L'Oreal Micellar Water

I'm pretty sure everyone and their mum has heard of or tried Bioderma. When I finally got my hands on some, I declared love and vowed to never use any other micellar water. However, with Bioderma not being a readily available in the UK as we would like, it becomes impossible to not use anything else. I've seen this product mentioned on a few blogs, so when I saw it on offer in Superdrug I thought I would give it a go.

I had high expectations for this due to my love for Bioderma, but I have been left really underwhelmed. I think part of my high expectations came from the brand name too as I've never had a bad product from L'Oreal. I've found that when using this, you need to really use quite a bit as it dries up on the cotton pad so quickly. I've also noticed that when applying this product to the cotton pad there's quite a lot of waste as some of it drips down the side of the bottle due to its square shape. Not cool. 

The first time I applied this, my skin felt lovely and smooth and almost all traces of makeup was gone (I did struggle to remove my mascara and liner with this), and I did notice the toner doing some work. However, after using this a little more, I have broken out so bad! This is the only thing that I have changed in my skin care so I know that it is this that has caused it. This is what has disappointed me the most.

I was expecting really great things from this and to be honest, I've been left feeling less than pleased. 

Have you tried this? What did you think of it?

*I'm looking for some lovelies to guest post for me whilst I'm away next month. If you're interested, email me at retrolove17@hotmail.co.uk*

Sleek Vintage Romance Palette

Now that Autumn has firmly graced us with its presence, I've been switching up my makeup for more seasonal offerings. The main thing that I change is my lipstick and eyeshadow. The most recent autumnal palette on the market is Sleek's Vintage Romance, and let me tell you, it is an absolute beauty!!

The first thing that caught my eyes was the absolutely stunning box on the outside. It's adorned with rusty coloured leaves and gold accents that just screams Autumn. It's one of those boxes that it's a shame the discard of it because it is just so pretty, so much so that I've kept it on top of my drawers as I just love it so much! I don't want to go into too much in regards to the packaging because I'm pretty sure that everyone is aware of Sleek's matte black, sturdy packaging. However, I will say that these are the best palettes for travel in my opinion as they are so sturdy and have a full size mirror which makes application the go such an ease.

Lets move onto the shades.Wow. They are just stunning. From golds and bronzes, to berries and blacks. There's definitely something for everyone in this collection and its one that will take you right through the seasons. It's also great for those who want prefer to wear neutrals but want something with a little extra oomph! I'm  neutrals girl at heart but am making a more concious effort to incorporate more colour into my look and this the palette for that! With the inclusion of deeper berry tones, adding a splash of colour into  your look is extremely easy with this palette. 

Pretty in Paris: A bright metallic silver.

Meet in Madrid: A bright muted gold shade.

Court in Cannes: Cool toned bronze.

Lust in L.A: A hybrid between bronze and olive green.

Romance in Rome: A matte navy blue base with blue glitter.

Propose in Prague: The only true matte in the whole palette. A mid red tone brown.

Vow in Venice: A beautiful cranberry shade that is a very good for MAC's Cranberry.

Marry in Monte Carlo: Similar to Vow in Venice but with a purple tone.

Honeymoon in Hollywood: A matte berry base with silver glitter.

Bliss in Barcelona: Duo-chrome purple.

Forever in Florence: Blackened purpled with silver glitter.

Love in London: Matte black with silver glitter.

Overall, I LOVE this palette and can see it getting plenty of use throughout autumn and winter. It has great variety of shades and formulas which for £7.99 is pretty amazing! This palette is available from Sleek's website and from Superdrug stores :)

*I'm looking for some people to guest post for me whilst I'm on holiday next month. If you're interested, you can email me at retrolove17@hotmail.co.uk*

A Statement Wishlist

This season, I've found myself lusting after jewellery more so than usual. In particular, statement necklaces There are so many lovely ones available, and they're so versatile. My favourite way to wear this is with a pretty plain Tshirt or dress, and let the necklace do all of the talking! 

I've picked out some of my favourite ones at the minute to show you all varying in price ranges. I'm probably going to pick up a couple of these for my holidays next month :)

1.  2.  3.  4. 5.  6.   

Which is your favourite?

Also, I'm looking for some lovelies to guest post for me whilst I'm on holiday next month. If you're interested, email me at retrolove17@hotmail.co.uk :)

Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me

I know, I know, this must be the millionth post that you have probably seen on the Maybelline Baby Lips, but it's always worth throwing in your two cents right?

Ever since I started to read blogs, I had lusted after some of the Maybelline Baby Lips. I wasn't too fussed which one I had, as long as I could have one. I even trawled eBay for some but the price was just extortionate! Then British Beauty Blogger dreams came true and they were brought over here and graced the shelves of both Boots and Superdrugs. The one that I'm going to be sharing with you today is Cherry Me.

First of all lets talk about the packaging. I love it! Its so bright, fun, easy to find in your collection and definitely sturdy. They're also a cute little size, which is perfect for just chucking into your handbag or makeup bag and applying on the go. 

The balm itself is lovely. Cherry Me is one of the tinted balms and is a stunning raspberry red shade. Upon application, this balm looks extremely juicy and gave my lips a very subtle, but very lovely wash of colour. I likened the shade to that which you get when you have eaten strawberries and your lips look so juicy! I love wearing this alone throughout the day, or if I want a bit more of a statement look, I will apply this under my lipstick which gives a little bit extra to a standard shade.

Overall, I am completely besotted with this lip balm and have bought all of the other Baby Lips to add to my ever growing lip collection. I'll be sharing the rest with you very, very soon. 

Have your tried any of the Maybelline Baby Lips? Which is your favourite?

Boots Botanics Microdermabrasion Polish

I'm constantly on the lookout for something new for my skin. As a teenager, I really neglected my skin and probably committed some beauty sins in the process. Since becoming a beauty blogger, I have made a concious effort to take more care of my skin. The latest product that I've been swearing by is Botanics Microdermabrasion Polish.

The texture of this facial polish is really strange but I kinda like it. It's a thick, grey cream with sand like granules in which scrub away at the skin on your face. I've found that despite this being extremely thick, it actually applies like a dream and works into the skin really well with very little effort. The rough, sand like feature does tend to feel a little uncomfortable but once you have got used to it, it actually feels quite nice. I like to use this twice a week after my daily cleansing routine and the results are nothing short of amazing. You can literally see the results as soon as you start washing this away. 

This brightens and evens out the skin tone. I have noticed the biggest difference on my cheeks, where I have a very uneven skin tone, and on my under eye circles, which have definitely reduced. My skin has looked more even, felt smoother and generally had a better appearance. 

I would definitely recommend this to all of those who suffer from an uneven skin tone, or just generally want to improve the appearance of their skin. This is available from Boots within their Botanics range for £5.33 (usually £7.99).

What's your favourite Skincare product?

Lipstick Switch Up

As much as I love summer, I can't help but get a little very excited when autumn comes around. I think this is when shades of makeup are at their very best. My most favourite thing to switch up is my lipstick. 

During the summer time, I love to wear bright and neon shades, but as soon as autumn comes around I love nothing more than berry and vampy shades. Here are some of my faourites...

Each one of these shades still has tonnes of colour but has a darker tone to it. I know that everyone goes on about their love for berry and vampy tones throughout autumn, and at the risk of sounding like a cliché, they really do set off the rest of your makeup. I love wearing these with a really simple eye probably just some winged eyeliner and mascara, then a tiny touch of blusher. Pretty much just let my lips do all of the talking (pun fully intended...). I tried to pick a range of prices for these lipsticks, so that there is something to suit every budget. Although, all of them are just as good as the last, whether its a £1 shade from MUA or a £15 one from MAC. 

I do switch up pretty much everything else in my makeup routine and will be sharing the rest with you very soon. I'd love to see what you change about your makeup throughout the seasons, or if you keep the same right through the year?   

My Guide to Freshers Week

It's that time of year again when the packing begins, nerves set in and cars are packed. Yep, the start of University more affectionately known as Freshers Week. I thought that I would write a little guide including the things that I learnt during my Freshers Weeks at Uni.

1: There's no such thing as just one drink.

During this week, every club will have a promotion on. Going into the club with the intention of staying sober so you can remember where you live, is just an unrealistic view. At the time it might seem like a perfectly reasonable but it is honestly not going to end that way. You will meet new friends, these new friends will buy drinks and you will more than likely be the receiver of said drink. Then there are the platters of shots that only come in a certain amount. You will definitely have one of those and this will continue right throughout the night, leading to a very sore head in the morning.

2: The places that advertise themselves as the "Best In Town" are usually the opposite.

Speaking from experience, this is normally almost the case. I went to a few places that promised this and they most certainly were not the best. They are usually empty, expensive, way out of the city centre and with some pretty questionable alcohol. Steer well clear at all times!

3: Try and make it to your Student Union Welcome days.

Going to a welcome meeting doesn't sound very appealing but they are so helpful! On the day that my Student Union held their meeting, I was extremely hungover but managed to drag myself to it. In the end I was really glad that I went as there were some really interesting points made and some really helpful people there. I got tonnes of freebies and even saw what clubs and societies the University had to offer.

4: Your heart will sink when you are "Tagged" in a Facebook photo.

We've all been there! There is no such thing as a good photo during Freshers Week and the feeling when you get that Facebook notification is one of the worst ever! It's going to happen, there's pretty much nothing you can do about it, except laugh at it in a few months time!

5: There's no escaping Freshers Flu.

Whether you're just starting at Uni or going into your final year, you WILL get Freshers Flu. It's pretty much just your standard cold but made worse because everyone gets it at the same time. Just make sure that you have plenty of antibacterial hand gel and some Lemsip and you'll be fine. Oh, and you'll probably need some Pro-Plus at some point, too! 

I know that this isn't the most serious of posts, but I hope that it has given you a little idea of what Freshers Week is like. I'm kind of sad that I won't be experiencing Freshers Week now that I've graduated, but all of the memories (good and bad) will stick with me forever!

Do you want to guest post?

Hello Lovelies! You might have noticed that things have been a little bit quiet over here at RL. For the past week or so, I haven't been feeling quite myself due to a stressful few weeks and thought that I just needed to relax and take a break, so that's exactly what I did. I took a break from blogging and went back home to Leeds to see my family and I feel so much better now :).

Also, if you follow me on Twitter you will probably have seen that I've been harping on and on about going on holiday. Well, in three weeks time I'll be jetting off to Mexico for just over two weeks. I'm beyond excited and think it's just the break I need. Obviously during that time I won't be blogging but I will have some posts scheduled beforehand so that my blog is not left unloved for 2 weeks. Along with the psts that I will be scheduling, I'm looking for some guest posters who would like to feature here on my blog. If you're a beauty, lifestyle, fashion, home, food, whatever type of posts you like to write, I'd love to feature it on here :).

If you're interested, then please feel free to email me at retrolove17@hotmail.co.uk

:)

Sleek Matte Me Lip Lacquer in Rioja Red

A few days ago I posted about the fabulous Sleek Matte Lip Lacquer in Fandango Purple which you can read here. At the same time of buying the purple shade, I also purchased a stunning red, because I quite clearly needed another red lip item in my collection. Yeah right. Well this is that shade.

This is a fabulously true red shade with a very slight blue undertone. It's one of those universal shades that will suit every skin tone, every lip shape and every season. It makes my teeth look shades whiter which is nothing short of  a bonus. For me, this is a lip shade that does all the talking. I like to wear this with a very very simple eye with just a tiny bit of mascara and this red lip. I'm sure that most of you will know that MAC's Russian Red is my all time favourite lip product, well this is the more purse friendly version.

The formula is nothing short of incredible. I must say that if you don't like a matte finish then this definitely are not for you. As soon as these dry, your lips lose every bit of moisture on them and your are left with this dry layer over the top. My lips did feel extremely dry when wearing these but it was a nice sort of dry, very similar to the Lime Crime Velvetines.  These apply with a little bit of shine to them but dry down to a completely matte finish that has absolutely no transfer at all. I even roped my boyfriend into letting me kiss him on the cheek (kisses are usually off limits when I have something on my lips), and there was absolutely no sign of transfer whatsoever! On first application, these were quite messy but I think that is because I had no idea what to expect from the formula and I was rushing. Now that I've played around with these, I've found it best to use the very tip of the doe foot applicator for the thinnest part of the lip and then bring the colour into the centre so that the whole lip is covered.

If you're a fan of matte lips, then get yourself down to Superdrug and come away with some of these. At £4.99 each, they're such a steal and will definitely be well loved.

*I'm looking for some bloggers to guest post whilst I'm away on holiday next month. If you're interested then drop me an email at retrolove17@hotmail.co.uk*