WINTER LIP BALMS

When it gets to Winter I think all of us crack out the more intensive skincare, the nourishing masks, and the thick body creams, as well as the lip balms. If anyone is like myself, the balm section of your lip drawer is overflowing and you aren't quite sure which ones you should reach for. I have 2 budget friendly recommendations that I use constantly to keep my lips ready for whatever weather (and lip stick) is thrown at them.

The first is one I've used numerous tubes of - Nivea Milk & Honey. It's thick, smells really natural and almost somehow cosy, and does one hell of a job at keeping the lips nourished. I use this in the morning before makeup application, as well as in the evenings among my skincare routine upon makeup removal. This is usually about £3 so doesn't break the bank and lasts quite a while.

The second is the Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm, in just the regular formula/scent. It's minty and refreshing and isn't as thick as the Nivea offering. This is the one you could use during the day when we want a bit of a kick of nourishment as well as a minty flavour. This is £4-5 and so isn't that expensive either and could do well as a little stocking filler this Christmas.

Honestly, lip balms are one of my biggest necessities in Winter as the feeling of sore chapped lips genuinely makes me shudder.I know the Nuxe Reve de Miel is on my wishlist but until then, these serve me more than well.

BLOGGING ESSENTIALS

Through personal preference, there are a lot of things that I like to have desk-side when I am writing a blog post, or planning one, which includes a few beauty bits, some stationery and the technology bits and bobs.

Technology: When I am writing a post, I will always use the laptop, as this is just easy to type on (I'm sure the space is running low with the amount of photos I have on there), and makes the whole process easy. This is a family laptop which we have had for a good possibly 5 years and I have kind of inherited it now as a new one entered the household. It has been through a lot; smashed screens, viruses, and some of the keys have even gone faulty, but for the time being it serves me well enough.
My iPad Mini is something I always have nearby in case I want to do some quick research, have an Instagram check-in, or watch all the videos from the current youtuber obession - this device comes in pretty handy.

Water, lots of the stuff. Remember my New Year's resolution to drink more of the stuff, well I have been sticking to it. A pen and my blogging book are always nearby, so that I can flick through the notes I have made for an upcoming edit, or just to write down my blog's current stats. Whichever it is, they are a must have for me.

Of course, being a beauty blogger and all, I like to have a few products nearby. Maybe the one I am reviewing at the time, or I like to have a lip balm, and some hand cream as recently my hands have been so dry. Also, I like to paint my nails whilst either typing, editing photos, or watching youtube videos. What you see here is the Burt's Bees Beeswax Lipbalm, the Rimmel 60Seconds Nail Polish in Rose Libertine, Burt's Bees Hand Salve, and my current obsession which is Soap & Glory Hand Food. 

What are your blogging essentials?

 

BEDSIDE TABLE BEAUTY

Most of us fellow beauty bloggers will have at least one beauty product located near us at all times, one of the main destinations for me (in second place after the handbag) is the bedside chest. 

Monochrome furniture - what a surprise. This little chest is the Argos Sywell 2 Drawer Bedside Chest in White Gloss and Black and I have the wardrobe, desk, and drawers to match, which is lovely. Alongside that, I have the purple lamp from The Range, and the matching purple wall in the back, which I loved when I got it decorated, but since then I realised that you could create a white, girly, floral, Cath Kidston esc. room...

In this little pot from Ikea (the mothership of furniture and storage - especially for beauty purposes), I hold all of my bedtime beauty essentials. 
Of course, we have the deep sleep must-haves, one of which being the This Works Sleep Balm, which has cracked and the lid doesn't attach anymore, but I should hope to get another when this runs out anyway. Also, I have the Le Mas des Collines Pillow Spray, which unfortunately leaked when I traveled on holiday, so I am on the hunt for a replacement. 

We then have the OPI Avojuice Vanilla Snowflake Hand & Body Lotion, for a pre-sleep moisture boost, so my hands are plumped and nourished in the morning. Alongside this, we have the classic Vaseline, but I don't use this often. I also have the Nivea Soft Rosé Lipbalm which smells like Play-Doh but is always a downside I guess, but it definitely is thick and nourishing. 

Throw in some throat sweets, a mini nail file and buffer, some tweezers and some decorative stones at the bottom of the pot, place an Eiffel Tower decoration and a purple heart shaped rock on top, and your bedisde beauty display is complete. 

  

 

UK Baby Lips!

Hi guys!

I think it is safe to say thay over in the States, you are very lucky when it comes to products being released. (I'm not sure about all products, but definitely in this case). It was such a long time ago when I first heard about the Maybelline Baby Lips, and they have only just been released here in the UK. So far, I have 4, as the others didn't really interest me too much, although I will still end up coming home with them one day.

In the range we currently have, there are 3 tinted ones, and 3 that aren't tinted, and are designed to hydrate the lips more, and some give SPF 20 Protection.

From left to right, we have Mint Fresh (not tinted), Peach Kiss, Pink Punch, and Cherry Me, which are the 3 tinted ones. I seriously love the packaging, it is cute and colourful which isn't my normal preference with packaging (I'm a matte black packaging person, but to be honest I probably wouldn't be interested in these if that was the case), and there is contrasting coloured cute bubble writing, and these just look nice on top of a chest of drawers, or they brighten up your collection!

Here you can see all the names on the original packaging for the baby lips, just for you to see. The mint one actually has SPF 20 in it, so I shall be using that if it is sunny!

So here I have swatched: Peach Kiss, Pink Punch and Cherry Me. You can see that Cherry Me has the best colour payoff, or a lovely dark pinky red, and following on from that is Pink Punch, which leaves the lips with a sheer baby pink gloss, and then finally Peach Kiss which leaves a stunning nude shimmer on the lips, and I have been topping this one up on the lips a lot, and I only got it the other day!

I also love the mint one, it is really refreshing and almost leaves a tingly feeling on the lips. I am a sucker for mint, and so this really floats my boat for everyday use when you don't really want much colour. 

As for hydration to the lips, the packet claims to give you 8 hours of moisture. I wouldn't really agree with that, as it is hard for any lip balm to do that to the lips. Though, these have a really lovely thick, balmy texture and I do feel like they could keep your lips in good condition, but I am an addict to these and like to keep putting them on again and again, sometimes when I don't even need it! Haha!

Have you tried the Maybelline Baby Lips, or are you still hoping to get your hands on them? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading, 

Lauren x

  

NYC AppleLicious Lip Balm Review - Apple Blueberry Pie

Hi guys!

A few weeks ago, the pound shops had been stocking up on some quality products. I don't always like to buy things from the discount/pound shops, because I feel like I am being very cheap/tight to not buy anything from actual shops, but if it is quality products and I am making a saving, I am more than happy to.

I found a duo set in there, of 2 NYC Products. One was a waterproof liner pencil, and the other was this, AppleLicious Glossy Lip Balm in the shade Apple Blueberry Pie. I was then later informed that this is a shade not available in the UK (I think), which was even better!

You may realise, I have made a collage for this product. You may have also noticed that Megan made a collage for her recent blog post! I promise I am not copying, there is literally no explanation other than the fact that I think we are telepathic. 

I love the fact that this has a little apple on it, in a different colour, but when you apply it, it slightly fades but not completely. The packaging is cute too, pink with silver shimmer in it, and silver writing.They even replaced the 'o' with an apple!

I put the pictures on again, in full just so you could see a little closer. I am very proud of how these pictures turned out actually! If you think I have used too many pictures, let me know, or maybe you prefer it this way?

The product itself is quite sheer and balmy, but you can get a nice colour payoff with this, it is very versatile. I love the colour, a slightly shimmery, blue-pink/almost purple-ish colour, and I have been wearing this so much recently! It is very moisturising and nourishing on the lips too, despite having some shimmer, as sometimes that can leave a gritty feeling on the lips. I seriously adore the smell of this too, it is slightly 'artificially', apple smelling, but you can't help but love it, artificial or not. 

Have you tried any of these balms from NYC? I really want to get my hands on some more, and they are super affordable too, only £2.49 a pop, which is great!

Thanks for reading guys, 

Lauren x

MUA Power Pouts | Review

Hi guys!

So, whilst delving through my makeup, I rediscovered the MUA Power Pouts (I own 2) and I decided that I should do a review on them as I had some pictures floating around. I will always be loyal to the beloved Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, because the quality of them is like no other and they are more thick and 'stain' like. But these are a nice cheaper alternative if you are just getting into makeup, or are on a budget. These are £3 a pop, and there are about 5 different colours, from red, to nude.

I have the colours Justify, which is a sheer red/orange-coral, and this one was a gamble for me because oranges don't suit me, but the colour inside doesn't give you a spaghetti mouth like the packaging suggests, so it's all good.... haha! I also have Broken Hearted which is a bright pink, with a slight (very small) almost burgundy tone to it. It isn't really close the packaging colour but it follows that idea. You can see in the picture below, that you can actually build up a nice colour with these.

Compared to the Revlon Just Bitten Kissables, these are a lot more balm like, opposed to stain like, and so they have a much more glossy look on the lips,  and sometimes I prefer this, but I am one to prefer the Revlon ones at most times. I find that the colour lasts longer and does actually stain the lips when I wear the Revlon ones, but I do still love the MUA ones for when I want something a little lighter.

I think after writing this post, I think I need to go and buy some more of the Revlon ones! They are 2 for £10 at the moment, for lips, nails and mascara, maybe a balm stain and a lip butter? I could buy 2 of each if I was daring enough, but I feel bad spending once I have got it home!

Thanks for reading,

Lauren x

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My Top Summer SPF Lip Products

Hi guys!

So I think here in the UK it is actually safe to call it summer, and with all this sunshine,  I need to whip out some SPF. I also have a lot of lip products and balms with SPF in them too, so I thought I would share my favourites with you. By the way, I am likely to be holding a Blog Sale (yay!) early next week so please let me know if this is something you are interested in. 

Lets get onto the products!

The first product I love is this lip balm with SPF 15. It is from the brand 'UltraSun' and the lipbalm itself is called UltraLip. The company specialise in sun protection, and so I always know that this is a reliable one to keep with me when it's hot. It doesn't have any colour, and it is extremely moisturising on the lips, especially if they have got a little sore from the sun, this will soothe that a bit too. 

Another lip balm with SPF that I love is the Strawberry ChapStick. This only has SPF10 but it still is better than none at all. It has a lovely scent, which bearing in mind I do not like artificial strawberry scents at all, this must be good in some way. It doesn't apply really much colour at all, but if you put a lot of this on you will get a slight tint to the lips. 

Although I really do not like the taste of the Sleek Pout Polishes, they give a nice pigmented colour to the lips and also provide you with sun protection, so sometimes the taste has to be forgotten. This one is in the shade Powder Pink and is the only one I own, and one day I hope they will change the formula so they taste better and then I can buy some more, as they are really good products!

Finally, one of my absolute favourites is the Malibu Lipcare mint flavoured lip balm. This is a lovely moisturising and thick lip balm with a long lasting softening effect on the lips - I do not have to apply this very often at all compared to some lipbalms. This one also has the highest SPF so whilst it has been really hot I have been slathering this on.

So, they were my favourite lip products with SPF in for summer, let me know yours in the comments, as I love to buy more! (I am a lipbalm addict haha!). 

Also, don't forget to let me know if you are interested in me having a blog sale, as I think it may be up at the weekend or Monday!

Thanks for reading! Lauren x

My large advertiser this month is www.thebestmakeupproducts.com If you are interested in advertising on this blog visit the Sponsor and Advertisers pages on my blog. 

Gosh Soft 'n' Shine Lip Balm (Barbie) | Review and Swatches

Hi guys!

As you may know, I already own a lot of Gosh Soft 'n Shine Lip Balms, and Barbie is one of them. When I was sent this one for review, I was so excited, because the one I have at the moment, melted, and broke. This one is so perfect! Well, it was, until I scraped it on the window, when I was waving it around going mental. Barbie is a stunning bright medium pink creme colour, with no shimmer, and has a sheen/glossy finish to it, and smells like vanilla. What more could you want from a lip colour?!

The lasting power of these is average, and last for at least an hour at a time, because as it is a balm rather than a stain/balm stain or a lipstick, it doesn't cling to the lips as much, it just makes the look more glossy, but the colour is highly pigmented.

I really love these balms, and I have 8 of them now.. Is that excessive? I suppose if you find a good product, you like to have lots of shades of them! But I have a feeling that they are discontinued now..:( 
Have you tried any of these?

Let me know in the comments!

Don't forget to follow, and comment!
Lauren x