Lacura Makeup: grab it while it’s on special

Lacura makeup is currently an Aldi Specialbuy: from creams all the way through to lip tints and mascara. It’s always pot luck what you are going to find, but I came away with a decent haul when I visited my local store at the weekend.

I’ve been a fan of Aldi’s Lacura range for a long time: in fact, I first posted about it eight years ago (yikes), recommending the under-eye concealer as a cut-price dupe for YSL Touche Eclat. (Side note: wow, that was a short blog post. Amazing what you could get away with pre-Twitter.) I’m very fussy about budget makeup – in that I hate most of it. The mascaras flake, the lipsticks don’t stick and why are all the powders so shimmery a la Posh Spice? So when I find a budget makeup brand like Lacura, with decent products at bargain prices, I tend to stock up.

Here is what I’m wearing now:

LACURA UNDER-EYE CONCEALER (£2.99)

Oldie but goodie: a light-reflecting cream concealer for undereye shadows. Different shades for different skin tones. A dupe for YSL Touche Eclat. The price has actually gone down since I last blogged about these Aldi concealer pens: they were £3.49 each in 2008, and are £2.99 now. Touche Eclat, meanwhile, has gone up from £18 to £22. So the Lacura concealer is even more of a steal now than it was eight years ago. I swear it does as good a job.

LACURA CC CREAM (£3.99)

Colour correction face cream, available in light and medium skin tones. This one claims to have anti-ageing benefits. It does provide sunscreen: SPF 15. Perhaps that is the anti-ageing property? Anyway, as the sleep-deprived mother of a newborn, I can confirm that its claim to “transform tired-looking skin into a radiant and even complexion” has merit. This cream reduces redness and small blemishes without feeling too heavy or claggy. It’s perfectly suitable for everyday wear – and despite the low price, a little of this cream goes a long way.

LACURA EYELINER PENCIL (£1.99)

This eyeliner is softer and creamier than a kohl pencil, which makes it easy to apply. It comes with two extras: a sharpener and a little rubber smudging nib on the end of the applicator pencil. Despite the creamy texture, this eyeliner lasts the day.

LACURA VOLUME SENSATIONAL MASCARA (£2.39)

It doesn’t clump. It doesn’t flake. It still looks pretty fresh at the end of the day. Works for me.

LACURA GLOSSY LIP BALMS (£1.99 each)

I bought the Bright Red and Fresh Pink shades. There is also a peach one, but this wasn’t in stock at my local Aldi. These lip tints are fairly sheer when they go on. Lip-moisturising ingredients include almond oil, shea butter, jojoba oil and vitamin E. Paraben-free. I hadn’t come across these before but am impressed so far: although they leave lips soft, the colour lasts fairly well and doesn’t have to be reapplied frequently throughout the day.

LACURA DRY FACE TREATMENT OIL (£3.99)

Another new product for me, and possibly my new favourite of the bunch. A smart bottle with a glass dropper, which doesn’t just look more expensive than it is – it feels it, too. You apply a couple of drops of the oil to your face and neck at bedtime, before moisturising. Ingredients include argan oil, macadamia nut oil and others I hadn’t heard of: inca inchi oil (supports the formation of a hydro lipid protective film on the skin, apparently) and sea buckthorn oil. Whatever. All you need to know is that it feels very light when you apply it to your skin, and it is quickly absorbed, but packs a punch. My skin is terribly dry at the moment, but feels ten times softer and nicer after using this oil for just a couple of days.

LACURA FOOT CREAM (£1.99)

Ha! Save the most boring one for last… However I always stock up on this Lacura foot cream when I see it. It’s a dupe for CCS Foot Cream, which is four times the price, and recommended for dry feet and heels prone to cracking. Both foot creams contain 10% urea, which debrides dead skin as well as softening and moisturising your tootsies.

If you don’t live near an Aldi, you can now purchase some of these products online, with free delivery.

If you have any other budget skincare or cosmetic brands to recommend, please let me know so that I can test them and share. I’m a loyal Lacura girl, but after EIGHT YEARS… Well, I could probably do with introducing some new names into my bag of makeup bargains. 😉

[Aldi Specialbuys: Lacura]