Battle of the Tinted Lip Balms

I have a lip balm addiction.  I feel like I need to try them all and save my lips the pain of being dry and chapped.  A few years ago, I developed seriously chapped lips and I systematically tried every lip balm and tinted lip balm out there.  I amassed a collection of twelve tinted lip balms.  So, let’s talk lip balms.

Pink Lady

Brand:  NYC cosmetics Applelicious

Price:  $2.99

Scent:  Apple scent

Pigmentation:  3/5

Moisturization:  3/5

Pink Lady is a medium pink shade.  It gives an apparent color on the lips, but isn’t the strongest in color.  This gives nice moisturization in the beginning but that wears off quickly.  My lips begin to feel quite dry once the moisturization wears off.

Healthy Blush 20

Brand:  Neutrogena Revitalizing Lip Balm

Price:  $8.99

Scent:  Cosmetic Scent

Pigmentation:  3/5

Moisturization:  5/5

The thing I hate about these if you have to judge the color based on a tiny picture in the top right-hand corner of the packaging.  I picked the one that looks the pinkest.  I didn’t find the lip balm’s color to match the picture and I think it looks quite red in real life.  The color is sheer.  A google search showed me that all of these Neutrogena lip balms basically look the same swatched.  The moisturization was amazing and lasted well.  I also think this has nice SPF.  If you like the color, I recommend these.

Petal Rebel

Brand:  Maybelline Color Whisper

Price:  $7.49

Scent:  Cosmetic-type Scent

Pigmentation:  5/5

Moisturization:  1/5

I absolutely love the color of this one and that has been proven time and time again.  However, the moisturization is terrible.  My lips feel nice for maybe a second and then my lips begin to feel extremely dry.  The result, I never reach for this.  The color of this Maybelline Whispers is overall a little on the sheer side (which is common in lip balms and to be expected with a name like Whispers).  The scent is a little strange.  It isn’t strong, but I don’t particularly care for it.  It is unique, I’m not sure I’ve ever smelt anything like it before.

Pink Plush

Brand:  L’Oreal Colour Riche Balm

Price:  $7.95

Scent:  L’Oreal Lip Product Scent

Pigmentation:  1/5

Moisturization:  4/5

I believe this one was actually discontinued but I do understand why.  This color didn’t really show up at all.  In my search for the perfect baby pink, I picked this up.  This brand is still available though perhaps not that easy to find.  The moisturization is really nice.

Cotton Pink

Brand:  L’Oreal Colour Riche Balm

Price:  $7.95

Scent:  L’Oreal Lip Product Scent

Pigmentation:  1/5

Moisturization:  4/5

Cotton Pink is slightly darker than Pink Plush.  The pigmentation on this one could be better and I think this one was also discontinued.  I know this one has received some love from the internet.  This is sheer but still has nice moisturization.

102 Sugar

Brand:  Wet N Wild Natural Blend Lip Shimmer

Price:  $1.99

Scent:  Mint

Pigmentation: 4/5

Moisturization:  5/5

Sugar is a shimmery pink lip balm.  This is quite tinted for a lip balm and the moisturization is really nice.  This is probably my most worn lip balm.  I also like the fact that this are advertised as all natural.

104 Tart

Brand:  Wet N Wild Natural Blend Lip Shimmer

Price:  $1.99

Scent:  Mint

Pigmentation:  4/5

Moisturization:  5/5

Tart is a shimmery mid-toned pink or pinkish-red shade.  This one is more warm toned than Sugar and would probably look better on darker skin tones than mine.  Tart is really nice in pigmentation and moisturization.

106 Berry

Brand:  Wet N Wild Natural Blend Lip Shimmer

Price:  $1.99

Scent:  Mint

Pigmentation:  4/5

Moisturization:  5/5

Berry is a nice berry red.  Contrary to advertising, this shade isn’t shimmery at all, but is shiney.  These Natural Blend lip balms are some of my favorite as you don’t have to sacrifice moisturization or pigmentation.  I highly recommend these.  I do think the mint scent is a little too strong.

Darling

Brand:  Revlon Balm Stain

Price:  $6.59

Scent:  Mint

Pigmentation:  2/5

Moisturization:  5/5

This is a light purple shade, but it looks a little sheer.  I really like this one.  It’s a great sheer color with great moisturization.  It was unfortunately discontinued.  I also don’t find this one to stain your lips.

Cherish

Brand:  Revlon Balm Stain

Price:  $6.59

Scent:  Mint

Pigmentation:  5/5

Moisturization:  5/5

Cherish is a pretty light pink  The pigmentation is incredible, especially for a lip balm.  This one does leave behind a stain when you remove it and the stain is relatively pretty.

Coquette

Brand:  Revlon Lacquer Balm

Price:  $6.59

Scent:  Mint

Pigmentation:  5/5

Moisturization:  5/5

This is a medium pink.  There are bits of glitter in it but I don’t think that really shows up on the lips and I don’t find this to be anymore shiney (or lacquery) than the regular ones.  However, this one is pretty, pigmented, and moisturizing.  I don’t recall this leaving behind a stain on the lips.

Cupcake

Brand:  Revlon Lip Butter

Price:  $5.99

Scent:  Nothing I Notice

Pigmentation:  5/5

Moisturization:  5/5

This is an extremely pale pink.  It’s the color Pink Plush would be if Pink Plush actually showed up on the lips.  A lot of these lip butters were discontinued, including this one.  I really like this one’s amazing moisturization, but the color is way too pale for me.  This shade is too pale for me, and I’m extremely pale myself.  This shade makes me look dead.  The pigmentation is fantastic, but I’m not sure anyone could pull this off.

Indoor Lighting

First Row:  Pink Lady, Pink Plush, Cotton Pink, Petal Rebel, Healthy Blush
Second Row:  Cupcake, Darling, Cherish, Coquette, Sugar
Third Row:  Tart and Berry

Outdoor Lighting

First Row:  Pink Lady, Pink Plush, Cotton Pink, Petal Rebel, Healthy Blush
Second Row:  Cupcake, Darling, Cherish, Coquette, Sugar
Third Row:  Tart and Berry

If you’re looking for a good/affordable lip balm, I’d recommend Carmex or Soft Lips.  I like alternating between the two because I’ve heard your lips can become use to a particular one and it can stop working.

If you’re looking for a good tinted lip balm, I recommend any of the Revlon ones or the Wet N Wild.  They are the best of my mini-collection.  The Wet N Wild’s are less expensive but their are also less color options.  The Revlon Lip Butter, is the most moisturizing of them all.

Covergirl Lip Lava Review

Do I recommend these?  No.

I’m just going to cut to the chase.  These are awful.  These are a sticky, globby mess.  The formula is thick and they feel thick on the lips.  You’re lips stick together as you talk.  They don’t feel nice at all.  I almost feel like my lips are suffocating.  This is exactly the reason I hate lip gloss.  I’ve heard that there are great lip glosses out there, but I’ve never found them.

Applying these can be a bit of a chore too.  The applicator is sort of brush like, it’s long and thin.  You’d think the brush-like applicator would make these easier to apply.  When I put these on, I feel like a kid who smeared my mother’s lip gloss all over my face.  A thing to remember with these is a little goes a long way and be sure to clean a little off the applicator.

I really wanted to try these because they remind me of the lip transformer type lip glosses.  The lip transformers seem so cool, and yet they look so much better in the tubes than they do on the lips.  I have two of these lip glosses.

Oh La Lava

On the website, the promo picture looks like a light, pale lilac kind of color.  In real life, this is a pink color with blue glitter (and possibly a bit of silver too).  The glitter is a lot more apparent in this shade than the other I have.

Look it’s Lava!

The promo picture is beautiful, it’s dark purple or even a maroon.  In real life, this shade isn’t as great as the other.  It looks very one-dimensional.  It’s a maroon or dark pink, I can’t decide.  The glitter is pink and there’s also some that’s either dark blue or purple.

Covergirl Lava Lip

I decided to try and do an ombre look with these glosses.  That was possibly not the best idea I’ve ever had.  The result was a bit of a mess.  I put the darker color around the edges and the lighter color in the center and tried blending them together with my finger.

Outdoor Light:  Oh La Lava and Look it's Lava! 

Indoor Light:  Oh La Lava and Look it's Lava!

Overall, I hate these.  These have really great reviews, but I’m not entirely sure why.  I wouldn’t recommend these to anymore.  I think they were a waste of my hard earned money.

Lipstick Mini-Haul (New at the Drugstore)

The other day I made a trip to Wal-Mart and treated myself to some lipsticks.  I picked up six in a mini-haul.  I haven’t worn these, but I did swatch them and already I’ve formed some opinions on these shades.

When I found out Burt’s Bees was coming out with some lipsticks, I was super excited.  I like the idea of their products being natural and the packaging is incredibly cute.  I really wanted Iced Iris and Tulip Tide.  They were unfortunately out of Tulip Tide.  I picked up Iced Iris and Fuchsia Flood.  I don’t like that these lipsticks don’t go all the way down in the tube and they don’t twist up normally.  You have to really work to twist these up.  I really think these are quite overpriced.

ICED IRIS

Brand:  Burt’s Bees

Price:  $9.00 (on their website)

Iced Iris was nothing like I expected.  With iced in the name, I really expected this to be a sparkly or shimmery shade.  It’s relatively normal in appearance with a slight shine.  The packaging and label are a beautiful shade of pink, but the actual lipstick is hardly the same color.  I always love pastel pinks, this isn’t really that much of a pastel pink.  These natural type lines never really seem to come out with good pastel pinks.  This lipstick needs a lot of building up.

FUCHSIA FLOOD

Brand:  Burt’s Bees

Price:  $9.00 (on their website)

Fuchsia Flood.  I don’t really have a lot to say about this.  It’s not as hard to build up and it seems more true to color.  I feel like this one isn’t going to get that much use from me because the color is just kind of... eh...  I bought it for review.

I also found some new lipsticks from Hard Candy.  I picked up three of the ones that come in the adorable little tins and one from their Fierce Effects line.  The tubes remind me of the Revlon matte liquid lipsticks.  The Revlon one has .2 fluid ounces and the Hard Candy ones have .23 ounces.  The Hard Candy ones feel significantly lighter, they’re as light as a feather.  The Hard Candy ones are actually matte while the Revlon ones have to dry for hours. Just remember, these are only available at Wal-Mart.

CHALKIN’ PINK

Brand:  Hard Candy (Fierce Effects)

Price:  $5.00

First impression, I love this.  The packaging is so cute and sleek.  Black with rhinestones and they even put the color on the top.  It’s a pastel pink with a bit of purple.  I’ve only swatched it but my initial opinion is that it seems to feel nice.  It doesn’t go all the way down into the tube but doesn’t stick up as much as the Burt’s Bees ones.  It has a heavy weight to it.  The color is similar to Nyx Macaron in Rose, but I like the formula better.

SWEET PEA

Brand:  Hard Candy (Velvet Mousse)

Price:  $6.00

This is a beautiful pastel pink.  I was a little worried that Iced Iris and this were going to end up being dupes for each other.  It matches the packaging to the Iced Iris but is more true to color.

HIBISCUS

Brand:  Hard Candy (Velvet Mousse)

Price:  $6.00

Looking at the packaging, I honestly thought this was going to be more pink than it is.  This shade is actually more of a coral type shade.  It’s really pretty, I just wish I’d known.  You can open the tins and see what colors these are, but I didn’t.  I just judged them based on the packaging.

WISTERIA

Brand:  Hard Candy (Velvet Mousse)

Price:  $6.00

This is a beautiful, vampy dark purple shade.  I have several purples and quite a few dark purples, but I do believe this is the darkest of them all.  This shade almost seemed black when I first swatched it.  I also think this is the most pigmented of my dark purples.  Some of my dark purples, you see the lips through the color and I didn’t really see this one doing that.

Iced Iris, Fuchsia Flood, Chalkin' Pink, Sweet Pea, Hibiscus, and Wisteria

Stay tuned for more in depth reviews of these colors.

Here I compared Chalkin' Pink to Saint Germain (bottom left) and Nyx Macaron Rose (bottom right)

Monday to Friday: My Lipstick Challenge

So last week, I proposed a challenge to myself.  I would wear lipstick everyday for a week.  Seven days of lipstick, seven different colors.  I also did seven different brands but that really wasn’t part of my challenge.  Since I work from home, I don’t always have a reason to wear makeup everyday.  I’d hate to just waste it by wearing it around the house.  But I did my challenge and I had some fun doing it.

My challenge began as a Monday to Friday kind of thing, but I ended up doing better than I could have expected.

Buxom Wicked Pink

SUNDAY

Sunday, I wore Buxom’s Wicked Pink.  A little self-gift for Valentine’s day.  This one is probably the newest to my collection and is a beautiful color.  It had me from hello, I knew I just had to get it once I saw that beautiful color.  It’s got a nice feel to the lips as well as being a beautiful color.

BH cosmetics Boom

MONDAY

Monday, I wore BH cosmetics Boom.  This is one of the lipsticks I got for Christmas.  It’s a nice neon, pastel pink.  It’s from the Artpop line and one of three colors I have from this line.  These lipsticks apply opaquely and have a really nice feel.  They are a great deal and I recommend them for any lipstick lover.

Wet N Wild 104

TUESDAY

Tuesday, I wore Wet N Wild Natural Blend in 104.  These have names that are found on the packaging and you have to remove the packaging to use the product.  I believe this one might be called Tart.  These are nice, opaque tinted lip balms.

Mac Long Legged and Fabulous

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, I wore Mac Long Legged and Fabulous.  This is a pastel pink.  This isn’t the best Mac lipstick.  It doesn’t go on as well as some of the others I own and wears patchy.

Maybelline Pink Sand

THURSDAY

Thursday, I wore Maybelline Pink Sand.  This is an old favorite of mine.  I wore this almost everyday of high school.  I love the Maybelline lipsticks and this one is especially creamy.  I recently had to replace my old one, so I am more than ready to dig into this one.

Revlon Coquette

FRIDAY

Friday, I wore Revlon’s Coquette.  This is a nice tinted lip balms.  Revlon has a lot of really nice lip balms.  This one is from the lacquer collection.  It’s a dark pink with a bit of shimmer and leaves a slight stain behind when you take it off.

YSL 19 Fuchsia in Rage

SATURDAY

Saturday, I wore YSL Fuchsia in Rage or 19.  This is another lipstick I got for Christmas.  I can now officially say I’ve tried all of my YSL lipsticks.  This lipstick is darker and more purple in the tube than it is on the lips.  I really like these YSL lipsticks but I’m not sure they’re worth the price tag.

Top, Left to right:  BH cosmetics Boom, Wet N Wild 104, Mac Long Legged and Fabulous, Maybelline Pink Sand, and Revlon Coquette
Bottom: YSL 19 Fuchsia in Rage and Buxom Wicked Pink

Bite Amuse Bouche Lipstick

I had been waiting to write this until I got a chance to try the lipstick in person, but I’ve been patiently waiting and these still haven’t appeared in my local Sephora.  I really love a lot of these colors so I can’t wait to waste my money on even more lipstick.  There are roughly 34 lipsticks at $26 each.

For those unfamiliar with Bite beauty, they are a company who use only food grade ingredients in their lipstick.  These means the lipstick is healthier than your average chemical based lipsticks.  What Bite has really been missing is a good, permanent lipstick line.  This line is varied and certainly provides a color for every shade preference.

I, of course, love Souffle.  Those pastel pinks, but you only need so many of those shades.  And I probably don’t need another.  Dragonfruit, described as a magenta violet, might be something I don’t already own.  I do have quite a few magenta type shades though and I don’t even reach for those anymore.  Decisions, decisions...

Bite Souffle

Bite Spritzer

Bite Dragonfruit

Bite Ginn Fizz

Bite Persimmon

The reviews say these are creamy, moisturizing, and well-pigmented.  The good reviews far outway the bad, so it looks like we have a pretty, solid product.