What's in my August Makeup Bag?

Another month, another 'What's in my Makeup Bag?' here at The Beauty Ideal.

I'll start off by saying I don't really feel like I've changed up my makeup all that much this month, I've been in one of those 'this works for me, I'll keep at it' moods, resulting in not many makeup-related purchases either. 

Great for my pocket, not so great for the blog. 

To be fair though, it's about time I cooled it with the constant spending. I have more makeup than I need and I should probably start dwindling that before adding more to it from here-on-out.

Here's to trying eh...

First off I've been combining my trusty Benefit Porefessional (£24.50 for full size) and Maybelline's Babyskin Instant Fatigue Blur (£7.99) to diminish pores and perk up my complexion a little bit. I've been struggling to sleep recently and my skin's showing it. The blend of these two help me look semi-human again.

For foundation, I've been enjoying Maybelline's Fit Me (£7.99). I'm still waiting for the Matte + Poreless version to be released in the UK as I'm dying to try it out but for now, this one works well enough for coverage and longevity. SEVENTEEN's Phwoarr Paint (£5.49) has been my go-to under-eye concealer and I find that it also works well on blemishes because it doesn't cake on my skin. I love it. 

To set all that good stuff in place it's been an old favourite - Soap & Glory's One Heck of a Blot powder (£12.00). I actually forgot I owned this (it'd been left in an overnight bag) and I'm glad I now have it back in my life.

For contour & highlight, you know I've been obsessed with Maybelline's Master Sculpt (£6.99). It works for both my pale and tanned complexions and I love both of the shades. It's a great budget contour kit. To add a little rosiness to my cheeks it's been nothing but Makeup Revolution's Matte Blush in Nude (£3.00). A nude blush with a hint of pink to compliment any complexion.

Brows only consist of Makeup Revolution's Ultra Brow Kit (£7.99). I've used this pretty much every day since I bought it back in May. It's excellent at creating brows when you've not got much to begin with or just filling in sparse areas. I love the enhancing cream to give a really sharp look to my brows - it makes me feel all Daenerys Targaryen. 

For eye makeup, I've been trying to get back into using liquid eyeliner and my favourite for easing me back into the process is Rimmel's Scandaleyes Precision Micro Eyeliner (£5.49). Liquid eyeliner in pen form is always much easier to get the hang of so I'd recommend this one if you're still trying to perfect that cat flick. The nib on this one is small and thin so it's easy to build on if you need to.

Since buying them off Ebay, I've been obsessed with my Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers (£4.59). A complete bargain from the seller I bought them from and absolutely amazing when it comes to adding some oomph to your lashes. They're honestly the best curlers I've ever used. For mascara, I've been trying to like Benefit's They're Real Mascara (£19.50). I'm still on the fence about it, the formula's just so wet. I might like it a little better when it's dried out abit.

Last up is Rimmel's Lasting Finish Lipstick In Asia (£4.99). Still under that mauvey-pink nude umbrella, only on the darker side. I've been trying to get use out of the 25 other lipsticks I own that aren't Essence's Cool Nude.

I have to say I'm fully looking forward to the fast approaching Autumn/Winter. I can go back to donning my jumpers and coats and no one will bat an eyelid. 

Lauren

xo

Get The Look: Gigi Hadid.

As stated in my 'Favourite Met Gala 2015 looks' - see here - I love Gigi Hadid. Her beauty is on a totally different level and she just looks stunning in every makeup look and outfit she dons (have you seen her in Tay-Tay's Bad Blood music video?! *inserts a gazillion heart eyes emoji's here*).

She was one of my fave looks at the Met Gala this year and I loved the simplicity of her makeup. It suited her so well and didn't distract from her gorgeous Diane von Furstenberg gown. 

I started off by applying a thin layer of Bourjois' Happy Light Luminous Serum Primer (£10.99). Gigi's skin is always amazingly glowy so I wanted to emulate that. For foundation, I chose Bourjois' Healthy Mix (£9.99). A truly delightful foundation to use as it blends so well and doesn't stick to dry patches - plus it adds to complexion glowiness. 

I used two different concealers to create flawless skin like Gigi's - the Rimmel Match Perfection Illuminating Concealer (£5.99) went under my eyes, down my nose, on my chin and on my forehead for a subtle highlight and the Maybelline Fit Me (£5.99) when on any redness and blemishes I had. 

Moving onto those brows, I noticed Gigi and I had a pretty similar shape so I sketched them in a little more with Sleek's Eyebrow Stylist (£5.99) and then set them in place with Essence's Make Me Brow (£2.50) - I literally can't do my brows without this stuff now.

For contour, I used my new Makeup Revolution Ultra Sculpt and Contour Kit (£3.50) - I love this palette as the contour shade is great and completely non-muddy/orange. I carved out my cheekbones a little and applied it to the tops of my forehead to create a little definition. I also used the golden-y colour highlight in this palette to get a similar sheen to Gigi's. 

For blush, it was another new purchase from Makeup Revolution - their The One Fluid Blusher in Pink Dew (£1.50). Gigi didn't look like she was wearing much cheek colour so I wanted to use a barely-there blush colour too. 

I set all of my base makeup in place with my tried and trusted Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder (£8.99) - my favourite powder of all time. 

Moving on to the main focus of this look - Gigi's eyes looked beautiful with a feline flick and some fluttery lashes. I used Collection's Fast Stroke Eye Liner (£2.99) to create a winged line similar to Gigi's - I love this one because it dries completely matte and doesn't budge until you say so. Unfortunately, I didn't have any false lashes to hand so I heaped on tons and tons of Clinique's High Impact Mascara (£17.50). This one's great for separation and volume.  

For Gigi's glossy pout I used the Maybelline Colorsensational Elixir in Caramel Infused (£6.99) - a lipstick/lipgloss hybrid that has amazing lasting power. I do think the shade I used was a tad dark so maybe Petal Plush or Nude Illusion would work better for this look.

Now if only I could get my face to transform into Gigi's I'd be extremely happy...

Lauren 

xo

What's in my May Makeup Bag?

May has been a month of completely re-vamping my makeup bag. I've been saying I've been switching up my products - which I have - but I've come to realise that I've really just been switching it up between the same 3/4 products. Not good. 

So this month I've decided to get some proper use out of the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Fatigue Blur (£7.99). I've only used this a handful of times since purchasing and I'm still on the fence about it. It does give tired skin a pick-me-up (which I've definitely been needing recently) but it's not all that great at controlling oils. MUA's Pro-Base Prime & Conceal Palette (£4.00) has been a staple in my everyday makeup routine since I bought it. This is great for counter-acting discolouration in your complexion. I've been getting serious use out of the green and yellow shades for redness and bruise-like under eye circles. I 100% recommend this. 

Base-wise, I've been obsessed with No.7's Beautifully Matte Foundation (£13.50). I love this for it's blendability and it's ability to keep me from looking overly shiny throughout the day - a must for oily skin sufferers. 

To add some extra radiance to my under-eye area I've been loving the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (£5.49). It just brings enough brightness to that area to make me look like I've had a good eight hours sleep - brilliant. To set all that in place I've gone back to an old favourite - Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder (£3.99). A firm favourite amongst bloggers/youtubers alike and for good reason, it's cheap and works well.

Brows have been a mixture of H&M's Eyebrow Shaping Kit (£2.99) and Essence's Make Me Brow (£2.50). I love both for adding shape, colour and texture to my eyebrows. Not to mention you can't complain at the prices. 

Contour and Highlight has come in the shape of Illamasqua's Sculpting Powder Duo in Illuminate & Nefertiti (£26.00) - a beautiful twosome of a non-muddy, non-orange contour shade and a lovely champagne highlight. My blush of choice has been Makeup Revolution's Vivid Blush Lacquer in Rush (£1.00). This stuff is ridiculously long-lasting and is the perfect flush of pink for Spring/Summer. 

Also from Makeup Revolution, their Naked Chocolate Palette (£7.99) hasn't left my everyday makeup routine in recent weeks. There's just so many beautiful shade options to choose from you just can't go wrong no matter what shades you decide to pair together. For the cheap as chips price, it's a must-have. After a quick curl of my lashes, heaps and heaps of Max Factor's False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara (£10.99) is added. A nightmare to remove but wonderfully long-lasting throughout the day.

For lips, it's been nothing but Essence's Long Lasting Nude Lipstick in 05 Cool Nude (£2.30). A Kylie Jenner mauvey-pink that compliments any skintone and makeup look. I love it. 

Lauren 

xo

My Birthday Night Out Face.

So originally this post was going to be a 'What's in my Travel Makeup Bag?' but since my birthday trip to Leeds this weekend has now been called off (I don't recommend the Britannia Hotel in Leeds - they double-book rooms and then don't think to let you know until 2 days before you're meant to check in - despite booking over 3 weeks ago) a night out in Manchester will take place instead. 

Putting my anger aside about the hotel situation I thought I'd do a post about what I plan to wear on my birthday night out instead.

Starting off with primer (obvsy's) I've found a new favourite in the Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer (£11.99). It makes my skin feel so smooth and flawless and foundation blends faultlessly on top of it. Speaking of which, I plan to use Loreal's Infallible 24hr-Matte Foundation (£6.99) as my base of choice - a foundation I love so much I now own it in 3 shades. It keeps my face matte and has a lovely finish. However, I've recently purchased the No.7 Beautifully Matte foundation so it's possible I may switch it up for that.

For concealer, Maybelline's Fit Me Concealer (£5.99) will be perf. It covers under-eye circles well, doesn't cake and works well enough for small blemishes and imperfections. 

For contour and highlight, a birthday gift from Kate (THANK YOU!) shall be having an outing. The Illamasqua Sculpting Powder Duo in Illuminate & Nefertiti (£26.00) is stunning - like stunning in a way that I can't stop staring at it when it's open. The contour shade works wonderfully on pale and tanned skintones and the highlighter is just...beautiful. Keep your eyes peeled for a review coming soon. 

Blush has to be Makeup Revolution's Vivid Blush Lacquer in Rush (£1.99)- I'm still yet to find a blush that lasts longer, and nothing works better on a night out. I love the bright pink colour, it adds a healthy glow to my complexion without being too in-your-face.

I've been loving the look of a bolder brow recently, so I've been making them a tad bigger than what they are naturally. Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe (£4.99) will be handy in defining their shape and filling them in.

To set all of my base makeup in place and mattify my face further, Bourjois' Silk Edition Powder (£9.99) is my go-to. A silky powder that doesn't appear cakey on the skin and prevents me from looking overly shiny. 

Because I'll be going for a bold lip, I want to keep the eyes classic and simple - with a feline flick. Collection's Fast Stroke Eyeliner (£2.99) is the best at the drugstore. It lasts for ages, doesn't flake off and makes getting that cat eye a complete doddle.

To finish off the eyes I'll be lining my waterline with Rimmel's Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Pencil in Taupe (£3.99) and adding lashings and lashings of Makeup Revolution's Viper Mascara (£3.00) to my top and bottom lashes after a quick curl.

To finish off my birthday face, I'll be using Rimmel's 1000 Kisses Lipliner (£2.99) to slightly outline my lips to stop my lipstick from bleeding and looking messy, and for that lipstick I'll be using Sleek's True Colour Lipstick in Dare (£4.99) - a shade that I have quite literally fallen in love with recently. It's still a red, but it's a sort of browny-red and just looks gorgeous on all skintones. Everyone must have this in their collections. 

Hopefully my anger will have subsided a little for me to be able to fully enjoy my birthday night out... 

Lauren

xo

What's in my April Makeup Bag?

We're well into another month now so it's time to switch up my makeup and get some use out of my collection. 

Primer-wise, I've been really getting into Benefit's The Porefessional (£24.50 for full size). I tend to have a love/hate relationship with this product - I'll have weeks where I use it constantly and then think to myself 'this is awful, why am I using this?'. I think it works better on skin types that are more normal/dry, if my skin's having a dry spell then this is my go-to. 

As you can tell from this post here I've been getting my fake tan on in recent days, so I've been able to get some use out of foundations and concealers in darker shades that have been tucked away during Winter. Hello again Bourjois' Happy Light! (£11.99) Now, I'm still not sure why I never picked this foundation up in my usual shade because I actually really do like it. It provides good coverage, lasts well and doesn't stick or cake to dry patches. Pricey for a drugstore foundation but I reckon anyone can get along well with it. 

I've also been using Maybelline's Fit Me Concealer (£6.99) to cover any dark circles and blemishes, but neither have been too prominent recently *touches wood*. I like this one because it works well on both and I'm not having to use three different concealers each day.

I've been setting my under eye concealer with the highlight powder in SEVENTEEN's Define & Conquer Contour Kit (£5.99) recently and I'm glad to finally have a use for it, so much so that I've hit pan majorly on that side. Since I've been tanning, I've been able to get away with using the contour side of this with a heavier hand and I've been loving the sculptured cheekbones I've been getting from it. This palette gets a huge thumbs up from me.

I always seem to come back to cream blush in the Summer, I just love the way it looks in sunlight. Rimmel's Stay Blushed! Liquid Cheek Tint in Sunkissed Cherry (£4.49) has been my go-to lately. It lasts ages and you only need the slightest amount to cover both cheeks.

For highlight, I've gone back to an old favourite - Makeup Revolution's Radiant Light In Exhale (£5.00). I switch between this and the S&G one all the time and I always think one is better than the other. I just can't tell anymore, they're both stunning.

To set all of that in place my Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot powder (£12.00) has been fab. Again, another product I always forget how much I love before I start re-using it. 

For brows, my love this month has come in the form of Essence's Make Me Brow (£2.50). An amazing dupe for the Benefit version and cheap as chips too. It's great for setting brows in place, or if I'm running late just a quick brush through to give a little colour and definition. 

For eyes, Makeup Revolution's Naked Chocolate Palette (£7.99) has been my love. I can create so many different shadow looks with just this one palette it's hard to justify ever buying more. My favourite shades this month have been Tob-le-rone, Frosted Choc and Sweet Shop. 

A new thing I've been liking the look of is eyeliner in my waterline. During my college (obsessed with black eyeshadow and pale foundation) days, I wouldn't dream of leaving the house without lining my waterline with black. As I've gotten older - and more bothered about it congealing in my tear ducts - I've abandoned eyeliner in the waterline altogether. Recently, I've been using the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Liner in Taupe (£3.99) to line my waterline. It's not as harsh as black but still gives that finished feel to an eye look, not to mention it's waterproof so that 'gathering in the inner corners' thing is completely avoidable.

If I had to recommend a high end mascara to anyone it would be Clinique's High Impact Mascara (£17.50 for full size). It separates and lengthens lashes so well and it's my mascara go-to for days when it's all I can be bothered wearing on my eyes. Note to self: pick up the waterproof version - soon. 

Lastly it's lips and I feel like Revlon's ColorBurst Matte Balm in Sultry (£7.99) hasn't left them since I bought it. I apologise for the mentioning of this but it is the perfect Kylie Jenner mauvey-pink lip. It lasts ages, smells like mint and ridiculously comfortable to wear throughout the day.I need to pick up more shades of these. 

This has probably been the longest blog post I've written in what feels like forever, sorry for my rambling.

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

Get The Look: Vanessa Hudgens.

Yay! so I actually managed to stick to my word and produce another 'Get the look' in a reasonable amount of time. Go me. 

So this month's 'Get the Look' is based upon the beautiful Vanessa Hudgens. This girl has become my love in recent weeks - I just can't get enough of her! her style, her makeup, her hair is just...aaaah. 

I grew up with the High School Musical movies (I'm not ashamed to say I do still watch them on occasion) and I shipped Zanessa as much as the next person.

Recently, she's come back with a bang with new movie releases and a sponsorship with Bongo jeans and she's been rocking the boho vibe like no other. 

I came across this image online and loved the makeup so much I thought I'd recreate it for this month's post.

Vanessa's skin looks dewy and radiant in the image so I started by prepping the skin with Bourjois' Happy Light Luminous Serum Primer and using my trusty NARS Sheer Glow to give a fresh, youthful look to my complexion. After blending all of that in, I concealed any blemishes and redness with Rimmel's Match Perfection Concealer - also using it to highlight my under-eye area, bridge of my nose, forehead and cupid's bow. 

I like to let my skin do it's thang before powdering so I swiftly moved onto brows. Vanessa's are bushy yet tamed (jel) so I filled them in with my H&M Eyebrow Shaping Kit and the Real Techniques Brow Brush. 

After priming my eyelids with the Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer, I decided to use a shade from Makeup Revolution's Naked Chocolate Palette for this look. Vanessa's wearing a warm brown wash of colour over her lids so I used the shade Sweet Shop (marked with an asterisk) and blended that over the lids and a tiny bit under the lower lashline. 

I lined both my tight line and my waterline quite heavily with Illamasqua's Precision Gel Liner, smudging it into the lower lashline with a cotton bud - Vanessa loves her black eyeliner so I tried my best to emulate that. After a quick curl of my lashes I coated them in Makeup Revolution's Viper Mascara, also applying this to my bottom ones.

Moving back to the complexion, I contoured with Makeup Revolution's One Blush Stick in Matte Malibu. I applied this to the hollows of my cheeks, my jawline and my forehead to give a bit of definition to my face. I'm not sure if Vanessa's wearing any contour because her hair's in her face and she's wearing a hat but I always like to contour anyway. Vanessa's also wearing a really subtle flush so I popped a little of Revlon's Cream Blush in Charmed Enchantment onto the apples of my cheeks for a hint of colour. Again, not entirely sure if she's wearing highlighter but I added a little anyway - a light swipe of No.7's Instant Radiance Highlighter to the bridge of my nose, cheekbones and Cupid's Bow. 

To finish off the face I added a light dusting of the Collection Sheer Loose Powder to my complexion - I love this powder as it sets everything in place but still makes you look a little glowy.

Vanessa's berry toned lip is stunning and I was originally going to use MAC's Rebel but it had to much of a strong purple undertone, so I went with Rimmel's Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107 instead. It's still showing a bit purple-y in the picture but I assure you, it does look more red in real life.

No doubt I'll probably have another post dedicated to Vanessa at some point. I just love her.

And she dated Zac Efron for four years - girl's got mighty fine taste!

Lauren

xo