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Lip Scrub

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Lip Scrub

Bite Beauty Whipped Cherry Lip Scrub – Review

BiteBeauty-WhippedCherryLipScrub-0001.jpg

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you may remember that my favorite lip scrub was from Paula’s Choice (see it here). Unfortunately and fortunately, it’s been yanked from the shelves because it contained those horrible little plastic beads that are killing the ocean. As I understand it, these have currently been banned for use in the US. Feeling lost without my favorite lip polish, I’ve been trying to find a suitable replacement. Well, turns out the best thing I’ve found is a scrub I’ve reviewed before…albeit not that well! 🙂 What is it? It’s the Bite Beauty Whipped Cherry Lip Scrub!

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Lip Care

Soft, Smooth Lips for Fall – Kari Gran Lip Whip & Paula’s Choice Lip Perfecting Gentle Scrub

I have a ritual every night that keeps my lips soft, smooth and flake free. With Fall upon us and probably many a matte lipstick in store, I thought I would share my “secrets” with you! It’s a truly simple routine that consists of two products and is usually done before bed. If you want to know what this miracle combination is, keep reading! J
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Lip Care

Bliss ‘Pout’-O-Matic Lip Polisher – Must Have Gadget or Gimmick?!?! (NOT Cruelty-Free)

***I’m breaking my own rules with this review because Bliss appears to sell in China so it is not cruelty-free, though I thought they were when I bought and wrote this review. I decided to post the review anyway so that those who are still interested can learn more about the product, but I’m a bit torn about what to do with this product now. ***
I don’t know about any of you, but my lips have been super dry and flaky lately. I’ve been exfoliating them regularly, constantly conditioning with lip balm, and still nothing I seem to try makes much of a difference. I heard a few positive reviews of the Bliss Fabulips ‘Pout’-O-Matic Spa-Powered Lip-Perfecting System and, out of sheer desperation, I decided to give it a try myself. It’s a weird little battery powered gadget that, when used in conjunction with Bliss’ Fabulips Sugar Lip Scrub (included in the set), is supposed to give you smooth, soft, full lips. It actually reminds me of a dentist’s toothbrush, but I’m sure it’s more gentle! J If you want to hear how it’s worked, keep on readin’!

So, first things first – what exactly is the ‘Pout’-O-Matic? It’s a handheld battery powered little tool with a soft rubber head that has little nubs on it and it rotates back and forth to gently scrub your lips. There’s a power button that turns it on and off – you’re supposed to use it for 30 seconds – and that’s about it! As I mentioned above, the kit comes with the Fabulips Sugar Lip Scrub as well because the two are meant to be used together. This Lip Scrub contains very finely granulated sugar, almond and walnut shells, as well as conditioning oils, butters and vitamins. It is verygentle and I really don’t see this doing much at all on it’s own, but combined with the ‘Pout’-O-Matic tool, it gives some slip for the rubberized head and a tiny bit of extra exfoliation. I don’t think you’d have much success using one without the other…and the directions warn that you must use the Fabulips Sugar Lip Scrub – and only this lip scrub – with the tool to prevent damaging your lips. Fortunately when you combine the two, it has great potential! J

I’ve been using this regularly for probably about two weeks now. I must admit that it didn’t seem like it did much initially. It would make my lips feel softer, but they were somehow still dry and flaky. I started using the tool twice a day and that made a little bit of a difference, but not a huge one. So, what I’ve been doing is using the Lush Mint Julips Sugar Scrub beforeusing the ‘Pout’-O-Matic with the Fabulips Scrub. I find this has helped quite a bit – but it still took a bit of time. And still, some days my lips are a tiny bit flaky. I find that this definitely needs regular maintenance to keep lips smooth…and without the addition of the Lush Lip Scrub before the ‘Pout’-O-Matic, it is still not terribly effective. It’s not an instant fix for your lips, nor do I think you can just use it once in a while. I doubt you need to use it twice a day every day for the rest of your life, but I don’t think it’s a quick fix on days where you wake up feeling a bit less than smooth lipped. I find that a bit disappointing, but by the same token, it seems to work better than a just a lip scrub if used with someregularity!

So what’s the verdict? If you’re willing to use this at least a few times a week to maintainsoft and smooth lips, then I think this is a great tool and it will get your lips in better condition. If you’re looking for a quick fix for seriously dry lips, it will help, but you’ll need to give it some time and probably a bit of extra effort for the first week or so. It’s definitely not something I would say everyone should run out and buy, but if you have a lot of trouble with chapped, flaky, dry lips, you might want to give this a try. It is a tiny bit of an investment – both in terms of cost and time – but it will give you softer, smoother lips. Personally, I’m pretty happy with the Bliss Fabulips ‘Pout’-O-Matic, though it got off to a rocky…or should I say flaky…start. J

The Bliss Fabulips ‘Pout’-O-Matic Spa-Powered Lip-Perfecting System retails for $48 and can be found at Sephora, online from Ulta, or on Bliss’ site. The kit contains the polishing tool, one extra polishing head (for a total of two), one AAA battery and a full size (14g / 0.5oz) Fabulips Sugar Lip Scrub.

***Bliss’ website states that they do not test on animals (you can see that information here) (http://www.blissworld.com/t-askthespaexpertmakeup.aspx), however it is not specific about ingredient testing or if it is sold in markets where animal testing is required. Bliss does seem to appear on the Sephora China website, which means they are not cruelty-free. L I was under the impression the company was cruelty-free when I purchased this and wanted to review it because I have had some success with it. I’m a bit torn about what to do with it now, but I wanted to share my experience so that those who are still interested can learn more about this product. ***

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Eye Liner

Best of 2012 – Favorites for Eyes, Lips and Brows

Today we have the most exciting part of makeup – the colorful stuff! In case you missed my favorites for creating a perfect canvas, you can find them here. My favorite skincare of 2012 can be found here, and my favorite body & hair care products are here. Now onto the fun!

My all time favorite eye shadows have always been from Urban Decay. Now that they have reformulated them, they are even better! Highly pigmented, wonderful texture and so many wearable – and not so wearable – shades! I also love that you can now customize your own Urban Decay palettes as well.

However, I think I may have a new favorite in Inglot’s eye shadows! Inglot’s formulas are amazing and they have a huge selection of shades. As if that were not enough, they are pretty affordable as well! The only drawback is that there are very few places in the US where you can actually see the products in person.

For eyeliners, again my favorites of 2012 have been from Urban Decay. The 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils come in a vivid assortment of colors and glide on so beautifully, yet last forever! These liners do not budge after about a minute. They are really wonderful, high quality eye liners. My go-to shades are “Demolition”, a deep matte brown, “Rockstar”, a slightly shimmery deep eggplant, “Zero”, basic black, and last but not least, “Perversion”, the blackest of blacks.

Demolition, Rockstar, Zero & Perversion
I guess I should have sharpened them!

A really nice, affordable alternative to the Urban Decay 24/7 liners – they’re pretty much a dupe for them – are the NYX Slide-On Eye Pencils. They are really beautiful liners that are also available in a wide range of colors. I only have one at the moment in “Tropical Green”, a beautiful emerald green color. The NYX Slide-On Pencils are definitely my favorite new find in the eye liner department!

Back to higher end pencils, the Stila Smudge Sticks are also one of my favorites. They glide on beautifully, can be smudged easily for a minute or two, then they stay all day. The shade selection is not too impressive, but the colors that are available are wonderful basics. “Moray”, a khaki green with a hint of shimmer is one of my favorite shades, and not a color you see too frequently.

The mascara I kept going back to in 2012 was the Smart Amazonian Clay Mascara from Tarte. It seems to be pretty good at all things, while not being damaging to the lashes. I will say that I am still searching for the perfect mascara, but I imagine this will be a lifelong quest! J

For my eyebrows, which need a fair amount of help, I discovered the Brow Wiz pencil from Anastasia Beverly Hills. I really like this pencil because it comes in a wide range of shades, including one light enough for my over processed hair, “Ash Blonde.” Best of all, it looks really natural and wears quite well. I like the ease and portability of a brow pencil too, so I consider this just about perfect for my brows! J
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in “Ash Blonde”

Lip products have been a bit tough this year because my favorites were almost all from Revlon. Since Revlon now sells in the Chinese market where animal testing may occur, I am doing my best to avoid companies that are now available in China. So, what remains in my arsenal of favorites for lips?

Carmex Moisturizing Lip Balm has been a life saver! It is inexpensive and available almost everywhere. It has a slightly medicinal scent, but it works wonders. This balm keeps my lips soft, smooth and prevents chapping. I can’t ask for much more than that!

Despite having a good lip balm, exfoliating my lips is still necessary to avoid occasional flaking dry bits. Yum! My hands down favorite is the Maracuja Lip Exfoliant from Tarte. It is gentle without being completely ineffective. The maracuja oil keeps the sugar from being too harsh, but it is not so moisturizing that the sugar just slides off. Tarte has found the perfect balance between scrubbing and moisturizing. I suppose this is a bit of a luxury product in that you can make your own similar lip scrub, but it is very difficult to make one that works as well as Tarte’s, so it’s a luxury I will continue using!

The lip color I have probably used the most in 2012 is likely a tie between Bite Beauty’s Lush Lip Tint and Tarte’s LipSurgence pencils. Both are kind of a balm-tint hybrid that lasts without drying out lips. My favorite shade of the Bite Beauty Lush Lip Tint would have to be “Orchard”, which looks like a nice natural pink flush. My favorite Tarte LipSurgence is “Amused” which is a bright fuchsia that is still subtle enough that it doesn’t scream “look at my lips!” Both are very comfortable to wear and last a good length of time.

Bite Lush Lip Tint in “Orchard”

Tarte LipSurgence in “Amused”
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Lip Care

Tarte Maracuja Lip Exfoliant for Soft, Kissable Lips? Yes, Please!

I recently picked up the new Tarte Maracuja Lip Exfoliant because I seem to have a desire to try every lip scrub on the market! I tested it on my hand in the store and it appealed to me because it had rough, raw sugar like the Lush lip scrubs, but unlike those really rough scrubs, Tarte combines the sugar with a really nice, hydrating balm-like mixture. It seemed gentle, yet effective – a combination that seems difficult to find. So how did it live up to my hopes? Keep reading to find out!

The Tarte Maracuja Lip Exfoliant comes in an oval shaped tin. This means you have to dip your finger in for those germ-a-phobes out there. I do not mind that so much for a lip scrub since I only use them at home and can make sure my hands are clean before using it, but I know some really dislike products like this. My only complaint about the packaging is that the top can be rather tough to remove. I suspect this is to keep the product inside from drying out as it is a balm-like consistency and it also will keep the lid from easily falling off should you pack it in a bag. A minor complaint, and given the product inside, worth the very slight annoyance!

Just as I had hoped, Tarte’s new lip scrub is gentle yet effective for removing dead skin on the lips while hydrating and conditioning them! The raw sugar is a great, rough exfoliant while the balm-like base moisturizes and conditions while helping the sugar glide over lips and preventing the scrub from being too rough and just kind of scraping up lips. The sugar smoothes lips, though it took a few uses before they felt completely free of dead skin, and the Maracuja-based balm softens and hydrates lips, creating an overall feel of soft, healthy, conditioned lips! It has become by far my favorite lip scrub! All of my complaints about the Lush (too rough) and Bite (not abrasive enough) scrubs seem to have been addressed with Tarte’s Maracuja Lip Exfoliant and the perfect scrub now exists!

The Maracuja Lip Exfoliant has a very definite and rather strong mint scent / taste. I actually love it, but I know mint is not for everyone. According to Tarte’s website, this scrub combines raw sugar with pure Maracuja oil for softer lips (these are not the only ingredients and it does include beeswax for those who try to avoid that ingredient). The pure Maracuja oil promotes hydration, cell recovery and surface regeneration to help create lips that are “noticeably revitalized and fuller.” Also included are essential fatty acids to repair and rejuvenate lips and Vitamin C to help exfoliate lips. As with all Tarte products, it is paraben and free of petrolatum, as well as many other “bad-for-you” ingredients. I really love this scrub and would highly recommend it, especially as those winter months of chapped lips are rapidly approaching.

The Tarte Maracuja Lip Exfoliant retails for $16.00 and is available from:
www.TarteCosmetics.com
www.Ulta.com and retail locations
www.Sephora.com and retail locations
For more information about Tarte Cosmetics and their animal testing policies, check out my post here.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Tarte Cosmetics in any way, nor have I been compensated for this review.
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Lip Care

A Review of Fresh Beauty’s Sugar Lip Polish

Fresh’s version of a sugar-based lip scrub uses brown sugar to banish dead, flaky skin from lips. In addition, it adds moisture and conditions lips with Jojoba oil, Shea Butter, Meadowfoam Seed oil and Grape Seed oil. It does not contain parabens, phthalates, sulfates, synthetic dyes or petrochemicals. It has a slight, sweet sugary fragrance and is brown in color. The texture is very much like a thick sugar scrub for the body. It is not straight sugar or sugar doused in oils, but rather a thick, emulsified mixture of brown sugar, oils and shea butter.

What makes this sugar-based lip scrub so much better than some I have tried is that it does not simply exfoliate, but it also conditions lips. Since it does both at once, I do not find my lips overly irritated as is often the case with other sugar lip scrubs and it actually seems to remove or smooth dead skin instead of just aggravating it. I still add a lip balm after using the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish, but it is not really necessary, I just find my lips feel better with a bit more moisture than the Polish provides. I also would probably not use this scrub every day as it is still an intense exfoliation, but if used 1 to 3 times a week, a daily exfoliant is probably unnecessary.

The thick consistency of Fresh’s Sugar Lip Polish makes a very, very tiny amount go a looooong way. This 0.6oz tub will last forever, figuratively speaking of course. Rubbed onto the lips, there is a definite exfoliating feeling from the brown sugar, but as stated above, there is also the sense of a lip balm-like application at the same time leaving lips feeling soft and hydrated. It tastes sweet due to the sugar, but does not have an overtly flavored taste as many lip balms do. The Fresh Sugar Lip Polish does exactly as it says: it exfoliates and conditions and it does so beautifully. I really like this product and would highly recommend it to anyone seeking something to exfoliate the lips.

Compared to the Bite Whipped Cherry Fruit Lip Scrub which I have previously reviewed and can be found here, I like them both for different reasons. If one is seeking a really good scrub for the lips, I would go with the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish. However, if one needs more of a gentle daily scrub for the lips or if sugar is too harsh for one’s lips, I would go with the Bite Whipped Fruit Scrub. Also, if lips need moisture more than exfoliation, I would choose the Bite Scrub as Bite’s version is quite wonderful for hydrating and conditioning the lips. I tend to use them both depending on the condition of my lips at the time. I usually use the Fresh Lip Polish once or twice a week and the Bite Scrub the rest of the week. I find this keeps my lips relatively flake-free without causing irritation.

Fresh’s Sugar Lip Polish retails for $22.50 and is available from Sephora.com and in Sephora retail locations.

Discliamer: I am not affiliated with Fresh in any way, nor have I been compensated for this review in any way.

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