERE

Apart from when I was a child, I've never really ventured into the whole 21st century dungaree trend. In my mind they belong back in the 90s, however I can't help but notice how effortlessly chic some people look in them nowadays. In my attempt to give it a go, I ordered what I would like to think of as the 'hybrid dungaree'. These are a softer cotton fabric but still have that 'overall look' to them. I have to admit I do slightly feel like a painter/decorator but I'm rolling with it. They are surprisingly versatile and can be worn casually with a plain tee and flats, or smartened up with a shirt underneath and boots. The real question is, are dungarees acceptable for a young woman, or do they belong to 4 year olds? You decide.

                                        Top- COS // Dungarees - New Look // Shoes - Zara (Similar) 

Two blog posts in one day you lucky things! (However I do have something very important to talk about). You may have noticed that my blog has had a few changes going on recently. For starters it has a new design as I had had the old one for around a year and a bit of change is always a good thing. Another pretty massive change is the name. For the last 3 and a half years my little 'Love Vintage' blog has been my internet baby. I have grown up, my blog has grown up and I have watched my style evolve. When I first started blogging back in December 2011, I was obsessed with all things vintage, hence the name of my blog. I had very little money and would love nothing more than spending hours in the charity shops picking up a ton of clothes for a fiver, and then coming home and blogging about it. However now I feel it's a good time for some change. I am no longer that person and feel 'Love Vintage' is misleading for the content that I now produce, however I will always love it for what it originally meant to me.

So this is where I introduce you to Love Vintage mark 2 - otherwise known as www.RoxandRoses.com. As some of you might be able to tell the name comes from my own name (Roxanne Rose). I want this blog to be about everything and anything that inspires me, with no restrictions. The content you read will still be the same, if not better, as I'm always striving to improve in any way I can. I feel Rox & Roses now represents who I am more now, and I hope you will all join me still in a new beginning for my blog. Thank you for all your support over the years, it really does mean a lot.

                                                          Where you can find me-

Do you ever get that feeling that your skin just looks dull, dry and sallow? When it seems like makeup just doesn't sit right and you just generally need as much highlighter as possible to make yourself look even vaguely alive? I'd never really bought anything from The Body Shop before, but I had heard a few people talking about this serum-in-oil. Being someone who has dehydrated and dull skin I was desperate for something to bring life back into my face. It is essentially and oil which you apply in the evening to add moisture and replenish your skin, however it has elements of a serum within. It's lovely and light and doesn't feel to greasy or heavy. The morning after the first night I used it, I awoke to beautiful fresh and glowing skin. All of this, and it only costs £13. Winner.

Although a beautiful time of year, spring in the UK leaves you feeling slightly confused on the weather front. It's lovely and sunny a lot of the time which makes you feel as if you want to whip out the summer dresses and sandals, but it is also still quite cold (which would probably make you want to put them away again!). Because of this you have to adapt your wannabe summer wardrobe to suit the temperature. Adding tights to something like shorts still makes you feel spring-like, but is also very practical. I have to say that when I wore this out a male friend of mine said to me 'could you not decide if it was shorts or tights weather so you just thought you'd wear both?' Funny. I just replied 'it's fashion, you wouldn't understand...'' I like the way it looks, but I'm not obliged to having a warm summers day anytime soon!

If something has stripes, it's pretty much guaranteed that my eye will be drawn to it. It's an obsession really. I realised things were getting out of hand when I created a draw dedicated only to striped garments in my wardrobe. When a friend saw they proclaimed, 'you don't seriously have a draw just for stripes do you?' Unfortunately yes, I do. I have since tried to cut down on my addiction and have banished the stripes draw and have tried to limit myself from buying many more striped related items, but I did have to cave - just this once...

Recently I have become quite addicted to Asos. I have the type of brain which is either uninterested or utterly obsessed, and quite frankly my obsession has become very strong. As I've said before I've signed up for Asos premier which is just awesome. Unlimited next day delivery with no minimum spend is just lethal for someone like me...! I have placed an embaressing 4 orders in the last week or so, and in one of those was this amazing dress. Sold as an 'oversized blouse' on the website, I thought that if I sized down I would be safe and would just be able to wear it as a normal shirt. It's safe to say that when it arrived I was very, very wrong. However this was almost a blessing in disguise as I actually much prefer this item as a dress. As someone who loves wearing black this is right up my street, but just makes it a little different to normal. I can see this in the summer with tanned legs, sandals and sunglasses; but for now I have to stick to tights and boots which still looks lovely, but let's all hope for some warm sun!

                       ASOS Oversized Mono Print Blouse / Watch -ASOS (similar) / Boots - M&S

I've really been getting into my skincare recently. I've always tried to take good care of my skin, but my true obsession really started after my trip to Paris last year when I visited the holy grail of skincare shops CityPharma. I've tried and tested a number of skincare products over the few years, so now I feel I have a pretty solid skincare routine,ready to share with you all...

Morning

In the morning I like to be as quick as quick as possible. If I'm in a rush to get out the door then I will just use a quick swipe of Bioderma or La Roche Posay Serozinc over the face just to get rid of any excess oils from the night before. I then like to moisturise to prepare my skin for makeup using the Embryolisse Le Creme Concentrate. This really is the most beautiful morning moisturiser. It really sinks in hydrating and plumping the skin without being greasy. Finally I use a little bit of Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm to prep my lips before any lipstick etc.


Evening

This is where I do my 'proper' skincare routine. I start by taking off the bulk of my makeup using Bioderma which is just my ultimate makeup remover. I like to think of this as my first cleanse which is then followed up by my second cleanse Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. This is one of the first cleansers that I ever used, but I've had many an affair with brands such as Ren, Khiels, Una Brennan - the list goes on! However, I really do love this cleanser. It's a simple, creamy hot cloth cleanser that melts away the impurities, and leaves my skin feeling so soft, supple and hydrated. I really do love it, and if I could only have one skincare product it would totally be this!


A few times a week I will then use the Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator. It seems in the past year or so that 'acid exfoliants' have been all the rage, but quite honestly I don't see the harm in using a gentle scrub like this. The beads are very fine and just buff away any dead skin build up with ease. What I love most is that it leaves my skin looking so fresh and radiant.



I then use La Roche Posay Serozinc which is one of my favourite toners. It really clarifies and soothes the skin, and is great at clearing any breakouts and blemishes, but is great even if you have dehydrated skin like me. I then use my favourite product of the moment, The Body Shop Serum-In-Oil. This is SUCH a good serum/oil. I basically use it as a moisturiser as it is so hydrating and just leaves the skin looking so bright and fresh. I've even found it clears my skin, and for such an affordable serum/oil I think it is totally worth giving it a go.


I then use the Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream which I have to say I feel slightly indifferent about to be honest. I just like to use an eye cream though as I feel prevention is always better than cure! Finally I use my favourite Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm which is such a hydrating and soothing balm - totally recommend!










And that's me done! Here is the no make-up selfie to give you an idea of what my bare face looks like thanks to these wonderful products!



                                             Watch - ASOS / Tee- Zara/ Stripe Top- Topshop