Review: Lip Smacker Lip Balm in Cotton Candy

Howdy! I'm back from my long weekend vacation! And guess what I got there aside from eating a lot of delicious foods and bonding my cousins -- An ankle sprain! Definitely placed a damper on my happy holidays =/

Anyway, I'm gonna do a review on another lipbalm product. You know me, I can't stop trying out lipbalms as I have very dry chappy lips so I'm quite a hoarder and get easily attracted to them hehe. And when it comes to flavored lipbalms on a stick, we all know Lip Smacker is one of the popular ones and it is now (well, I just saw it..not sure how long they've been around) readily available at Watsons so I gave it a try :)

 I got the Cotton Candy flavor :)

Here's what it looks like:

NET WT: 0.14oz / 4g

PRICE: Php125 
INGREDIENTS:

Here's a BEFORE and AFTER pictures:

PROS:

- It gives an instant boost of moisture that lasts a long time. 

- Even after eating/drinking I can still feel that my lips are still moisturized

- This did not give me any irritations.

- Comes in a tube packaging which is great for those who doesn't like dipping their fingers in a pot. 
Very hygienic and travel friendly.

- This comes in a variety of flavors so everyone will definitely get something to suit their taste.

- This comes clear and won't affect the color of your lipstick.

- Can be used as  a lipgloss too if you hate sticky glosses like me.

- Bonne Bell Cosmetics is the company who made Lip Smacker and as of now, it is still a cruelty-free brand.

- Available locally at Watsons.


CONS:

- Price. Although P125 is okay with me, there's some people who might think this is expensive for a lipbalm.

- I hope there's an option for a tinted lipbalm 


OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5

I love this product! Definitely a must have in your kikay kit. Fits perfectly in your pocket too so you can just take this out whenever you need it. I also liked the fact that I got this locally as I've been itching to try this since I was a kid whenever I read about Lip Smacker lipbalms on Archie Comics and Sweet Valley books hehe :)

WILL I REPURCHASE? Definitely! I will collect all the flavors :)


Thanks for dropping by! 
 

Review: Allue Lip Conditioner in Berry Blast

A rainy Wednesday everyone! The weather is so cold the whole night and even this morning so my skin is really loving it. I don't like going out when it is raining but I like the coolness it gives to the air. I ended up cuddling Hershey under my blanket while we were sleeping :)

Today, I wanted to share with you a good find that I encountered last week. I don't know what came into me but I got attracted to enter HBC at Trinoma before going home. I don't usually look around there because I believed they sell cheap products and it might cause me some allergies. This belief changed when I used their Body Recipe foot balm (I reviewed it here) which was given to me as a gift. That worked great and it was so affordable too. I started looking around and I remembered that I needed a lipbalm since all of my lipbalms at home doesn't work on my very dry lips. I got attracted to the packaging of the Allue lip conditioner so I got that one :)

ALLUE is an HBC brand that targets teens and has a slogan of "My First". The packaging is cute and girly to attract little girls and a lot of times this line is hypoallergenic to suit younger, more sensitive skin. Their price range is also very affordable so that students can afford them.

This photo is courtesy of the HBC website.  

I wanted to take a picture personally but I can't seem to get a good quality one so I ended up borrowing this picture from the website and I believe they haven't updated it yet since it's still in pink packaging.
Mine is in a baby blue packaging and the flavor I got is called Berry Blast :)

INGREDIENTS: (as written at the back of the packaging)

Ttriglyceride, Ceresine, Polybutene, Beeswax, Theobroma cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Propyl Paraben, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (Cl 15850:2)

AMOUNT OF PRODUCT: 0.12oz / 3.5g
FLAVORS AVAILABLE: Berry Blast, Orange Fizz and Vanilla Surprise
PRICE: Php45 / $1


WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT:

- It worked! I can't believe that it gives long lasting moisture to my dry, chappy lips. I don't need to reapply frequently because the moisturizing effect it gave my lips linger even if the product itself is already gone. 
I guess my lips absorbs the product well that's why it's a good treatment especially before going to bed since you will wake-up with soft lips.

- It says to have some sort of sunscreen to protect the lips from the UV rays.

- I like the fact that it doesn't leave a waxy texture on my lips. I really hated that sticky feeling.

- I liked the scent too. It's just the right hint of berry which doesn't overpower my nose. It actually smells like candy, in my opinion.

- It applies clear so it won't affect the color of your lipstick. It also gives a little shine so you can skip applying lipgloss if you're looking for a natural look.

- I love lipbalms in a tube. It is very sanitary and I can use it without needing to wash my hands.

- The packaging is very eco-friendly. It is made of carton and can be recyclable. 

- The design of the tube is very girly and cute. I wouldn't be embarrassed to use it in public.

- Very affordable. This costs Php45 ($1) only and it works better than most of my expensive lipbalms.

- Readily available in all HBC branches. They also ship internationally I believe.


WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

- They didn't specify the SPF and PA protection so I'm not sure if it's true or not.

- This contains paraben.


OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5

I am so in love with this product! I definitely recommend it to any one even for kids because ALLUE is actually meant for younger customers :)


WILL I REPURCHASE? Definitely! Why would I buy something more expensive if a cheaper one works the same or even better? ^_^


I have actually bought an Allue blush duo but I am still testing that out so I'll do a separate review on that one after a couple more days :)


Thanks for dropping by!

Review: Etude House I Miss You lipbalm

Hello everyone! Wow, time flies really fast. I did not noticed that I haven't uploaded a new post for the past weeks...been too preoccupied lately...I'm trying to spend as much time with my bf as possible since he's gonna be working abroad starting December or January..He's just waiting for his visa and plane ticket...

Anyway, you probably noticed that I'm a lipbalm junkie...I love lippies since I have dry lips and I'm always on a look out for good quality lip moisturizers. So when I visited my fave Etude House store and saw this cute lipbalm tin, I can't help myself but get it.

This is Etude House's Missing You lipbalm in Penguine case...They have 4 different types I think but I love the penguin one coz I have the matching hand lotion too hehe. This one has a flavor of green apple. This is how it looks like ^_^

The back label is written in Korean...

It's a tin can case and the inside looks like this...

I LOVE THIS because:

- It comes in a cute container. I'm really a sucker for pretty packagings hehe

- It's a tin case so it's a little durable.

- It smells good but the taste is very mild that I sometimes think I'm just "tasting" the scent of the product.

- It gives instant moisture as soon as you applied it. It reminds me of Vaseline petroleum jelly because of the texture.

- Easily accessible and affordable too.

I DON'T LIKE THIS because:

- There are times that it's hard to open the case.

- It is unsanitary to use because I need to dip my fingers into it.

- The moisture is not long lasting. Once the lipbalm disappears on my lips, my lips will get dry again.

OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5. I love using this before I sleep because I wake up with soft lips every time.

WILL I REPURCHASE THIS? Definitely! I would love to get another one once I finished all of my lipbalms ^_^

*****

Here's some pictures taken by my bf's brother...

I love how Kuya Bibo captured Hershey's expression ^_^

Thanks for dropping by! Till next time. Bye! ^_^

Review: Carmex Lip Balm

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing weekend :)

Now, going to the topic of the day..I would be reviewing a very famous lip balm known as Carmex.. I bought the chapstick type first but when I opened it, the product inside is not formed so I returned it. But every piece the SA opened, it's the same, so I ended up just getting the one in the tube.

Anyways, I have been using this for around 2 months now and have used it a lot of times ever since I got it and this is my verdict :)What I love about this product:

- It comes in a squeezable tube so it's very sanitary and also easy to use. I can also use all of the product inside because I can just squeeze it.

- It can give my lips immediate moisture once applied.

- Easily available locally. I got mine from Landmark Department Store at Trinoma Mall.

- Price is also okay.. I think it's Php99 only.

- You only need a small amount of product for every use.

- Easy to control the amount of product squeezed since it has a thick consistency.


What I don't like:

- I'm not a big fan of the taste, feel and scent of the product. It feels like I am applying a Chinese sanitary balm on my lips. Yeah, the mentholated balm in gold tin containers with a dragon logo that our parents put on us when we were kids if we have colds or what they used on their sore muscles... Para talagang pang-pilay...

- This contains petrolatum and I feel like I'm just putting a mentholated petroleum jelly on my lips. The effect it has is like petroleum jelly too.

- The moisture it gives is just temporary. Once the product dries up, my lips gets dry and chapped again. This requires frequent application during the day to keep your lips moisturized.


Over-all Rating: 2.5/5 - I'm quite disappointed. I hope I just got myself a pot of petroleum jelly that only costs P25 because the effect is just the same.

Will I re-purchase? Definitely not. I'm just using this up so as not to waste my money. I will look for another lip balm to use.

Thank you for dropping by. Till my next post. Bye!

Review: Myra Lip Balm in Vanilla

Hello guys! How are you today? I hope you had a good start for your week. ^_^

As I've said before, I was able to try different lip products in the last couple of months since I can't use anything on my face for a long time. One of the new items that I bought (maybe 3 months ago) was the Myra Lip Balm in Vanilla that I found at Mercury Drug Store. I really am on the lookout for a new lip balm coz I already used up mine at that time. And then I saw this on the counter and just paid for it hehe.

*Sorry for the blurred picture*

What I like about this lip bam:

- affordable - only around Php60 I think...

- easily available. It can be bought in drugstores like Mercury Drug, Watsons and some major grocery stores

- comes in a regular twist tube so it's easy to bring and use

- hygienic to use compared to lip balms on pots

- has a nice vanilla scent

- don't have waxy taste

- the softness and hydration it gives on my lips are lasting especially at night.
If I put this on before I sleep, I wake up with very moisturized lips in the morning :)

- Prevents/heals dry, chapped lips

- It has vitamin e and SPF as well (I really think this is part of the Myra E line)


What I don't like:

- My only gripe of this product is that it sometimes cause burning sensation on the lips. Around 50% chance of that happening. I really don't know the reason for it. It just makes my lips feel hot and stingy.

Over all Rating: 4/5 - If it has no burning sensation, I will love this lip balm to pieces.

Will I repurchase? I'm still not sure. I really hate the stinging sensation it gives.

Thanks for dropping by. Till next time! Bye! ^_^

Venus & Mars haul + Embodyment lip butter (Initial Review)

Sorry if I was not able to post these last few days..I went mountain climbing again with my family this Holy Week :)

Anyways, I already got my Venus & Mars package last week. It came in this packaging. Very "earthy" hehe :)


I got myself the Summer Package #6 of Venus & Mars. It contains Bare It All Emu Cream, Vanilla Spa Milk Salt, CPC+G and Lulur Soap. I also got another tube of their emu oil lip balm coz I used up my first tube already. And since I bought this from a reseller (she lives near my house!), I also got Embodyment lip butter from her. And like with all my organic stuffs, I will give these products at least 2-3 weeks to see if they will work for me or not.


I love the Bare It All Emu Cream! I think this will be a summer staple for me..it keeps my skin cool for around 15 minutes after application..It is also not sticky and absorbs easily into my skin..Since this has no scent (I can't smell anything), my brother doesn't complain so I like that too :)
The Vanilla Spa Milk Salt is very unique in my opinion. It comes in a powder form..it's like a powder milk..the scent is heavenly..I love it very much..I tried it on my body already and it feels like rubbing sugar on my skin..not painful at all! and after I rinse it off with water, my skin feels so smooth and soft..and I smell good too :)

The package also included the CPC+G..it is supposed to be a whitening agent that you will put in any of your creams..you just need to put a few drops (formula: x/30 times 3 or 6) depending on the volume of your cream or lotion and it will become a great whitening cream already..I added this on my Bare It All Emu Cream since I want to even out my skin tone.
I think I've found my favorite organic body soap in V&M's Lulur soap. It is the best I have tried! It's sudsier than others, I can use it directly on my skin, I feel clean afterwards, makes my skin soft and moisturized, I love the ingredients, and the scent is not over powering (though I would like it better if it comes in Vanilla scent too hehe). I hope the effect on my skin after continous use will be great and rewarding :)

This is my first Embodyment product. I was intrigued coz it has tint. I love the tint it gives on my lips. Not that red but not pale. It moisturizes my lips but not as great as my HG lip balm (V&M emu oil lip balm). I'm also not fond of the flavor especially if I accidentally "eat" it when I eat something or lick my lips (one of my mannerism). I'm still thinking if I like this or not hehe :)

Please check out my final review on these products after a couple of weeks. Ciao! :)

Review: Human Heart Nature Organics

As I've promised, I gave these products from Human Nature Organics at least 2 weeks to work on me (as suggested by the seller)..so here is my take on them :)

Shampoo and Conditioner

PROS:

- very affordable compared to other brands of locally available organic shampoos and conditioners

- smells good

- cleanses my hair well

- keeps my hair moisturized - I can even go out the whole day without brushing my hair :)

- lessened my hairfall during bathing - not totally gone but at least I got less amount of hairs falling whenever I shower

- adds volume to my hair

CONS:

- I can't think of something yet hehe :)

Body Butter

PROS:

- affordable

- not sticky even if I sweat

- smells great -not over powering

- absorbs easily too so I don't need to wait too long before I apply my sunblock

- a good day moisturizer

CONS:

- moisture is not enough if you have very dry skin

Lip Balm

PROS:

- has SPF!

- affordable

- organic

CONS:

- I don't like the scent/flavor - reminds me of my antibiotic when I was young haha (Cefaclor) :)

- moisture it gives to my lips is not enough

OVERALL:

I love Human Nature Organics! The customer service is good and the products are great..I will definitely repurchase the shampoo, conditioner and body butter in a bigger size :)

I'll post a revisit once I've used this for a long time to see if it gives a better result...I've read somewhere that organic products needs time to remove all the toxins caused by traditional products before they can work their magic..so lets see..till next time! Ciao!

REVISIT: Venus&Mars Lip balm

I want to start doing "revisits" on majority of the products I tried and reviewed here on my blog..Why? Because there are many products that works very well at first then after some time it stops working for you..I also got this idea from Nikki of Askmewhats when she did all those revisits on the products she bought before..As a reader of her blog, it helped me a lot in deciding whether I will try those products or not..So I also want to do my share of providing honest reviews on the products I have tried in the last few months :)

I'll start with my current HG lip balm..I'm pretty sure you know what it is hehe..You guessed that right! It's Venus&Mars Lip Detox..You can find my initial review here.

I bought this lip balm last November 2008..I have been using this product for the last more or less 4 months..Here's my take on the product now :)


PROS:
- affordable
- has many product inside the tube..I use this so frequently and I still have some balm until now
- really moisturizes my lips
- healed my chappy, dry lips after 2 weeks of continues use
- very handy..can fit any size of purse and even your pocket
- very cool and minty feel..perfect for summer
- lasting moisturizing effect on the lips (when compared with petroleum based lip products)
- it's ORGANIC!


CONS:
- not really a permanent treatment ..the dryness of my lips came back after I stopped using this for a few weeks (my dad borrowed it for a while and I used another lip balm)
- has a little weird taste..although this doesn't bother me much


WILL I BUY IT AGAIN? Definitely! this is my HG lip balm of all times..fits all my needs and it exceeded my expectation..I love it to bits! :)


*you can buy this balm　at http://venusandmars08.multiply.com

Emu oil and Organics

I love love Emu Oil...it has so many uses and very effective..it's very widely used medically for its ability to penetrate many layers of the skin..I have tried it in different formulations and here are my reviews :)

1. Pure Emu Oil - I like how it moisturizes and that it really absorbs in the skin..but I'm not fond of the greasy feel I get sometimes..but nevertheless, I didn't break out and it didn't gave me blackheads too...but since this is so expensive here in the Philippines, I asked my Ninong Marvin (he lives in Australia) to get me a tube since Emu birds do originate in their place. But he wasn't able to get me a pure one, instead he got me an Emu Oil in cream form..and I love it better! Thanx ninong!

2. Emu Oil Cream - I know that this is not pure and that this has some parabens whatsoever but when I tried it on my face and skin it feels great..it's very moisturizing, easily absorbed (much faster than the pure one) and super light and no greasy feel and shine...it also makes a very good anti inflammatory and anti itch product for insect bites..really relieves the itchiness and redness fast..Since the original container is quite big, me and my mom and also my titas just transfer a small amount on small (5g) jars to carry with us in case we have some bites or itchiness or if we feel some dryness during the day...love love love this one! I hope the next time my ninong comes back here, he will bring me another big one coz mine is almost half full haha..it smells great too!

3. Emu Oil Rub - this is also bought in Australia by my mom's friend..since she also like my Emu Oil Cream, she asked her friend (who went to Australia for a vacation) to buy her an Emu Oil cream then she'll pay for it here in the Philippines but instead of a lotion type emu oil, her friend brought back a specially formulated emu rub for pain..this has some menthol in it too for soothing and cooling effect...this is really a blessing for us coz this product really works for pain...it was proven by my parents who have arthritis..like last time, my dad had some moderate pain on his soulder and back and my mom put different topical pain relief ointments the whole day but nothing works..but when we got home and before they sleep, my mom massaged a little amount of this emu oil rub on my dad's painful areas..and the morning after, my dad commented that his pain was relieved last night that's why he slept good..so this is very effective..the only con is that it's quite pricey coz this small container cost around $15 (australian)...but you only need to use a small amount every use so this will last a long time for sure.

VENUS and MARS Organic Emu Oil Products

The first time I saw their website http://venusandmars08.multiply.com I already knew that I will be buying their products because of my love for Emu Oil but they have something that made me decide to try it ASAP..all their products are organic..Lately, I'm trying to divert and change all my skincare and haircare to organic products or even natural if organic is not possible..I've read reviews on organic stuffs on girltalk and I was convinced to give it a try coz it might be the solution to my uber sensitive skin that always breakout with commercialized products..I already am using Mineral Makeup for more than 2 years so why not do the same healthier option for my skin and hair right? so it's really a "no-brainer" as I told myself hehe..when I told my mom I want to get some skincare stuff she shouldered it..Thanx mom! She really is supportive on my skin care (she even bought me Jason's Moisturizing shampoo..organic too... it's a very nice product coz I stopped having breakouts on my forehead after a week of using it)..so what I got from Venus & Mars is the Get It Started Kit so that I would be able to try all 3 soap variants and the lotion for a very affordable price of P370..and I tell you, I was expecting a small size of everything but when I got the package I told myself that this would last me for 1-2 months for the soap and maybe 2 weeks for the lotion if I use them everyday...the packaging is simple too and this made me think that they really put a lot of budget for the quality of the product instead of the packaging :)

Here's what I got yesterday...Jamie (owner of Venus and Mars) is so sweet and thoughtful..she gave me a sample of the minty geranium mud soap (I told her I want to give my bf a sample of this soap coz it might be good for his shaving..he has very sensitive skin too) and a note on the receipt...aww, this is the first time ever that I got a sweet simple note from a seller..so thanx Jamie! I really appreciate it so much :)

Coffee Fame - this is the emu soap specifically made to help people who have pimple problem or those who want to detoxify their skin..I tried it once last night and it smells good(though it doesn't smell like coffee even with the coffee beans on the soap hehe)..it didn't made my skin dry and I did not have the tight felling that I got everytime I wash my face with my Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleansing Bar...No itchiness or breakout so far but I'm still reserving my judgment..I'll definitely post a review again after 2 weeks or 1 month..but my initial reaction was "This is good" :D
Minty Geranium Mud - this is compatible for us who shave..according to the description, it will make your shaving area smooth and fair (it has papain) plus it also has antibacterial properties that will lessen the irritation if we nick our selves during the shaving...this can also be used as a regular bath soap...and I will definitely use this everyday coz I love the smell and this can replace my whitening soap too..Isn't it a great product? shaving cream, whitening, antibacterial, moisturizing and smoothening all in one? will definitely get a regular sized bar when I finished my sample up :)

Poppy Plush - this is made for those people who have very very sensitive skin...I gave this to my sister who has skin asthma so I don't have any review for this..will ask my sister for a review after she used it for at least a week to check for any reactions to the product :)

Emu Lotion (melon scent) - I don't have an individual picture..it's the small white bottle with the receipt...gosh, this product is heaven haha...relaxing scent and very moisturizing..at first when I tried it I thought it's sticky coz it's very thick in consistency but after a few seconds and it was already absorbed by my skin, I was convinced to get a full size too haha..the scent lasted for a couple of hours too so it's a plus..this emu lotion has 2 variations..I got the melon one for the added whitening effect coz I want to make my skin a little brighter (I'm naturally fair).

Lip Detox - this is my wish list...according to their website, this lipbalm doesn't contain any petroleum based ingredients and this will relieve dry and chapped lips..that's my problem eversince..since I get easily dehydrated, my lips are always dry..and whenever I put lippies (lipstick, lipgloss and even lipbalm) on my lips, my lips will peel and will look like i have a dried saliva on my lips eek!...I hope this can product can help me :)

so there! you can check out their website for more information on their products at http://venusandmars08.multiply.com or you can click the link on my "link list" on the right side of your screen..I'm not selling their product..I'm just a VERY SATISFIED CUSTOMER of Venus and Mars..good quality product and outstanding customer service :)