Archive for July 2013

One of the things I'm lacking but desperately need is a clear lip balm. I have like the worst chappy lips ever (actually just second to my sister). They keep chapping, drying out whatever the weather and I keep picking on the dry parts and causing them to bleed. I know right? I have these crazy skin care issues and I don't do anything about them.

I do have lip balms before. But none worked, and I don't like the waxy feel.

So why did I buy this Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm? Because I've heard good reviews about them. And just because you didn't like a product doesn't mean you'll never find one you'll actually like.

So what do I think about this lip balm? I love it!

It comes in this cardboard and plastic packaging when you purchase it. On the cover it says:

SPF20
Instant 8 hour moisture
Rejuvenated lips in one week
Enriched with Centella Essence
Smoothing Cherry (flavor / scent)

I love the idea of an SPF lip balm. It doesn't hurt to have sun protection in everything. I don't know if the promise of moisture is instant, but I remember applying it on at night and waking up with the waxy feel still on. (It does feel waxy) I can attest though that after continuously using this, my lips doesn't chap anymore. I do have to exfoliate my lips every time I get it wet (eating / drinking, bathing, brushing), but it has been easier to do so compared to before when the skin just sticks and I always get the urge to pull on it. :(

Centella Essence. They say that's what's making this lip balm so effective. It's the ingredient that causes the skin of our lips to renew faster, thus easier to exfoliate because there's already a new layer underneath. All of the lip balms of the Baby Lips line have this ingredient that is why it is such a huge hit. Maybelline has even opened a "sequel" line to Baby Lips: Baby Lips with color. :D As you can see, this one (and the line it belongs to) is in clear color. It does have a scent though (no flavor). The one I bought is in Smoothing Cherry. I told you in my previous post I'm in love with cherry, right? I do, I just love it. It's probably one reason why I always pick this up and apply, even when I'm just lounging at home. :)

The packaging is just a simple lip balm tube though. The new line has more of that lipstick packaging, and it looks so cute. Both have the pastel colors and adorable font. I'm thinking of trying those out next, when I finish with this one.

Clear gloss / balm doesn't really do me any favors. My lips look pale with it on. Granted, you can always apply a lip color underneath first. But as you can see, my lips look juicier in that pale slug kind of way with the lip balm on. My bare lips photo was also taken about a few days after I started using it, so it's not as chapped as it used to. For a good reference of how chapped my lips could be, check out my profile pic at the side bar. And that is how I normally look on a night out. :D

Anyway, this is only priced at P79.00 and can be bought anywhere, from department stores, grocery stores, to drugstores.

Verdict:

I love this lip balm. It's waxy, I know, but the scent and the benefit of using it outweighs that flaw. I love that I have normal looking lips now. I heavily recommend this to anyone suffering from chapped lips. I did recommend this to my sister but she said she still has her Chapstick (which didn't work for me and doesn't seem to be working for her either). There are other scents too if you're not into cherry. Or you could try the other line if you wanted a little color.

So, there you have it, my take on this very popular lip balm from Maybelline. What balm are you using? Is it from the same line? If not, are you willing to try this out?

When I bought my lip tint on Ebay, I also got this. It's a sample size of the Face Shop's Flower Compact Powder only at P21.00. From Seller usa2pinas.

This is what it says in the description:

The name, ‘THE FLOWER,’ comes from its ingredients. Made with mineral-enriched edible flowers such as Rose, Jasmine, Chamomile and more, these flower petals have been ground to micro-pigments with an advanced technology to provide luminous, velvety finish. This beautifully scented line is an ideal base-makeup line to create natural but flawless complexion. Micro-pigmented texture evens out your skin tone and hides imperfections without being heavy.

Description

Micro-pigmented texture evens out your skin tone and hides imperfections without being heavy. Powerful UV rays protection and leaves skin looking smooth and luminous with light-reflecting pigment.

Coverage: sheer to medium.

Cool, right? The idea of flowers in my powder makes me think I'm a wood nymph or something. Lol. Too bad it didn't smell like flowers at all, or any scent for that matter, even though it said so in the description. It did indeed have a natural look, though.

I can't confirm if it has UV protection. It doesn't say so on the packaging, and it didn't come in a box.

I actually like how the cover looks despite it being made out of carton. The watercolor effect of what I perceived as a flower petal and the scribble of the title made me think of a Japanese painting.

There's a slight shadow / dirt there, because of the flimsy cover that bent when I placed it inside the bag. I'm sure some dirt has rubbed off it.

The back.
The whole thing is made of carton/cardboard. Even the clasp. But it has never opened on me before.

This is the back. It clearly isn't for sale, so I'm wondering how it was listed on Ebay. And I bought it too, so I'm sure I'm partly to blame.

On it is the list of ingredients. I'm not very well versed of these yet. I don't know what ingredients I should be buying and using, what makes me break out and such. I'm still on the process here guys. I'm sure I'll eventually learn. I did recognize talc, jasmin, hibiscus and rosa. :D

It also says here it's the color NB21. Don't know so much about that too. As far as I know, I'm supposed to be an NC because of my yellowish undertone. As to the number, I'm still in the guessing game. It did look quite right though, if not a tad too white. Who the hell made up of this number system anyway? Not that I'm complaining, I just wish I could find a reference for easier identification.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that this number system isn't yet used by everyone? So some colors out there are totally named in a different manner.

Love in Flower
Silk wear on your face!

It's so small! Like, really! It's very time consuming to pat on face with the puff. I do sometimes use a brush to hasten things up, but I find I don't have enough coverage on my T-zone that way. The small puff comes handy though when retouching my nose, because it's just the right size.

This powder I have been using alternately with my e.l.f. powder (review here) and I have to say, this powder doesn't make me oil as much as the e.l.f.'s. After 3 hours in this powder I only have a slight sheen to my nose, which my small puff can handle on the go.

Here's the swatch. It doesn't really show. I should really stop posting swatches of things that don't show. Now it just seems I'm showing you my fist. :)

Verdict:

I would definitely want to purchase this again. I'll try getting the original size. I hope it can still be found in the store. I don't see it much online.

Though I might also buy other powders as well. I've heard of other powders that are good for oily skin, so I might try those.

What powder do you think I should try next?

I have been on the prowl for a new pressed powder that could help control my oiliness as I am prone to greasing up after a few hours. I used to use Maybelline pressed powders (the ones in green casing) and I have to say that it did nothing to control my oil at all. It looked oily even after application. But I still used it till I finished with it because: 1. It's such a waste, and 2. I thought that my oiliness can't be helped, unless I seek medical help. (Yup, that's how oily I am.)

Being back in the blogging world, and as I have said in my last post, I have devoured beauty blogs like never before, I have come to realize that I don't need to be stuck with products that actually don't work for me. And also that there is still hope. :)

My first order of business was to seek out a good BB cream. I have found one that's good for oily skin and even out my skin tone without looking too heavy on my next-to-virgin skin. (I have only used powder and lippies until this point in my life). My review on that here.

If you would happen to notice (that is, if you did view the link) my BB cream is in a mini version. That is because I have decided not to buy full size until I am absolutely satisfied with it. I don't want to just go through the motions again because I just don't want my money going to waste. :(

So anyway, that (all that) led me to e.l.f. and their clarifying pressed powder. It may not be a mini version, but it's small and very affordable at P129.00 only.

It has a clear lid. Sadly, there is no mirror. But at least it comes with a puff, so I can retouch on the go. It would be really awkward for someone like me (a newbie) to be carrying brushes for powders around. I know professionals and junkies love and recommend that, but I'd rather stick to puffs for the meantime. Don't get me wrong, I have acquired my own set of makeup brushes. ;) But taking out brushes in public comfort rooms to retouch is a bit of a hassle, don't you think?

Apricot Beige, the color I got.

This I'm not so sure about. I got Apricot Beige because there's nothing else closer to my color. The lady on the counter showed me this and Ivory to try out, and I think Ivory is just too white. Though I was not sure how it'll be if I had it all over my face. So I got this instead. My boyfriend, who was with me at that time, said it's a tad darker than my skin. Hmm. I have tried it on my hand and on my jaw, and it didn't show at all.

When I got home and applied it all over my face (in a patting motion) I did see a difference, though I'm not sure if it's the color, or if it just mattified my face to the point that I looked 2Dimensional. :/ Hmm.

You could also see in the picture that the powder is a little grainy. It feels a little weird thinking putting coarse substance on the face, but so far no grains have shown through my application.

Swatch

See? It didn't show, right? But my boyfriend is also right in saying the powder looked dark in the compact compared to my skin.

I love how travel ready e.l.f.'s Clarifying Powder is. It could fit even in small pockets of my bag, with lots more space to spare. I could stash in there my lippie and comb as well. And maybe a small mirror.

I have been using this alternately with another powder, and I've noticed that this product made me grease up faster than the other one. And it's like all over the face grease, compare to the other's slight shine on nose. I'll be doing that review soon.

I'll maybe keep this powder for contouring, if I ever feel the need to contour. That would mean putting the product on the outer regions of my face where I slick less, so it wouldn't do much harm to my T-zone. But I don't think I'll repurchase this to use as an over-all face powder.

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