August Favourites.

Seriously?! Where has the last few months gone?!

I feel like I've missed at least two.

Anyway, today is a Monthly Favourites - a little later than usual I know but I'd just lost complete track of the time (I felt like we only came into August yesterday). 

First up for my favourites this month is the Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk (£11.99). Since we're coming into Autumn I don't like fake tanning as often, and this is great for just building a subtle colour rather than giving me that full-on instant bronze like the Foam does. It also moisturises really well so it's a winner both ways.

Secondly, a new find for me - Avon's Makeup Setting Spray (£6.00). Setting Spray is usually something I forget when putting on my makeup and I've never really liked any that weren't Urban Decay's De-slick. This one's been great for prolonging my makeup and adding a lovely sheen to my complexion - something that I tend to look for in Winter because my skin gets alot drier. It's also half price at the moment so get your hands on it. 

Maybelline's Master Sculpt (£6.99) is abit of a Marmite product from what I've read on other blogs - you really do either love it or hate it. 

I love it.

I have the shade Light/Medium and this works as a great contour shade and a lovely highlight on both my pale and tanned skin. It's non-muddy contour shade gives me great cheekbones and requires minimal blending - great for the lazy gal I am - and the highlight is subtle but gives a lit-from-within effect. I haven't used anything else since buying it.

Last up has been my favourite Blush shade to date and that's Makeup Revolution's The Matte Blush in Nude (£3.00). For the extremely low price tag you get a hella lot of product (8.9g in fact) and they're all insanely pigmented (I own three shades). The consistency is beautiful and the blushes themselves are surprisingly long lasting, even when they fade they still give a slight flush to the cheeks. If you're looking into buying one, Nude would be my ultimate recommendation - it goes with every skin colour.

My fingers are crossed that September doesn't fly by too quickly, I'll be shopping for Christmas presents before I know it.

Lauren

xo

Finally! - A decent drugstore Contour Palette...

As soon as I heard that Makeup Revolution were releasing a Contour Palette, I headed straight to their website and popped it into my basket.

It arrived a couple of days ago and I've been giving it a whirl ever since.

Three words - I. Love. It.

The Ultra Contour Palette (£8.00) contains three contour powders and three highlight powders, and then two actual highlighters. 

The powders are great quality with good pigmentation and there's a shade for every skintone to get the perfect contour. 

I prefer to use concealer to highlight, but the powders are perfect for setting that highlight in place. The first shade is a matte salmon-pink, the second is a matte yellow and the third is a shimmery peach - a very subtle highlight shade if you will.

The contour shades are also great and easy to use. The first being a medium warm-toned brown, the second is a very cool-toned brown (great for pale skin) and the third is quite a dark warm-toned brown. 

The highlighters themselves are extremely pigmented and need the lightest of hands to apply them with. One's a very stark highlighter (almost white) and the other is browner, more complexion appropriate I'd say. I like to use the lighter one for a brow and inner corner highlight - it works beautifully for that. 

If you're into contour and highlight, I definitely recommend giving this a whirl. I can see it becoming a staple in my daily makeup routine.

Lauren

xo

My Current Beauty Essentials.

As much as I love the aspects of beauty, every aspect to be fair, I've recently come to notice that at certain times (like after a shower) or just doing my everyday makeup, I grab for the same few things each and every day.

First up, The Body Shop's Virgin Mojito Body Sorbet (£8.00) has been my go-to body moisturiser for the past month or so. I like to slather this stuff on after every bath or shower to add moisture back into my skin. The sorbets' aren't your typical body moisturiser - they're not thick and creamy in consistency, but quite light and frosty. The scent of the Virgin Mojito range is delicious, very carribean-esque and leaves you smelling like mint and lime.

Another from The Body Shop is their Vitamin E Lip Care (£5.00). The best lip balm I've come across on the high street, I use this every night before bed and it leaves my lips feeling baby soft and flake free. Pricey for a lip balm, but worth it if you suffer from dry lips.

As I stated in my previous post here, Essie's Angora Cardi (£7.99) hasn't left my talons for the past week. A lovely, dusty-rose shade that's perfect for the fast approaching autumn and a good nude for everyday wear.

You should know by now that this girl can't live without her contour/highlight and my new favourite comes in the form of Maybelline's Master Sculpt (£6.99). The contour shade works wonderfully for my complexion and the highlight gives a subtle glow to the face. A truly amazing find for drugstore.

Last up is my favourite drugstore lipstick and one that I literally grab for everyday - Essence's Cool Nude (£2.30). A Kylie Jenner mauvey-pink that looks great on all complexions and skintones. The price is more than reasonable and it lasts for ages. I love it.

Lauren

xo

It's in the name - Master Sculpt.

I know what you're thinking, another contour product?

Well, I had the same thoughts about this when I got wind of it's release but I also thought what the hell? and picked it up anyway.

Honestly, I'm really glad I did. 

Maybelline's Master Sculpt (£6.99) has become a new favourite in my contour/highlight collection - I'm still surprised that a drugstore brand has managed to get it so right.

I got it in the shade 01 Light/Medium, and the contour shade is very similar to NYX's Taupe - the perfect contour colour for pale skin. The product itself isn't extremely pigmented, but I've actually found that to be an advantage as it's easy to build but hard to put on too much. I've been loving it these past few days and it's become my new fave from the drugstore.

The highlight shade gives a subtle lit-from-within glow that looks lovely swept across the cheekbones.

Congrats Maybelline, you've managed where most other drugstore brands couldn't. I'm impressed.

Lauren

xo

May Favourites.

I'll start off by apologising for not posting in a fair few days, I just feel like I'm having such a bad time with content and photography at the moment - it never seems to go right!

Anyway, I'm coming at you today with my May Favourites. It's scary to think we're nearly into the half way mark of 2015, where has the time gone?! I'll be starting uni and moving into my own place before I know it.

My first favourite of this month has been my Makeup Revolution Naked Chocolate Palette (£7.99). I've been getting some serious mileage out of this palette in recent weeks and I just love all the shades. A definite must for the neutral shadow lover. 

Secondly has been the MUA Pro-base Prime & Conceal Quad (£4.00) - I can't believe how well this works for such a cheap price tag. A dream to use if you suffer from any sort of discolouration in your complexion - I've been loving it for concealing redness and my bruise-like dark circles. 

My contour fave in May has been Illamasqua's Sculpting Powder Duo in Illuminate & Nefertiti (£26.00). The contour shade works so well on pale or tanned skin and the highlight gives a lovely sheen to anywhere you wish to put it on the face. A steep price tag but completely worth it - I'm so happy I received this as a birthday gift. 

Lastly is Maybelline's Color Drama Lip Pencil in Light It Up (£4.99), a beautiful red that'd suit any skintone. I have so many of these lip pencils I've nearly got the whole set! They have amazing pigmentation and are a joy to wear - not uncomfortable or drying in the slightest. I've recently picked up the shade Keep It Classy and I can't wait to wear it. 

I've not bought many new products in May as I'm trying my best to save for when I move out, but I'm enjoying shopping my stash and getting some proper use out of all the stuff I currently own.

Lauren

xo

A gift for my Cheekbones...

Contour and Highlight is literally my favourite aspect of makeup. Done right it can give you cheekbones to die for and make your face look slimmer and more defined.

Kate generously bought me this for my birthday and I've fallen head over heels for it. 

Illamasqua's Sculpting Powder Duo in Illuminate and Nefertiti (£26.00) is insanely pigmented and is downright stunning when applied to the face.

I've not used anything else for contour and highlight since Wednesday and it's an absolute dream to blend. The contour shade doesn't come off as orange or muddy on the complexion and the highlight adds the loveliest of sheens to wherever you choose to pop it.

This has definitely made it into my favourite top 5 products of all time - thanks again Kate!

Lauren

xo

I'm sorry I ever abandoned you...

Considering this was one of the first contour products I ever bought, it's easy to see why it ended up at the bottom of the heap (or makeup collection).

I came across Sleek's Face Contour Kit (£6.49) the other day when I was rummaging through my vast assortment looking for my Hoola. I dug it out, give it a quick dusting and proceeded to apply it to my face. 

How did I ever stop using it?!

The contour shade is great, blends well and doesn't look muddy or orange and the champagne highlight has a beautiful iridescence to it. It's amazing value for money and comes neatly packaged in a travel-friendly palette with a decent sized mirror.

I highly recommend. 

Lauren

xo 

March Favourites.

What's worrying is by the time I write next month's favourites I'll have turned 22 - where does the time go?!

This year is flying by way too fast for my liking and I've got so much to do - especially come Summer! ARGH!

Anyway, enough of my rant and onto my March Favourites.

First up has been the Loreal Infallible 24hr Matte Foundation (£6.99). I've really gotten along with this product in recent weeks and it's been my go-to as far as bases go. It's a decent enough colour match (though I am thinking of picking up 10 Porcelain as well) and I've never had a foundation actually keep my face matte for as long as this one does. I love it and it's not even that expensive. 

Of course Makeup Revolution would make it into my monthly favourites - and a Happy 1st Birthday to them too - it seems I can't go a favourites post without including something from them. This month I've obviously been loving their Viper Mascara (£3.00) - excellent at adding volume, separation and length whilst maintaining a curl. Their One Blush Stick in Matte Malibu (£5.00) has been my contour colour choice recently - blends well, creates a lovely definition and works on even pale skintones.

Next up is probably a strange choice for a monthly favourite but my Hair Donut (£1.99) has been a saviour this month. I don't usually wear my hair up often but my roots have gotten so bad recently that I've been left with no choice but to shove it up into a bobble. They've been a godsend at making my hair look half decent on not-so-decent days. Praise the Lord I'm getting my hair done on Wednesday. 

Last - but by no means least - has been my T.V. (or Netflix) favourite and that's obviously Pretty Little Liars. Apologies if you follow me on twitter (if you don't, you should) since that's all I've been tweeting about recently - I've just found out who -A is and I was full on freaking out. I have major love for this show and I highly recommend it if you're looking for something new to watch - and my girl crush is Ashley Benson so you know...

Join me next month in celebrating my 22nd birthday - though no doubt I'll do a separate post for that. 

Thanks for reading.

Lauren 

xo

My Current Face.

So recently I've been back on the foundation hype and it's because I've fell in love with the new Loreal Infallible 24hr-Matte foundation. From what I've heard and read, this base has been a bit of a marmite product - you either love it or you hate it. I love it. It's probably the best foundation I've used that has actually kept my skin looking matte for more than a couple of hours - and I'm so pleased it's come from the drugstore. I'll definitely be picking up the primer version of this at some point. 

Until I pick that up I've been using The Body Shop's Instablur to keep my makeup in place and my oily skin at bay. I do love this primer but it is a pain to apply, especially when it literally crumbles...argh. It's good at keeping me shine-free throughout the day though so I can't complain too much. A new concealer love of mine has been the Rimmel Match Perfection 2 in 1 Concealer and Highlighter. It works well for covering redness, blemishes and bringing light to my face. 

Since hitting pan considerably on my Bourjois Healthy Balance powder and always forgetting to pick up another, I've been using the Rimmel Stay Matte powder - not as good as the Bourjois one but it does the job well enough.

To add colour back into my complexion, contour has come to me in the form of Benefit's Hoola. I just love this bronzer for contouring, it blends well and gives me the Cara Delevingne cheekbones I so crave. Makeup Revolution's Vivid Blush Lacquer in Rush has been my blush of choice lately, I like to apply it with a small stippling brush and the tiniest amount gives a lovely flush to the cheeks. For adding a sheen it's been nothing but Makeup Revolution's Radiant Light in Exhale - a gorgeous, pearly highlighter that adds illumination and radiance to the face. 

For eyes and eyebrows, Urban Decay's Naked Basics Palette has been my go-to for both. The Shade Naked 2 is the perfect ashy brown for a blonde girl's brows and it also makes for an everyday matte brown eye. However, I've majorly hit pan on it now and I'm pretty sure Urban Decay don't do it as a single eyeshadow. Boo. 

Of course, Makeup Revolution's Viper Mascara has been my mascara of the moment. I love this product and I'm so happy it's only £3.00. Countless re-purchases will be made for this. 

I've only just realised after coming to the end of this post that I didn't include a lip option - idiot. I've mainly been wearing lip balm as my lips have been as dry as the Sahara in recent weeks - in the words of Summer Roberts...ew. Oh, I do love The O.C.

Lauren

xo

Top 5 of the Moment.

Another day, another 'Top 5 of the moment' post here at The Beauty Ideal. Just a quick paragraph or two dedicating my love to my most grabbed products in recent weeks. 

Firstly, I've been getting back into using BB creams on an everyday basis rather than a heavy foundation. Even though I still love foundation, I don't really want to be slapping it on my face for a four hour shift at work. It's a waste of product and it's just not worth it. 

I've been loving Maybelline's Dream Pure BB Cream (£6.99) recently for a light base. It stays well, covers redness and even contains 2% Salicylic Acid to help combat blemishes. I've been getting some good mileage out of this recently. 

To help that stay put for a little bit longer - and to help combat my oiliness - Rimmel's Fix & Perfect Pro Primer (£6.99) has been my go-to. I used to use this all the time and stopped because I found The Body Shop's Instablur, however this one's much cheaper and works in pretty much the same way. A good one to have in your collection I'd say.

A couple of bits from Makeup Revolution have (obviously) made their way into my Top 5. I love Makeup Revolution - amazing quality products at ridiculously affordable prices. Their One blush Stick in Matte Malibu (£5.00) has been my contour of choice since I bought it a few weeks ago. It's creamy, easy to blend and actually looks good on even pale skintones. The Viper Mascara (£3.00) has also been an everyday staple since I bought it - it adds separation, volume and length to my lashes whilst simultaneously holding a curl throughout the day, all for £3.00!

Lastly has been my Soap & Glory Glow All Out (£11.00). This creates the perfect sheen on your cheekbones and anywhere else you want to put it - it looks especially captivating as an inner corner highlight. Not the cheapest of drugstore highlighters but more than worth it's price. 

I've been loving the drugstore recently if you can't already tell. I truly think they're bringing it recently when it comes to new product releases and the quality of those products. Yes, not everything is mind-blowingly great but it's definitely better than a couple of years back.

Lauren

xo

Trialling - new bits from Makeup Revolution.

It seems like nowadays I'm making weekly orders on the Makeup Revolution website, the brand is definitely starting to become an addiction of mine. They're always bringing out new products (I've currently got my eye on the Black Velvet palette - it looks amazeballs) and the quality of the stuff they produce is just amazing for the prices they charge. Seriously though, a whole palette of 16 creamy, highly pigmented shadows for £7.99 - mental!

So I found myself browsing their site last week (story of my life) and I finally picked up the One Blush Stick in Matte Malibu. I've had my eye on this product for quite some time and I never added it to my basket for reasons unknown. I used it this morning and I'm truly impressed - it blends beautifully into the skin and is actually a good shade match for pale skintones. I'm currently in love with it. 

Secondly I picked up The Viper mascara, another product I'd heard rave reviews about. I'm so happy that I picked this up, it's quickly become my new favourite mascara. It's blacker than black, catches all of my lashes and adds length, volume and separation. The best part? it holds a curl brilliantly and it's not even waterproof. Oh yeah, and it's £3.00, 3 bloody pounds! 

Lastly, I added their Lip Lava in Forgiven  to my basket. I'll be honest and say I'm not crazy about the colour, it looks quite peachy on me and I'm not usually a fan of peach lips on my skintone, but the formula is beautiful. I'm tempted to pick up all the shades of these just because the formula's that great and for £2.99, I'm not going to grumble.

Makeup Revolution is fast becoming my favourite drugstore brand and come payday, no doubt I'll be ordering another shedload of products from their website - Black Velvet palette, I'm coming for you. 

Lauren

xo