Maybelline Baby Lips Winter 2015 Limited Edition Review + Swatches on Dark Skin

 

 

    I spotted these lip balms at Walmart a couple weeks ago in a display and I picked them up. One of my first reviews on this blog covered Maybelline's limited edition baby lips collection for Winter 2014 and I can't believe we've went full circle and come back to this point!

     I picked up this lip balms for $3.97 or so at Walmart. I only picked up Mint Please, Sprinkled Pink and Spice it Up! There's a fourth shade called Cocoa Crush but it was all sold out so I never got a chance to swatch it!

      I'm not going to give an in depth review of Baby Lips because I've done that countless times on this blog so I'm just going to show you what these lip balms look like on someone with NW45 skin.

      Here's Mint Please. It was called Mint Candy in the UK and honestly I like that name better than this one! I love the little earmuffs on the package though. It's almost clear with a pale pink base. I really wanted it to be clear like all the other bloggers said, but it's got a white base in there that shows up on pigmented lips. Mint Please smells faintly of mint but doesn't tingle on the lips like other minty lip balms that I've tried.






















      This pink shade is Sprinkled Pink. It was called Sugar Cookie in the UK. Sprinkled Pink is a cool toned pink with silver shimmer. Sprinkled Pink smells faintly of vanilla.





















       The red balm is Spice it Up! It's called Sweet Apple in the UK and I love that name! Spice it Up! is a pink red shade. It's much more pigmented than Cherry Me from the original and permanent Baby Lips line. It smells mostly like cinnamon and ginger with a faint apple note in the background.

       So here's a swatch of all the shades side by side.

 

Mint Please swatched on lips. It looks fine in the picture but in real life it looks pale and completely washes me out. 

    

 

Sprinkled Pink swatched on my lips. This shade was a huge no-no. It sinks into all of my lip lines and I can never get an even application with this shade. This one left my lips much drier then the other ones and I'm guessing it's because this one has shimmer in it.

 

Spice it Up! swatched on my lips. Easily my favourite shade on the collection. It applies very evenly and smoothly and looks great on my lips, no sinking into lines or being patchy. It's deeper and more red in real life.

I can't wait to see what shades Maybelline will come out with for the Spring 2016 collection! 



Blistex Soft & Lush Lip Balm Review

 

 

I was browsing Walmart as I am wont to do and I spotted this cute little tube. It called to me immediately. Maybe it was the soft cherry blossoms on the packaging, or the pearly pink tube or the fact that I promised me a "creamy smooth texture for supple, kissable lips", maybe it was all of the above.

Claims from the packaging: Blistex Soft & Lush brings lips to a deeper level of softness for the ultimate in soft, kissable lips. A smooth, rich, blend of moisturizers and conditioners for unparalleled softness. The super lush, ceramide-enhanced formula helps lips retain moisture leaving them supple and deeply hydrated. Plus SPF sun protection. This lip balm retails for about $3.67.

If you've been following my blog for some time you'll know that I abhor greasy, thin lip balms and love thick creamy lip balms. This lip balm doesn't disappoint. While it isn't as creamy as a Nivea lip butter, it's wonderfully creamy and feels so comforting on my lips.

The hydration on this lip balm is fantastic. I feel like this lip balm is sinking into my lips and hydrating them, not just sitting on the upper layer.

Soft & Lush is clear with no hints of whiteness which certainly is impressive considering the fact that this lip balm has an SPF of 15. I remember I bought Nivea's Sun Protection lip balm and that thing was like applying white lipstick to my lips, no word of a lie! So Soft & Lush certainly impressed me.

The smell of this lip balm was a surprise as well. I was expecting it to be scentless or softly floral but this balm had a totally different smell. It smells so good! Literally like a French Vanilla from Tim Hortons. Or like a coffee cake drizzled with vanilla icing. It's really a delicious smell. It's sweet and delectable without being cloying.

It tastes pretty inoffensive too if you happen to taste a little of it. It's mostly tasteless with a slight sweetness from the saccharin.

In short I really like this lip balm and I actually reach for this more then my Holy Grail Nivea Essential lip balm.

Likes:
1. Creamy, rich texture
2. Hydration
3. SPF without whiteness
4. Delicious smell
5. Affordable price

Dislikes:

None, I'd be nitpicking.

A

Farleyco.ca September 2015 Gifts with Purchase Review

   In August I made a purchase from Farleyco.ca and these were the two gifts I received for free with my purchase. No minimum. If you order from Farleyco.ca you will received these as well, no minimum purchase needed until October 31st 2015.

    X3 Coconut Burst Lip Balm claims: X3 Coconut Burst 100% Organic Virgin Coconut Oil lip balm is formulated to help moisturize, heal and protect dry, chapped lips. Nourished with Pure Argan Oil and Cocoa Butter, Coconut Burst softens and conditions to help protect even the driest lips.
 
    This lip balm retails for $2.99CDN. I didn't take a picture of the back of the package to show you the ingredients but this lip balm had a high concentration of coconut oil. Not only does coconut oil break me out but it feels so greasy on my lips so I knew I wasn't going to be too pleased with this lip balm. It smells incredible - exactly like pina coladas - but it was greasier then Maybelline's Baby Lips lip balm. My lips felt slathered in oil that was just slipping around on the surface and not penetrating to moisturize. Needless to say I didn't like this lip balm and I'm glad I got it for free. I definitely wouldn't repurchase it.

   Inecto Naturals Coconut Hand & Nail Cream claims: This intensive little hand and nail cream is a must-have. It conditions your nails, softens your cuticles and protects your hands leaving your skin looking bright and radiant all day. A little saviour for dry hands, this lightweight non-greasy cream will provide much needed relief. Infused with Pure Organic Coconut Oil your hands will be beautifully moisturised and silky smooth.

     This hand cream retails for $3.99CDN. This hand cream is really lovely. It's got a runnier texture then most of the hand creams that I've tried but it absorbs into my hands and cuticles so easily! My skin feels so hydrated after I use this cream. There's no fragrance in this cream but it still manages to smell so lovely. It doesn't smell at all like coconuts but smells more like vanilla cupcakes.
   
   There's coconut oil in it but there's something about the formula that manages to keep it from being greasy and slippery. I am in love with this hand cream and I find myself reaching for it all the time.
 
    My one criticism of this hand cream is the screw lid because after you've got this hand cream on your hands, it's difficult to close. It's not deeply moisturizing (if you have really dry hands you'll need something thicker) but my hands are in a good state right now so I don't mind. Aside from that I adore this hand cream.

   Out of these two I could only recommend the Inecto Naturals Coconut hand and nail cream because of how outstanding it is. I'm a definite fan!

Maybelline Baby Lips Gloss Lilac Lumi Review

 

 

   As soon as I heard Maybelline was going to release lip gloss counterparts to their baby lips glosses I was very excited. I love moisturizing lip glosses so trying out these glosses was a definite must.

Claims from the Maybelline.com website: Kiss off sticky gloss! Color + shine meets serious care. 0% sticky: a new no sticky to shine. 100% creamy shine: creamy comfort and Vitamin E. 4HR moisture; caring oils moisturize, smooth & soften for four hours so lips never feel dry.

I bought this gloss online at Well.ca for $5.99. I picked up the colour lilac lumi because I heard it was the most pigmented shade and from reading the reviews I heard that lilac lumi lasts the longest. At the time of writing this post, Well.ca only has three shades available one from each shade grouping; Pink-A-Boo from the creams, Lilac Lumi from the shimmers and Fab & Fuchsia from the jellies.

Lilac lumi is a sheer purple gloss with violet and blue shimmer. On my lips it gives my lips a soft hint of lilac. The shimmers aren't very evident on my lips. The colour barely shows up on my pigmented lips. I get just a slight hint of colour. Two dips of the wand yields this soft wash of purple on my lips. I don't really mind at all, as glosses are rarely incredibly pigmented and I do prefer sheer and semi-sheer products. In addition to that, I only bought this gloss to use on those days when I wanted something hydrating comfy on my lips and didn't want to reach for something very pigmented.

The feel of this gloss is really nice. I actually like the way this lip gloss feels much better then the baby lips lip balm! This gloss feels creamy and smooth whereas the baby lips balm can feel thin and greasy (Maybelline got that creamy comfort line right!). I can feel a bit of the shimmer - similar to the texture of the baby lips crystal lip balm - but it's barely recognizable over the creamy feel of the gloss.

The wand doesn't grab a lot of product and I find I have to double and triple dip to get enough product on my lips. The tip of the doe foot is rather small and only the tip gets a little dollop of gloss for every dip you do.

The smell of this lip balm is similar to the original Quenched baby lips. It's lemony and sweet and slightly artificial. For me it doesn't linger too long and I'm glad because it's a scent I don't like.

I find this gloss lasts for about three hours which is pretty close to Maybelline's claims. While this gloss is on it does feel hydrating. It feels tackier later on in the wear but I find that's standard with a lot of glosses.

In short; I like the texture of this gloss better then Maybelline's baby lips balm and I'm eagerly awaiting their local drugstore release so I can get another shade. I wouldn't get more then one from each grouping as these glosses are sheer so they probably all look the same once on my lips.

Likes:

1. Creamy feel
2. Nice hydration
3. Not sticky
4. Balmy shine

Dislikes:

1. Doe foot is small
2. Smell is very synthetic

B+

Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm Review

One of my friends was extolling the virtues of Burt's Bees lip balm so I couldn't resist it anymore. I'm a major lip balm fiend, I've got to try everything so I snagged this lip balm during Target's liquidation sale and here are my thoughts.

 

I bought this lip balm for about $4 at Target but it regularly retails for $4.98. Not worth the price with the experience I've received.

Claims from the Burt's Bees Canada Website: Reward yourself with a sweet treat. Made with sweet, soothing honey, this natural lip balm moisturises and nourishes lips. Plus, it’s packed with beeswax, shea butter, almond oil, cocoa butter and lanolin to keep your lips soft and healthy-looking. Your lips will look as sweet as they taste.

Oh. My. God. There couldn't be anymore fallacies!!! This lip balm wrecked my lips. Maybe I got a bad tube or something but this lip balm was horrendous. It smelt so rank, I couldn't use it. It smelt like camphor and vinegar. There was no sweet taste to speak of. This lip balm tasted as nightmarishly as it smelt.

What I did like was how the lip balm felt. When my lips heated it up it was thick and creamy on my lips. But for the most part it was as tough as nails. I felt like I was rubbing a stick of pure beeswax onto my lips.


In addition to that, my lips broke out in a rash thanks to my test-driving this lip balm. It lasted for three days. I wouldn't touch this lip balm with a ten foot pole. I know I'm being melodramatic but I think I have a right to because of the allergic reaction I suffered at the hands of this lip balm.


I would not repurchase this lip balm ever. I do believe Burt's Bees must have some good lip balms in their arsenal if people keep talking about how good their lip balms are. So I will keep checking out the Burt's bees line.


Likes:


1. Occasional thick and creamy feel
2. All natural ingredients


Dislikes:


1. Horrific smell
2. Horrendous taste
3. Tough texture
4. Major allergic reaction

F-

 

Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm Review

I'm really sorry I hadn't tried this lip balm earlier.

Claims from the Pixi website: Awaken lips with this super-nourishing balm. The unique formula is rich but lightweight and gives a gorgeous wash of colour to lips – it’s the perfect pick-me-up anytime! Packed full of beneficial ingredients, this balm soothes lips immediately & nourishes them long term.

Regularly this retails for $8CAD but I got it during Target Canada's liquidation sale so I got it for $6.40. I purchased Comfort Clear which is perfectly clear. The lip balm smells like warm vanilla with a soft plastic note. The smell isn't too overpowering so I don't mind how odd it smells.

The texture of the lip balm is amazing. This lip balm is creamy and just melts onto your lips. Honestly when I apply it I feel like its going to break but it doesn't and it coats my lips in pure hydration. I absolutely adore the way the lip balm feels on my lips.

I would repurchase this lip balm again, if I could! Too bad Target left, there's no way for me to get a hold of Pixi unless I cross the border or visit the UK.

Likes:

1. The moisture!
2. The melty texture!

Dislikes

1. The plastic-y smell.
2. The unavailability
3. Rather pricey for a clear lip balm. We're beginning to into Sephora level prices here.

B

Maybelline Limited Edition Holiday Baby Lips 2014 Ruby Star & Winter Flush Review

I'm a fickle fan of the Maybelline Baby Lips Line. Sometimes I put them on my lips and they feel like pure heaven. Other times I put them on and they feel like grease that refuses to sink into my skin. I love sheer red lips, so I snagged this two pack just for Ruby Star. I purchased these from Wal-Mart for about $6.

Both have a peppermint smell and go onto lips feeling fairly minty. I don't care for minty scents or tingles but it's there. Ruby Star is the pink tube while Winter Flush is the red tube. Ruby Star is a fairly pigmented blue toned red lip balm. Winter Flush is an almost milky peachy red with the slightest shimmer (its absolutely unnoticable on lips).

I swatched Strike A Rose next to these two because I though that Strike A Rose might be very similar to Winter Flush. Unfortunately it's not. Winter Flush is definitely less pink then the permanent electro shade.

I love Ruby Star but I don't like Winter Flush. It's the sort of lip balm that clings to any dry patches on your lips and that is just intolerable in a lip balm (at least to me). Ruby Star just glides right over my lips and masks any dry patches.

I know Baby Lips tends to have a very slippery formula, but these can feel extra slippery to me at times and even downright greasy. Maybelline says these lip balms keep your lips moisturized for up to 8 hours and I don't find that to be true; reapplication is necessary. And really when they glide on so easily application isn't a problem.

I wish Ruby Star had come in a package by itself.

Likes:

1. The cool red colour of Ruby Star
2. The "wetness" of the lip balm feels very moisturizing on dry lips initially
3. How easily these lip balsm glide on

Dislikes:

1. How greasy these lip balms can feel
2. How Winter Flush clings to dry patches
3. Peppermint smell

Winter Flush C 

Ruby Star B