Clinique Chubby Stick Colour & Shine Set

One of this year's hottest products has been Clinique's Chubby Sticks Moisturizing Lip Balms. I loved them and I'm pretty sure many of you did too.

How about a gift set featuring them?

Clinique's Chubby Colour and Shine set gives you 4 mini Chubby Sticks in Woppin' Watermelon, Mega Melon, Super Strawberry and Whole Lotta Honey, in a silver makeup pouch. ( See most of those shades here in my original post)

The set is exclusive to Macys and Macys.com and will debut mid November. Retail is $ 32.50

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters

Candy Apple, Sweet Tart

It's been  a long time since a Revlon item caught my eye and I've picked a good one to re-acquaint myself. I am also an admitted tinted lip balm a-holic. Add full pigment and make them long lasting as Revlon has with their new Colorburst Lip Butters and I love them even more . I have 3 and really want more. I don't need more, but that has nothing to do with it.

These new butters pack almost full lipstick like pigment . They have nice shine , last long, and use Mango, Shea and Coconut Butter for major moisture. They feel very creamy on the lips and have a good consistency. Again lipstick like, not sheer or filmy. There is no scent/taste .  Basically you can do a full lip look but still get the moisture we all need in winter. 

Creme Brulee

 

Colors range from light nude to true red, with 20 shades in all.  The cap matches the shade, but for the best match look at the top of the cap. You can see thru to the bullet and the color you see will be almost exactly the color on your lips.

Although they technically are launching  late December and previewing mid November ,  they are on sale almost everywhere now, including my small town. Revlon said if you can't find them yet, hang in , as they will be near you soon.

 Full shade list:

•Berry Smoothie 050

•Brown Sugar 020

•Candy Apple 035

•Cherry Tart 070

•Cotton Candy 045

•Creamsicle 065

•Creme Brulee 095

•Cupcake 055

•Fig Jam 030

•Gumdrop 060

•Lollipop 075

•Peach Parfait 025

•Pink Truffle 001

•Raspberry Pie 010

•Red Velvet 040

•Strawberry Shortcake 080

•Sugar Frosting 005

•Sugar Plum 085

Himalaya Herbals Lip Butter

One more addition to my collection of lip balms and chapsticks - Himalaya Herbal's lip butter. I have used a variety of lip balms and chapsticks before - but this lip butter is the first one I  have ever used. Hence I was very curious when I received this one for review purposes.

What's the difference between Lip Balms and Lip Butters ? 

The skin that cover's our lips are without the oil glands that prevent drying out the skin so we need to keep them moisturised and healthy at all times.

Lip Balms are more waxy in consistency that help prevent chapping,drying or cracking of lips.

Lip butters are thicker in consistency and contain no artificial ingredients. They are more moisturising than the lip balms.

PRODUCT: Himalaya Herbals Lip Butter
PRICE: 125 INR
QUANTITY: 10 gms

What the product claims? 


A unique and luxurious blend of exotic butters that provides nourishing care,keeping your lips supple,smooth and healthy all day long.

Ingredients:

Cocoa Butter, Sal Butter, Kokum Butter, Mango Butter.

My take on the Product: 


I am a basic kajal, eyeliner and lip balm/gloss person for most of the days. Hence it is obvious I have a stack when it comes to lip balms and chapsticks. 


When I first eyed this product - I was very curious to use it because I had never used a lip butter before. So when I used it for the first time I definitely loved it because it is perfect for winters.

This product comes in a transparent tub like packaging with a green screw cap lid. If you open the lid, inside there's a white lid that fits into the mouth of the tub. It prevents the butter from drying out I guess.

I love the cocoa butter smell of the product.

The consistency of the lip butter is obviously very thick which makes it perfect for winter when my lips dry out immensely. I apply this butter before going to bed every night to find my lips moisturised and soft the next morning.

The lip butter stays on for hours after application which I like !!

The quantity provided is quite a lot - the product will stay for a long time.

What I dislike about the Product: 


The price - It is expensive. Himalaya Herbals generally have affordable products.

You can't apply this lip butter during summers and other season - the thick consistency just won't work out in humid weather of Mumbai.

Also I hated it when it caused my hair to stick to my lip butter on the lips. I found that very irritating.

The product lacks SPF.

I personally do not prefer tub- like packaging. Dipping your fingers into the product is just very messy.



Love it Or Chuck it ? 

I am in a love - hate relationship with this one. WHAT ABOUT YOU ???


Please note: The product was sent by the company's PR for consideration.

LUSH Celebrate Lip Balm

LUSH gets me good with their holiday lip balms. Last year it was the incrediby delish Maple Taffy. This year brings Celebrate, a pink tinted , champagne flavored balm.

The balm gets a dusting of gold leaf particles( you can use them or not) and definitely has a sweet champagne taste that's quite good. Almond oil makes it very moisturizing and cognac, lemon, and grapefruit oils make it taste  great.

The tint is a light , slightly opaque pink with  some shimmer.

$ 8.95 at http://www.lush.com/

MAC Tendertones Back in Spring 2012

Big MAC news today. Looking at the face charts from Milan fashion week  , Lisa Butler used Hush Hush Tendertone Lip Balm on the lips for the Emilio Pucci show  and the copy states that it will be out in Spring/Summer 2012.

Tendertones is one of my all time favorite MAC items ( ok, there are a lot of favorites , but  they're definitely up there) so I am thrilled to see they will finally make a comeback. Thanks MAC.

Maybelline Baby Lips Repairing Lip Balm

Maybelline has a fun and super inexpensive lip balm coming this October. Called Baby Lips Repairing Lip Balm, it  debuted on the runway and  was used backstage at BCBG in Quenched , shown here, as well as letting some of us get a sneak peek.  

There are clear and tinted  and the tints have good color. Plus they are SPF 20 and very moisturizing.  ( All other makeup on model Maybelline  Fit Me  done by Charlotte Willer ).

Baby Lips will sell for $ 3.99

Photos: Maybelline Tumblr , Maybelline at  Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week             

                                   

RODIN olio lusso Lip Balm

I'm crazy for luxe lip balms. Ok, I love most  lip balms usually, but there is something about the high end ones that make me swoon.  I feel better when using them , silly as it is may be. It's one of those pick me ups .  I first spied this one by RODIN olio lusso at The Elements show in NYC in January. I liked it so much I even tweeted a picture of it. 

It took until now to try it and I'm  loving it even more. The balm gives plenty of moisture and feel light on lips. It has a sheer tint of pink and slight pearl shimmer  along with a tiny hint of orange blossom scent.  Ingredients include castor seed oil , shea butter , jasmine oil , orange flower oil, aloe leaf and argan oil. The brand is known for using essential oils and botanicals.

  While my lips aren't as dry this time of year as winter ( when they are never not dry) I can still appreciate how moisturizing this is and will be on lips come cold weather. I also love the pink tint,  for those times when you want "just enough".

You can find Rodin olio lusso online and in store at Barneys NY and http://www.beautyhabit.com/ as well as http://www.oliolusso-shop.com/ . There you can see the full range of products including the makeup artist favorite face oil.

RODIN lip balm is $ 28.00

Himalaya Lip Balm - Treat for Lips

Today I will be reviewing Himalaya Lip balm. A good lip balm is a “must” for any girl’s vanity. I use a lip balm throughout the year – the difference is the textures of the lip balms which vary with the season. I need a heavy duty lip balm like Nivea in winter bcoz they are absolute saviors from dry chapped lips in winter; although they are greasy and thick in texture they tend to last longer on my lips in winter. Rest of the year, I use nice light textured ones – and this lip balm from Himalaya is just perfect for summers.

PRODUCT - Himalaya Lip Balm

PRICE – 20 Rupees  (dirt cheap !)

QUANTITY - It is available in a tube of 10 gms.

COMPOSITION –  (from the website of Himalaya Herbals)

 Lip Balm contains the following ingredients:

Ricinus communis (Castor, Eranda) oil is used externally to relieve various inflammatory conditions of the skin and mucus membrane.

Cocos nucifera (Coconut, Narikela) oil extract is a good emollient and can be used externally for softening the lips. The oil extract is used in various cosmetics.

Triticum sativum (Common Wheat, Godhuma) oil is a rich natural source of vitamin E, which nourishes and prevents loss of moisture from the skin. It is used to tone and soften the lips. It has a potent antioxidant activity.

Wrightia tinctoria (Sweet Indrajao, Hyamaraka) leaves are used in various skin disorders including herpes. It has astringent and anti-inflammatory activities and is used as an antibacteial in several skin disorders.

Daucus carota (Carrot, Garijara) seed oil is used as a sunscreen and fragrance component in soaps, creams and lotions.

MY TAKE ON THE PRODUCT: 

 I have been using this balm for a week now and it proudly rests on my dresser table for everyday use.  It comes in a tube like packaging with green screw cap. The slanted tip of the tube makes it convenient for easy application.  

I like the transparent gel like consistency of the balm which is light in texture.

I am also a huge fragrance junkie and this balm smells just divine of minty bubblegum like smell.

It does a nice job of nourishing dry and chapped lips.  Since it contains SPF factor.. it makes the lip balm perfect for use in summers too.

The price and the packaging are just a HIT !!  Super cheap and easy to carry around anywhere you go . .

This lip balm however will not work for me in winters when my lips become very dry.

This lip balm also gets over very easily since you need to re-apply it after every few hours.

Love it or chuck it?

Definitely worth a try – perfect for people who don’t suffer from super dry, chapped and cracked lips. It is perfect to use it in summers.

Have you tried this lip balm yet? What do you think ? 

Please note: The product sent by the company's PR for consideration. 

Bite Beauty

Bite Beauty is a new line that just hit Sephora that with a line of lip products from color to balms . The line is based on   lip products good enough to eat  with natural and food grade ingredients. They use  Reservatrol  from red wine to load each lip product with antioxidants. Each lipstick is said to have the equivalent of 5 glasses of red wine's antioxidant benefit.

I decided to try out the two balm products - Superfruit Butter and Vitamin Gels. I have Blueberry in the Butter and Grapefruit in the Gel.

Superfruit Butters-  Called a multi use product that can be used on lips, nails etc. and containing whole superfruits like blueberry  or acai for antioxidant power. Shea and Palm butters along with Jojoba provide the moisture. 

The butter leaves a bit of an opaque cover on the lips. It's   thick and creamy and has only a light blueberry scent and taste. The little flecks in the pot are said to be actual fruit pieces and you can feel them a tiny bit but really barely at all. These come in a pot very reminiscent of MAC's original screw top pots. Brought back memories.

Vitamin Gel- The gels comes in great flavors with essential  oils and fruit juices in there as well as Vitamin C.   It's a  thick clear gel that imparts shine  and is  highly moisturizing.  This one has more flavor than the butter and while not strong definitely smells like grapefruit. I like that it goes on thickly and seems to last long on lips. My favorite of the two balms.

I like the idea that these have antioxidants built in and are ok to be ingested. After all we basically "eat" most of our lip products so the better the ingredients, one would assume the better for us.

Are you planning to try any of the new Bite Beauty line? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Bite Beauty Superfruit Lip Butter $ 18.00
Bite Beauty Vitamin Gel $ 18.00

The full line is at Sephora.com

The Lip Balm Guide to Super Hydration

With temps in the cellar here and in many places across the country , even so called warmer climes, lip balm is a must.  Good lip balm is even more of a must because not all are created equal.  I apply all day and night and begin to have chapped lips the minute it gets below 60 degrees.  After a fellow blogger was looking for product recs for her continuously parched lips, I decided it was time to do my lip hydration  post, one I've had in pipeline for awhile.

Things to know-

1.If it has shea butter, it's got mega moisture, many of those listed below fall into this category.

2. The more thick, and viscous a  balm, the more barrier protection from wind it will give you.  Ones like the Clinique  listed below as well as old standy Aquaphor which now comes in  a handy  lip treatment tube  fit this type.

   That said,  here is my list of personal favorites that  work in  freezing cold.  There are plenty other balms I love and use in milder, say 40-50 degree weather. But for the coldest times, these get highest marks. Links will go to my  original review if there was one.

Philosophy Kiss me Tonight- Also should be called The Lifesaver or maybe LipSaver.  This is meant as an overnight treatment, but can be used daytime as well, it just doesn't lend itself to being used under lipcolor.  It's a thick, jelly balm which  makes a  coating on lips. Its stays there long and is super healing and softening with shea and mango butters One of the few products I keep a backup of.

Shu Uemuea Depsea Hydrability- Almost oily in texture at times this one covers the lips with a heavy gel/balm and keeps out the wind and softens the lips. Ultra hydrating, no tint, no scent. Contains  depsea water as well as hyaluronic acid and macadamia oil.  Available  only online in US  at http://www.http//www.shuuemura-usa.com 

Clarins Colour Quench Balm - The balm you want if you want major moisture , gloss and color in one. These pack  more pigment than most balms and come in a huge color selection from light to bright. They also have shea butter, vitamin E and a nice fruity scent. You'll see my original post dates to 2007, these have been a staple for a longtime.

Bobbi Brown Creamy Lipcolor-  Lipstick with shea butter. When you want lipstick but you need help with chapped lips, look here. These have nice pigment, are a lipstick tube but pack  much more moisture than most lipsticks. I use my nude shade, Bronzed Pink,  all winter every year. It's what I usually reach for when I want lipstick  not balm.

L'Occitane Pure Shea Butter- The small tin of pure shea butter is just what lips need . Apply right on for healing and moisture . The real deal , simple and basic but  nothing works like  pure shea.

Clinique Super Balm Moisturizing Gloss- As the name says it's a glossy balm. It's also thick enough to stand up  to wind and cold. The colors are sheer and the formula has aloe vera and vitamin E.

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm

I finally have my hands on the new Clinique Chubby Stick Lip Colour Balms.These have been on the radar since I first read of them months ago. My love of tinted lip balms is well documented on here.

 They don't disappoint either. Chubby Sticks  pack plenty of moisture and pigment . These aren't sheer balms . They are not deep either but have more pigment than most tinted balms  .

The finish has some shine but is really a satin finish.  No shimmer. They are like  a balm/lipstick almost  but with a very light feeling on the lips.   The moisture comes from shea butter, mango seed butter , jojoba seed oil, sunflower seed oil and olive oil .   They apply like a dream since you're outlining with a pencil.   The only downside was they don't last as long as I would like. Thats not untypical with   some tinted balms so I just re-apply.

The color selection is  good  with several neutral brown based shades and several pinks along with more peachy Mega Melon( my  personal favorite).

Highlight- They twist up when you need more product . When I first saw images months ago I thought they would need an incovenient sharperner. Not so, just twist the bottom and the stick comes up.

PS- In a pinch, these could be used as cheek tint.

All shades are :

Chunky Cherry
Fuller Fig
Graped-Up
Mega Melon
Richer RaisinSuper Strawberry
Whole Lotta Honey
Woppin' Watermelon

$ 15.00 at all Clinique outlets and http://www.clinique.com/

Cover Girl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm

NatureLuxe is  new entry from Cover Girl with a  foundation and Gloss Balm. Being a total tinted lip balm collector/fanatic, I  was awaiting the Gloss Balm .

I have the shade Coral , which a sheer orange/coral. Because these are a balm, they are lightly pigmented, but I am happy to say, pigmented enough to see the color. I have a nice corally shine to my lips with this and can use it alone .

It has shine but not quite that of a gloss. A bit more subdued . It's also very emollient . The moisture has been surprisingly long lasting, more than some of my regular balms. That moisture comes from mango, shea and other natural butters according to Cover Girl.  It's also SPF 15.

With NatureLuxe Cover Girl is trying to use less synthetics and add in more natural ingredients.

Gloss Balm hits stores in January and will have 16 shades, all designed by makeup uber guru Pat McGrath.

I'm thinking I'm going to need far more than one shade . How about you ?

Retail  will be $ 6.49 approx.


Read more at : http://www.covergirl.com/collections/natureluxe-collection

SoftLips Holiday Flavors and Gift Pack

Winter means cold weather, which I love. It also means chapped lips which I hate. My thoughts soon turn to stockpiling lip balms again.

To help with my stash, SoftLips  has 5 new winter scents out .  These are LE and exclusive to their website.  All are nice  but I am especially loving the Sugar and Spice which is a strong spice, with clove, nutmeg and cinnamon, and Sugar Plum Berry, a  fresh big berry scent. All are very soft and creamy but without shine.

The remaining flavors are : Sugar Cookie, Winter Mint, and Mint with a hint of Vanilla.

You can buy all 5 in a fun gift pack perfect for giving to everyone on your list. The set comes in a blue sachet pack.  and is great stocking stuffer . Gift them all, or break up the set and add them to packages.

The SoftLips Holiday 5 pack is $ 9.99 at http://www.softlips.com/ . With  free Shipping  – Starting 11/26 through 12/10.

Bargain Alert-Betty Crocker Frosting Lip Balm

One of my favorite lip balms ( and I have so many) is the Betty Crocker Whipped Fuffly White Frosting one . I bought mine 2 years ago and was happy to  see new ones since replacement time is here.  

This tastes just like icing ( best part of the cake , right ?) . It's so good and it also happens to be far more moisturizing on your lips than you think something so cheap would be. Did I mention it's a whole dollar at Target? Yes, one dollar, found in the front of the store's dollar section .  Ok it's not natural, and it 's not loaded with good for your lips ingredients, but  it's just so good I don't care.  I have plenty of the other type and love them too, but sometimes you just want icing -without the cake and calories.

LUSH Maple Taffy Lip Balm

I'm calling LUSH's new Maple Taffy Lip Balm the fall classic. If you love maple then you must try it. It's that good. It is obviously very maple but it's not a sweet, sweet maple. Sweet yes, but not Aunt Jemima sweet. More like the real syrup with natural sugars would taste with a hint of burnt sugar.

LUSH uses 20% maple syrup to get that authentic goodness.  There is also shea  and illipe butters for lots of moisture. So not only does this taste and smell good it  has long lasting moisture. It lasted hours  for me.  There's no shine or color .

It's like a decadant snack but without the calories.

Maple Taffy Lip Balm $ 4.95

http://www.lush.com/

Shu Uemura Depsea Hydrability Moisturizing Lip Balm

You want to make my day, talk to me about a new lip balm. I am nuts for these things. So you can imagine my excitement when my inbox showed a new one from shu uemura. HOLA. One with depsea water one , no less. I was all a flutter. Silly, yes but what can I tell you. Thats why I write this blog.

This balm glides over your lips. It's got a little shine but no color or flavor. The moisture is intense . Lasts long too. A not so basic , basic. With this your lips will never be dry.

Other key ingredients in the depsea moisturizing lip balm include beeswax and macadamia nut oil .

On counters and online now at $ 20.00

http://www.shuuemura-usa.com/

*press sample

Chapstick True Shimmers Set- Stocking Stuffer Alert

In Walgreens last week and saw this boxed set of all 4 Chapstick True Shimmers. Now you know I love my lip balms and the True Shimmers are very nice. This set of all 4 boxed up is a cute stocking stuffer for the lip balm addict on your list.

Retail is $ 9.99

EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm

One of the coolest looking lip balms ever is the new EOS Smooth Sphere. It's a big round ball of balm that you glide across your lips.

It's also certified organic by the USDA, is all natural with 95% organic ingredients. There's Vitamin E , shea butter and jojoba oil for moisture.

I do think have to use a bit more of this than some others to get good coverage and moisture but once on it's good. And really, you can't beat the cute factor.

I have the sweet mint and while I am not normally a mint fan I like this one. It's got a candy sweet going on. Somewhat like a candy cane maybe. A hint of vanilla.

There are 3 favors:

Honeysuckle
Summer Fruit
Sweet Mint

EOS is available online at http://www.evolutionofsmooth.com/ and in most Walgreens and Rite Aid and specialty stores like Blue & Cream( http://www.blueandcream/) in NYC.

Retail is $ 3.49

Cover Fx Mint Glaze & Camouflage Concealer

New from Cover Fx is Mint Glaze and Camouflage Concealer.

Mint Glaze is a lip balm/treatment/primer. It is very minty and has SPF 15. The balm is quite thick and deeply moisturizes. There's shea butter in there as well as hyaluronic acid and peptides. So not only does it help chapping but also prevention of lines around the lip area. Because it's thick I don't see it as good for a primer. Best on it's own. It lasts long on the lips and forms a good barrier against the elements. It is shiny, but clear with no shimmer.

Camouflage Concealer is a medium thickness concealer that is hi- def ready and water resistant. The peptides pop up here again along with ceramides, bisabolol for inflammation and antioxidant vitamins. The coverage is good as you would expect from Cover Fx. They're known for that . It goes better on top of foundation rather than under and can be applied easily with fingers or brush.

This is also moisturizing with shea butter so I don't recommend it for oily skin unless it's strictly at the eye area.

There is a wide choice of shades here. The color I have is light -medium and it's more medium to me.

Mint Fx is $ 22.00

Camouflage Concealer is $ 25.00 for .5 oz

Both are currently exclusive to Sephora I believe.

Sephora.com

Chapstick True Shimmers-New Flavors

Chapstick is rolling out two new flavors of their popular True Shimmers line. The new ones are Blended Fruit Sherbet and Peppermint Rush.

Now, I actually bought the Blended Fruit Sherbet back in September on a rare outing to Wal -Mart. I had never seen it anywhere else. At the time it must have ben exclusive to them. I even blogged about it then. Being a lip balm nut, I loved it and to me it had a taste of gummy bears . There is not much color tint in this one or Peppermint, just a hint of shimmer .

At this point I have all the True Shimmers and surprisingly the Botanical Berry is my favorite. I though the Tropical would be. The berry one has an actual light berry tint, so that ups it in my opinion. It's also a nice berry flavor, not a cough syrup one, which with berry and cherry flavors can often happen.

The Tropical is a Pina Colada in a balm and yummy too. A tiny hint of gold in this one.

At a price of 2.79 or lower, one of these is a must have in the purse . It gives a quick , no need to look in the mirror, touch up . They are quite moisturizing too.

The new Blended Fruit Sherbet and Peppermint Rush will be in all stores July/August.

See more at http://www.chapstick.com/