Blogging Break Update

Hello Sweeties, 

So you can probably tell that posts have been few and far between here on this little blog. Truth is, I've been feeling a little less than motivated these past few weeks. I've been battling with a raging cold for a while now and it's left me less than feeling great. I didn't really intend to take a break from blogging but it has sort of just happened after being unwell, so I thought that I would just post a quick update. 

This year I'm hoping to do plenty of Christmas Makeup Looks and other festive posts starting from next week. So I promise that regular posting will resume very soon. Just as soon as my cold clears up. Now someone pass me the tissues...

Makeup Products for Beginners

I'm sure that most of us beauty bloggers cane remember the day that we first decided that we were in love with makeup and starting stalking the shelves of boots, looking for something that would become our BFF's. I reckon I was in my first year of high school when I really knew that I had a thing for makeup, and I remember that my first eyeshadow was a frosty lilac shade that was really poor quality, but boy did I love it! 

Thanks to growing older and becoming wiser (I think), my makeup choices have changed, so I thought that I would put together a few items that I think are great for those who are just getting into makeup. So here they are...

Base Products:

I would recommend something really light so that you can get used to application and picking the right shade. Something like a tinted moisturiser would be perfect, but the item that  have picked is MUA Undress Your Skin - here £5.00 is perfect. This has a very light dewy finish, that allows your skin to to show through, rather than being full coverage. 

Powder isn't a necessity but I thought that I would include it anyway. The one that I picked is Maybelline Fit Me - here £5.99 as it is one that I continually go back to. I find that a lot of high street powders can ave quite an orange tone to them but this one comes in plenty of different shades so there will be one for everyone. I only wish that this came out years ago, because I was definitely one of those girls who wore powder that made me look tangoed!

For blush, you can't go wrong with Sleek Blushes -  here £4.49 which are buttery soft and always look soft and natural. They have a lovely shade range too all bases are covered.

Eye Products:

If you are just starting out with makeup, I think neutral is the way to go. Using a palette is perfect as it allows you to play around with shades so you will know what works for you. MUA Heaven and Earth Palette - here £4.00  is perfect for creating a range of eye looks, and it includes 12 neutral shades that will be perfect for school or work.

There are thousands of eyeliners on the market, some are good and some not so good. The best ones that I've found are from Rimmel, and they are the Scandaleyes Kohl Liners - here £3.99 . These are great fro beginners as they come in a range of shades, are extremely creamy making them easy to work with, and they are a bargain!

The mascara that I picked was Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - here £4.99 as this was the very first mascara that I used. It gives a natural look to lashes and coats them really nicely.

Lip Products:

My advice to someone who is just getting into makeup would be to start of with tinted balms before going for lipsticks. This way you will know what colours work best for you, and you lips will be in tip top condition too. For a bargain price and really yummy scent I would recommend NYC Applelicious tinted balm - here £2.49. Not only do these make your lips look lovely and healthy, but they are also incredibly cute.

If you wanted something that's longer lasting and has a bigger shade range then you should have a look at the Revlon Lip Butters, here £7.99. These are really stunning and nourishing on the lips, and with lots of different shades to choose from.

So, that is my recommendations for those who are just getting into makeup, or are perhaps thinking about making their first beauty purchases. There is such a great choice out there, it really does make it easier for those who are a little unsure about what to purchase. I know that I wish that I had some recommended products before I was let loose in the makeup aisle, because lets face it, orange bronzer and blue mascara is not a good look.

If you have any other starter tips I'd love to hear them too :)

Macadamia No Tangle Hair Brush

I don't think I've ever fallen in love with a hair brush. I have now though. Today I'll be sharing with you the fabulous Macadamia No Tangle Brush. I've never been one to buy into gimmicky sort of products like this, because what's wrong with a normal hair brush? but this really has changed my outlook on such products!

My regular hair brush had always been a large paddle brush, because I thought that a paddle brush was the only thing that would get through my thick unruly hair! Then at the #midsummermeet in August, this No Tangle brush was kindly given to us in the goody bags. Once I got home and looked at this brush I thought that I would give it a go, along with the Macadamia Natural Healing Oil that came with the brush as part of a set. However, I completely forgot about this until a few weeks ago and I finally gave it a go. I wish now that I had used right from the start!

I have extremely thick hair that tangles very easily, especially when worn down. This brush easily glides through my hair with ease and makes tangles a pain free job. It has two different size bristles which are designed to rid hair of knots, minimise cuticle damage and split ends, all whilst creating a smoother surface. It certainly does live up to its claims.

I've recently had a bit of  a hair trauma, and I will be posting about that soon but this brush has honestly been a hero for me. I know that this is going to be something I use time and time again, and used with the oil, it is a match made in heaven.

This is definitely something to recommend to everyone with all hair types, and it's bargain price, it's hard to say no to. You can get this here for £7.96 in green or pink. 

*Gift from event

Festive Favourites Tag!

I'm getting pretty excited right about now as it's coming up to my favourite time of year. I absolutely bloody love Christmas, as I'm sure most people do. There's always such a lovely atmosphere around and everyone seems in such a great mood. I thought I would share with you my 10 favourite things to do around the festive season and make it into a tag! Oh, and feel free to use my image below if you do this tag :)

1: Visit Christmas Markets. Everything from the smells to the people, I just love them. There's nothing like getting wrapped up warm, having a Bratwurst and drinking a few Steins with friends.

2: Shopping for Christmas decorations. Everything from little boutiques to garden centers. I love looking at cute little trinkets and standout pieces. I try and buy one new item every year so that in years to come I will have something to look back on.

3: Ice Skating. I love Ice Skating. I know that you can do it all year round at indoor rinks, but there's just something so lovely about going around Christmas time.

4: Watching Christmas Films. Do I need to say more? My favourites are Elf, Miracle on 34th Street, The Santa Claus, and Snow Dogs.

5: Baking. Ever since I was a kid, me and my mum would always make the Christmas cake together, and then we would do Yule Logs and Cupcakes. Now that I've moved out, I still like to do some baking but none of the high maintenance stuff though!

6: Wrapping Presents. By far my most favourite thing to do. Not only do I find it extremely relaxing, but I think it's so much fun and allows you to be as creative as you like. When wrapping is taking place, the boyfriend is shipped off into the other room otherwise he just gets in the way haha!

7: Gift Sets. My favourite aisle in Boots  around this time of year is the gift set aisle. Brands really do knock it out of the park when it comes to Christmas Gift Sets.

8: Knitwear. Cosy and Stylish is great. What's even better is that they hide a multitude of sins. Another mince pie anyone?

9: Cold Weather. I know that this is quite a strange one to have but I love when it gets bitterly cold. It really makes it feel seasonal and it's just another excuse to wear one of the hundreds of scarves I have. But no rain please!

10: Festive Drinks. Yes Starbucks and Costa, I'm looking at you. I always love the festive drinks that they bring out for winter, and every year I'm torn between which is my must drink!

So there it is! My 10 festive favourites! I tag all of my lovely readers to do this tag too, as I would loev to see what your top 10 are. If you do complete this tag, feel free to tweet me the link @RetroLoveBeauty and I'll retweet it for you :)

Hope you enjoy :)

MUA Luxe Glitter Palette in Twilight

I was pretty excited to see that MUA were releasing an extension to their makeup line. I'm a big fan of MUA products but was starting to get a little bored as I already had everything that I wanted to get from them. So, I was stalking the shelves of Superdrug waiting for them to have the new Luxe items available. I eventually got a few products and the one I will be showing you today is the Glitter Palette in Twilight.

I wasn't going to pick up one of these but nostalgia got the better of me. I remember having something very similar to this when I was in primary school and would go to the school discos. This is obviously the more grown up version, with 4 different palettes, I think they're great for the festive season.

The packaging is pretty standard MUA, with its clear and black plastic casing. It does have a slightly different logo just with MUA Luxe written on the front, but it isn't all that different from the regular logo on their standard products. The palette does come with a double ended foam applicator, but this isn't very good in terms of application. 

Twilight is full of purple and shades, all of which are extremely girly. I think that all of them will look lovely during the festive period. I've found that these do not work well on their own. They crease like crazy! I've found that the best way to apply these is to pat them over a powder shadow but not go right into the crease as even with a primer/base they will crease. Also, it's best to pat them on as if you swipe them on you are likely to move the product underneath. They do look stunning though, and add an extra dimension to an eyeshadow look. I cant wait to try them over a lipstick!

Overall, I think these palettes are a nice edition to any collection, mainly for the nostalgia quality. If you love glitter though, you will love these!

Have you tried anything from the MUA Luxe range? 

Botanics Ionic Clay Face Mask

Since getting back from my holidays, my already oily skin has been turning into a mega oil slick. I knew it was time for some new face products, so off I popped into Boots and made a beeline for the Botanics range.

I picked up this face mask as it claims to get rid of excess oil and dirt in the skin. I dropped this straight in my basket and headed home ready to try it out. I initially thought that this was going to be quite a thick mask,

which it is, but I do have a little word of warning. As it stands cap down on the shelves, a lot of the liquid in this mask migrates to the bottom of the tube. This means that when you first apply it, it goes everywhere and looks like you've had a mud fight. This is easily resolved by giving it a good shake before you apply it, so that all the ingredients get mixed up again. To be safe though, it's probably best to apply it over the bathroom sink!

On application, this feels lovely and smooth, and spreads out really evenly across the face. Apply in the regular areas on your face, avoiding eyes, and look your absolute sexiest. It really did transform me into something like the creature from the lagoon. At first it is a deep grey/green shade but it dries to an almost sea foam shade. However, it looks as though there are little wet spots all over the skin. This is the mask extracting all of the excess oil and dirt from your skin, so it does look pretty gross but it feels amazing. After washing this off, my skin did look a little red for a while but that soon went down and I could see the benefits instantly. My makeup also applied better as my pores were reduce and my skin less oily. I also noticed that throughout the day my skin was less shiny and I didn't need to top up my powder as much. Result! 

Overall, I would definitely recommend this to everyone who has oily skin as it really is a miracle worker! This is available from Boots and Boots.com

Have you tried this? What is your fave face mask? 

Christmas 2013 Tag

Ahhh the "C" Word. CHRISTMAS! I absolutely love this time of year. I noticed a few weeks ago that the very lovely Georgina from MakeupPixi3 created this lovely tag. I have to say, I don't think that I have never been this excited for a tag post. Ever. So, without further ado, let's get on with it...

Image Courtesy of MakeupPixi3 

Do you prefer a real Christmas tree or synthetic?

I love a real tree. It's all we had as a kid. They just smell so lovely and look beautiful in any room. However, now that I've moved out and living in an apartment, we have a synthetic tree. It does look just as nice as a real one but it definitely misses something.

You're in a Coffee Shop, it's December, what do you pick up?

I will more than likely order a Caramel Hot Chocolate with whipped cream. I just love it so much! However, this week I had a Gingerbread Hot Chocolate and I have never tasted anything quite like it. Definitely a repurchase!

What's your favourite colour scheme for decorating the tree?

On our tree we have red, gold and green. Those are the main colors throughout our whole apartment. This year I bought a few little decorations whilst we were in Mexico that are completely different to our regualr colour scheme, but I have decided that each year we will buy something different for the tree and then in years to come, we will have a selection of little trinkets that will mean something to the both of us.

Giving or Receiving?

Everybody loves to rip open presents on Christmas morning, but I have to say I definitely prefer giving. I just love seeing people's faces when they open my gift. It makes all the hours fighting through crowds and crazy shoppers worth it.

To Mince Pie or not to Mince Pie?

NO! I hate them! I always have. My boyfriend loves them though so we will have them in the cupboards at some point.

Whats your traditional Sunday lunch?

Turkey, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, roast vegetables, Yorkshire puddings (which taste even more amazing when I go back to my mum and dads in Yorkshire), stuffing, and extra thick gravy. Soooo good!

Christmas Day Fashion

Ever since I can remember we have always got quite glammed up on Christmas Day. I normally get quite a lot of clothes for Christmas so I have a lot to choose from. I will just wear PJ's all day on Boxing Day though.

What is your favourite Christmas song?

Without a doubt it is Mariah Carey, All I Want For Christmas is You. I know it's cheesy but I just can't get enough of it over the festive period. In close second comes The Pogues, Fairytale of New York.

What is your favourite Christmas Film?

I have too many to name just one favourite but some of them are Miracle on 34th Street, Elf, The Santa Clause and It's a Wonderful Life.

Open presents before or after lunch?

Always before! We always get up really early!

I really enjoyed doing this tag and it was so lovely to do something different to a beauty post. Massive thnks to Georgina for creating this tag. Definitely go check out her post here, it definitely gets me into the Christmas spirit!

I tag all of you lovelies to to do this tag, I would love to see all of your answers. 

Lush Lord Of Misrule Bath Ballistic

Long time no Lush review! Truth be told I was getting a little bored of buying the same bath ballistics time after time and I became a bit more a shower girl for a while. When it gets to this time of year, Lush tend to knock it out of the park with the different products they have to offer so, I paid a little visit there this week. I wanted to pick up some of the Christmas items but my local store only had part of the collection, so I picked up one of the Halloween ones to finish off my purchases. 

Lord of Misrule was the one that instantly stood out to me due its bright green appearance and I just knew that I would love it. The scent is absolutely stunning too, with ingredients such as black pepper and patchouli oil to really pack a punch! The black pepper really makes it feel like a winter warmer, whilst the patchouli oil gives it a girly dimension. The scent filled my apartment and lasted for hours which was really lovely. 

When I put this in the water, I noticed that it isn't as fizzy as other bath ballistics, but it does have a more foamy texture akin to the twilight ballistic. As this first starts to dissolve it has a pale green colour to it, but a berry shade quickly comes through. I love how it swirls around the water just because it looks so magical! When this is fully dissolved the water is a rich red wine colour which is absolutely beautiful. The water also felt really nourishing on my skin and some dry patches that I had were completely gone.

Overall, I really enjoyed this bath ballistic and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a soothing and relaxing bath. I would be quick though as it is limited edition!

What do you think about this? Whats your fave Lush product?

October Favourites

October was such an amazing month for me! I was away in Mexico for two weeks which was just an incredible holiday and I'll be sharing a post all about it with you soon. Due to my holiday, some of my favourites might seem a little strange for this time of year, but they were perfect for whilst I was in the sweltering heat! So, here are my favourite products for October...

Can I just apologize for the terribleness of this photo? The bad weather is making taking photos near on impossible, and this was the best of a bad bunch! 

Hawaiian Tropic Body Butter After Sun:

This was an absolute god send on holiday. My skin gets so dry when I've been out in the sun so I used to apply this everywhere and make sure that skin was nourished. The after sun element in it was a lovely touch as it soothed my skin after a day of sun and meant that I wasn't uncomfortable.

Bourjois Bronzing BB Cream:

Since getting a little tan, my foundation has been far to light and my skin hasn't needed much coverage at all. I've been applying this really lightly with Real Techniques Buffing Brush, and I love the finish that it gives. It looks so natural, and it's gel consistency blends effortlessly into my skin. Win!

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle:

I'm pretty sure that most people have heard of this, but long story short, it's the most perfect highlighter that has ever graced the beauty world! It looks beautifully natural and is one of those suit all shades! This hasn't been out of my makeup bag for a good few weeks now!

Rimmel Scandaleyes eye crayon in Bad Girl Bronze:

Everyone loves a product that does it all. This eye crayon gives me everything I look for in an eye colour. I love bronze shades and have been wearing them all month! This can be used as an all over colour, a liner or as a base. Add lashing of black mascara and you have a fool proof smokey eye.

Sleek Matte Me in Fandango Purple:

Matte lips are having a bit of a moment and these are certainly my favourite matte lip products. Fandango purple has been my go to for a while now as it's such a stunning colour and there really is nothing like it on the market at the minute. Easy stand out lips in just one swipe, thanks to it's amazing formula.

Swarzkopf Osis+ Shape Shifter:

I've been having a hair disaster for a while now (something that I will go into in another post), and I haven't been able to use many products. This one thought has been just about the only one that I can use. I have extremely thick hair and this is the only product that will add texture to my hair and give an acceptable "just got out of bed" look.

So those are my favourite products for October. I'm going to try and remember to do a favourites post every month. What have been your favourite products recently?