Favourites: January 2015

As promised, I'm starting off the year as I mean to go on and am sharing with you today the bits I've been loving this month!  I haven't done a favourites post since...I think it was July 2013.  I don't tend to buy myself bits too often, so I've always worried that I'd just have the same favourites month in month out, but with my mission to clear through my ridiculous stash of bits, I think I should have something different to share with you every month!

Starting with my ultimate favourite for this month - The Body Shop's Almond Body Butter.  I've had this in my stock for a while now, but had been working my way through other body moisturisers.  I can't even begin to say how much I love this body butter - it's super moisturising, but this one smells incredible.  Even though it's just almond, I feel like it smells a smidge like a cherry bakewell because it's also a bit sweet!  But because of all that...I'm absolutely gutted that this seems to have been discontinued.  I can't see it online, and when I asked The Body Shop they told me to check outlet stores and the sale in April - please let me know if you spot it!

The lip balm that I've loved this month is LUSH's Lip Service.  I got it for Christmas from Liam's parents and spoke about it in my LUSH Christmas Haul - I've never tried a lip balm from LUSH before but I really like it!  It smells a bit orangey, but it's not a tangy citrus scent...more of a sweet orange scent.  It's really helped my lips this month - they were seriously dry when I was poorly with the flu!  Revlon's Matte Balm in Sultry has been my lip shade of choice this month.  I have already spoken about it here, so I won't bang on about it again, but it's definitely one that's worth checking out if you're into the whole 90's lip look.

I have a review of this coming up soon, but don't wait for it - you need the Jouer Long Wear Creme Mousse Eyeshadow in your life.  I have the shade Dusk and I hardly wear anything else.  I bought the Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze this month to see what the fuss was on that - it's got nothing on Jouer.  I've already got my eye on the rest of the shades, particularly Galaxy and Twilight!

This month, I also picked up my first Illamasqua Cream Pigment in the shade Delirium.  It was in the sale already, but I got an extra 15% off with my birthday discount code!  It's been my contour of choice since I bought it, and I can't see myself switching to anything else anytime soon - it's really long lasting, and creates a beautiful natural shadow on the face because of the grey undertones.  I've been applying it with the Eco Tools Complexion Blending Brush as it's perfect for contouring.  It's paddle shaped which makes it ideal for slipping under the cheekbones, and because the bristles aren't super dense you can easily blend upwards!

What have been your favourites this month?

The Sick Day Skin Care Routine

This week hasn't been a great one as I've been plagued with the dreaded flu that has been making the rounds.  I've spent two days in bed watching the world go by from my window whilst watching a ridiculous amount of Friends.  Ten hours yesterday to be exact.  That's actually a little sickening writing that out.  But y'know.  Ill times and all that.

You might be thinking that fitting in a skincare regime when you feel so crap is a bit OTT, but I found that looking after my skin really helped in making me feel better in myself.  Don't get me wrong, I have spent the last three days completely make up free, and wearing very minimal make up on the days I made it into work, but my skin is feeling pretty peachy.

After cleansing, I started my day of lazing by applying my favourite eye cream which is the Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream.  I've raved about it here before, but it checks all of my boxes; smoothing, hydrating and brightening - brightening being the key here when we're severely lacking in energy.  I've been using The Body Shop's Soothing Aloe Day Cream for quite a while now, so kept it in my routine.  It's thicker than your usual day cream, but once applied feels really light and super hydrating.  I topped off my skin with Bioderma's Atoderm Cream but only applied it to the really dry patches on my skin which was mainly around my nose.  It really helped take care of the skin which had gotten sore from too much nose blowing!  I topped off my morning skin care with a swift application of LUSH's Lip Service Lip Balm to my super dry lips, ensuring that I did this straight after washing my hands seeing as it's a finger dip lip balm, and I don't fancy swiping my flu germs back into the pot.

The evening routine was also a pretty quick one.  I started the evening how I do every evening by using the Yes To Blueberries Eye Cream.  I like using this one in the evening as it's a bit richer than the Balance Me one and really helps to hydrate the areas around the eyes.  I follow that with the Vitamin E Moisture Cream from The Body Shop.  I haven't had this miniature too long, but I've already repurchased the full size!  It's really hydrating, but so light I could use it morning or evening and it smells really nice!

Following the Vitamin E Moisture Cream, I've been alternating between these two; the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask and the ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Serum.  The Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask smells incredible and will probably always be a staple in my skincare stash.  I absolutely love using it, and my dehydrated skin is always thankful by the morning.  The ESPA Pro Serum is one that I don't see getting spoken about too much, but is a product that is a real skin treat.  I'm going to link you straight to the ESPA website to read up on the benefits of the serum as there are so many skin loving oils in there that my post would be ridiculously long if I tried to list them all, but it brightens the skin, enhances radiance, moisturises, soothes and protects just to name a few.  It really is an amazing product and one that I'll definitely be repurchasing despite its £48 price tag...  Finally, I slapped on some more of the Bioderma cream where needed - I'd definitely recommend picking one of these up, it's been amazing at sorting out my extreme dry skin areas.

So there we have it.  I'm feeling so much better today and have even ventured out of the house!  I'm back to work tomorrow, and hopefully having carried out these routines I won't look too grey and lack lustre...hopefully much better than I did on Thursday anyway!

Do you have a sick day skin routine?

December Empties: Make Up

I'm still going strong with my almighty pile of empties.  I have definitely learnt that I do not need to fill the box I set aside for empties...  Today I'm back with the make up empties, and there really isn't that much variety going on as it's either a mascara or a lip balm.

I'll start with the mascaras.  This isn't my first tube of The Body Shop's Super Volume Mascara.  I've never actually bought one for myself but always end up with one as a present at some point or another.  I don't think it's a "super volume" mascara to start with, but it does give some real length to my lashes.  I loved wearing this on a daily basis, and I probably would buy it again just as a daily no fuss mascara.  The Body Shop always have offers on, so it's unlikely you would ever pay full price for it.

The Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara is one I'm actually gutted about, obviously because I can't get hold of it again now.  It's been finished for absolutely forever as I got it in my USA Beauty Box swap with Hannah last year, but it just sat at the back of my make up drawer!  The mascara was amazing at lengthening, separating and giving volumised lashes.  It was super easy to build up, and I would one hundred percent buy another one if I could.  BUT, I noticed that the Clump Crusher was in exactly the same packaging as my next empty from Maxfactor, which lead me to find out Covergirl and Maxfactor are owned by the same company (P&G) and we have a Clump Crusher version in the form of Maxfactors Clump Defy mascara.  I found a blog post on Unfade What Fades comparing the two wands and they're identical - I will definitely be picking up the Maxfactor Clump Defy as my replacement as I think that this might be my favourite mascara ever?

The Maxfactor False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara is actually another repurchase.  I still stand by what I said in my first ever review in that it is totally crap at actually being waterproof in terms of wearing it lounging by the pool on holiday, but I do like the mascara for day to day use.  I think I favour a plastic wand as they comb through the lashes so much nicer in my opinion and give some real length, and this mascara is no exception to that.  I'd would probably buy it again, but Clump Defy does come in a water resistant version so I will probably buy that instead.  I do love a Maxfactor mascara though...

The final things are both lip balms, both by Burts Bees.  I've had so many lip balms from Burts Bees.  This is the first Mango flavour I've had, and maybe my third of the original Beeswax lip balm?  I didn't really like the Mango one - I really thought I would, but it's just too sickly for me and I could taste the sickliness when I breathed in through my mouth.  The Mango lip balm is sold as a nourishing lip balm, but I didn't notice anything spectacular in terms of nourishment.  I had to apply this quite frequently.  The Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm is peppermint flavoured and is a favourite of mine - I really like breathing in the freshness, and the mint kind of makes your lips feel cool.  I find this one to be much more hydrating and nourishing than the Mango.  I already have a fourth Peppermint one ready to go, but I'm actually just finishing up a couple of other lip balms before I open that one.

Have you tried any of these empties?

The Christmas Lush Haul

I feel like I might be the odd one out when I say that I rarely buy from Lush.  Don't get me wrong, I love browsing in there and could happily buy one of everything, but I just find some of it so expensive for what it is that I usually end up leaving with nothing.  I was very spoilt this year at Christmas and amongst all of my other bits and bobs, I ended up with a nice stash of Lush products!

I haven't had chance to try them yet, but I thought I'd show you what I've got!  The Lush sale is on at the moment, and if you are very lucky you might manage to grab something if it catches your eye!  I don't think I got too much of the limited edition stuff though, so that's handy if I decide I want to restock!

First up, I got a bottle of Rose Jam Shower Gel, and a bottle of Happy Hippy Shower Gel.  Rose Jam is one I've heard so much about but never ever tried before.  It is limited edition unfortunately, but you can still try the scent in their Rose Jam Bubbleroon!  I'm not really big on rose scents, but this one is actually really pleasant.  It smells like sweet rose with a sharp floral scent coming from the geranium oil - really nice!  Happy Hippy is also amazing - it's really zesty and it would be perfect for waking you up in the morning!

Snowman Shower Jelly is the cutest thing I've ever seen.  I didn't realise it at first, but in the pot is actually a jelly shaped snowman!  It smells similar to my favourite Lush product The Comforter, but nowhere near as intense.  It's got the blackcurrant the same as The Comforter, but also has lemon and carrot oil.  This one is definitely a seasonal edition, but you might be lucky in the sales!

Sandstone is the one that looks like a frozen chunk of chicken stew, but is actually an exfoliating soap - sorry, but it's all I can think when I look at it!  It's not the most attractive, but it smells insane.  I think it smells a bit like a Lemon Drizzle Cake - sugary, full of citrus scents and for some reason I can smell a kind of buttery scent!

The green dome is the Sugar Scrub Body Scrub.  I'm not sure this is a scent for everybody, but I really love it.  It has scents of ginger, fennel and lavender which I think smells a bit like liquorice or aniseed.  I'm definitely looking forward to trying this!

The pink circle is Jason and the Argan Oil.  It's a solid shampoo!  I've never had a shampoo bar before, so this is another exciting one I'm looking forward to trying.  It has the same scent as Rose Jam, and is said to balance the scalp as well as soften and strengthen hair.

You Snap The Whip is the black square.  It's a charcoal based in-shower body butter and it smells incredible.  Kind of like a sweet and fruity bubblegum!  I'm really trying to up my body moisturising game - this will be perfect for those days that I just want to get out the shower and get straight into bed.  It might even be good in preparation for tanning seeing as it is moisturising and exfoliating.

Did you get anything from Lush this year for Christmas or in the sales?  Have you tried any of these?

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas, and have an amazing New Year!

Lipstick Queen Aloha

I have been wanting to add Lipstick Queen's Aloha to my collection for absolutely agggges, and I finally convinced myself to do it whilst watching one of Estée's YouTube videos.  You know one of those occasions where you bargain with yourself - "That looks gorgeous...I swear if that is that lipstick again, I'm getting it right now."  Well it was, and low and behold, it went into my basket and promptly arrived through my letterbox last week!

First impressions of the lipstick was that it is a lot smaller packaging wise than other lipsticks that I own.  The packaging is gorgeous though; a bright orange, metallic tube with a lilac Lipstick Queen logo.  If you're after that satisfying lipstick click, you won't find it here, but you do have to put a tiny bit more force to wedge the cap into place.  I also think the packaging is slightly more weighted, so helps give it that higher end feel.

Aloha is part of the Endless Summer collection, and it's the perfect sheer cherry red.  It applies perfectly, and it's not completely necessary to crack out a mirror every time you want to reapply.  The colour builds easily if you wanted to put on a bit more of a pop (see below - left is one swipe, right is two!) but will only build to a medium sheer - you won't ever get full opacity.  It's great for every day wearing and I wear this a lot for work.  I love lipstick, but nobody I work with tends to wear make up, so I feel as though strutting in with an opaque lip would be a bit OTT (I've even mostly cut back on my usual cat eye!) but a sheer lip is perfect for me!

It feels to me like a really glossy lip balm; similar feeling to the Soap & Glory Gloss Sticks, except not remotely sticky at all.  Aloha has a blend of Vitamin E and Candelilla Wax, so it really does feel like a nice lip balm and leaves lips beautifully moisturised.  It also has an SPF 15, so is perfect for Summer wearing!  I only wish I had this sooner so that it could have accompanied me on holiday!

Wear time is pretty good for a sheer lip, but it's not amazing as you'd expect.  I noticed that the balm feeling did last for around an hour and a half, but the noticeable tint left after three hours so I needed to reapply at lunch time but that's no biggie.

I really, really like this lipstick and I'd love to buy more from the collection (particularly Stoked!) but at £18.00 a lipstick, it's just not something I could justify again, especially because it's essentially a tinted lip balm!  I think that it's just too much money for me to be able to afford to stock up on, but I do love it and wear it a lot more than most of my other lipsticks.  I managed to buy mine at £15.50 from Feel Unique when they had a 15% discount site wide, but it's also in stock at Space NK.  Even though I won't be rushing to buy more from the collection, I'd buy another Aloha instantly if I ever ran out!

Did you pick anything up from the Endless Summer Collection?  What's your favourite sheer lip shade?

Night Time Treats: On My Bedside Table

I don't know about you, but the weather at the moment is playing havoc with my skin.  One minute it's cloudy and cold, the next I'm disgustingly hot - I can't win!  My skin is misbehaving as usual, and can't make up it's mind whether it wants to be dry or just normal, so I've switched up my bedside routine a bit, and stocked some beauty bits to keep in easy reach!

Sally Hansen Cuticle Eraser & Balm

I've spoken of my love for this balm before here; it's so easy to use, smells nice and fresh and is perfect for keeping your nails and cuticles looking and feeling healthy.  Regardless of what the weather is like, this is a must-have for my night stand.  I need to keep it in easy reach, so I actually remember to use it!

Champneys Overnight Hand Therapy

This is reserved for when my hands are super dry, which more often than not in the evening, they definitely are.  I got this for Christmas from Liam's parents, and I actually really like it.  It's rich, but absorbs quickly and has the calming, relaxing scent of lavender so it's perfect for bed time.  It comes with gloves to wear overnight for a really intense treatment, but I only use those in Winter for when my hands really need some healing.

Soap and Glory Smoothie Star Deep Moisture Body Milk

I get the feeling that this is more of a morning moisturiser, but I love it for bed time.  It's light, absorbs quickly and smells absolutely amazing.  It's scented with oats, and almonds, and I swear I smell like the most delicious flapjack when I'm all milked up.  I use this straight out of the shower, on slightly damp skin so that it really sinks in!

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter

My legs, shins in partcular, sometimes get really, really dry when I come out of the shower.  My shins feel really itchy, and after I've had a shave, sometimes it's really irritating.  I like to use something really rich to put some balance and normality back into my skin, so Soap and Glory's Righteous Butter is cracked out.  It's really thick, intense and really moisturising.  It takes a little longer to sink in compared to the Body Milk, but it's a good 'un and smells just like Soap and Glory's Hand Food!

Burts Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm

A lip balm is a must on my night stand, and I like to put it on right before I go to sleep to keep my lips nourished overnight.  At the moment, the lip balm I'm using is Burts Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm.  It's light, but feels really  moisturising, and my lips always feel perfect in the morning.

What's currently on your nightstand?

Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast

I've mentioned it briefly before, and now I've hit the end of this amazing lip balm, I thought now was the time to fully declare my love for the lip treat that is the Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast.  I actually first bought this last year in the airport whilst I was waiting for my flight to Cancun as it had the added SPF 15 to add a little extra care to my lips in the scorching heat, but it has been a regular in my top drawer at work ever since.

The name says it all to be honest - Raspberry Lemonade.  This is probably the nicest smelling, and tasting lip balm that has ever graced my lips (although the other Blistex Blast that I bought recently comes extremely close...).  I am often disappointed when I buy lip balms, because the '"flavour" sells it to me, and I'm usually left with little to no taste, or a horrendous artificial taste.  To me, the Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast tastes and smells like I have a mouthful of Skittles.  It's sweet, but slightly sharp and I can't even tell you how much I love it.  You can taste it every time you breathe in!  The scent and taste does die down, but it's still a nice treat!

It comes in a standard twist up tube, and application is super easy - twist, and swipe.  It has moisturising jojoba as well as Vitamins C & E and leaves my lips feeling super smooth and hydrated.  I think it applies quite thickly, and leaves a long lasting, moisturised feeling - although mine did get a bit melted in Mexico last year so I'm not sure if the super thick feeling developed from resetting itself, as my other flavour of Blistex Blast isn't this buttery.

The lip balm itself is a milky white, but applies colourless.  I'd love to see this with a raspberry tint to it!  I absolutely love this lip balm, and for the bargain price of £1.75, it's one that I'd definitely be picking up again ahead of my Burts Bees lip balms!

Have you tried any of the Blistex Blasts?  What's your favourite lip balm?

Tagged: The Lip Product Addict Tag

A couple of weeks ago, I was tagged by Laura from Pink Frenzy to do The Lip Product Addict Tag!  So let's get cracking, and see what lip products I think are worth a mention!

What is your favourite balm/treatment?

It's probably not the best one I own, but I really, really love the Blistex Blast lip balms.  I have almost worked my way through a Raspberry Lemonade Blast, and have recently bought an Orange and Mango Blast.  They taste and smell absolutely amazing, and they always leave my lips nice and smooth!  I'll be popping up a post on these two sometime, because the love definitely needs to be shared!

What is your best eye catching red?

I think it will have to be my newest MAC lipstick, which is Relentlessly Red.  It's a beautiful matte shade, which is red but has a pink undertone.  I always get compliments when I'm wearing it, and it's not like any other red I own!  Plus, matte is eye catching on it's own without needed a unique shade!

What is your best drugstore and best luxury lip product?

I really love Topshop lipsticks; I only have two, but I love them both, and would happily buy more!  They are really comfortable to wear, last a long time and there is an amazing shade range!  The favourite from my two is Hazzard - I actually am on my second one because I lost one, and couldn't be without it!

I don't own too many luxury lipsticks.  The most luxury brands in my collection are MAC and Illamasqua.  I own more MAC lipsticks than Illamasqua, but Illamasqua are really daring with their shade ranges and cater for literally everybody.  My favourite, most worn shade is Magnetism, which is a gorgeous berry shade.

What is your favourite MAC lipstick?

I feel like I'm mentioning MAC quite a lot!  It's hard to choose a favourite, because I'm quite careful to only buy shades I'll love.  So my favourite and most worn MAC lipstick is Plumful.

What is your most disappointing lip product?

I'm not disappointed often, but I think my most disappointing product was the Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss.  They are just so sticky, and I can't bare to wear them!  It's such a shame, because I love Soap and Glory!

Liner.  Yes, or no?

I'm a half and half!  I don't wear it religiously, but I do like to wear liner when I am wearing a red lip.  I like having sharp definition, and it really makes a huge difference in how long your lipstick lasts.

What is your favourite lip gloss?

I'm not really a gloss lover, but I have been loving the Benefit Coralista lip gloss.  It's so natural, and doesn't feel like a gloss on your lips because it isn't sticky at all!

Something extra...what is your most worn lip shade?

My flat out favourite shade is a toss up between two.  I have worn these two so much, and they are both from the original Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains.  I love Rendevous, a bright orange, for Spring and Summer, and also love Honey, a gorgeous, rosey pink for every day.  I absolutely love the Revlon Balm Stains, and own a lot, but these two are my favourite!  I'm yet to try the newer gloss and matte versions though!

I tag...

You!  Leave me your links if you decide to do the tag, I'd love to see your answers!

The In Flight Beauty Bag

At half past midnight tonight, I'm setting off on my travels to go to Milan.  You already know what I'm planning on wearing, so I thought I'd share what I'm taking in my bag beauty wise!  I'm only going to Milan for the day, and will be back very early Sunday morning, so all I need to take is hand luggage.  Even though my flight is only a couple of hours, my day is going to be ridiculously long - I want my make up to be in tact, and I want to be able to look fresh and awake when I land even though I'll have had pretty much zero sleep.

I'll be applying my make up last thing tonight.  It seems a bit silly really to even bother with make up that late, but I still want to look presentable when I arrive and I won't have time to be applying make up on the journey down, or in the airport, as I'll be hopefully sleeping!  I will need some touch ups though, so I've packed a small selection of bits to help me out.

First up, I've got my trusty MAC Mineralise Skin Finish in Medium.  It's got enough coverage to even out my skintone, so I won't have to pack a separate foundation.  I can also use this during the day to help get rid of any shine.  To give me a flush of colour, I've picked my Maxfactor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink.  I got this as part of a gift with purchase ages ago now, and it's so handy for popping in your hand bag and gives a gorgeous, natural flush.

To make my eyes more awake, I've picked out Benefits Eye Bright.  I'll be applying this to my waterline tomorrow morning and maybe even throughout the day to help disguise the fact that I am so damn tired, and hopefully reduce any red eyes.  I've also decided to bring a mascara to lift my lashes, and open my eyes.  This one is the Covergirl Clump Crusher.

For my lips, I've picked my newest lip balm which I bought from Poundland, and it's the Blistex Orange Mango Blast.  I have the Raspberry Lemonade Blast, and it smells and tastes amazing!  Citrus scents are said to be uplifting, so I'm grasping at straws and hoping this will help me out.  It's also going to be my base for my newest MAC lipstick, Relentlessly Red.  But, more about that next week - I'm trialling wear time when I wear it tomorrow!

As my make up will be on for a lot longer than usual, I wanted to make sure I had something to take my make up off when I start my journey home.  Flights are notoriously bad for your skin, so I'll be removing my make up as soon as I get on the flight home.  I'm packing a sample of Bioderma Sensibio H2O (review here) and a few cotton pads.  As my skin will need some serious hydration, I've also packed the Bioderma Atoderm PO Zinc Creme and the Bioderma Hydrabio Serum.

I might also pop a small hand cream in my bag, but I always get worried with how much liquids I'm actually allowed on a flight...  We'll see how much room I have left in my bag!  Looking at these pictures, I've realised I'm missing one critical thing...a mirror!  Queue me running upstairs to track one down...

Are you travelling away this year?  What would you take in your In Flight Beauty Bag?

EOS Pomegranate & Raspberry Lip Balm

Last month marked the end of my spending ban, and you may have read that I received an amazing mystery prize package from Hannah in the USA!  As promised, I'm back with the first review of one of the products I received, and it's the EOS Pomegranate & Raspberry Lip Balm.

EOS is a brand that I had heard of, so I was really looking forward to trying this as it's a well talked about product from overseas.  The thing that attracted me most to EOS is the packaging.  I absolutely love the matte, smooth sphere that it comes in.  Far more hygienic than a pot lip balm, and it just looks neater than a stick lip balm - I always have a habit of winding my lip balm right down to see how much product is left in it...anyone else?

The base is flat, so it doesn't roll around on a flat surface - perfect desk lip balm -  and it has a small indent for you to press your thumb into to twist off the cap.  The cap also has a screw thread, so you won't have any messy accidents when this is rolling around the bottom of your bag.

EOS spheres contain shea butter and jojoba oil for super smooth lips.  I've found that it applies really nicely and feels amazing on my lips; not too heavy or greasy.  I have noticed though that the moisturising feeling does wear off quite quickly, so now it's getting really cold, I'm applying it a lot more than what I would normally to ensure that my lips don't get dry!  The scent of Pomegranate & Raspberry isn't at all overpowering, it's a really lovely subtle scent with a tiny bit of taste!  I'd love to try the Vanilla Bean flavour next!

They are available to buy in the UK, but I think they're a bit pricey.  You can buy them here from Selfridges for £5.99, and if you use the code SELF2013, you can get 10% off your beauty order and if you're really going for it, 20% off fashion until Sunday!  You can also probably find them on Amazon.  I think these would make really nice stocking fillers for friends, or as a Secret Santa gift!

Have you tried EOS balms?  Which is your favourite lip balm?

Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Unique Pink

I'm back with another win and another pH reactive lip product.  Today, it's the Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Unique Pink.*  I won this on another Twitter give away sometime last week - I've been really lucky with Twitter giveaways lately!

 

 

I've read a lot about Pixi products, particularly the infamous Glow Tonic, but I've never actually tried any of their products because they're quite hard to find around where I live, and I don't often buy make up online because I like to see what I'm buying.  I absolutely love lip crayons, I only own the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains but I own most of their shades.  They're just so easy to use, and are really nice and pigmented.  I was really excited to try another brand of lip crayon, and more so because I've not got a lip crayon that is pH reactive.

First off, I really like the packaging for this.  It's so smooth to touch, it's a matte finish material so it's just nice to hold.  It has a handy twist up crayon, so there's no awkward sharpening!  I also like that there is a clear cap, and a nice band of the shade at the base of the crayon, so if you had a collection of them, you can easily identify which colour you're picking up.

 

 

Compared to my last pH reactive lip product, which was the Barry M TMLP lip paint that I reviewed here, this is a lot less pigmented.  The Barry M lip paint was so much more vibrant and very bright, this is more of a candy floss pink and is something I'd wear on a day to day basis.  It's nicer than my normal lip shade, and feels a lot nicer on my lips than the Barry M TMLP, and also feels a lot more nourishing than the Revlon Balm Stain crayons.

 

It's a really nice moistursing balm; it contains Jojoba oil, Vitamin E and A, Shea Butter and Rose extract.  All of these ingredients are great for nourishment and moisturising, and it also contains peptides that help to plump fine lines.  The staying power for this shade isn't the best, it's definitely less than the Revlon crayons, but I think that's because it's a balmier consistency.  It's not a hassle reapplying though, so I don't mind.

 

At £12 a crayon, they aren't the cheapest lip crayons on the market, but I think I'd like to try a different shade that's a little more pigmented.  Perhaps Rosy Red, or Bitten Berry...if you want to try one, or have a browse of the shades then you can find them online here.

 

Have you tried the Pixi Brilliance Balms?  What other lip crayons should I try?

*I received this Tinted Brilliance Balm from Pixi Beauty after winning a Twitter competition



Mystery Prize Package...from the USA!

As you all might know, I was taking part in a group spending ban.  You could all follow the groups progress using the #roseenospend.  Some girls were doing it for thirty days, like myself, and others are still doing a sixty day spending ban!  We were all paired up to spur each other on, and at the end of the swap, you got to send and receive a prize bundle from your partner!

I was paired with the lovely Hannah from Hannah's Beauty Blog and I received my prize box yesterday!  I photographed everything as soon as I opened it because I was dying to get in and try everything, and this whole unwritten blogger rule of no using it until it's been photographed was a killer.  Hannah is based in the USA, so I have been very lucky in the fact that I've been able to try some American beauty bits!  I'd love to tell you all what I popped in Hannah's box, but hers hasn't arrived yet!  Here is what was in mine...

First off, Hannah - thank you so much for sending me this!  I am so pleased with everything, and I love it all - I've tried almost all of it and everything is perfect!  The shades you've picked are gorgeous, and are ones that I'd have chosen myself - great minds must think alike!  I wish we had Wet n' Wild in the UK, and that candle....ohhhh it smells so good!

This is the Leaves candle from Bath and Body Works.  It smells absolutely gorgeous, and not remotely like leaves.  I can't remember what I thought it would smell like anymore, maybe crisp outdoors and maybe a bit of pine thrown in, but it's gorgeous spiced apple.  I love this so much that I've already tracked down a site that sells it in the UK so that I can get a larger version!

This blush is by Wet n Wild and is in the shade Heather Silk and Hannah has made the perfect choice!  She said she chose this as it's a perfect fall shade, and I have to agree!  I wore this today and it gives me that perfect flushed look.

Another Wet n Wild product that Hannah bought for me is this amazing eyeshadow palette.  I've seen a lot of reviews from other bloggers about these, and they're so distinctive with the embossed text for where to apply each colour.  I have the Comfort Zone palette and sometimes you have the odd shade in a palette that you might not touch but I can see me using every single one of these shades.  The left side is a perfect day look, and the right is a bit more dramatic!

EOS is another brand that I have heard of, so I was really excited to see this in my parcel!  I have the Pomegranate and Raspberry flavour and it is so nice, I love the packaging and they are so much better than I had expected them to be; far better than your standard lip balm.  I love this little sphere of goodness.  If anything it's made me want to try our UK equivalent, the Balmi to compare which formula is better!

Hannah also sent me a Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara.  Covergirl is another brand that I have heard of, mainly when I've been watching America's Next Top Model as they usually win a contract to represent Covergirl!  First thoughts are that I love being able to see the brush in the packaging, most of the mascaras I've bought always come with the wand ready in the tube, so this was an interesting change!  I've tried this today and it has been so nice to wear!

I also got sent a little packet of Extras chewing gum in the flavour Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake.  I've actually not tried this yet, but it was such a nice little extra to get in the box!  I've never had a sweet flavoured gum before so this could be interesting!

I'll be reviewing each of these products a little more in depth in the future, so keep an eye out!  And thank you so much Hannah for everything!  I can see you put a lot of thought into the box, and I'm very grateful!  I really hope you like yours, please let me know what you think and keep in touch!

Have you done a beauty swap before?  Have you tried any of these products?