NEW! Lypsyl Lip Balm

Lypsyl is a balm I don't have a lot of experience with. A lot of people rave about it, but I've just never seen any good flavors I've been interested in picking up. But I saw one recently that was flavored vanilla plum, and I knew I had to get it. 

It is stated as a "Silky Swedish Beeswax Lip Balm". I am guessing it is the Swedish version of Burt's Bees? The tube is cute, and has a push-up lever instead of being screwed up from the bottom. It also has an SPF of 15 which is always nice in lip balm. The ingredients seem pretty straight forward (beekswax, shea butter, acai, etc.). After a couple swipes it goes on pretty smooth and clear, but is also kind of thick and heavy(which I am not entirely too found of). It does, however, moisturize pretty well. The smell is kind of odd. It is kind of a medicated plum smell with almost no vanilla. Something in it just smells a little off, kind of like cough syrup. I am a little dissapointed; I was expecting much more vanilla.

Overall, it's an okay lip balm, but I have also used better. I think the smell of this one threw me off, and it is a little too heavy on the lips for me.

Jordana Blam Stains: Round Two!

So. Jordana Twist and Shine balm stains. Apparently a lot of people like them. I like them. And we finally got some more in my area, so I bought two more! And they are oh so lovely. I also included additional swatches of Honey Love. 

07: Rock N Rogue

 This a red with slight pink undertones. It goes on very pigmented and smooth. It is very lovely, and a red I can easily wear. It does not go on as thick or heavy as a lipstick and looks a little fresher. You might even be able to pull this off without a lip liner. Like the other balm stains in this collection, it smells a little fruity, goes on smooth, and is decently moisturizing. Overall a lovely red that just doesn't seem as intimidating as lipstick, with just as much pigment.

08: Terra Crave

 Terra Crave is a warm, spice brown. It has a very nice, natural color to it. It is an easy color to throw on in the morning, and a brown even I can wear (honestly, I think I look awful in browns!). If you are thinking about a brown, this would be a nice color to get a feel for. Like the other balm stains, it is pigmented, smooth, and has a vaguely fruity smell. 

05: Honey Love

This color is similar to Terra Crave, in the fact that is a nice natural color, but with more plum/pink. This is a great natural shade for people with more pink in their skin. This is one of my favorite shades in the collection. It makes my lips almost perfect. Like previously stated, it goes on smooth, is super pigmented, and has a vaguely fruity smell.

NEW! Salon Perfect: Fall Collection

So I don't usually buy Salon Perfect. The only place in my area you can readily buy it is Walmart, and I usually avoid buying makeup from Walmart like the plague. But when I saw the fall display, new and unmarked with smears of polish people have tested, I knew I had to give it a shot. So I ended up buying two of the shades; Ivy League and Dirty Martini.

232: Ivy League

I don't know why this is called Ivy League. It's not green, but blue. Am I missing something? Oh well. The color is a deep sapphire blue with flashes of green. This is another of those Is-That-Black? shades. Close up or in super bright light, you can see the deep blue color of the polish. From far away, however, it does look pretty black. I have a couple of shades similar to this, so to me, it's not a spectacular color. It's a little streaky with one coat, but two really evens it out. The dry time is kind of slow as well (I'm not sure if that's normal for this brand). But it is a pretty jewel-toned sapphire, which will look really nice this fall.

215: Dirty Martini

This color is a unique, wonderful green. It reminds me of dying grass (is that weird?). It is a very stunning shade, one that I don't believe I own anything close to. It is a dark green/gold combination, with a little hint of brown. It goes on well with one coat, looks great with two. The dry time is slow, but again, I rarely use this brand so I'm not sure if that's normal or not. But the color is fantastic, a  beautiful green-gold that will really flash this fall!

Light Box!

I did an experiment recently. One that tested my handiness and my mettle. That is, I made a light box! It was really easy and not that expensive ($50, tops). All I did was cut out the sides of a box, cover it in thin, white cloth, stuck some matte white poster board inside, and shined two lights on the sides. And, viola! A light box (that kind of works!). So nothing new to review today. But here are some pictures I took of Essie: For the Twill Of It! They look so much better.

 With Flash. So white!

 Without flash. Little better.

 Look at those colors! Some flashes of green, pink, gold, and purple.

My humble box! Not perfect, but it works better than a kitchen counter top.

NEW! Essie Fall Trend Collection

The Fall Essie colors have finally arrived in my area! Well, four of the six colors at least (boo!). The colors consist of a few cremes, a crelly, and a very interesting duocrome. The two that I am missing are Cashmere Bathrobe (a glittery grey) and Twin Setter Set (a true crelly red). 

1039: The Lace Is On

 Two coats on left, on coat on right.

 This color is a very pretty, shimmery, jewel-toned magenta. In the right light, there is also a very small flash of gold. The color is stunning, the formula is wonderful, and it applies like a charm. It is a two-coater, however. One coat looks nice, but two coats really brings out the beauty of it!

1042: Vested Interest

 Two coats on right, one coat on left.

I love these colors. Cool, dusty, grey-greens are always a must have for fall. It applies super even, looks great at one coat, and has a super glossy finish. Essie always comes out with wonderful greens during fall, and this is no exception!

1041: After School Boy Blazer

 Two coats on top, one coat on bottom.

This is a dark, true navy (almost a black from far away). It is super opaque and looks great at one coat, and that shine! It's perfect and glossy. It is almost a crelly to me, but it leans just a little more to the creme side. Overall, a wonderful navy.

1040: For the Twill of It

 One coats on top, two coats on bottom. 

 I saved the best for last. This is a gorgeous gray/green/pink/gold chrome that shifts color depending on the light. It never stays as one color, and always has some new color to show. It is also a wonderful fall chrome. two coats of this baby and it's perfection!

Overall, a great collection, a wonderful formula, and a nice array for fall!

Battle of the Balm Stains: Jordana vs Revlon

Recently I reviewed the new Jordana balm stains. Today I will be comparing two of the Jordana balm stains to two of the Revlon's. They are both moisturzing balm stains, and both tubes have 2.7g. Revlon retails for about $6-8, while Jordana is only about $3-4. All swatches are done with four coats.

The first two I will be comparing are Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 001: Honey to Jordana Twist and Shine Balm Stain in 05: Honey Love. Both of these shades are YLBB shades; a very subtle pinkish-brown. However, Revlon seems to be more on the sheer side than the Jordana, as well as a lighter shade. They both go on very smooth and both are very moisturizing (though I find the Revlon to be a touch more moisturizing). They both also last a pretty decent while, though Revlon seems to last longer on my lips then Jordana. I found myself reapplying Jordana once or twice on an eight-hour work shift, while usually I rarely reapply Revlon. However, Revlon does tend to stain the lips, while Jordana doesn't leave a mark.

The second two I will be comparing is Revlon in 025: Sweetheart to Jordana in 03: Tropical Frenzy. Both of these are bright pink shades, perfect for spring or summer! The sheerness between these two are really obvious. Jordana wins by far with pigmentation. It also has a little more shimmer to it then the Revlon. Like before, they both go on very smooth, though Revlon seems a little more moisturizing and lighter. Like above, Revlon's tends to have more staying power, though it can stain the lips, while Jordana's doesn't leave a trace once removed.

Overall, they are both very nice products. Jordana has more pigmentation, Revlon has more moisturization. If you are looking for a highly pigmented product, I would go with Jordana. If you are looking for something that is a little lighter (both color and weight), then go with Revlon. I quite enjoy them both, and you can't go wrong with either of them!

Burt's Bees: Revitalizaing and Soothing

I have found two new Burt's Bees items in my area! And I am very excited because one of them is chocolate! Yum! The first one I found is Revitalizing, and contains blueberry and dark chocolate. The second one is Soothing (which I think is just new to my area) and has eucalyptus and menthol.

Revitalizing was the first one I tried. It goes on clear and smooth, and feels great. The first thing I noticed was the dark chocolate smell. The smell is a little overwhelming at first, and more tart then sweet. When I put it on, though, and wore it around, the blueberry really started to come out. It's very subtle, and you have to kind of be looking for it, but it gives the chocolate and sweet twinge it didn't have before. It has almost no taste, so I'm not tempted to lick it off my lips!

The second one I got was Soothing. This one also goes on clear and smooth, and gives my lips that cold feeling that menthol tends to do. Scent wise, I can really smell both the eucalyptus and the menthol (kind of like Vicks). It smells very much like a medicated chapstick. Once it was on, the smell dissipated a little bit, and my lips felt cool for quite a long time! This one has a little bit of a medicated taste to it, but it's only there when I really licked my lips. Otherwise, I didn't notice it at all. I can see me really going for this when my lips get burnt.

Overall, Burt's Bees has come out with some great new products. I love them both, though none will overcome my love for the Grapefruit one (it tastes and smells so good). But these are both great additions, especially the Soothing! I will defiantly have one handy for those sunny days.