Ali & Her: Loreal

Best Drugstore Buys!

Hi Guys,

This week I am bringing you a round-up some fantastic 'drugstore' products that I think are more than worth the money they are priced at. By drugstore I mean shops like Boots and Superdrug who stock a large variety of high street make-up brands. Some of these products are cult products that have literally become staples in any makeup addict's collection. But what's really great about these brands is that it just goes to show, you don't always need to spend money to get a luxury feel. I have been really surprised by the quality of some of these and I hope I inspire you to explore your 'drugstore' or chemist, whatever you prefer, a little more.

First up I have the Sleek Summer Solstice Palette (£9.99) . I remember the hype around this when it first came out and I convinced myself I wasn't going to buy into the hype of it and I didn't. But the thing is the hype never died with this product. People still go on about it now and I can see why. It has 4 beautiful shades, two cream formulas and two powders, which are gold, bronze, pink and a champagne colour. So really, apart from silver, every shade of highlight you will ever need. I think this may be why it is so popular. Of course if you are an addict like me and drawn to shiny things one highlighter palette could never be enough, but for a normal person I'm sure it would be! Sleek eyeshadow palettes were also some of the first I ever owned, so always have a special place in my heart.

Now no drugstore post would be complete without mentioning Revolution Beauty, this brand has gone from strength to strength and even though I am not always a fan of there duping strategy, they do have a large range of makeup and brands within drugstores and you can always manage to find the type of product you need with relatively good quality. More recently I have been really impressed with their pro range. I mean just look at these swatches! You can read more about my thoughts on these here. But in general if you haven't tried Revolution Beauty, or one of their sister brands then you really should!

One brand that I keep going back to is Nip+Fab, I was actually first drawn to their skincare, in particular their Glycolic pads, which I love and use daily, but I have more recently tried their make-up and am also really enjoying it. I spoke about my admiration for their liquid highlighters here but wanted to focus in on these fantastic Lip Toppers (£7.95)*. These look beautiful on their own or over a lipstick and remind me a little of the Jouer lip toppers, but at half the price. I am totally in to my sparkle and these would work great as a sparkly/glossy eye too.

Right to Left: starlight, hypnotic, shooting star, galactic, pink rockets

swatches top to bottom: starlight, hypnotic, shooting star, galactic, pink rockets

One of my favourite drugstore products that I use everyday are the Loreal Infallible foundation/highlight/blush sticks (£8.99). These have been added to my everyday make-up routine purely for ease of use and how quick they are to blend. If you haven't tried the foundation yet click here for my in depth review or head to my Instagram stories highlights for a tutorial using them. I have been using them for 6 months and don't see myself stopping any time soon. Loreal telescopic mascara is also one of my all time faves and I own a number of their lip products.

I couldn't write this post without including NYX. The first time I used NYX was when I was a teenager, selfridges used to stock them and I remember my sister purchasing some of their eyeshadow. Even as a teenager I found the pigment and blend ability amazing. Then I started purchasing from IMATS, and when I heard they were coming to Boots I lost my sh*t and overloaded on products. Now I have calmed down a bit I still think their products are great quality and are professional quality too. Their correctors are some of my fave and I loved these Cosmic Metals Lip Lacquers from their range.

So these are my top five must try drugstore brands. There are so many more I could have chosen and I really think drugstore has grown leaps and bounds the past few years. I don't feel the need to splurge in order for it to feel like a treat or luxurious. I am more than happy browsing the tiles of boots or super drug looking for good quality makeup. So if you are a makeup snob and haven't tried any of these yet you are missing out big time! Who would your top 5 be?

Amina xx

*PR samples. All opinions are my own.

3 Comments

, by Ali and Her

Infaillible

Shot it, Shape it, Strobe it with Loreal!

Hi guys,
Last week I attended the fantastic launch for the new Infallible range of primers, foundation, blush and highlighter sticks from Loreal Paris makeup. It was held at Beat London and I had a such a fantastic time meeting other bloggers and getting a first look at the products. I was so excited that this launch had a focus on the skin base as I am all about that flawless skin. I have been trying them out over the past week so thought I would give you my initial thoughts and some swatches!

Me with the beautiful @anousshkaa

Shot it! - Infallible Primers (£8.99)

The first step in the newly released items is 'Shot it!'. This is a range of primers which have been formulated for all skin types. From left to right you have a bright green primer to neutralise any redness. A matte primer, which is suitable for oily skin types. The iridescent packaging gives the luminising primer away - It gives your skin the most beautiful glow without making you look too shiny. Then we have the Anti fatigue primer which is apricot in colour and is perfect for correcting dull looking skin. Lastly we have the pore refining primer which smooths out any lumps and bumps and hides those pores perfectly. The idea with these is that you can use one or multi prime for different areas depending on the need, it's up to you.

Shape it! - Infallible Shaping Foundation Sticks (£8.99)

Left to right: 210, 200, 180, 150

Bottom to top - 210, 200, 180, 160

Next up we have the foundation shaping sticks. These can be used as a base but also to highlight and contour. I have to say that I am so impressed by the formula of these. Somehow Loreal have managed to create a hydrating foundation that doesn't leave your skin looking greasy. When applied the finish that is given literally mimics the skin. It contains Jojoba Oil which adds to the luxurious texture, however as the skin absorbs the product it dries to a powder finish. The product can also be built up for fuller coverage. I have been trying it out all this week and I would say with a make-up fixing spray you can definitely get 8 hours wear out of this product. The one downside I would say is the shade range. Their are 12 shades which is reasonable, however the shades jump quite a lot so some people might have to combine shades to get their perfect match.

Strobe it! - Loreal Infallible Blush &Highlighter Sticks (£8.99)

Top: 001 Bottom: 002

Top to bottom: 500, 501, 503

The blush and highlighter sticks are some of my favourite products from the range. Applied over the foundation they just blend in to the skin so well. The fact that you are using cream on cream makes application so effortless and I love the smooth airbrushed effect it gives. I am starting to use more cream products in my make-up routine as it gives the skin more dimension without being so obvious. There are four colours in the highlighter range and they are all just as beautiful as the next.

Here is the make-up applied to my face. The foundation (mix of 200 &180) literally gave an airbrushed finish, I applied directly onto my face and blended with a buffing brush. I used blusher in 002 and highlighter in 501 and blended in using my fingers. For a demo using the products head to my Instagram stories highlight labelled 'Loreal Review'. As the products are newly released there are currently quite a few offers on these products, one being 3 for 2 at Boots and Superdrug, which I would definitely take advantage of!

I hope you enjoyed this introduction to the new Loreal Infallible releases! Will you be trying any?

Amina xx

8 Comments