And a Happy New Year...

I know that these posts have been all over everyone's dashboard today but I thought that I would do a quick post. 

This year has by far been the most eventful one so far, and I've loved every minute. There were a lot of ups and downs, some more memorable than others, but I guess that's all part of the fun! Each twist and turn has brought something new and exciting, and I can only hope that 2014 holds something just as fun! 

This year I graduated, turned 21, went to some lovely blogger events, visited some beautiful countries and spent some time with some amazing people. All of this made this year perfect, but none more than getting engaged to my beautiful fiancé, Olly, just last week on Christmas Eve. This year really has been perfect and I couldn't have asked for anymore!

I also wanted to say Thankyou to all you for taking some time out of your day for reading my blog. When I started nearly 2 years ago, I never expected to enjoy writing or for as many to people to read it. I have plenty of exciting things planned for my blog in 2014 and I'm s excited to share them with you! Again, a bit giant Thankyou hug to each and every one of you. Here's to another great year!

Wherever you are tonight, I hope you have a super evening with loved ones and bring the new year in, in style. Eat, drink and be merry, but most of all be safe! See you next year! 

FOTD Christmas Day Edition

I love getting ready on Christmas Day. I think it's just so lovely to be so relaxed and filled with festive cheer, applying your makeup of choice and deciding what outfit to wear. As I was heading back home to my Mum and Dads this year, I had to decide how I would be wearing my makeup beforehand, so that I knew what to pack. Easier said than done. I had sort of decided, so I threw a few things in my makeup bag and here's what I came up with...

Products used:

Benefits Porefessional

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW20

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Classic Beige

Maybelline Fit Me Powder in 125 Nude Beige

Seventeen Brows That 

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate

Sleek Sparkle 2 Palette using Chocolate Penny, Mulled Wine and Truffle

Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Liner

MAC Haute and Naughty Mascara

Sleek Blush By 3 in Sugar

MAC Cherry Lip Liner

MAC Russian Red Lipstick

Urban Decay All Nighter Spray

Hair styled with Enrapture Totem Styler

I really like this makeup look as I think it was nice and festive without being too over the top. I do want to apologise for my extra cheesy grin though, if you read this post here, you will understand why my smile is so over the top!

I would love to see your makeup from Christmas Day as I think it's always lovely to see how everyone differs. 

Do you like to go extra glam for Christmas, or do you stick the bare essentials?

The most amazing day of my life.

Every single year I look forward to the festive period. It's always been my favourite time of year and this year was no exception as Olly and I were going back to my parents to spend Christmas with them and my brother. I was also quite excited because this was the first year that I didn't know what my present from Olly. Normally I have to choose it myself or point him in the right direction as he doesn't like the responsibility of buying something I like. This year though, he did amazingly!

On Christmas Eve, just as we were settling down for the night, he gave me a parcel and told me it was an early Christmas present. I didn't really know what to expect, but I opened it anyway. I'm still overwhelmed but...HE PROPOSED! I won't go into all of the details because I think it's still quite a private moment, but I can tell you that I cried and then obviously said yes. The ring is absolutely beautiful and he couldn't have picked one anymore perfect. It really was the best Christmas present I could have ever wished for!

I just wanted to say a great big thank you to those of you who have sent your congratulations to me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. It really does mean the world to me and I wish I could thank you all in person. I can't wait to start planning our wedding and I'm sure I will be sharing everything with you all along the way. 

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, wherever in the world you were and that your day was filled love and happiness. Enjoy the rest of the festive period, and have a very happy New Year.

Lots of love to you all xxx

Christmas Makeup #2 : Glossy Berry Lips

I had so much fun when I posted my last Christmas Makeup Look, so I thought that I would do another one that is again pretty simple and will suit most. So without further ado, here it is...

I wanted something that would make a statement without being too over the top. As I placed colour on the eyes in the last look, I thought that I would put the colour on the lips this time. The decision as to what lip colour to use was a difficult one as there are many festive favourites, but I'm pleased with the one that I eventually settled with. As I wanted the lips to be the statement, I kept the eyes quite simple with neutral tones and no eyeliner. Then, I finally decided on a berry lip rather than the typical red that I always wear at Christmas time.

I kept the rest of the face pretty simple as I wanted the lips to be the statement of my makeup. The products that I used were:

Erborian BB Creme au Ginseng

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Maybelline Fit Me Powder

Urban Decay Bootycall Eyeshadow

Rimmel Day to Night Mascara

MAC Matte Bronze Powder

MAC Rebel Lipstick

NYX Clear gloss

The great thing about this makeup look is that it's not specific to this time of year. You could easily switch up the lip colour for something brighter in the spring and summer. For now though, I think the glossy berry lip is perfect for the festive season :)

What is your favourite makeup look for Christmas?

Christmas Eve Traditions

Last year, I posted about the traditions that my family has, right through the festive period, which you can read here :). I thought that this year I would share the traditions that we have specifically on Christmas Eve. So here we go...

Image Courtesy of  weheartit

As I mentioned in the previous Christmas Traditions post, we always without fail have a Chinese takeaway. I know it's not particularly festive, but it's something we have always done and something that I always look forward to. Now that I don't live at home, I get really excited about sitting around the table with my Mum, Dad, Brother and Boyfriend with good food and drink.

This is another one that I have mentioned before, but it is new PJ's. I thought this was quite a common thing to do, but it turns out that most people I have asked about it, don't do this. I love buying new PJ's and not wearing them until Christmas Eve. They definitely have to be festive and cosy, and are even better if they have been left on the radiator for an hour or two before putting them on.

As my dad has the day off work, we always make sausage rolls. We've done this for years and years, and I love being able to spend some quality time with my dad. It's also lovely being able to be able to give little treats to the family.

For the past few years, me and my friends from high school have always met up in the afternoon for a drink at the village pub. We all went to different Universities around the country, so it's always nice to have a little catch up and see how everyone's doing.

So I know that this is not my typical sort of post, but I thought that it would be a nice break from beauty related posts. I hope that you have enjoyed, and I would love to know what your traditions are :) 

Seventeen 3 in 1 Skin Wow Highlighter

I love a good highlighter. Especially during the winter time when my skin is looking tired and flat. However, I normally stick to the standard powder highlighters or a brightening concealer for a more subtle look. Liquid highlighters have always been something has interested but it's something that I never really got round to trying, until now! 

A few weeks ago I was wandering around Boots, and like many beauty bloggers, I couldn't leave empty handed and a few items just "fell" into my basket. One of those products was this liquid highlighter from Seventeen. I had seen quite a lot of good reviews on this, so I was pretty excited to get home and give it a try. When I first spotted this, I noticed how the similar the shade was to that of MUA's Undress Your Skin Highlighter, only with the obvious difference in formula. It is very cool in tone with a pink iridescent shimmer, with a very shimmery finish. 

Seventeen claim that this product can be used in three ways - as a primer, mixed with foundation, or as a typical highlighter. As a primer this didn't really do much for me as it settled into fine lines, accentuated my pores, and didn't prolong the wear time of my makeup. Mixing this with foundation worked much better for me as it created a very natural , dewy finish, which made my skin look much brighter and more awake.However, personally as a liquid highlighter I find it very difficult to use. It's hard to get the right amount of product, so you end up looking like a glitter ball. So for me, it works better mixed with foundation, but that is just personal preference.

One that I do love is the packaging. It's a transparent plastic tube with a pump dispenser. This makes it really easy to spot within your collection, and it's pretty good for travelling too. It's by no means luxury packaging but it will certainly do.

Overall, I do like this product but I don't love it. Out of the three uses, I only get along with one of them so for this reasons I probably wouldn't repurchase it. 

Have you tried this highlighter? What do you think of it?

Don't forget to check out my Blog Sale :)

Festive Lip Picks

If you can't wear a statement lip at Christmas when can you? Switching up my lip colour is one of my favourite things to change when it comes to my makeup. Th problem is that there are too many different shades to choose from! So, I've whittled it down to these five to show you my Festive Lip Picks!

First up we have bloggers favourite, MAC's Russian Red. A beautiful matte, blue-toned red that will make you stand out from the Christmas crowd. I love to wear this with just a slick of black eyeliner and some mascara, for an effortlessly glam look!

Next is NYX Gloss in Real Nude. This is my lip colour of choice, for when I have a smokey eye. This is a stunning pink toned nude gloss that makes lip full and healthy. 

Gosh Light and Shine Lipgloss in 01 is by far the prettiest gloss I have ever seen. It's a clear gloss that full of iridescent glitters which sparkle in the light. I love this layered over other lipsticks but it equally as pretty on its own. My swatch below just doesn't do it justice.

Next up is another blogger fave in the form of Rimmel Kate Moss 107. This deep raspberry shade is a suit all, purse friendly, and all round pretty lip product. This is one of those that looks as though you've spent hours on your makeup, even if it has been a 5 minute rush job.

Finally, I've chosen another MAC shade, this time being Rebel. I love the purpley tone to this, and think that it makes such a statement against the rest of your makeup. It looks lovely with a bright eye and falsies. 

So there we have my Festive Lip Picks. I know that when I go home to my parents in a few days for Christmas, these will be coming with me in my makeup bag. 

I would love to know what your favourite lip shades are over winter?

Christmas Makeup #1 : Festive Emerald

There's nothing better than getting ready for Christmas. I love getting my new party dress on and doing my hair and makeup. I thought that I would show you some of my favourite makeup looks for this time of year, starting with my most loved!

I can't remember why I applied this look last year because wearing colour is something I normally steer away from, unless it's on the lips. So, to wear colour on my eyes was a huge step out of my comfort zone but I'm actually really enjoying it. This is the look that I'll be wearing all Christmas time, and below I'll write a list of products that I've used...

The products that I used were:

Erborian BB Creme au Ginseng 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Maybelline Fit Me Powder

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Foxy all over the lid and Chopper Eyeshadow lightly in the crease (N2 Palette)

MUA Forest Green Eyeliner Pencil

MUA Chaos Eyeshadow (Smoked Palette)

MAC Opulash Optimum Black Mascara

MAC Matte Bronze Powder

Sleek Suede Blush

MAC Soft and Gentle MSF

NYX Real Nude Lipgloss

Wow, that's a a lot of products! I think that although this look is simple, it's really eye catching because of the pop of colour on the lower lashline. I also love how festive the shade of green is, and it will easily suit all skin tones. 

I just know that I will be wearing this look all over the festive period, and might even try it with a red lip. 

What is your favourite festive look?

BLOG SALE!

I've been wanting to do a blog sale for a really long time, but never actually got round to it. After having a search through my collection, I thought that now was a great time and I would prefer these go to a new home, rather than just sit in my drawers.

If you see something that you want, either leave a comment below with your PayPal email and I'll send you an invoice, or send me an email to retrolove17@hotmail.co.uk :)

Guidelines:

1: UK Buyers only.

2: All items are sold on a first come first served basis.

3: All items will be posted second class at a cost of £2.50 with 50p per additional item.

4: Items will be posted within 5 working days of payment being received, and proof of postage will be obtained.

5: Items will only be held for 24 hours, after that it goes back on sale.

6: PayPal only. When paying with PayPal, please make sure you mark the payment as gift so that PayPal fee's are avoided :)

7: Please research before you buy, as swatches are readily available on the internet for all to see. I cannot be held responsible if something does not live up to you expectations.

8: Also, please be aware that the last posting day for Christmas is the 18th December, so whilst I will try to get it to you as quick as possible, I can't guarantee that it will get to you before Christmas.

Finally, feel free to ask any questions about any of the products that you see. I am more than happy to provide extra information for you.

Happy Shopping :)

MAC Mineralize Duo Eyeshadow in Family Silver, used twice still domed £5.00

MAC Eyeshadow in Coquette, used twice £5.00

Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Electrum. Swatched Once £4.00 SOLD

Illamasqua Eyeshadow in Never. Swatched Once £4.00

OCC Lip Tar in Pennyroyal. Used 3-4 times. £5.00

Look Beauty Lip Slick in Powder Puff. Used once £2.00

MAC Skinsheen Bronzer Stick in Gilty Bronze. Swatched once and caught really slightly as I was taking the photo but no damage done to product. £7.00

Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Create. Swatched once £7.00

Percy and Reed Finishing Polish 100ml. Brand New. £3.00

REN Rose Otto Body Wash. 50ml Travel Size. Brand New £3.00

St.Tropez Instant Glow Face Lotion. 50ml. Used Once £4.00 SOLD

Lush Solid Perfume in Tuca Tuca. Used 3 times £2.00

Lush Shoot For The Stars Bath Ballistic

I love when it gets round to the colder months because I know that lush will be releasing the Christmas bath products. Every year they do better than the last, and this year is no exception! As soon as I saw the products that they would be releasing, I knew that Shoot For The Stars would be mine. Just look how pretty it is!

The first thing that drew me in was the really pretty design. The bright blue, yellow and pink don't really scream Christmas but I quite like that. It is quite a large bath ballistic, which next to most of Lush's products is the usual size, but put it next to Cinders and it looks bloody huge! However, the size of this means that it lasts for pretty much the whole bath time, and those who like to cut theirs up, you will get a good few baths out of this.

When this beauty is dropped into the bath, it turns the water into a lovely, deep purple shade, which has little flashes of pink and yellow. It's quite foamy, which is very similar to their original bath ballistics, like Dragons Egg or Fizzbanger. As it fizzes away, it reminds me of Twilight with the colour that it gives and the glitter that fills the bath. The final appearance of it looks deep like the sky on a brisk winters night. Deep purple and full of twinkly stars. The scent is extremely different though. Lush lovers might have noticed that this bath ballistic has the same scent as Honey I Washed The Kid, which is a old favourite of mine. The scent was really lovely and filled the whole apartment for hours. There is also Bergamont Oil in this, which makes the water so soft and luxurious. My skin also felt much smoother and required less body butter after my bath. Bonus!

I loved this bath ballistic and will definitely be going out to stock up on them. If you love a relaxing bath with a beautiful scent, and for your bath to look as beautiful as the night sky, then go out and buy this now! I promise you that you will not regret it! 

You can purchase this online here from Lush's website or from your nearest Lush Store.

Festive Nails : My Favourite Looks

Finally! A new post! Hurrah! Now that December has reared its beautiful head, it's the perfect time to get all festive, not that we needed much of an excuse anyway.

Today's post is quite a rare one from me, as I don't often post about nails and other related stuff, and I'm not really sure why, but I did enjoy doing this particular one. So, I was thinking the other day about the Christmas Posts that I wanted to do, and straight away I realised that I love doing my nails around Christmas so obviously it was a good idea to blog about how I do my nails over the festive period. Without further ado, here are my must-have nails this Christmas...

I've shown my three favourite ways to do my nails, but have shown a few different variations with the shades that I favor over the festive period.

1: Chunky Glitter.

I love a chunky glitter polish as they look so spectacular either layered over a block colour or built up on their own. Barry M Glitter Paint in Amethyst, Pink Sapphire, and Ruby are my glitters of choice, along with Models Own Nail Polish Duo in SnowMix. I choose to wear Amethyst alone and layer Pink Sapphire and Ruby over a white polish, for a simple but pretty effect. When I wear Snowmix, I paint two coats of the white polish followed by one coat of the multicoloured glitter, then with another thin layer of white on top. I love the sandwich effect that this gives, and its really simple nail art.

2: Block Shades.

If I want statement nails, with very little effort I will use one block shades that I know will usually stand out and pair with any outfit. Again, I have some stunning shades from Barry M Nail Paints in Copper and Silvery Lilac. Both of them are such unique colours that they do all the talking, and don't require any other polish to jazz them up. The next one is a very pretty shade from Topshop, in Petrol. This is really lovely deep silver with a green duo-chrome to it, very similar to effect of petrol on water.The final block colour is from Essie in the shade Pearly White, which is a really girly white shade with a pearl tone it, much like the name suggests. It's and effortlessly glam shade, which really sets of a Christmas dress.

3: Fine Glitter.

We're going a little glitter cray today! All of these next polishes have the same topcoat over them which is from Attitude. The glitter in this polish is so fine that my camera barely picked it up. but it is simply a very fine glitter suspended in a clear base. The glitter is iridescent so it shines many different colours in many different lights. The shades that i have layered it over in order are Nails Inc St James Gel Effect Polish, Essie Nail Polish in Luxedo, China Glaze Nail polish in Liquid Leather, and Barry M Nail Paint in Racing Green. These four shades are my absolute faves at this time of year. but I love them even more with a little touch of sparkle.

So there we have it! My fave festive nails. i would love to know what you think of my favourite nail designs for christmas and share yours too :)