Balm Bomb

I am swamped this week, but I want to use some of my limited mental energy to post on my blog instead of for "more important" things, and I'm a grownup, so no one can stop me. Still, this is going to be very short (by my standards).

I bought this lip balm out of desperation over the weekend, when I realized I was going to be away from the house for 5 hours without any. The horror! The drugstore around the corner from my in-laws' house was tiny and only had a small selection. There was Nivea, which for me usually ranges from ineffective to making my lips worse, Burt's Bees, which has the same problems (and was priced at $7 a tube), and Lip Smackers, which I haven't used in a decade. And Vaseline. In retrospect, I probably should have gone for the Lip Smackers, but instead I grabbed this pot of Vaseline Rosy Lips.

The gamble here was that lip products that are made up entirely of petrolatum (and fragrance) like this one don't usually do much to moisturize my lips. Protect, sure, but not moisturize. So I don't know why I picked this stuff instead of one of the Vaseline options that also had cocoa butter or whatever in it. Okay, I kind of do: I was imagining it as a replacement for my Smith's Rosebud Salve, which is almost empty. Usually I really like rosy fragrances in lip balms, like Smith's (on my Instagram) or TokyoMilk (on my Instagram) or even L'Oreal lipstick (reviewed here).

Unfortunately, not only does this stuff not really do much for my lips, I also don't like the smell. It smells almost exactly like some Maybelline lip products, like the Vivid Matte Liquid (reviewed here). I find the fragrance unpleasant, but the taste is the worst part. It's really strong and distracting, and I end up tasting even more of a balm than a lip color that I consciously avoid rubbing off of my lips. So I guess that scent that I couldn't identify in the Maybelline stuff was supposed to be rose.

I don't know what I'm going to do with this stuff. Maybe I'll use it as a cuticle balm. And never forget my lip balm at home again!

Sample of Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask + 7 other samples with $25 purchase from Sephora

Disclosure: Affiliate links.
This isn't a huge deal, but I thought I'd post it since when I posted on Instagram about the Bite Agave Lip Mask sample I had, some people were wondering how to get it. If you're planning to place a Sephora order anyway, you can now get that sample along with 7 others (foil packets, full list here) with a $25 purchase. Use code FOLLOW. You can also get 4% cash back on Sephora orders from Ebates.

For the record, I didn't like the stuff and threw it out after a few uses (even though the samples were very generously sized and I could have got a few weeks out of them). I was surprised since I've heard people rave about it. Better to have found out with a sample than to have spent $26 and regretted it! Have you tried it? Did it work for you?

h/t Nouveau Cheap

The Emperor's New Lipstick: Lipstick Queen Jean Queen Swatches, Comparison, and Review

Disclosure: Affiliate links.
Here's something that I was pretty excited to try. Since I don't typically spend $22 on a single lipstick, I used my last stash of Birchbox points to get it. I've heard all sorts of good things about the Lipstick Queen formula (moisturizing, comfortable, easy to use, etc.), and I went with Jean Queen, because I wanted something work appropriate and easy to reapply. And that it is. That it is.

The packaging is great, if you're into that sort of thing. I'm a sucker for metallic blue, personally.

Lipstick Queen Jean Queen

The lipstick itself is a sort of neutral, rosy shade. Generally fits in the MLBB (My Lips But Better) category.

Lipstick Queen Jean Queen

This lipstick, as the name suggests, is designed to be worn with denim. Which . . . what? I take that to mean it's casual and versatile, like jeans. It's also supposed to be a "gentle step up from nude" and "sheer and moisturizing."

So with the exception of one of those things (which I will get to), I have found it to be exactly as advertised - and yet I was disappointed, so I'm glad I didn't spend 22 real dollars on it. I suppose I should have expected the results I got, because I have naturally quite pigmented lips, and sheer products tend barely to show up on me at all. That's the case with Jean Queen. It's essentially a tinted lip balm in a lipstick tube.

Here's what my lips look like with just clear lip balm. You can see that they are rather pink, but don't have a clearly defined margin and they are pretty blotchy. Those are things that I don't think anyone would notice at a regular distance (or care about if they did), but you can see them in the closeup.

And here are my lips wearing Jean Queen:

There is a slight difference, yes, but it's minimal (and enhanced by better lighting in the second photo). Definitely "gentle" and "sheer" as advertised.

I guess I would be okay with this being a very expensive tinted lip balm, on par price-wise with the Fresh Sugar balms, if it wasn't for one major problem. It's the same problem I have with the Fresh balms: it's not moisturizing. Not for me. The one thing I read repeatedly about Lipstick Queen was how hydrating and comfortable their lipsticks are. I'm sure that's true for some people. For me, Jean Queen is actually slightly drying. Certainly not moisturizing. The Fresh balms, at least, are just not moisturizing in my experience - they don't actually make things worse.

I guess I also expect a sheer lipstick to be a step up in pigmentation from a tinted balm, and this really isn't. I put on Jean Queen the other day and asked my boyfriend if he could tell that I was wearing something on my lips. He responded proudly, "Yes! They are shiny! Sort of!" But when I asked if they were a different color than usual, he just sort of squinted at me and frowned.

Below is Jean Queen compared to a bunch of other lip products I have that belong in the same rosy-pink-MLBB category. As you can see, Jean Queen is about as sheer as Fresh Sugar in Rosé. On me, I'd classify the pigmentation of Rosé as "almost nothing" vs. Jean Queen's "maybe a little something?" You can see the texture difference in the swatch as well. The Fresh balm is more emollient.

From left to right: (1) Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Rosé, (2) Lipstick Queen Jean Queen, (3) e.l.f. Essential Lipstick in Posh (reviewed here), (4) e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Cherry Tart (reviewed here), (5) Essence Stay With Me Gloss in Choose Me! (reviewed here/discontinued), and (6) Revlon Balm Stain in Honey (reviewed here with indoor lighting where it looks more brownish).

The color of Jean Queen and Revlon Honey are surprisingly similar, though Honey is not an exact dupe--more pigmented and not drying for me, so I much prefer it. It's a lot more reasonably priced, too, at $7-10.

In the end, I'm not going to declare that you should absolutely not buy Jean Queen, because I know there are some people who will (and do) love it. If you don't have sensitive lips that are easily dried out by lipstick, then you may find it perfectly comfortable to wear (and even moisturizing, by many accounts). Maybe you are one of those people who swears by the Fresh balms that I hate and so your lips just respond to different things than mine do (they both have a lot of castor oil in them, if that means anything). If you don't have deeply pigmented lips, then you may find the subtle tint really pretty. It is a lovely color. I just wish there was more of it. But if you have lips like mine - dry and pigmented - you might also find this a disappointing product. For $22 and all the hype, this was a miss for me. Try Revlon Honey instead.

Do you have Jean Queen? Any strong feelings either way?

Quest for Coral, the Sequel (and my first Korean makeup purchase)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission from purchases made through those links.
My original quest for a wearable, affordable, bright coral lip-something failed, and I was ready to admit defeat, though I had made some interesting discoveries along the way. Then I got so many helpful recommendations that I felt compelled to give it another go. In the end, I kind of (sort of) took a couple of the suggestions I got, and I am pleased with my success. I've compiled all the recommendations I got in the comments of the post, on Instagram, and on Tumblr, at the bottom of this post for any others who undertake a similar journey. Thanks, everyone!

That sounds a bit dramatic when we're talking about lipstick, but whatever.

I actually ended up buying two things that no one suggested, but they worked out very well. The first is a Wet N Wild MegaSlicks Balm Stain Moisturizing Lip Color (insert obligatory complaint about the long name here) in Coral of the Story. I bought this without very high expectations, but I needed a new tube of my favorite Wet N Wild eyeshadow primer, after the two other primers I had left proved practically useless, and CVS had a BOGO sale on WNW. So I grabbed this bright coral-pink crayon, which otherwise would have cost $3.

Wet N Wild MegaSlicks Balm Stain in Coral of the Story

This stuff is surprisingly great! It is indeed both moisturizing and a stain. It feels like a balm, is quite opaque, and yet isn't patchy or smeary like a lot of other corals. It's exactly the color I was looking for - a coral that's a bit closer to pink than orange or red. Victory on all counts. I can't really think of anything to complain about, and you know how much I like complaining.

Here it is on my lips. The color really brightens up my face. I forgot to take a full face shot, but I'll post one on Instagram soon and link it here. There's also an arm swatch later in the post, if you prefer that.

Lip swatch of Wet N Wild MegaSlicks Balm Stain in Coral of the Story

At the same time, I had my last round of Birchbox points to use up, and I decided to spend them on something weird and fun. I redeemed them for two things: an expensive lipstick that I will review soon, and Peripera Peri's Tint Water in Mandarin (#4, since I've seen multiple names for this shade out there). By buying this stuff, I was partially taking two suggestions I had been given when I wrote about my omgstruggles with coral before: to try mixing orange and pink lip products and to try Benefit Cha Cha Tint. Of course, the idea of mixing was to make do with things I already had, not to buy more shit, and Cha Cha Tint is already coral, not orange, so I pretty much violated the spirit of both suggestions. But they inspired me nonetheless.

I generally avoid buying beauty products on the basis of pretty packaging, and therefore I avoid photographing the packaging for the most part. But since I wanted this Tint Water anyway and I was photographing it anyway and it happens to be adorable in the typical Korean beauty fashion anyway . . . please enjoy this packaging photo:

Peripera Peri's Tint Water in Mandarin #4

Empties 2015, Part IV: Makeup and Skin Care

These are actually things I finished in April (at the same time as the previous batch) but haven't got around to posting. I have another whole bag full in my bedroom. Perpetually behind!

As always, foils will get minimal-to-no comment, since they are generally too small to form an opinion on.

Makeup

Fresh Sugar Balm in Rosé: This was part of the Sephora birthday gift a couple of years ago. I don't like anything about these balms, really. I don't find them moisturizing, and I'm not a big fan of citrus fragrance in lip balms. I used it up by wearing it under lipstick.

Wet N Wild Fergie Take on the Day Eyeshadow Primer: This is my favorite eyeshadow primer. You can see how it compares to a bunch of others here. The tube lasted almost 2 years (which explains why the print on the tube wore off), and it worked perfectly the whole time. Now I am left with subpar primers, and it's making me sad.

LORAC Behind the Scenes Eye Primer: I started to use this again after the WNW primer ran out, but it was getting pretty dry and was even more ineffective than when it was new. When I realized that it was actually making my eyeshadow crease more, I ditched it. What a waste. (Also reviewed in the same post linked above.)

Sephora Anti-Shine Foundation Primer: This worked well under foundation, but it seems to have been discontinued, so I'll have to find something else I like. Right now I'm working through some clear silicone primers, which are never that impressive to me.

Tarina Tarantino Eye Dream Hyperlight: I complained about this on Instagram. I barely used any of it, but I just couldn't get any product out without a huge fight, so I gave up. I got it in a subscription box (Boxy Charm), so at least I didn't pay full price for that rage-inducing shit.

ULTA Plush Drama Volume Mascara: I also complained about this on Instagram. The brush was way too fucking big for my face.

Skin Care

e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator: Briefly reviewed here. I had used about half of it, but then it started to smell funky.

Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser (mini): As I've said before, all the PC cleansers I've tried are effective but very expensive for pretty basic products. In general, I find most cleansers unobjectionable and unexciting, unless they are very drying, don't remove makeup, or sting my eyes.

Philosophy Hope in a Jar Moisturizer (mini): This stuff does indeed moisturize, but I found the fragrance so obnoxious that after using it twice I just squeezed the rest into a big bottle of body lotion. To me, it smells kind of like moldy lavender.

Mason Natural Tea Tree Oil: Tea tree oil is the thing that works best for me when it comes to acne treatment but not all of them are equal, because a lot of oils are diluted despite being labeled 100% tea tree oil (see this Tumblr post). This one is effective. I'm on my third bottle.

Paula's Choice Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol: I'm not sure about this. It's a very light moisturizer that I used at night throughout the winter. I don't totally understand what it is supposed to do - or at least what makes it different from any other moisturizer, other than that it contains retinol. I didn't think it made much improvement to my skin when I was using it, but my skin has been terrible for the last month or so, so maybe it was doing something? This is why I haven't reviewed it - my review would read: "Moisturizer, yes, ??????" I might try it again. It would probably provide more than enough moisture for my summer skin.

Paula's Choice Hydralight Moisture-Infusing Lotion: Good. Reviewed here. 

Paula's Choice Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum: Love this stuff. On my third tube. Reviewed here.

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Serum with Retinol (mini): I also don't know if this did anything, but it smelled weird and had a super-slippery silicone texture that I didn't love, so I probably won't use it again. It was similar in feel to a silicone primer, so it might do double duty that way.

Kate Somerville Oil-Free Moisturizer (foil)

Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Moisturizer (foil): So. Much. Perfume.

PC 4 Men (Paula's Choice) Daytime Protect SPF 30 (foil): This was a decent, but not special, sunscreen. I assume the idea for a men's sunscreen is that they shouldn't be forced to feel anything icky on their precious man-faces, but it wasn't any less greasy than any other decent SPF 30 product.

That's it! At least as of April. Let me know if you want more details about any of these things.

Adequate product roundup

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

I realize that most of the time I post about things either because I really love them or because I really hate them. It's just easier and more fun to write about something if I have strong feelings about it or if it's particularly intriguing in some way.

But I have a bunch of shit lying around that I thought at one point I would review here and just never got around to. Not because it's bad, but just because it's not exciting. I think, however, that pointing out that something isn't exciting can be useful, even if it doesn't make for the most enthralling blog post (or one filled with a lot of expletives). So I decided to make a single post with brief reviews of bunch of things that fit into the category of "adequate", rather than writing eight separate "meh" posts. They are not bad, but they are not wonderful. They are perfectly functional, and I don't feel like I have wasted money on them, but I wouldn't necessarily buy them again. They do their job, but they don't fill me with joy. They're adequate.

I can see two main responses to reading this: (1) you were excited about something, and you subsequently become less excited about it; or (2) you were excited about something, and you subsequently remain excited and are satisfied that it's not utter shit. No wait, the third possible response is that you didn't care before and you still don't care. Okay, a fourth possible response is that you are enraged that I am dismissing one of the BEST PRODUCTS YOU HAVE EVER USED. Be aware that there are few things on my list that many people out there seem to looooooooove, so if you're curious, you might as well give them a shot, knowing that they are not going to turn out to be garbage. You might turn out to be one of their fans.

Not Your Mother's Knotty to Nice Conditioning Detangler

This stuff is fine, but not exciting - which has been my experience with every product I've used from the NYM brand. It's a leave-in spray conditioner that does make wet hair somewhat easier to comb out. It smells okay, but not too strong. Sort of like fruity candy. I don't find that it has much effect on the appearance or condition of my hair. I can spray it very generously, and my hair doesn't get stringy looking.

Nivea A Kiss of Olive Oil & Lemon Moisture Rich Lip Care

Normally I'm not a big fan of these Nivea/Labello lip balms, so I'm not sure why I bought this one. This version does seem to be a little more effective than most, though. Less waxy and more moisturizing. The scent is pleasant: slightly citrusy, not too sour, like Sprite or 7Up. It has a faint perfumey taste, but it's not obnoxious. It has very little sheen. Good enough, but I wouldn't buy it again when there are a million other lip balms out there to try.

CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion

I know that people swear by this one, and it does have a good ingredients list. There are some things I really like about it and other things I find disappointing. For example, I absolutely love the way it feels when you apply it. It's like a refreshing drink of water for your skin. It soaks in very quickly and doesn't leave a greasy feeling. On the other hand, I don't find that the moisture it provides lasts very long. On dry days this winter (i.e. all of them), my skin feels parched again a few hours later, which doesn't happen so much with lotions that are less pleasant immediately. Maybe this would be best layered under something heavier, though that would mean more greasiness.

Smith's Rosebud Salve

Another popular one. Personally, I don't love it. I've tried it a bunch of different ways. On my cuticles, it's too greasy during the day, and it doesn't seem to have much effect when applied before bed and left overnight. I don't like it on my lips. I actually find it a little drying in the long run, and the floral scent means it doesn't taste very good. I have found a very specific use for it though. I tend to have dry, flaky skin on my nose. If I put some of this stuff around my nostrils before I go to sleep, it definitely cuts down on the dryness by morning. Plus it means I have a pleasant rosy scent to fall asleep to. $6 is kind of a lot of money for dedicated nostril balm, though. I don't advise buying it at Sephora, since you can get it cheaper elsewhere (like drugstore.com, link above).

Suave Moroccan Infusion Shine Conditioner

I had high hopes for this one after reading many, many positive reviews. My opinion is that it's a decent conditioner, but nothing special. It doesn't make my hair any shinier or smoother than other decent conditioners do. It may be that it works better for people with hair types that are different from mine (which is fine, but not thin, and quite straight). I also really don't like the scent, though I think that is one of the major selling points for a lot of people. It's very strong and sweet, slightly spicy. I'm not great at identifying/describing fragrances - sorry. But this is the sort of fragrance you get in a lot of drugstore products (like body wash) that are supposed to be "exotic" or "eastern". Maybe a hint of incense?

Here are swatches of the last three products on my list, the makeup:

Swatches (left to right): L'Oreal 24 Hour Infallible Eyeshadow in Sultry Smoke, Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Fig Jam, Revlon Photoready Eye Primer + Brightener

L'Oreal 24 Hour Infallible Eyeshadow in Sultry Smoke

Matte grey eyeshadow is tricky. It tends to be patchy and dry and not very pigmented. This one is very smooth, but it takes several layers to build up the color to anything other than very sheer. The swatch above is not over primer, which does increase the pigmentation somewhat. Like the other Infallible eyeshadows, it works best when applied with your finger, rather than with a brush. But it's not nearly as impressive as the shimmery Infallible shades, and it's not the answer to all your grey eyeshadow needs. Better than average, but not great.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Fig Jam

I heard that this was a dupe for the beloved Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. I don't think that it really is, especially if "universally flattering" is the main attraction of the Clinique stuff. From photos, this Lip Butter seems to be warmer - it has more of a brick red/brown thing going on. It looks okay on me, but it's not something I find particularly attractive. The formula is just as nice as the other sheer Revlon Lip Butters, though.

Swatch of Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Fig Jam

(I guess I did include this Lip Butter in my previous post about them, but it seems worth talking about in more detail for its potential dupe status.)

Revlon Photoready Eye Primer + Brightener

I've had this for ages. I'm not sure why I bought it, either. I guess maybe I was wondering if it was a dupe for YSL Touche Éclat, though I don't have that, so I'm not sure how I would be able to tell. It's the same type of product, though: highlighter in a click pen with a brush. This packaging seriously suffers from the click-click-click-click-nothing, click-click-click-click-SPLOOGE effect. It it definitely not a concealer - it provides almost no coverage. It does seem to reflect the light from undereye circles in a way that makes using it slightly better than using nothing. It is not reflective enough to be used as a highlighter, though, at least on someone pale like me, and I have no idea what sort of priming effects it's supposed to have. It's not very good layered under something else, because it doesn't apply especially evenly. Overall it's just not that impressive. I use it on days when I'm not going to be out and about much, since it camouflages my dark circles a little bit, provided that no one looks too closely at me. I'm basically just trying to use this up at this point.

So there you go. None of this things are disasters, but none of them are revelations either, in my opinion. Feel free to rage at me in the comments about how shockingly wrong I am.

Revlon Colorburst Lacquer and Matte Balms with review and swatches of Flirtatious and Striking and comparisons with Revlon Balm Stains (picture heavy post)

Revlon Colorburst Lacquer
Balm in
Flirtatious

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
I posted last week about the Matte Balm that I decided to return (Elusive). I exchanged it for a Lacquer Balm in Flirtatious, and here is my impression of that product and the Matte Balm that I kept, Striking. 

Let's talk about the Lacquer Balm, Flirtatious, first. These come in metallic tubes. Now, I don't usually talk too much about packaging, but I need to complain a bit. The metallic package, at least for this particular shade, makes it really fucking difficult to figure out what color you're actually going to get. There are some swatch-like panels on the display, but they were hard to see since it was stuck in a poorly-lit corner at the CVS where I bought this. Anyway, I thought I knew what color I was getting when I looked at it in the store. It looked pink. Just sort of ordinary pink, maybe leaning slightly toward fuchsia. Much like it looks in the photo on the left, which I had to take at a weird angle at home to capture the same color.

In other lighting, however, the color totally changes! Look at the photos below. In the first one, the tube looks much more like the very red Romantic Balm stain at the bottom, doesn't it? And because the stickers on the bottom of the tubes are also metallic, they shift depending on your lighting, etc. too. So you might be in for a surprise once you actually open the thing.

Top to bottom: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten, Revlon Colorburst
Lacquer Balm in Flirtatious, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic

Review and swatches: Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Elusive (with comparison to Revlon Balm Stain in Honey)

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Elusive and
Revlon ColorStay Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey

Elusive is damned right. I finally found these suckers in a little corner of my local CVS, on the side of a rack filled with the new Revlon scented nail polishes, wedged in next to a wall where they were hard to reach. Luckily that mean that no one else had got to them yet, so I had my pick of all the colors, including all the Lacquer Balms. CVS has a deal on now where you get $5 Extracare bucks if you buy 2 Revlon items, so I got two of the matte balms.

First of all, and this is totally my fault for poor reading comprehension, but I failed to notice that the "stain" part of the name is missing, even though they look like my beloved Balm Stains. These are balms (I guess), but not stains. Fine.

I hovered around the rack for ages trying to figure out which colors to get, and ended up picking Elusive and Striking. Striking is a really bright red that I picked out immediately. I eventually decided on Elusive, because it looked similar to the Balm Stain in Honey, which I love. I thought it might make a nice matte alternative.

Review and swatches: ULTA Super Shiny Lip Butters in NYC, London, and Milan

I liked the first ULTA lip butter I got so much, that I picked up a couple others on sale a while back. I think ULTA brand makeup is pretty underrated. They makes some really good shit, and it frequently goes on sale for super cheap. There aren't many swatches and reviews available online of these lip butters, so I'd thought I'd post some photos. It's also hard to tell what the colors are going to look like from their website. Hope this helps for these three, at least. I included the one that I swatched previously for comparison.

In natural light (left to right): ULTA Super Shiny Lip Butters in
NYC, London, and Milan.

These lip balms sound gross (from The Science of Chic)

I've never seen the appeal of the Maybelline Baby Lips. There are a million lip balms out there. After reading this, I don't think I'm going to find out what the deal is with these. Supposedly moisturizing formulas often dry my lips out, so this sounds like a fail. I'm a picky bitch when it comes to putting stuff on my lips.

More $1-2 e.l.f. lip products: Photos, swatches, and reviews of e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick and e.l.f. Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
I recently reviewed the e.l.f. Essential Lipstick, which I like, despite not being a lipstick fan in general. I felt like that lipstick was not your typical lipstick, and now I'm going to review two other products that aren't exactly what they claim to be - but aren't bad, nevertheless.

e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick ($1)

My bare lips, for comparison.

e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Cherry Tart

Natural light.

With flash.

"Cherry Tart" sounds like it's going to be a cherry red, but this is actually a warm, berry pink. The product come sin one of those dial/click tubes, which is probably my least favorite type of applicator, because it's always click-click-click-nothing-click-click-OH SHIT. Anyway, it's fine. This is a little sheer, but with nice, even color. The shade is great. It's not sticky, lasts a decent amount of time, and even stains a little. It's a really, really good product - especially for one fucking dollar. I recommend.

However: liquid lipstick? No, I'd say it's more like a gloss. It's semi-sheer and stays shiny on the lips. It's a pigmented gloss with a much better than average wear time.

Blistex Moisture Melt Lip Protectant SPF 15 (awesome $2 filler for your Amazon order)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
If you're ever trying to get your Amazon order up to $25 to get free shipping or to get your add-on items to ship free, and you're just under, but you don't want to buy some useless pack of zip ties or something, this Blistex Moisture Melt is what you should get. Get two or three of them, if you have to.

I think it's one of the best lip products I've tried in a long time, and I'm a really, really, picky bitch when it comes to lip products. I'd say that like 80% of lip shit feels good when it's on, but leaves my lips as dry or drier than they were before once it wears off. And I'm including more expensive products - that Fresh Sugar lip balm? Not moisturizing, in my opinion.

Anyway, this one feels good on, doesn't have any tingling (i.e. irritating) crap in it, has SPF 15, and actually improves the condition of my lips. Nouveau Cheap has a more detailed review of it, if you're interested.

It'll cost around $1.89, whether you buy it on Amazon or in a drugstore, and it works as well or better than most pricey stuff.

Project Swatch finds a $12 dupe for Dior's Lip Glow ($31) . . . and decides it's not worth the price either

Here's Project Swatch's servicey post.

(And while we're at it, let us remind ourselves that self-adjusting makeup is just a gimmick.)

Question: Has anyone used Smith's Rosebud Salve? Is it amazing?

I bought some for my sister for Xmas recently, because I know she likes it. But I bought two tubs of it, and I can't decide if I should keep one for myself or just give them both to her.

Is it amazing? Like really? Like as good as Palmer's Cocoa Butter, which is what I usually use, and love?

Help!

Fix Your Face: Lip Scrub

People really pay $25 for this stuff? Really?

I mean, from the perspective of the (many, many) companies selling this sort of shit, it's brilliant. People pay $25 for this stuff! GENIUS.

Possibly my favorite gif.

But seriously, just put a little sugar (brown or white) in the palm of your hand and mix it with a few drops of honey or olive oil. Rub that on your lips. I do it when I exfoliate in the shower.

Or use a soft toothbrush.

And then put on some really good moisturizing lip balm. I like this one, because it works extremely well, it's huge, and it smells like buttercream frosting.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Fix Your Face: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

This is Revlon’s version of Clinique and Tarte’s balm stains which sell for $16-25. The Revlon one costs $7-8. It’s good shit.