FAT RANT: Why are we so fixated on weight?

DISCLAIMER - This is a sweary, ranty post and also promotes fat people, so if you do not like that please click the big red 'X' in the corner of your screens. 

Christmas Gifts For Him For Under £10

Still buying last minute stocking fillers? Struggling to find the perfect Secret Santa gift? Or, like me, on a very tight budget this Christmas? Look no further than this quick guide to what to buy 'for him' this Christmas - and all for a thrifty £10 and under! 

GLOVES // PLASTIC PHOTO HANGER // DESK CALENDER // SUDOKUBE // HIP FLASK

Christmas Gifts For Her For Under £10

Still buying last minute stocking fillers? Struggling to find the perfect Secret Santa gift? Or, like me, on a very tight budget this Christmas? Look no further than this quick guide to what to buy 'for her' this Christmas - and all for a thrifty £10 and under! 

YANKEE CANDLE // BRIGHT IDEAS NOTE BOOK // RECIPE MUG // CAT MAKEUP BAG // SOAP AND GLORY GIFT SET 

Bad Habits

My friend and fellow Hull blogger, Charley (www.ramblingofabeautyblogger.com) recently wrote a post on 5 of her worst beauty habits! I loved it so much I thought I'd share 5 of mine - hope she doesn't mind, and I hope you enjoy and can relate to at least some of them! 

Quick and Easy Autumnal Makeup

Beginners Guide to False Eyelashes (+ Possible Tips For Regular Wearers!)

False eyelashes are one of those things that can look and feel absolutely great if you get it right but one can easily get it wrong. A lot of people have told me that they 'just can't wear them' but today I am here to tell you all that YES YOU CAN. Trust me, it just takes practice and perseverance... and a little read of this blogpost... 

The Buying Process Part I: 

The temptation when trying something new is to go for the cheapest option you can find. However with false eyelashes I truly believe spending that little bit more will go a long way! Don’t get me wrong, I'm not talking about spending £20-£30 on a pair but instead of chosing those God awful £1 Primark ones go for brands like Ardell or Eylure that will still only set you back £3-£6.

Tip number two is to go for a more natural lash rather than a bold, heavy lash to start off with. Try look for lashes with an 'invisible/clear band' as these are more mailable and pliable when sticking to your eyelid. 

Don't: Opt for cheap, heavy ‘party’ lashes – they will make your eyes itch and ward you off lashes for life.

Do: Opt for more natural looking lashes in the price range of £3-£6.

The Buying Process Part II: 

Now you have good lashes, you need good glue. I know that many lashes bought from high street stores come with a ‘free glue’ however I would still strongly advise you buy a separate tube of glue. I’m not quite sure why, but in my experience these ‘free tubes’ of adheisive never work as well (however they are great to keep in your handbag!). I use Ardell's Lash Adhesive and find it works wonders, stays on all day and can be applied to the lashes really easily. It's also relatively cheap at about £3. 

Don't: Opt for 'free with lashes' glue. It just doesn't work as well.

Do: Invest in a tube of glue that is reliable and will last longer.

The Application Part I:

Now you can start applying your lashes, I've included a few tips to help along the way…

1) Before you apply any glue match up the lash to your eye. Try and make sure that the lash is a few mm away from the corner of your eye - for comfort purposes. Cut down if need be, you want to cut from the outside though and cut off a little bit at a time because you don't want to end up cutting more off than you need. 

2) Apply a small amount of glue to the strip – a small amount goes a long way! Many people suggest waiting 30 seconds before you apply the lash, I never do because by applying the lash whilst the glue is still wet gives you a bit of leeway when adjusting the lash to your eyelid.

3) Sticking the lash on can be tricky but you just have to find what works for you. I use my fingers to initially place the lash on my eye and then, if need be, go in with the ‘non-tweezer’ end of my tweezers to make sure everything fits perfectly.

4) Wait a minute or so before the next step of applying liquid eyeliner over the lash-line. As you can see I have a black lash adheisive but out of habbit I still go over the lash-line with my liquid eyeliner as it just helps to cover up any shiny glue.

5) Many people prefer not to, but I like to go over my natural lashes and the false ones with a thin coat of mascara. As I have very fair natural lashes they often show up on the black false ones so I like to apply a coat of mascara to ‘tie everything together’

6) Once they’re on try to leave them be, don’t pick at them because they will start to peel off. If you fear that they may fall off during the day then just carry the glue around with you but if you follow my advice they shouldn’t come off. Try not to get them wet too! They will feel alien to you at first because obviously, sticking something to your eye isn’t natural! But I swear after a few times of applying and wearing them you’ll be in love!

Recommended retailers (tried and tested and loved by me!):

Ardell - personal favourite!

Eylure - for wearable, durable, affordable lashes that can be found on the high-street.

The Vintage Cosmetics Company - for lovely lashes in lovely packaging.

Stargazer - for affordable, alternative lashes

PAPERSELF - for stunning lashes that are almost too artistic to wear on your face!

Addressing My Homeware Addiction featuring DotComGiftShop

So as you may or may not know, during August I moved into my second year student accommodation and therefore no longer live in Halls but an actual house (like a proper adult, almost). During this time I have also fell in love with homeware. Before, I used to question why my mother kept so many candles and cushions but now I am a complete convert and I'm addicted to looking for trinkets, lights, blankets and cookware! I think I actually have a problem but it's better than a drug addiction so I am going to embrace it. I've been browsing the shops on the high street, delving into charity shops (because lets face it I can't really afford to be buying half the pretties that I want to) and scanning online boutiques for lovely things to fill my new home with. Amongst my friends and housemates I have established a reputation for liking (and I quote) 'cute', 'tacky' and 'pointless crap' - but that's fine... So here is a post that sort of encompasses all that and my new 'lifestyle' as I discovered a website called 'DotComGiftShop'. 

Although, without realising I actually have some of the items that are sold in this shop (not sure how that's happened I'm a bit dim at times), I thought I'd have a browse through their items and pick out my favourites anyway! My house-style at the moment screams countryside cottage, in the mid twentieth century where all the birds and the deer help me with my everyday chores and afternoon tea is a thing. Although in reality I live in a terrace house in the middle of Hull, smack bang next to a main road and the only wildlife I've seen is a couple rooting through our bins at midnight! Afternoon tea IS a thing still though so can't complain too much. 

Anyway without further adieu take a look at the pretties from this amazing shop! 

METAL SIGN // MEASURING CUPS // CAKE STAND // TEACUP AND SAUCER // SPICE TINS // WORLD MAP STORAGE BAG // TEAPOT // BISCUIT JAR

The Vintage Cosmetic Company - 'Gracie' Lashes Review

I was super lucky to recieve these gorgeous 'Gracie' Lashes by The Vintage Cosmetic Company * from awesome makeup company MeSoMakeup. I was super excited to try them as I've had my watchful eye on The Vintage Cosmetic Company for a while but never got round to purchasing anything. These 'Gracie' Lashes did not disappoint, read on to find out why!

Hull Yum! Food Festival 2014

I only spent an hour or so at Yum! Food Fest in Victoria Square, Hull but still managed to soak in the warm inviting atmosphere and grab a delicious handmade cookie whilst I was busy taking photos for this very post! I was invited to blog at Yum! after blogging for Hull Fashion Week and although I'm not a food blogger I do love food so I jumped at the opportunity. Below are some of my pictures which really do speak for themselves at what local delights were on offer. 

Debenhams Beauty Event, Hull Fashion Week

First I would like to apologise for my absence - I have been super busy working, moving in and visiting friends that I really had no time to write but I have loads lined up for the remainder of August so I will make it up to you! I recently went to a Debenhams beauty event in their Hull store as part of HullBID and Yum! Food Festival. I spent the evening with some of my favourite bloggers and had a catch up with them whilst we browsed the makeup counters. Arch Angelz offered free eyebrow shaping and manicures and I got a free pair of eyelashes in one of their goody bags! We spent most of the evening at ArtDeco where Hannah from Ha-Pea-Days had a free makeover and we chatted with the makeup artist about beauty and life in general (when in Hull y'ano). I also had a look at Dita Von Teese's makeup range that she released with ArtDeco. 

A trip to Newcastle

Here are my pictures from my recent (and first) trip to Newcastle! I didn't do anything in particular apart from have a wander round and then go for a meal so not much to write about but the day was lovely and I wanted to show off the photos I took so enjoy! 

Top 6 New Look Kimonos

I may be late to the band wagon and you'll probably roll your eyes but I think I'm falling in love with kimonos! It is a style that I normally wouldn't wear so I have hung on and hung on and browsed a lot before fully committing to purchasing one. Here is a quick post showcasing my favourites from New Look - a lot of them also incorporate my ever-growing love for mint green.

GREEN FLORAL // BLACK AND ORANGE FLORAL // LONG TROPICAL // MINT GREEN DAISY // MINT GREEN TASSEL HEM // CORAL CROCHET HEM 

What's in my travel bag?

I have been travelling a lot recently so I thought I'd put together a "What's in my travel bag" post. Can I just start with the fact that I am aware I overpack but I do like to be prepared for everything and also that this bag is not my abroad travel bag I have only been travelling around England.  

I picked up this floral, almost Cath Kidston inspired makeup bag from Primark for only £4 and it proved to be big enough for my makeup, shower stuff, a small mirror and my mini-straighteners (not featured in this post). I honestly love the print of this and I think it looks more expensive than £4 even though the diamond zip fell off after 5 minutes! 

This is everything laid out I have several smaller bags to keep everything clean and easy to access. My brushes I keep in a Eco Tools travel case which also has a zipped compartment that you could put smaller brushes in - however I use this compartment for my leaky eye-liner sharpener. I bought the clear plastic case from Wilkos for £1-2 and it came with 4 100ml bottles and 2 smaller pots - perfect for aeroplane journeys. I filled them with cleanser, moisturiser, shampoo and conditioner as their usual packaging was too bulky. I used another EcoTools travel case for my clips and bobbles because these go missing easily and it prevents hair getting all over my other stuff. As you can see I just pack the rest of my toiletries around the other 3 cases. I also bring my razor with me when I'm travelling which not a lot of people bother with but again always be prepared! 

I am a huge fan of lipstick and cannot really survive a whole week with just one so I always travel with at least 3. I really limited myself to 1 red (Lady Danger by MAC), 1 nude (MUA Shade 15) and 1 orange (Meltdown by MAC) that fitted in with all my outfits.

As I already mentioned I kept my makeup brushes in one of my EcoTools travel cases. Again only bringing the essentials like face, eyebrow and 1 double ended eye shadow brush. (Reminding you that I over pack, sorry if I seem high maintenance!)

This palette goes everywhere with me as it's so versatile and I use it on a daily basis even if it is just to even out and matify my eyelids. You can create so many looks with the 6 neutral colours that can see you through from day to night. The Naked Basics palette in my opinion is THE Urban Decay palette to have whether you're travelling or not.

Dry shampoo is a must for me anyway, having coloured hair I can't wash my hair every day or even every other day as the colour would fade so quickly so I use dry shampoo all the time. However I think it is even more of a must if you're travelling as you don't always have the time to wash your hair - I was only at my boyfriends for one trip so I could have washed my hair but then I went to London and stayed in a hostel with 1 plug between 5 people so washing my hair was pretty impractical. Batiste come in all sizes now and this travel size one I got from Lincs Blog Meet is perfect for handbags and travel bags. I also brought a travel sized Paul Mitchel hairspray I got from Lincs Blog Meet and a small suncream as it was so hot! 

I stuck everything that would be going into the bathroom/shower with me in this bag to protect all my other stuff from getting wet - which was a good call when staying in a hostel with a wet room. I also stuck some last minute perfume samples in here - not a necessity but just a nice addition if you're like me and prefer perfume over body spray. I did bring deodorant but for some reason I had not packed it when taking these photos - oops! 

As I mentioned earlier I packed all my hair stuff in one small case to avoid hair makeup brushes and also losing all my bobby pins - not really much else to talk about here except plenty of bobbles and clips for the days where you haven't washed your hair.

Lastly these trusty makeup wipes! I love Simple and always try to buy them when they're on offer but even baby wipes will suffice. They're a great way of quickly removing makeup if you haven't got room or time for cleansing and also a great way of freshening up in a rush or whilst you're travelling. 

Hope you found this post useful when packing for your summer holidays - I know it's not a How To but hopefully it inspires you somehow! I always think packing is quite fun but I'm a bit of a square in the fact I like to make lists and feel organised (it's a Virgo trait).

Beauty | Intense Copper + New Hair!

Today was one of those days when I didn't plan to do a makeup post but it kind of just happened! I also thought I'd tie it in with a mention about me cutting my hair a lot shorter. I chose to cut my hair short because it had become so dry and damaged that it was getting ridiculous. So I gritted my teeth and told my mum to chop it all off! I actually quite like it but at the moment it's freshly died and  has that fresh cut feeling so this may be a sort of honey moon period as I get bored so easily. Anyway on to the makeup I've always loved copper colours (if you didn't notice) but after being inspired by the sun I thought I'd really go for it with the orange. Read below for what products I used.  

 NAKED 2 PALETTE // UD POTION PRIMER // MICABELLA COSMETICS BLUSH in WILD ROSE // MUA LIPSTICK in SHADE 15 // GALLERY LIPSTICK in BURNING BRONZE // RIMMEL EYEBROW PENCIL in DARK BROWN// COLLECTION EYELINER in BLACK // MAX FACTOR 2000 CALORIE MASCARA in BLACK // ILAMASQUA BLUSH IN LOVER 

 MICABELLA COSMETICS BLUSH in WILD ROSE used on crease // NAKED 2 - HALF BAKED and CHOPPER on lid 

 ILLAMASQUA BLUSH in LOVER (unfortunately got smashed on my recent trip to London)

MUA LIPSTICK in 15 // GALLERY COSMETICS LIPSTICK in BURNING BRONZE 

Looking to spread the word about your business or blog?

Look no further than Retro and Thrift! Offering affordable packages that can be crafted to suit you, my services can help your business grow whilst helping me out with the costs of running this blog. It really is a win win! 

There are three ways in which bloggers and businesses can get involved with Retro & Thrift. 

1. Advertising.

You can advertise on my sidebar and footer, which appear on every page of my blog. Choose either a 200x200 sidebar  or 300x300 footer graphic (or both!).  I'll also put out shoutouts on my other social media channels depending on which package you pick. Media packages are available on request by emailing retroandthrift@yahoo.co.uk 

If you're a blogger why don't we do a free button swap? Tweet me at @retroandthrift for more details!

2. Sponsored Posts.

Want to spread the word about your business? Or simply have a post idea that would fit great on my blog? Collaborate with me with a sponsored post. Copywriting is my day job, so I usually prefer to write up sponsored posts myself. The content must also fit in with my blog theme - which is anything from beauty and fashion to lifestyle and travel. 

As a ballpark, I charge £10 per 400- 600 word piece (1 to 2 hours of work). However, prices depend on time and effort a post requires - i.e. if you would like me to take my own pictures, edit them etc. Please don't hesitate to get in contact with me by emailing me at retroandthrift@yahoo.co.uk - I love being creative and discussing new content ideas. 

3. Reviews/Giveaways. 

I'm also happy to write up reviews or host giveaways for businesses and products - providing they are relevant to my blog. All of my reviews will remain honest and I will always let my readers know when a product I'm talking about was sent to me for review purposes. Read my full disclaimer here! 

If any of these tickle your fancy please get in touch at retroandthrift@yahoo.co.uk or Tweet me at @retroandthrift

What do I have to offer?

Before working with me you may need to know a few boring stats, as correct from June 2016

Social media is a huge part of my blog and my life, here are my current follower counts. 

Twitter: 1500+

Instagram: 800+

Facebook: 200+

Here are some average blog stats for June 2016

Monthly pageviews: 2500+ 

Average daily pageviews: 50 - 150+

Pageviews of all time: 85, 800 + 

Aside from all that though...

I've been committed to this blog for 4 years now and still love what I do. I love being creative, working with companies and other bloggers to create amazing content. Please get in touch if you have any projects in mind by emailing me at at retroandthrift@yahoo.co.uk or tweeting me at @retroandthrift

Travel | Hull Street Life Museum

Hull Street Life Museum of Transport is situated in the Museum Quarter of Hull and contains various transporting wonders from late 19th century horse drawn carriages to the 1970's chopper. Transport museums always produce images of boring museums with train after train after train with a bunch of 'anoraky' people stood around who know every last detail about each model - however I think this museum is an exception and has given me a different, less judgemental view of transport museums! Amazingly this museum has free admission even though it's full of 20th century buses and trams that really give you a taste of the 'olden days'.  Admittedly everything is a bit mismatched in some parts of the museum like the wonderfully detailed Sicilian cart that appears in the middle of the museum but nevertheless I think it adds to the charm of the collection. There are many local artefacts in the museum too including the Cottingham North signal box! This is such a great day/half day out for the family as it's free and fairly interactive as kids can board a lot of the vehicles and enjoy a horse-drawn cart simulation!  Just be sure not to forget your dividend card when you walk down the quaint 1940's street and visit the Co-Op!

Lincs Blog Meet | Beauty Swap

This is my last post on Lincs Blog Meet - I know 4 posts for 1 day may be slightly over the top but I had good reason as I wanted to really show off the products and the event without skimming through without giving the day justice. The final thing of the day was the Beauty Swap which (if you're not familiar with this type of thing) entailed everyone bringing in their unwanted full size/sample products in and swapping them for other people's unwanted products. I brought in so many samples that I had never used from my Glossy Box phase and got about 12 'swap tickets'. Here's a list and links (where possible) to what I got:

Lincs Blog Meet | The Event Goody Bag

As you may or may not know (I have done 2 posts on it now!) I was recently lucky enough to go to the #LincsBlogMeet organised by  Bel from Journeys Are My Diary and Amy from Cocktails in Teacups. If you haven't already read my post
 about the event and also the the Boots goody bag I recieved please check them out as it was such a great day and I kindly recieved so many lovely things. This goody bag put together by Bel and Amy is amongst those lovely things and I'd like to thank the organisers as well as all the companies who donated (I will leave a list below). I think my favourite items in the bag were possibly the Lush Dark Angles Cleanser and the Lincolnshire Co-Op China Cup however all the products were absolutely lovely and I shall be using and reviewing most if not all of them! To see the products up close and read more information please read on! Here is a list of all the companies who so kindly donated!

Ask Italian (@askitalian)Weleda (@weleda)Boots The Fragrance Shop (@FragranceShopUK)Neal & Wolf (@nealandwolf) Lipcote (@LoveLipcote)Lush (@LushLtd/@LincolnLush)Benefit (@BenefitUK/BenefitBeauty)Batiste (@BatisteHair)Lincolnshire Coop (@lincscoop)Paul Mitchell (@paulmitchelluk)Manuka Doctor (@manukadr)One Love Organics (@oneloveorganics)Jewellery Ever AfterScarlett Fashion (@scarlettsfb)Crown & Glory (@crownandglory_)Black Tied (@blacktied)Me So Makeup (@MeSoMakeup)Crabtree & Evelyn (@CrabtreeUK)

Outfit | A fat girl in a crop top?

I know the title of this post may cause a little controversy and many different reactions but I thought it'd be appropriate because sometimes I am wrongly made to feel that crop tops are not for 'fat' people or 'plus-size' people. I do not class myself as plus size, however being a size 16, the fashion industry would I guess. I actually own a lot of crop tops and although some may say they might now suit my shape I still like them and I find them comfy so why not? So today's outfit post is a simple one, I am wearing this lovely grey oversized croptop from Primark which cost me a mere £3 (and which I have in 3/4 different colours) and these New Look high rise skinny jeans which look white but I can assure you they are a whitewash blue/denim colour in'real' life. I am also wearing my comfy and trusty Vans and because I felt a bit dressed down my Vivienne Westwood gunmetal/gold orb necklace.