XxxLoveIsBeautyxxX: Drugstore | Your Blog Description

Hey Beauties!

For this post, I thought I would be little miss helpful for you guys and tell you about some of my essentials for Summer.

In make up terms, Summer can be stressful as the (hopefully) warm weather can play havoc with our looks which makes longevity and long wearing products a must have.

I hope you enjoy my picks!

Fake Tan

Even in Winter, I can't be without my fake tan so it's a given that it's a complete Summer essential for me.

You just can't beat the healthy glow a tan gives you and I feel so much better and slimmer when I wear it.

I feel like it's important to think about the cost of tan as most bottles only last for a few full body applications.

Two tans that I love are both available in Primark and are the St. Moritz and Sunkissed tans, both great budget options.

These babies blend easily, don't streak or go patchy and can be removed easily enough with a good exfoliant.

My tan lasts me around 5 days and, once you shower off the guide colour, the biscuit like scent disappears!

Foot Cream

I'll try keep this one short as none of us enjoy talking about feet but it really is important to look after your tootsies as they will be on full display this Summer thanks to all the sandals people are sporting.

A good, thick foot cream is a must for looking after our feet, especially the heel area that can dry out easily, and I feel like the Heel Genius from Soap & Glory is a great choice.

With a beautiful scent and thick texture, this cream is great to slather on the feet along with fluffy socks so that your feet can get nourished while you relax!

3. Body Moisturizer

Along the same lines, it's important to keep our bodies moisturized especially if we're going to be sporting a lot of tan.

While I love body butters for a deep dose of hydration, they can be a little much for the hot weather so a Body Sorbet from The Body Shop is a great alternative.

These beauties are lightweight and hydrating while also being nourishing and smelling great.

They come in a great variety of scents and sink into the skin quickly without leaving a sticky residue so that you can go out and enjoy your Summer day as quick as possible.

4. SPF

It should go without saying that you need to wear a good SPF all year round, but especially so on your face when the Summer months roll around.

We all know of the untold damage that sun rays can do so please make sure to stay safe this Summer and put some on every morning.

Clarins are known for their great suncare range and have managed to deliver a facial SPF 50 that is neither sticky nor clogging for the pores.

An all round winner!

Face Powder

During the Summer months, the dreaded shiny face can be the bane of our existence so make sure to stay prepared and throw some face powder in your bag (OK so maybe don't throw a powder!).

I love the Stay Matte powder from Rimmel and use it everyday on my T-zone, I have the translucent shade and it does a great job of giving that matte finish.

It doesn't cake up on me and lasts well throughout the day without breaking down and it's so affordable, a total winner for me!

Light Base

When the sun is out, you don't want to smother your face in a heavy thick base, your skin will need to breathe after all.

During these times I do like to use a lighter base and the CC Cream from Bourjois is amazing for this and is totally worthy of all the hype it gets.

It gives good medium coverage, is easy to blend and gives a radiant finish that doesn't look overly dewy, just really natural and pretty.

I like to set it with some powder and I'm good to go for my day!

Salt Spray

You can't beat that surfer chick look and what better way to achieve that than with some beachy looking waves in your hair?!

Salt sprays have caused quite a stir, none more so than the Surf Spray from Bumble and Bumble, and it's safe to say that I am a huge fan.

My hair is quite dry so I can't use it too much but I love just spraying it through freshly washed hair to add a bit of texture and grit.

It leaves your hair with a nice wave and matte look, just like if you'd just been in the sea!

Body Spray

This might sound strange but I sometimes find perfume to be too overpowering in the Summer months and when I constantly smell a strong scent, I can actually start to feel quite nauseous.

It's because of this that I find body sprays are a lot better for Summer, you just can't beat a light summery and fruity scent when you're out and about.

I Love... do a great range of body sprays in lots of different scents, they last well for a body spray and are the perfect size to pop in your handbag for on the go touch ups!

So there you have some of my Summer essentials, I hope you enjoyed it :)

What do you think?

What's your top Summer essential?

Stay Beautiful! xoxo

Hey Beauties!

Ever since Kim K instagrammed THAT photo of her contouring technique, the beauty world blew up and suddenly everyone was on the lookout for products to help achieve that look.

Previously a makeup artist trick to help sculpt the face, contouring has become something of a makeup phenomenon and seemingly every brand has been rushing out their take on the trend.

With so many different products on the market, it can be hard to find your perfect one and it can be tricky to find a contour powder that isn't orangey or shimmery.

The idea behind contouring is that you use an ashy/brown toned powder and place it under the cheekbones in the hollows of the face to create a shadow type look, thus giving definition to the face and the illusion of sharper cheekbones.

Placing highlighter on top of the cheekbones will then draw light towards them and before you know it, your face will start to rival that of Ms. Delevigne.

Well not quite, it's very hard to make this technique look natural but, when I saw the new offering from Seventeen in Boots, I was super tempted to give it a try and see if it's one of those rare drugstore gems.

What They Say

Get that chiselled look with this beauty, the darker powder defines the face while the lighter powder promises to illuminate.

What I Say

I actually like the Nars inspired packaging of this kit, it comes with a handy mirror and feels nice to hold and use.

I was pleased to see that the contour powder is matt and the highlighter is also matt which is quite rare for the drugstore.

I chose the shade Medium which is the darkest shade so hopefully they'll add more shades for darker skin tones.

I love the contour powder, it's pigmented but easy to blend out for that natural look, it doesn't look muddy and it lasted well throughout the day.

The highlighter does give a lovely sheen to the face and is perfect for those that prefer the natural look but I personally prefer a little more glow.

Instead, I like to use the highlighter to set my under eye concealer and it does a great job for that too.

I would definitely recommend this kit, it's a great price at €7.59 and is one of the more natural offerings, a total winner!