Friday Faves: Lip Balm

I’m a massive lip balm freak and pretty much buy one whenever I can. Having dry lips is horrible and I try my absolute best to avoid it at all costs. Unfortunately our lips aren’t weatherproof though so as the bitter cold rolls in we need to up the ante with our lip care. These balms are the ones I reach for regularly when my lips are feeling the cold.

Nuxe Reve de Miel – reviewed here. It’s a gorgeous lip balm and creates a lovely barrier whilst hydrating your lips. Quite pricey but definitely worth it.

Dr Lipp Nipple Balm for Lips – reviewed here. Another firm favourite. Made of pure medical grade lanolin, not only is this amazing for during the day but it’s also a fantastic overnight lip treatment. If your lips get really dry, flaky and chapped then you need this baby in your life.

Simple Kind to Lips Intensive Lip Moisturiser* – reviewed here. This gives a lovely glossy finish and creates a nice barrier on your lips, so it’s perfect for days when you’ll be outside braving the cold. It contains paraffinum liquidum (a type of mineral oil) so it’s not exactly hydrating, but a great dry lip preventer nonetheless.

Blistex Intensive Moisturiser – This feels like more of a cream than a balm, but it does wonders on cracked lips. I often pair it under the Dr Lipp at night if my lips are cracked or sore.

Molton Brown Vitamin Lip Saver – I’ve had this for ages so the packaging has changed now, but it’s a fantastic balm. Very thick and very moisturising, if my lips are dry and I apply this I can literally feel them coming back to life.

Carmex – A solid favourite and a lip balm staple. Love the medicated scent and also that you can feel it working. It doesn’t last as long as some of the more dense lip balms, but it never lets me down.

Nivea – Another staple. This is probably my favourite out of all Nivea balms. It’s got a very waxy texture so it’s perfect for sealing lip stains. I love to use it when my lipstick has started to fade and I’ve forgotten to bring it out with me. It freshens up the colour and stops my lips drying out.

Caudalie Lip Conditioner – Although it’s a stick it’s got a very thick texture so it’s another perfect overnight treatment. However I don’t find it as heavy duty as Dr Lipp or Molton Brown. It’s also another balm that’s perfect over stains or underneath lipsticks. Love, love, love.

Elizabeth Arden 8hr Skin Protectant* - reviewed here. I don’t use this on my lips very often, but when I do it’s usually because I don’t have anything else at hand. It’s a great multiuse product, and the mineral oil means it’s a great protector.

  

What’s your favourite lip balm? Have you tried any of these?

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Beauty Wish List

Cash has been a bit tight of late, but I’ve got a lovely cheque coming through next month so I’m planning on go on a slight spending binge.

Beauty Wish List by LolaStarHearts

DivaDerme Lash Extender, £15 from Amazon 

 I keep seeing this pop up on Wowcher and the reviews look great. I’m not sure if I’ll get this exact one but I definitely want something similar for my stubby lashes.

Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter, £7/6g from Feel Unique  

As a lip balm fiend I need this in my life. I’ve read a lot of reviews on this and have got to get my mitts on one.

bareMinerals Tinted Mineral Veil, £17/9g from Feel Unique  

I love bareMinerals, it’s the only foundation I trust for full coverage that doesn’t break me out. This veil is supposed to set the foundation and give an airbrushed finish. Yes please!

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm, $3-$4/4g from Amazon  

I’ve put the US price of this because they’re much cheaper there and I’m asking for one in my US swap (I’ll be posting about this soon!). They look great and Grape looks like it’ll give a subtle flush of colour.

L’Occitane Almond Skin Supple Oil, £29/100ml from L’Occitane  

 I’m really annoyed at myself for buying this because I love it. If you’re looking for something to reduce the look of stretch marks then I can’t recommend this more. I hauled it here and I’ll do a full review soon.

Narciso Rodriguez For Her EDP £56.50/50ml from Boots  

 I got a 1ml sample of this in the Harrods Glossybox and loved it. It smells amazing! A tad on the pricey side, but I’ve got to have it.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm, £9.50/15g from Feel Unique  

 I warned you I was a balm addict. Seven months ago I wouldn’t have dreamt of spending so much on a lip balm but hey, addictions only get worse right?

Caudalie Vinsource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum, £26.10/30ml from Feel Unique  

 My skin is addicted to this. It absorbs really quickly and makes my face feel amazing.

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, £30/50ml from ASOS

 I got a sample of this in Liberty a few weeks ago and it reminds me a lot of the Monu Radiant Peel I reviewed here. Going to get it from ASOS so I can take advantage of my student discount – unless they will be any REN offer floating around.

Burberry Body EDP, £46.75/60ml from Feel Unique 

I did a project on this at uni and Harpers Bazaar press office sent us a bottle and it smelt so good. I can’t wait for this baby to join my fragrance collection!

Di Palomo Orange Blossom with Wild Honey & Olive EDP, £22/50ml 

 I reviewed a set of Di Palomo hand creams here and the orange blossom is now my favourite. If the perfume is anything like the hand cream then I know it’ll smell delicious.

I don’t even want to work out how much all of this is going to cost, but it has to be done!

What’s on your Lust List?

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June Empties ..

I love reading people’s empties posts, and I’m always just a little bit jealous as I don’t really go through products that quickly. Simply because I have too many! Anyway, I’ve been saving these up for a while now so they’re not really June empties, more recent-ish empties.

Tesco Clear Skin Wipes

I bought these ages ago because Tesco had run out of Simple wipes. They’re awful to say the least. They don’t remove makeup properly and leave bits of lint over your face. To finish them up I used them to clean the side in the bathroom where I apply my makeup.

meTime Nose Pore Strips

I love these. The stuff that comes off – well I won’t go into that, but I love using products that I can actually see working and these do just that. My boyfriend also really likes them. These were only 99p but I think I’ll be trying the Biore Nose Strips next.

Simple Oil Balancing Wipes

I don’t tend to use wipes to remove my makeup anymore; I double cleanse to make sure everything’s gone. But if I were to pick my favourite wipes then it would be a toss up between these and the No7 wipes. Definite bathroom staple.

Vaseline Cocoa Butter Body Oil Gel

Blogged here, this is one of my favourite products; life just isn’t the same without it! As you can see I’ve been through quite a few of late – I’m pretty much addicted.

Balance Me Super Moisturising Body Wash

I usually quite like balanceMe products, but I just didn’t get on with this. The smell was too ‘herby’ and the product itself was way too runny.

Soap & Glory The Daily Smooth Body Butter

This is what I use on the rare occasion that I run out of the Vaseline Oil Gel. It smells great – as do all S&G products – and is very moisturising. I got this in a set for Christmas, but I probably wouldn’t buy it for myself.


Dr Bronner Tea Tree Pure-Castile Soap
I found this way to drying to use everyday. The tea tree was refreshing, and smelt very 'fresh' when I got out of the shower but my skin was really dry. Love the fact that it's multi use though.

St Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub

LOVE. Bought the full size after I finished this sample. Feels great on my oily/combination skin.

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil

The sample was so small that I can’t really review it. It was great at breaking down the glue from my horrible experience at OMG Beauty though.

Sasy n Savy Hand & Nail Repair Cream

Really not anything to rave about. The full-size is completely overpriced. No different to a hand cream that’s a fraction of the price.

Caudalie Vinosourse SOS Thirst Quenching Serum

This is the product that made me fall in love with Caudalie. It’s amazing. Absorbs really quickly and means I only need a small amount of moisturiser. The full size is expensive, but a definite must-have.

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Styling Treatment Oil

I absolutely loved this. The smell, the texture, and the way it made my hair feel. Top marks.

Narciso Rodriguez For Her EDP

I hate perfume samples, but loved this. It has a spray pump which made it great for chucking in my handbag. Smells amazing. Will definitely buy the full size at some point.

L’Oreal Visible Radiance Renewing Gel Toner

I’ve been using this for years but only because it was the easiest thing to reach for in the supermarket as I’d been using it so long. Probably won’t be buying this again as I don’t think it’s suitable for my skin.

bareMinerals Blush in I’m Amused Rouge

My favourite blush, ever. Probably because it was my first. I used to be content enough with foundation and a slick of eyeliner, until I went to the bareMinerals counter in Selfridges. It lasted me more than 18 months so it was a great investment.

EOS Lip Balm – Mint

One of the most overhyped products on the planet. It’s perfect if you reapply every 10 minutes, but aside from that it’s really not that great. Yes it’s cute, but I’d rather hideous packaging and a great product, than vice versa.

White Glo Whitening Toothpaste & Mouthwash

Since switching to these I’m unable to use anything else. I’ve noticed such a difference in the whiteness of my teeth since using them.

What have you been using recently?

My love for Caudalie ..

Ever since the Caudalie SOS Thirst-Quenching Serum showed up in April’s Glossybox, I’ve been slightly obsessed with the brand. The serum is absolutely amazing and has made such a difference to my skin – I’ll do a separate post on this soon!

Anyway, I was recently browsing my local Boots clearance store and came across a Caudalie Set. Unfortunately in my haste I ripped off the packaging straight after I bought it, and for the life of me can’t remember what the set is called.

The set itself was originally £45 and supposedly worth £75, however it was labelled up with a clearance price of £22.50. Not bad, eh? I quickly snapped one up and when I got to the till it scanned as £15 – er, win!

The set contained:

A silver Caudalie vanity/makeup bag

Pulpe Vitaminee Eye & Lip Cream – 15ml

Grape Water – 50ml

Fleur de Vigne Instant Foaming Cleanser – 50ml

Beauty Elixir – 30ml

Lip Conditioner – 4g

Vinexpert Night Infusion Cream – 10ml

Eye & Lip Cream

This is the only thing I haven’t tried from the set, and I’m not sure why. I love multiuse products so I really need to give this a go! The packet says that it's eye cream, but on the side states that it can also be used on the lips. 

Grape water

I really like this. I use it instead of my toner sometimes, or just to freshen up my skin. I find the smell slightly strange, but it’s probably just my weird sense of smell as it’s very delicate.

  

Foaming cleanser

Not the best cleanser I’ve ever used, but not the worst either. I usually use an oil-based cleanser first to get rid of my foundation and loosen my mascara, and then use this to get everything else off and get rid of any oily residue. It’s really light and although it’s great at cutting through grease, it’s not abrasive at all and leaves my skin really smooth.

  

Elixir

My absolute favourite item from the set. The scent was slightly strange at first but you quickly get used to it and I now really like the fresh/minty smell. It’s another great multiuse product, I use it under my foundation for an extra glow, to set my makeup, to freshen up my skin during the day, when it’s really hot, and even before I go to bed. I’ll definitely be buying this again, without a doubt!

(I'd been using this for a while before I took the picture - hence why it's so small!)

 Lip conditioner

This is a lovely lip balm that’s pleasant enough on the lips. It’s nothing to write home about, but it’s nice and waxy so it’s perfect for sealing lip stains or applying under lipstick. You only need a quick swipe as too much can make it feel a bit grainy on the lips.

Night infusion cream

There’s more oil on my face than there is on a plate of greasy chips so I try to avoid anything over moisturising on my face. However, this is lovely to use if I’ve done an abrasive treatment on my face – especially something like my home microdermabrasion kit. My skin always feels quite sensitive afterwards so a pea sized amount of this before bed helps trap in lots of moisture and stops my skin from drying out and peeling.

Overall this is a great little set and I’d probably consider buying quite a few of the items once they run out.

Have you used any of these Caudalie products before?

April GLOSSYBOX: Natural Earth Day Theme

It feels like an absolute age since the last Glossybox, so I was excited when they finally sent the despatch emails a couple of days ago. 

However, when it comes to Glossybox I’m always pretty harsh on them. They’re a big company, with good links in the beauty industry and lots of subscribers so I expect decent boxes. Unfortunately, Glossybox always seem to disappoint and when I heard that this month’s box was an Earth Day themed box, my expectations weren’t very high at all.

However, Glossybox have surprised me and the box that came today was actually pretty good. I was a bit shocked when it arrived, simply because they ditched the usual purple/pink polka dot mailing box for a normal brown one. I didn’t even realise it was my GB so I went back to bed!

The actual box is biodegradable, and an earthy tan colour along with the tissue, stuffing and sticker, and the ribbon is made out of a beige canvas material. I liked the extra touches.

  

So, without further ado, in my box was:

Caudalie Vinosource SOS Thirst-Quenching Serum 10ml – worth £9.66

Inika Organic Eyeliner in Sapphire full size – worth £11.75

Monu Enriched Body Cream 30ml – worth £3.45

Figs & Rouge Peppermint & Tea Tree Balm full size – worth £3.29

Philip B Drop Dead Straightening Balm 15ml – worth £2.55

Total = £30.70

Caudalie Serum – Full size £29/30ml

I think this was the staple product that came in every box – the size was apparently specially made for GB. I’ve always heard good reviews on Caudalie products but never actually tried any. Looking forward to trying this!

It doesn’t feel full though, which is very disappointing!

Inika Eyeliner – Full size £11.75

It’s blue. And it rubbed off of my hand straight away when I swatched it. Not overly impressed, but I should try it properly before I make up my mind. I like that they’ve put some makeup in the box though!

Monu Body Cream – Full size £23/200ml

I’m a big Monu fan now, after trying their enzyme peel – blogged here – so I’m looking forward to trying this. Smells citrusy with a hint of nutmeg. Mmm!

Figs & Rouge Balm – Full size £3.29/8ml

I already have two of these balms in Sweet Geranium, and I love the fact that they’re multi-use so can be used all over the face and body. Yet another lip product to add to my overflowing collection!

Philip B Straightening balm – Full size £17/178ml

This is probably the product I’m most disappointed with. It has ‘Not for sale’ on the back which makes it look like they give it out as a freebie and not an actual paid sample. I will try it nonetheless and see what it’s like. The full size is only 178ml and retails for £17, so it can’t be awful, right?

So that’s what I got this month. Some people on BBS saw a spoiler of this early this morning and deemed it the ‘worst’ box, but to be honest I’m really happy with it. It’s honestly one of the first boxes that will actually get used in its entirety.

I was lucky enough to be in the ‘first wave’ of boxes, but in my experience the second wave is always best. Looking out for what people receive over the next couple of days!

Did you get a Glossybox this month? What are your thoughts?