{Favorites} July 2012!

Hey there! Today's post is a belated favorites post. I know, I know, late as usual but I've been really busy packing to go back to uni and working and I haven't had much free time--just now finally got around to posting. Sorry! Anyhow, since my skin care/tanning stuff hasn't changed from last month's favorites post (click here to see June Favorites!) this post is mostly makeup, and a lot of the stuff is newer (to me at least!).

Top-->Bottom: RoC Retinol Coreexion Eye Cream, Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Serum + Eyeliner in Black, MAC Mega Metal Eyeshadow in Unflappable.
 

Top-->Bottom: MAC Mega Metal Eyeshadow in Unflappable, Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Serum + Eyeliner in Black, RoC Retinol Coreexion Eye Cream.

RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream: I've been loving using this at night. I was a bit iffy about the metal tube at first, but honestly it is so much more sanitary and less wasteful than regular tubes. This cream leaves my eyes feeling so moisturized, but it sinks in very quickly. A lot of the other night creams I've tried like that tend to have a heavier texture. No such problem with this one! I'll be doing a full review as soon as I get the chance.

Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Serum + Eyeliner: I've been wearing this almost every day. It looks, feels, and applies like a more expensive liner, but for a lot less. I got this on sale for only $4. This one is in the shade Black, but apparently there is also a Very Black shade as well. I think the display was just out. I haven't yet noticed thicker or longer lashes, but either way this is a superb liner. I'm especially loving the fine tip. It' s a real brush tip, not a felt tip like some of the other pen liners. The felt ones tend to fray after a while, while this one has kept its shape for almost a month now. Full review will be coming!

MAC Mega Metal Eyeshadow in Unflappable: This may seem like a very dark, fall shade, but I've been loving it this summer. It's a deep purply blue shade that has just enough of the purple and blue tones that they show up on skin, but not enough to make it look like you're wearing a lot of color, which is perfect. I've been applying the Physicians formula liner and then smudging this over top to get a nice sexy smudgy almost slept in look. I also love how easily this shade can be sheered out. I sometimes put this in the crease with a tan shade all over the lid. Very easy and very pretty. I've had this in my purse with an old Revlon shadow (Sparkle Eyeshadow in Chestnut--matte tan shade). It's all I've used for several weeks.

L-->R: Carmex Original Lip Balm, Sephora Collection Be You Lip Balm in Coral Twist, Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Lip Tint SPF 15 in Peach, Sephora Collection Lip Attitude Lipstick in Glamour.

Top-->Bottom: Carmex Original Lip Balm, Sephora Collection Be You Lip Balm in Coral Twist, Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Lip Tint SPF 15 in Peach, Sephora Collection Lip Attitude Lipstick in Glamour.

Carmex Original Lip Balm: I've heard people rave about this stuff everywhere so when I was in CVS a little while back checking out, I saw a whole display of them by the register and decided to give it a try. This is one of the most moisturizing lip balms I've ever used. I'm also using the lip version of the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream--that stuff works well but smells bad. This stuff has kind of a menthol type smell--not the best, but not the worst either. I meant to buy the cherry version, but I only saw the original in pot form (I didn't want the tube). I've been using this before bed and my lips feel great. It feels cooling when you first apply and really does sooth lips. What I love the most is the longevity (still on my lips in the morning!!) as well as the texture--this is what a balm should feel like. It's the perfect in between--not too waxy, not too oily. Just smooth, creamy, balmy. Definitely seeing my self purchasing another pot of this when I'm done, especially at the price.

Sephora Collection Be You Lip Balm in Coral Twist: At first I was disappointed by the lack of pigmentation in this balm (the swatch you see above is like 20 swipes back and forth), but the balm itself isn't bad. Certainly not Carmex good, but it works well for layering under lipsticks and glosses. It has a thin texture and glides on very smoothly, leaving a sheen on the lips. The color doesn't really show up much at all, just slightly deepens my lips (just barely). It does smell good, kinda fruity, and it doesn't really have a taste. Would I ever spend $12 on this again? Hell no. But I have been reaching for it a lot lately to wear under the Revlon Lip Tint in Peach.

Revlon Beyond Natural Protective Lip Tint SPF 15 in Peach: I've been really annoyed at Revlon. I feel like every time they come out with a great product, three months later it's nowhere to be found. I bought this balm last summer (I think? Not sure). A couple months later went back to get some more shades cuz I was really loving Peach and what do you know: they were nowhere to be found!! So frustrating! This is what a tinted lip balm should be (Sephora: take note!). The shade is sheer, but buildable, the texture is hard in the stick, but applies very shiny/moisturizing, gives a sheen to the lips, no smell/taste, lasts two to three hours. I love this one and sadly am almost out of it. I've used it almost every single day, mainly because I've been loving the combination of anything peach/orangy/coraly with navy blue. It looks very fresh and modern, never too heavy. I hope they bring these back sometime because I would literally buy every single shade!!

Sephora Collection Lip Attitude Lipstick in Glamour: This is another recent addition to my lipstick collection. A couple months back I woke up one morning and just had to buy more lipstick. I own a lot of glosses, but I've never been into wearing lipstick on a daily basis--mainly because to me it makes my face look overdone. No such problem with this lipstick. It applies like a very sheer pink, a few shades lighter than my natural lip tone, but it still looks really nice with my tan right now. I love how like the other three lip products in my faves this month--it's got a very shiny finish, so it's very effortless for me to just put it on and not have to do any gloss or anything over top. I don't think I'll be purchasing more of these because this one smells bad--doesn't taste too bad, but man the small is just overpowering.

So there you have it! My July favorites! I'll try to do the August ones on time lol! Thanks for reading!

{Review} Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter

Hey there! This is a review for another one of those products that I've had forever but never got around to reviewing. I know that the Korres Lip Butters are some of the most popular products from the brand and I purchased the Pomegranate one a while back. I used to never wear stuff on my lips (outside of clear balms) because to me it was just such a hassle to have to reapply so often. The past couple of years I've been experimenting with lip products because I wear contacts and it feels better to go easier on the eyes and heavier on the lips. These butters are a nice alternative to lipsticks because they give some color to the lips, but also look more natural and leave the lips feeling soft and moisturized.

I got the shade Pomegranate. It looks like a nice midtoned pink in the jar, but it applies more like a sheer pinky red.

As you can see in the swatch, the texture of these balms is very nice. It applies with a glossy finish, and the shade is sheer. Honestly, if I could go back in time I would have picked another shade. This one is so close to my natural lip color that it really doesn't look like I'm wearing much at all. I would have gone with a deeper shade or the baby pink one. For some reason Pomegranate looks odd on me.

The formula of this balm, however, is phenomenal. It's thinner than The Body Shops lip butters, which surprised me, but it's just as moisturizing. These feel very nice on the lips--never too heavy or greasy. The pigemntation is great too--not too much, but also not too sheer. Other tinted balms, like the Burt's Bees ones then to be so pigmented that they are more like lipsticks in my opinion. The Korres ones are perfectly in between. They don't wear too long, but they do leave some color on the lips after the balm has sunken in. Another thing I like is how they smell--kinda fruity. For the price you really can't go wrong with this balm. Give it a try the next time you're on the hunt for a new lip balm! And these are also a great choice if you are trying to go more natural!


Info:

Price: $12

Ingredients: Polybutene, Trimethylolpropane Triisostearate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Polyethylene, Hydroxystearic Acid, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Flavor (Aroma), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Punica Granatum Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter Extract. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Red 7 Lake, Red 6, Iron Oxides.

{Review} Sephora Hot Hues Neon Lip Balm in Funky Fuchsia

Hey there! Today's review, unfortunately, is for a discontinued product that I feel still deserves a review because I genuinely like it and to be honest, I didn't expect to. If you do want to pick up one of these balms I'm sure you can find it online somewhere or on clearance at Sephora because I only picked this one up a couple of weeks ago.

Sephora Hot Hues Neon Lip Balm in Funky Fuchsia

This review is for the Sephora hot Hues Neon Lip Balm in the shade Funky Fuchsia. I've been on a neon kick lately, so anything bright and summery really sucks me in. I don't really have a lot of bright lip products in my collection because everything takes me so long to finish, especially lipsticks and lip glosses, that I tend to only purchase shades I know I will wear a lot.

What really made me want to try this was one, the price. I got it for five bucks on clearance, which I was really happy about. Two, the packaging looks pretty cute with the little red cap. Three, who doesn't need some lip balm? I know my lips are always begging for some moisture in the summer.

Sephora Hot Hues Neon Lip Balm in Funky Fuchsia

Sephora Hot Hues Neon Lip Balm in Funky Fuchsia

The cool thing about the balm is that it looks almost jelly-ish. The lipstick bullet is transparent, but surprisingly delivers a good amount of pigmentation. Isn't it pretty??

Sephora Hot Hues Neon Lip Balm in Funky Fuchsia (Swatch)

The shade Funky Fuchsia is a cool toned pink with a bit of a purple tone to it. You can definitely see the purple on the lips. I really like this shade. It makes my skin look more tanned and my eyes more blue!

It goes on A LOT brighter than it looks in the tube!

 When I wiped it off my lips for the first time I was very surprised by how bright it was on the napkin. It looks even brighter in real life.

It stained my skin!!!

In addition, it acts a little like a stain! When I take it off my lips (or tried to wipe the swatch off my wrist) the balm came off but left a lot of color behind, leaving my lips looking matte and flushed. So pretty and easy!

Although I loved the pigmentation and the cool jelly look of the lipstick itself, I wouldn't really call this a balm. It does initially feel like a very waxy lip balm. It reminds me a lot of the Burt's Bees lip balm textures--waxy and not very shiny, not much slip to them either. That's good in that it'll take longer to go through the tube because the balm will last longer on the lips, but not so good because I didn't find this balm to be anywhere near as moisturizing as the Burt's Bees. I personally favor more slippery, thin, shiny balms, so I don't really like the texture of this product. That being said, the texture doesn't bother me enough to not use this product. I just wouldn't use this for a lip balm. When it comes to smell and taste, it has a very very faint smell, nothing cloying at all, and it doesn't really taste like anything. I think for the price I got it, $5, I don't mind the pretty and colorful addition to my collection, especially in time for summer!

Tried it? Loved it? Hated it? Let me know in comments!

Info:

Price: $10

Ingredients: Not listed on the product, couldn't find them online. Sorry guys :(

{Review} Smith's Rose Bud Salve

I've always liked rose flavored balms. The first I ever tried was some no name brand one I got in some little shop when I was on Brighton Beach in NY. Since then I've tried quite a few, the last being C.O. Bigelow's Rose Salve (review here). I really liked it and it lasted forever. This time I decided to try Smith's Rose Bud salve. For all intents and purposes, it's almost the exact same product from formula to packaging to scent.

I love the vintage looking packaging of this balm. While the C.O. Bigelow one also has the oversize tin, this one seems to have a bit more character. I feel like I found it at some vintage shop :)

I also like how simple the ingredients list is. For some reason the fewer ingredients in a product the more I trust that it's not harmful or too chemically, etc. It is petroleum based (like the Vaseline stuff), so if you really don't want to shell out the money, Vaseline's a pretty good dupe without the rose scent.

Like the C.O. Bigelow balm, it looks pink in the pan, but applies completely clear. And you get a HUGE amount.

A swatch:

As you can see, it's a completely clear balm that has a slightly glossy finish. I like how it has a glossy finish and is a bit thinner than some balms because it makes my lips feel and look more hydrated. I really dislike very waxy balms that look matte. This one looks very natural but with a slight sheen which makes my lips look very healthy.

If you like rose scented products you will love this balm. I do admit that every now and then if I have a headache or something the scent can be a bit cloying, but I am prone to headaches and scents do trigger me. It doesn't smell old lady like or anything like that. I feel like rose scents are sometimes categorized as grandma-ish. This one is light and is gone after a few minutes of wear.

Another thing I like about this balm is how multipurpose it is. You can use it on dry patches, minor burns, cuticles, etc. You need to be hyegenic about it of course and make sure your hands are clean when you dip into the pot.

The only other negatives I can think of with this product are that it's a bit hard to open sometimes and since the balm is so soft you can't leave it in your car or take it to the beach, etc. I left my C.O. Bigelow one in the cup holder sideways and the balm had melted and then set sideways in the container, haha! Other than that it is a good buy and I highly recommend!

Pros:

-Cute vintage/old fashioned packaging.

-Very moisturizing.

-Multipurpose.

-Smells good!

-Glossy finish.

-HUGE amount for cheap price!

Cons:

-Hard to open sometimes.

-Balm is soft so may melt if you leave in the car, etc.

-Packaging unhygenic if you use it on your body and lips or without clean fingers.

Info:

Price: $6

Ingredients: Ingredients Pertolatum, Lanolin Alcohol, Synthetic Wax, Natural Flavor, Artificial Flavor.

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was purchased by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in comments!

{Tip Thursday} How To Keep Your Lips From Getting Chapped

There's nothing worse in the winter than dry, tight, chapped lips. My lips would get so bad sometimes that the skin would actually break and bleed. Here are three relatively inexpensive tips to keep your lips soft and supple all winter!

1. Exfoliate regularly. You don't need an expensive scrub. Simply apply some Vaseline to the lips and gently scrub over them with a damp wash cloth or an old tooth brush. Do this every week or two.

2. Don't lick your lips! This one is important. Licking your lips may feel better right away, but your saliva has enzymes in it to help digest food and the enzymes will wear down the thickness of your lips leaving them more vulnerable to the cold.

3. Use a thicker balm nightly. If you want to prevent then from getting chapped in the first place, use a thicker balm, not just your regular Chapstick, nightly. I've been using The Body Shops lip butters and they are great! They smell good and leave my lips feeling incredibly moisturized.

Hope this helps!

Review: Philosophy Kiss Me Lip Balm

Hello! SO today's review is a lip balm/gloss from Philosophy. Prior to this year I hadn't used anything from the brand, partly because of the price but also because the only makeup they used to have was glosses and I wasn't keen on glosses for the longest time. I would hate the way my hair would stick to it, my lips would feel goopy, or my cups would always look gross. Not to mention they would dry my lips out like crazy. Well, not anymore! I have to say that Philosophy has some of the greatest glosses around. They are soooo moisturizing, but light at the same time. The one I have is called Kiss Me, a very emollient lip balm. Even though it's called a balm I'd say it still counts as a gloss as it does give shine. I checked on Sephora.com and the only shade they had this type of gloss/balm in was a deeper red, but I'm sure that you can find it online. If not, check out Marshall's. That's where I got it for $3.

Here's the applicator:

It's packaged in a standard squeeze tube. One thing I don't like is sometimes, if it's cool, the balm tends to be thicker and is harder to squeeze out. If you keep in in your pocket though you shouldn't have a problem. Body heat and all, haha!

A swatch:

Sorry, no lip swatch today :( Kiss Me is just a very sheer pink with some very fine, barely noticeable shimmer in it. It really does look mostly clear on the lips. It feels sooooo good! It smells minty and has a bit of a cooling sensation when you first put it on. It's sooooo refreshing! Also, it's very moisturizing as well. After I wear this I feel like I've exfoliated and moisturized my lips with a heavy duty balm, no joke. Other glosses have always left my lips peeling and gross, but this one leaves them nice and clean and smooth. And although it's a balm it does give a bit of a shine to the lips--very understated and natural. I'm definitely going to get more Philosophy glosses. This one is, without a doubt, one of the best balms/glosses I've tried.

Info:

Price: $12 (retail--isn't this a good price for a high end gloss!? I got mine at Marshall's for $3. Even better!)

Ingredients: Oxybenzone (2.0%),Octinoxate (7.5%), Hydroxylated Lanolin, Petrolatum, Steareth-2, Mineral Oil, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladiapate-2, Microcrystalline Wax, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Beeswax, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Squalane, Paraffin, Alcloxa, Tocopheryl Acetate, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Seed Oil, Water (Aqua), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Sodium Saccharin, Phenoxyethanol.

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Review: C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve (HIT PAN!!!)

Ok, I have to say that I thought this day would never come. I've been using this very same balm for the past, oh I would say almost year and a half and still, and I never thought I'd actually hit pan!!! Well it's not really a pan, but whatever... I'm sooooo happy! There's something so justifying about getting close to finishing a product. I feel like if I actually come close, then I am somewhat reasonable in the amount of makeup (or beauty products) that I buy. Delusions, I know, but it feels good all the same. Ok, onto the review.


Mine's really beat up cause I've had it for the longest time.


See how beat up it is? I even think I stepped on it once :/ Oopsie!

The actual balm:

Isn't that beautiful!? I'm almost done!!! The balm is just a slightly rose tinted jelly. It's got a very smooth consistency. You do have to be careful how you store it, however, especially if you like to toss it in your purse. Don't leave it anywhere warm because the balm will become soft and/or melt. I've never had it leak out of the container, but I have had it set in weird ways. One time I left it standing up vertically in the cup holder in my car and I came back the next morning and half of it was set to the lid. I don't have to say it was a pain to use. Now I just leave it by the bed to use at night. It's not very convenient to use during the day as you need to stick your finger in it.

A swatch:

So yeah, pretty much clear.
Another swatch:

As you can see, it does give a bit of shine. And it is very moisturizing. I have to say though, I does sit on the lips for a long time. But if you don't mind that, you'll like this balm. Another thing I like about it is how multipurpose it is. You can use it on dry patches, cuticles, etc, not just your lips. Personally, I don't as I find it kinda gross to use it on my body when I put it on my lips as well, but if you get a separate one to use elsewhere, I don't see any problems with it. I did use it once on my dry, red, and cracking nuckles in the winter and I have to say that it does work.

I've also been using this to refill lip palettes. I don't use it on its own as it would probably make a huge mess if it melted anywhere. I melt down a half-half base of this and a more solid lipbalm, like my Yes To Carrots, C-Me-Smile lip butter. It works as well as Vaseline without that nasty smell. Well anyway, I really like this product. Can't wait to be done with it, but still really like, haha! I kinda wanna try out the strawberry version from Smiths. Let me know in comments if you like it too!

Info:

Price: $5.50

Ingredients: Petrolatum, Lanolin Oil, Squalane, Flavor (Aroma), Octyldodecanol, Gossypium Herbaceum (cotton), Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Bisabolol, Jojoba Esters, Red 30-lake (CI 73360)

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Updated Swatches: Estee Lauder Tender Lip Balms

A while back in this post I posted a review for Estee Lauder's Tender Lip Balms. I didn't have time to upload lip swatches, so here they are now! And they're in decent lighting too! FYI, I applied them pretty shear over an Aquafina lip balm.

Tender Peach


And Tender Berry

Review: Estee Lauder Tender Lip Balm SPF 15

I've got two of these balms in the shades Tender Peach (left) and Tender Berry (right). I got these last year when Estee Lauder had a GWP event. I know that Estee Lauder has a bit of an old lady reputation, but honestly a lot of their products are ones that even younger women can use. Most of their products are very high quality and as far as high end products go, reasonably priced. These balms are no exception. I haven't seen them at the counter in a while but I'm sure you can find them online. I'm not entirely certain if they've been discontinued or not. If you know, feel free to leave a comment!

Oh, and sorry in advance for the crappy, blurry pics! Still haven't gotten a new camera :(

The applicator for Tender Peach:


The applicator for Tender Berry:

They have your standard squeeze out applicator, which I don't really mind. The gloss itself isn't very thick, so it's not like it's difficult to apply.

Really really heavy swatch on my hand:

Tender Peach (left) and Tender Berry (right)

Lighter swatch on my hand:

Tender Peach (left) and Tender Berry (right)

As you can see from the swatches above they're very very pigmented. The pigmentation in these glosses rivals those I've tried from MAC. You can apply them thick for a full color look or just a tiny bit for a bit of tint. They're perfect for those days you don't want to wear a lot of makeup cause they draw the eye to the lip. I also really like how they're matte. There are a lot of glosses out there with amazing pigmentation that are really glitzy. I don't really like having a lot of pigmentation with a lot of glitter--it seems a bit much, so when I find a really nicely pigmented gloss that's matte I snap it up!

The product itself is labeled a balm, but really they're more of a moisturizing lip gloss. I really like how they don't leave my lips peeling like other glosses do. Also, they've got SPF 15, which is perfect for spring and summer when we tend to spend more time out in the sun. Glosses contain oils which basically focus the suns rays to the lips, kind of like the effect of using baby oil while tanning. By doing so, you increase your chances of skin cancer or even just freckles. If you have a gloss that doesn't have SPF, just us a balm with one underneath.

The only negative I can come up with these glosses is the smell and taste. They have a very strong sunscreen smell and taste. I mean, I'm glad that they've got SPF but sometimes the scent and taste is just too cloying for me, especially if I've got a headache. Other than this, however, it's a great gloss, one I highly recommend for summer!

Info:

Price: Around $14-$15 (I don't remember exactly)

Ingredients: (to be posted)

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Review: Vaseline Lip Therapy in Cherry

So this is a review for Vaseline Lip Therapy balm in Cherry. It's kinda late, I know, cause most people have problems with chapped lips in the winter, but I hope this helps someone! My lips were really really chapped this winter. At one point, I actually had a scab on my lip which would open and bleed, that's how bad it was.


From the packaging, you can tell that I've really been using this balm a lot. I'm almost done!!!

The applicator:

I really like the packaging of this balm. I've really been hating lip balms/glosses that are potted. It's not that I'm afraid of germs cause I would usually just use hand sanitizer prior to using my product (and I don't share my makeup), but rather the mess that is left on my finger after. I don't always have a tissue on me, so cleanup is messy :( But I don't have this problem with this balm. Normally, however, I do not like these domed applicators because the product tends to seep out (like my C.O. Bigelow minty gloss), but that's not an issue here because the product is fairly thick.

In fact, half the fun of this product is watching it squeeze through the little hole in the applicator:



As you can see above, it's just a clear but thick gel/balm.

Here's a swatch:


My bare, poor chapped lips:


My nice, smooth, moisturized lips:


Now, first off, one thing I really like is what this balm is made out of. It's basically petroleum jelly, and I'm guessing white petroleum is just a purified version of the regular petroleum jelly as it doesn't have that stinky smell that regular Vaseline has (which is why I could never use it on my lips--I'd get grossed out by the smell).


For those of you who don't know, petroleum jelly doesn't actually moisturize lips. It repels water, so it seals the lips off, preventing moisture from evaporating by sealing it in. Petroleum jelly will not be absorbed into skin, so if you want to use stuff like the regular Vaseline to treat dry skin patches, it doesn't actually moisturize but rather prevents moisture from leaving. I feel that that is exactly what this balm does. If I put this on and then twenty mins later take it off, by lips don't feel any more moisturized than when I first put it on. However, if I use it over the course of three or four days, I see a marked improvement in my lips. Also, I like to wear this under gloss because it doesn't get absorbed by my lips so my lip gloss lasts much longer and doesn't dry out my lips as much. As for scent, it's labeled cherry, but really there is a very faint (VERY faint) scent to it. In fact, it's barely discernible. If you don't like flavored lip products, you'll love this balm. Overall, I think it's an ok balm. If you're looking for a quick fix for extremely chapped lips, this is not the product for you.

Info:

Price: $1.99 (for .35 oz)

Ingredients: White Petrolatum USP, Flavor, Sodium Saccharin

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Labello CareGloss & Shine

I have to say that I am in love with this balm. The reason I love it is because it combines two products into one: gloss and balm. Whenever I wear this gloss my lips never feel dried out, cracked,etc. With many other glosses, after a couple of hours my lips start peeling, and I get these little crumbs of dead skin around my lips(sounds gross, I know), but I never have this problem with this gloss. In addition to this, it is really really glossy, like unbelievably glossy!

Here, take a look:




Isn't it pretty? I have it in Transparent, which is a clear gloss with pink and gold shimmer, so it gives my lips a bit of sparkle as well, which is great because I'm not a really big fan of completely clear gloss.

Here are a few swatches:






Can you see the pretty shimmer? There are only a couple of downsides to this gloss. One, it is a bit on the greasy side, but this is balanced out by the fact that it doesn't leave a sticky film on your lips when it wears off. Also, it isn't sold in the US, as far as I know, but you can easily buy it off line or trade for it through MUA. I have a friend send me some every few months. If you're looking for a dupe, Nivea came out with a line of balms and has a similar product on the market, reviews on those coming soon! The packaging is decent too--the cap stays on, it doesn't leak, and there's a good amount of product in there. Since the formula is very liquid, a little goes a long way so it'll last a while. I would really recommend this balm to anyone, especially as it is winter and and lips are dryer this time of year.

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.