August: Loves and Lusts

It's the end of the month, so that can only mean one thing - 'Loves and Lusts'! I'm sure you all know how things work by now but if not - today I'm going to talk you lovely lot through all of my favourite products from August and also everything I've been lusting after (and will most likely be included in next months 'Loves and Lusts'). You can find all of my past posts of this type here if you fancy a looksee but for now, lets get straight on with my August's Edition...

What I've Loved:

L'Oréal Lumi Magique Primer - Let's start off this post with makeup, eh? I've been wanting to try this primer for the longest of times and this month I finally got round to doing so. And you know what? I really rather like it. The pump dispenser makes it super easy and convenient to use and the texture feels really hydrating on my dry skin. It's got a pearlescent sheen to it which gives such a gorgeous 'lit from within'-type glow to the complexion (as the name suggests) and I actually find it to do a pretty darn good job at keeping my makeup in place all day long too.

Collection Illuminating Touch Under Eye Brightener - Last year, I was lucky enough to win all shades of their original Illuminating Touch Concealer and I'm a big fan of it so when I heard about this version being released, I knew I had to give it a go - and picked it up as part of my haul linked above. It's housed in the same twist-up packaging, though this time is of more of a salmon colour - so is ideal for popping on underneath your usual concealer to cancel out those pesky blue tones. I've tried it several times since purchasing and I have to say, for such a budget price it works really well at colour-correcting and adding back that brightness to make me look far more awake than I actually am. The consistency feels very cooling and moisturising on the ol' eye area and I don't find it to disrupt the rest of my makeup in anyway. Big thumbs up.

Sleek Highlighter Palette in 'Solstice' - Onto a serious love, love, LOVE of this past month. In terms of highlighters, I was all about theBalm's Mary Lou-Manizer - until I found this. Now, I'm not saying this one beats theBalm's, but it certainly matches up to it and comes with four different, stunning shades and at a very affordable price too. Inside you get one cream, a powder and two baked highlights and there's everything from a very pale, icy shimmer to something more champagne and a couple of more 'out there' peach and purple tones aswell. All formations are super creamy and apply and blend out on the skin like a dream. They're very finely-milled with no chunky glitter in sight and there's not one shade which doesn't complement my paler complexion. Even the lilac hue doesn't look half as scary once on the skin...

Collection Precision Contour Stick in 'Light' - We've done the highlighting - now let's move onto contouring. It's not often I find a new favourite for sculpting out those cheekbones (and just generally all round my face) with, but this month I have and I have to say it is a serious love. These cream contour sticks are yet another new addition to Collection's brand and as soon as I saw them, I just knew I had to try them out. I plumped for the lightest, most ashy shade and I'm pleased to report that I works an absolute treat on my skintone and makes for one of the most natural-looking contours I have ever used. The crayon set-up makes it easy-peasy to quite literally draw onto your face and blend out and it's not too creamy and slippery - but it's not dry and difficult to work with. The cream texture most likely has a helping hand in ensuring there's no harsh lines and really helps to mesh the product in with the skin, but the shade itself simply looks like an actual shadow and for the bargainous price - I am so impressed.

NYX Lash Primer - Another month, another new favourite from NYX. This time, it's a completely new type of product to me - a lash primer. I am a big fan of primers for the face and for the eyes and while I've heard of ones targeted for the lashes, most are rather expensive and I just cannot justify it. However, once I spotted one from a more affordable brand, it made me much more inclined to give it a go and so far, so good - as I talked about in this post. It's a white formula housed in your standard mascara packaging and you literally use it like you would your usual lash offering. Once applied, you can't really tell you've got anything on at all, but as soon as you layer up your mascara - you can instantly see a difference in how well it works. I especially find it to really help with giving my lashes more length and separation and with it being such a quick and easy step, it's quickly integrated itself into my routine.

Primark Beauty Lip Liner Pencils - I'm sure this inclusion will come as no massive surprise to you lovely lot as I did a whole post all about how much of a fan I am of these here. To be honest, I first tried a couple of shades out a couple of months ago and loved them then, but this month I added another eight shades to my stash and it's only served to make me go all heart-eyed emoji on them even more. They're creamy (but not too creamy), glide onto the lips without dragging, are great worn alone or as a base for something else to go over the top and are super pigmented. And they're only £1 each. Yeah, you heard that right. ONE. POUND. I would say I want to add more to my collection, but I'm pretty sure I now own every single shade they have...

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray - Onto an oldie, but a goodie. I used to use this stuff ages ago (probably around the time I started this blog), with it being the first setting spray I ever tried and to say I was a fan would be an understatement. But then, I did that classic thing where you move onto something new and then kinda forget about it - until now. A couple of weeks ago I was in desperate need of a new fixing spray for my makeup and for some reason, this one popped back into my head. I did what I needed to do and it's back in my life again and this time - I think it's for good. This stuff quite literally glues your makeup down and keep it there until you take it off. Whenever I use it, I don't find I need to touch things up as much and the whole finish of my makeup looks so much nicer.

Barry M Lolly Gloss Nail Paint in 'Pink Candy' - Nails-wise, I have been really liking this polish from Barry M this month. I actually did a 'Polish Pick' on it here if you fancy seeing it in action! This is a new range from them and it's basically a collection of lacquers which are all super-glossy and have a translucent effect which you can either apply sparingly for a sheer finish or build up to be more opaque. 'Pink Candy' is a beautiful bright, hot pink and I love it worn both ways - and it even works well layered on top of other polishes as a tinted top coat. I do love a good multi-tasker...

OGX Thick and Full Biotin and Collagen Shampoo and Conditioner - Hopping on over to Haircare and what a surprise - another collection from OGX which I have fallen head over heels for. This time, this range promise to give my tresses a thicker, fuller appearance and having fine hair - that sounds exactly up my street. The results after using these two aren't massive, but they are noticeable to me and I do find my hair to look a tad more voluminous afterwards. They leave my hair feeling and looking really healthy and hydrated (just like all OGX products tend to do) and the scent is once again, divine.

Una Brennan Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil and Glow Boost Serum - Finally, we're finishing up this section of the post on the topic of Skincare and I have to say August has most definitely been the month of me at last getting round to constructing a proper skincare routine and attempting to take better care of it and overall, I'm pretty pleased by how things are shaping up. When I first starts to give my routine a proper overhaul, I knew I wanted to add some items from Una Brennan's Vitamin C+ range as I'd heard such good things about it and all in all, I'm loving them so far. I now use the cleansing oil as the second step after removing my makeup to clean my actual skin beneath and my complexion not only feels and looks a lot cleaner and brighter, the oil texture is working wonders on my dry skin. The serum is also great as an extra shot of hydration before I go in with my day/night cream and once again, leaves my skin very quenched indeed and I'd say lives up to the 'glow boosting' properties it claims to have too.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads - My whole new skincare routine I've built up this month appears to be centred around getting that glowy, healthy looking skin and one item which promotes just that are these toning pads from First Aid Beauty - once again mentioned in this post. These are another product which gets a heck of a lot of love from the online beauty community and so I've been eager to try these out for a long time now. I'm very much used to a manual exfoliant, but the acid variant seems to be what everyone's going cray cray for right now and I can certainly see why. These pre-soaked pads are very easy and quick to use - you simply swipe them across your face and you're done. They don't instantly appear to be doing anything, but over time I've definitely noticed an improvement in the texture of my skin. Any rough, dry areas now feel and look more soft and smooth and they seem to really be doing the job of decongesting and just generally de-gunking. Mhmmm.

L'Oréal Pure Clay Glow Mask - Last but by no means least, I have a new favourite face mask and HALLEUJAH it's not from Montagne Jeunesse! It's also not a single-use variety - what's going on with me, eh? This mask is one of three clay masks that L'Oréal have recently brought out and being on the 'glowy' train - as I said earlier - it guess it's no surprise that I went for this option. This mask has a scrub-type texture and so claims to lift off any dead, dry skin and leave it looking more illuminated and energised and I have to admit, I agree. The cinnamon-y scent can get a little overpowering the longer you leave the mask on, but it's something I can look past seeing as I really like how the mask itself works. If that wasn't enough - the tub supposedly contains around ten uses and with it currently being on offer for £5, you get a pretty good deal too...

What I'd Love To Have:

Zoella Beauty and Tanya Burr Cosmetics Christmas 2016 Ranges - Ranging from £5.00-£50.00 - It seems rather early to be talking about Christmas products - but in reality, it's nearly September, The X Factor is back on and in my books - that means the countdown has begun. Another things which often points to that time of year approaching is the launch of Christmas beauty products and two brands which I'm most excited for the festive lines of are Zoe's and Tanya's. I really loved both their collection's last year (whether for gifts or simple for myself) and having already seen a sneak peek at what's coming up from Zoella Beauty - it's safe to say that will be the case this time around aswell.

Urban Decay Ultimate Basics Eyeshadow Palette - Unsure of the UK price right now! - Everytime Urban Decay bring out a new eyeshadow platte, everyone and their Nan goes cray cray for it - myself included. I am yet to own one just yet, but it's something I really want to happen soon and this newest release is only serving to persuahde me even more. Following on from their Naked Basics 1 and 2 - two palettes both filled with entirely matte shades - this time they've come out with one mighty compilation that features twelve all new, shimmer-free hues. Inside there's everything you could need from dusky pinks to warm browns and everything in-between. Heck, there's even a matte black. What more could you ask for?

New Real Techniques Products - Ranging from £5.99-£19.99 - Real Techniques are a much-loved brush brand for many people - myself included. I'm sure you lovely lot know by now that whenever new products are added to the range, I'm all over it and this time is no exception. There's some new sponges being launched to run alongside their classic Miracle Complexion Sponge plus a few new brush sets (featuring some exclusive, never-seen-before tools) and I for one am more than excited to go and pick out some to add to my ever-growing stash. Cause I need some new brushes like a hole in the head, yanno...

Rimmel Fresher Skin Foundation - £7.49 - Onto a hell of a lot of products that wouldn't look so out of place in a 'New In At The Drugstore' (which maybe might just become a reality sometime next month). I feel like foundations  from Rimmel are a classic amongst us beauty lovers - everyone has tried (and most likely loved) one at some point. Personally, I was a massive fan of their Lasting Finish Nude - until recently when they appear to have discontinued it (boo!). It all seems to make sense now though, as a new base is on the block. This one claims to be super lightweight on the skin, allowing it to breathe and giving a natural-looking coverage. Personally, that sounds pretty up my street in terms of what I like in a foundation so I think I may just give this one a go.

L'Oréal True Match Highlighters - £ - Whenever a brand launches a highlighter, I'm all ears. Yanno I was on about getting that glowy skin earlier? Yeah, that trickles down into my makeup routine too. L'Oreal have come up trumps and released not only a powder formulation, but a liquid version too. Both are available in two shades - one that's more icy (for paler skintones) and a warmer option that's ideal for darker skins - and from first appearances, they look pretty promising. I'm sure I'll be testing these out and reporting back on my findings very soon...

Collection Primed and Ready Setting Powders  - £3.99 each - I only happened to come across these new face powders from Collection while I was browsing the 'New In' section of the Boots website (a rather regular occurrence) the other day but I had to give them a mention as they look pretty interesting to me. Of the two, one is more of a standard setting powder, though the other claims to give an 'illuminating' finish - sound familiar? There's a few high end brands which offer powders that propose to leave your skin with a healthy, radiant look and while I'm not holding out for this one to match up to those, I'm intrigued to see just how well it performs.

New Maybelline Products - Ranging from £4.99-£9.99 - Sometimes brands launch a handful of products at virtually the same time as one another and right now, it appears to be the turn of Maybelline. From what I have seen, they've got items being added to stands left, right and centre and there's a good few which have grabbed my attention. The new 'Rock Nudes' Eyeshadow Palette looks super interesting (with me being an overall big fan of the whole 'The Nudes' collection), whilst the Master Strobing Stick looks to be yet another potential cream highlighter love from the drugstore. I also really like the look of the new Color Drama Lip Paints - providing a nice change from all your matte lips with a more glossy effect.

Bourjois Volume Reveal Mascara - £9.99 - It's not often that I see massive hype surrounding a new mascara. I think the last time was when Maybelline launched their oruiiginal lash Sensational and everyone and their dog went mad for it and pretty much everyone who tried it - loved it. Typically, however, mascaras divide opinion - with some declaring it as their new holy grail, and others dimissing it as simply not for them. But with this new lash offering from Bourjois, I've seen a fair amount of love being expressed for it here, there and everywhere and that's always when I tend to really listen up and often, try it out for myself.

Barry M Makeup Sprays - £4.99 each - It was only in the former section of this post that I was declaring my refound love for Urban Decay's All Nighter Setting Spray and yet here I am lusting over three new offerings to the table from Barry M. Here, they're proposing a selection for basically all your needs and although I do still feel like my heart will remain with UD for the foreseeable, I can't help but be tempted. Whether you want a full-on matte effect or a dewier finish from your makeup - Barry M have got your covered with two new setting sprays - and if that wasn't enough, they've also released a primer water. I know Smashbox are famous for their priming water spray, but I'm yet to see anything of the kind from a drugstore/affordable brand so of them all, maybe that's where I'll be heading...

Kylie Cosmetics Birthday Collection - Around £150 altogether - I know this last inclusion is more on the expensive side of things and is not even available right now - but hear me out. I don't always get that excited about launches from Kylie's brand, but her Birthday Collection got me intrigued and while I'm pretty certain I won't be getting my hands on it anytime soon, it doesn't stop me from lusting after some of it. The Crème Shadows in 'Copper' and 'Rose Gold' look all kinds of heart-eyed emoji, that's fo' sho'...

So there we have everything for my August Loves and Lusts! I hope you've had  a good month and I will see you lovely lot same time, same place next month for another edition - this time, for September. How we are that far through this year already is beyond me...