Benefit Hydrating Lip Balms.

Benefit Cosmetics have done it again for me. I'm a big fan of lip products as you probably all well know already and I was really excited to see the launch of their new hydrating lip balms. There's four shades to choose from, Bene Balm, Lolli Balm, Cha Cha Balm and Posie Balm. I'm lucky to have three of the four shades to show you guys. First off I have to say I'm a huge fan of this brand, I adore their packaging. In true Benefit style this particular release does not disappoint, they look sleek and uber fun. Cha Cha Balm is a coral shade, while Posie Tint is a sheer baby pink shade. My favourite though has to be Bene Balm it's a nice rosie red on the lips and definiely shows up alot more than the other two balms.  I can still see myself using all three as they are hydrating on the lips and with the Winter months ahead can see myself use them alot.

 I like the idea that these lip balms can be used on top of their coinciding tint or on their own for a hint of colour. At the moment  Bene Balm has a permanent spot in my makeup bag and has definitely become a firm staple of mine. At €21.50 these lip balms are a steal, I think I may even treat myself to Lolli tint in the near future.

What lip balm do you have your eye on?

Laura<3

28 Days of Kisses - Day 19 = Lush The Kiss Lip Balm

I can't believe there's only nine days left in this tag. I've really enjoyed doing it so far and I'm very proud of myself for not missing a day. Excuse my picture below, I took it at 8AM this morning, that right there is sheer dedication. Half of my forehead is gone and it's a tad bit on the blurry side but what can you do. I was in work all day today and I had a few bits to do after so I took this picture early so I wouldn't leave you guys without a post.

I'm in love with Lush so I was excited to see that they brought out a new lip balm for Valentines Day. First off I adore their lip scrubs, I have been using Popcorn so much lately as my lips are in such bad condition and I feel that it's been working amazingly well. I've tried a couple of lip scrubs from different brands but I always end up going back to Lush.I wish the same could be said about their lip balms though I've just never really got on with them at all. That is until I tried their new The Kiss, now my opinion of them has totally changed. The formula is different with this lip balm and it's way easier to apply the product to the lips. I felt with their other offerings I've tried in the past, you had to warm it up in the tin to actually be able to use it. Maybe I got one out of a bad batch who knows. The Kiss leaves a lovely sheer hint of pink on the lips, definitely one for day time. For €7.95 it may seem a bit on the pricey side of things but this will last for ages. I'm not too sure if it's still in stores now as I think it was limited edition but if you can get your hands on this lip balm, I'd highly recommend it.

What's your favourite Lush product? Did you get anything from the Valentines Day collection?

Laura<3

Yves Rocher Vanilla Nourishing Lip Balm

I'm a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to bright shades, I just don't think I pull them off. This results in me having a ridiculous amount a lipsticks that never see the light of day which is a waste I know. That is until Yves Rocher Vanilla Nourishing Lip Balm stepped in. I've never seen this brand in Ireland and I actually picked this up in Barcelona last year. I think it was around the €4 mark, which for a pot of this size is a bargain. I also bought a peach perfume from this brand and after looking on their website recently they do have an amazing selection of products. I'm not too sure if they are a well known brand or not it remains to be seen. They do have the lipbalm in two other flavours online, raspberry and coconut. I saw the latter in Barcelona too but I instantly fell in love with the sweet scent of vanilla so I settled on this one.

Over the past few weeks I've been applying any old bright lipstick and popping a tiny bit of this balm on top.  I know that simple and it changes the appearance of the lipstick completely. There is a white hue off this balm so that's why it works so well in toning down the colour. You certainly won't look like you have ghost lips if you blend it in right. I've been using this with a few lipsticks so far and it's worked brilliantly. It hasn't just toned down the colour, it also leaves a nice glossy finish. I've also been using them over the darker  shades of Revlon Just Bitten Balm stains, to add that little bit more moisture to my lips. Not only can this be used over lipsticks but it can also be worn alone, it leaves my lips feeling so smooth and moisturised I love it. I really wish I had of picked up another while I was in Barcelona, I'll be devastated when I run out of this.

Does anyone else have a fear of vibrant lipsticks? How do you make them work?

Laura<3

The Handmade Soap Co. Choco-Mint Lip Balm

The Handmade Soap Co. was an Irish brand I knew very little about, until I bought their grapefruit body butter (smells amazing) back in December. After using it for the past 3 months now, I can tell you that I love it, it's so moisturising. Even though I've had it for a while, I still have so much product left, so it's certainly worth the money (€22.95). I was contacted recently and asked if I wanted to try one of their lip balms. I didn't know The Handmade Soap Company did lip products too, so I looked forward to trying it.

There are three lip balms to choose from, I was sent the Choco-Mint lip balm. It smells so nice, like mint chocolate chip ice cream, definitely more on the minty side though. I tend to get lip balms that have fancy packaging so this of course is very different. Don't let the metal tin put you off though as the product itself is great. As you can see from the picture, it is a solid balm so you do have to warm it up a little. Once on the lips, it's very cooling and moisturising, great if you have dry lips like me. I've been using Choco-Mint lip balm for the past while and I still have a lot of product to go, for €4.50 this is great value for money. I really liked this lip balm, when I run out I'm definitely going to try and get my hands on the other two.

Have you heard of The Handmade Soap Company? What products have you tried?

Laura<3

MUA Love Hearts Collection

At the beginning of February, I received an invitation to the launch of MUA's Love Hearts Collection. The event was being held in London which unfortunately meant that I couldn't go as I live in Ireland. The MUA PR Team were ever so nice and offered to send me some stuff from the Love Hearts Collection, aswell as some of their newer products (review coming soon). I haven't tried many MUA products, there are only two Superdrug stores in Dublin and both are ages away from where I live, so I don't get the chance to go that often. I'm in love with their eyeshadow palettes, so of course I couldn't wait to try more products from this brand.

Isn't the packaging gorgeous?

I am obsessed with lip balms, I always have lots in my bag. The minute I seen the Love Heart lip balms online I couldn't wait to try them. The two shades I was sent were Kiss Me and Sugar Lips. Both lip balms have a gorgeous vanilla scent which is quite similar to MAC's Tinted Lip Conditioner. I do find them quite moisturising which I need as I do get dry lips. The balm can wear off so it's always best to reapply it regularly. For £2 each you can't get any better than these two products. Both balms give a sheer pop of colour to the lips. Sugar Lips is my favourite out of the two, I have my eye on a few other Love Hearts lip balms so hopefully I can get my hands on them.

I love both of these nail polishes. I <3 U is a gorgeous nude shade which is so wearable, perfect for work. Love U 24/7 is my favourite of the two, I'm a fan of purple polishes so that's probably why. The result above was acheived after only two coats. For £2/ these nail polishes are such a bargain. There are six gorgeous bright shades to choose from, I can definitely see myself getting more!

MUA Love Hearts collection is available to buy from selected Superdrug stores and online.

What have you tried from the Love Hearts Collection?

Laura<3

The Body Shop's Born Lippy Lip Balm Sticks

I love The Body Shop, especially their Born Lippy lip balms. I use to always carry them around in my bag in school and I still do. When I seen they were being launched in stick form I had to have a look. I don't mind using lip balms in pots at all but when I see the packaging on these lip balms I fell in love.

Don't they look great? I love how they look like comic book strips. I think my inner nerd is slowly but surely creeping out. There are six to choose from this range of lip balms. I ended up buying four, Plum, Toffee, Lychee Shimmer and Pink Berry. I know it may be a bit excessive to buy so many but I use lip balms so much as I always have super dry lips. I've come to the conclusion that it's something do with the air conditioning in work.

L2R Plum, Toffee, Lychee Shimmer, Pink Berry

As you can see from the swatches they are all quite sheer. Pink Berry and Lychee Shimmer are almost none existent on the lips, the latter leaving a light shimmer hence the name. All the balms smell like their shade, I really don't like the smell of Toffee (bit too sweet for my liking) but all and all I love these lip balms. I find them so moisturising on my lips which is a must for me. For the price (€3.50), they are a bargain and will have a permanent place in my makeup bag.

When I bought the lip balms I was given these samples, two Chocomania Body Butter sachets, Papaya Shower Gel and Coconut Shimmer Body Lotion. Oh my god that body butter smells amazing!! I'm contemplating getting the full size tub, what do you think?? The Papaya Shower Gel and Coconut Shimmer are also lovely, both scents remind me of holidays for some reason.

Will you be treating yourself to these lip balms??

Laura<3

Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balms

I get horribly dry lips especially during the Winter months. When I was in my local pharmacy and seen these new Carmex lip balms I thought they'd do the trick. Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balm comes in three shades Peach, Pink and Clear. I went for Peach and Pink. I'm such a big fan of regular Carmex so I knew I'd love these. They comes in a lipstick style tube which also makes for easy application.

I really like the sleek packaging on these lip balms. Something new compared to the squeezy tube. You can also tell the shades apart by the coloured ribbon on the lid. Not only are they moisturising but they are also cooling on the lips. I seen on the Carmex website that there releasing two new shades Berry and Plum I have no idea if they are going to be released in Europe. Let's hope so!

There are only two things I dislike about this product, A) they smudge all over the packaging which you can see above and B) they've formed airholes/bubbles. I'm really curious to know why this happened. Pricewise Carmex Moisture Plus lip balms are a bit more expensive than the normal lip balms at €6 each. If your already a Carmex fan and like tinted lip balms I'd try these out.

Here are swatches of both lip balms..

Peach & Pink

Will you be trying this latest offering from Carmex?

Laura<3