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Showing posts with label balmi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label balmi. Show all posts



This week I've decided I need to rant, prepare yourselves...

I will say this time and time again as it seems like people need telling. Vaseline 'Lip Therapy' is terrible for your lips. Petroleum jelly that is the main (and only in the original edition) ingredient in Vaseline stops the natural moisture production in your lips, meaning that the second you stop using it your lips go so chapped and flaky that it can become extremely painful. Because of this, many people believe that chapped lips is normal when you don't use lip balm everyday - surprisingly, it's not. I use lip balm maybe twice a week and I can easily say that I have soft, chap-free lips 95% of the time, the other 5% is during the height of summer and winter, which is normal. So many people use Vaseline and it breaks my heart how they've all been sucked into their ingenious marketing scheme - create a lip balm that makes your lips full of moisture and when they stop using it make their lips super dry so they'll think that it's the Vaseline working some sort of miracle and they'll buy more - brilliant! No. Sorry not sorry, I refuse to let you lovely lot fall into this trap.

You see, my bestie is obsessed with the stuff. And I mean, obsessed. Whenever we go anywhere she always needs two things - her Blackberry and her Vaseline. You know that blind panic that you get when you can't find your keys or your purse in your bag? Well, she gets that with her Vaseline. She literally freaks out until she realises it was in her pocket the entire time, to which she desperately rags the tin lid off and starts applying liberally to her lips. I can't help but laugh, bless her. I've tried to explain to her that it's bad for her but she's been well and truly sucked into Vaseline's scam, the poor thing. I can just imagine her reading this now, fumbling for the tin hahaha, love you!

If you are a Vaseline addict, I suggest you switch to a lip balm that is kind to your lips. I love Balmi lip balms, which I have written a review for here. But remember, you're not meant to use lip balms every day, so if a lip balm is making your lips dryer, stop using it!

Are you a Vaseline addict that's been converted?
♥
Now that Autumn is finally upon us and Summer feels like months ago, I thought I'd treat you guys to an Autumn & Winter favourites post, so I can tell you guys what I adore during these colder and darker, yet more beautiful months. I also thought it would be ever so nice of me to do both cheap and premium alternatives, so anyone on any budget would be able to enjoy the same stuff as me!

First up, is skin/bodycare because we need to look after our skin even more during these cold months!

Lip Scrub 
Cheap: my D.I.Y. Lemon Lip Scrub (post coming soon!)
Premium: Lush Lip Scrub in Mint Julips (smells like After Eights which are a Christmas staple) - £5.50



Hand Cream
Cheap: Soap & Glory Hand Food - £5 (125ml)
Premium: the Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector - £10 (100ml)



Body Scrub 
Cheap: Ted Baker Butterfly Wings Body Scrub - £6.50 (300ml)
Premium: Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub (this stuff smells phemomenal but doesn't taste too good though...) - £8 (300ml)



Body Butter (because lotion just won't do)
Cheap: Soap & Glory the Righteous Butter - £10.50 (300ml)
Premium: the Body Shop Strawberry Body Butter - £13 (200ml)



Bubble Bath (indulging in a hot bubble bath when it's cold outside, ahhh) 
Cheap: Soap & Glory Calm One Calm All Bubble Bath - £6 (500ml) 
Premium: Boux Avenue Pink Taffeta Bubble Bath - £10 (300ml) 


Next, makeup!

I find that I reach for burgundy and bright red lip products and rosy blushers more during this time of year 'cause one, I'm paler so it complements my skin tone, plus it matches the fallen leaves and Christmas decorations...ahh Christmas<3 



Lipstick
Cheap: Barry M Lip Paint in 162 - £4.49 & Barry M Lip Lacquer Crayon in No2 - £4.99
Premium: Illamasqua Lipstick in Ignite, Sangers & Encounter (I'm a big fan, can you tell?) - £16.50



Lipgloss
Cheap: Bourjois La Creme Des Levres Lip Cream in 05 Rosé Moelleux - 99p starting price at my ebay
Premium: Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Follow - £14.50



Lip Balm
Cheap: The Body Shop Christmas Edition Lip Balms in Spiced Vanilla, Cranberry Joy and Candied Ginger - discontinued sadly :( but, they do have new versions, Cranberry being the one that I purchased but still have to critique
Premium: Balmi Lip Balm in Mint - £4.99



Blusher
Cheap: Sleek Blush in Rose Gold from the Contouring and Blush Palette in Light - £4.49 (£9.99 for palette)
Premium: No7 Natural Blush in 12 Coral Flush - £8


As for eyes, it's all about purple, grey, gold and dark caramel as they are always big this time of year. Think rich hues with golden shimmers or alternatively colours that don't stray from your skin colour, as the no-make-up-make-up look is huuuuuge this season!



Cheap: Bourjois Little Round Pot Eyeshadow in (from left to right) 72 Violet Absolu, 12 Bleu Magnetique, 55 Bleu Myosotis, 90 Blanc Diaphane, 93 Tabac Blond & 05 Brun Irreel - 99p starting price at my ebay



Premium: Urban Decay Naked (£36), Naked2(also £36), Naked Basics(£20), Glinda & Theodora Great and Powerful Oz palettes(£35 each) and also Melt and Rock, that I got in my BYOP's (£14 each). What can I say - Urban Decay eyeshadows will always make the top of my lists! Also Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Electrum (£17.50) which not only makes a great eye primer but also a fabulous eyeliner, it's so creamy and pigmented!


Subscribe to my blog so you can be notified when the sister post, Autumn & Winter Fashion comes out, plus it'll put a big smile on my face! 

What are your Autumn & Winter favourites?

♥
I have seen many bloggers and vloggers do a 'What's In My Make-Up Bag' post and I've been wanting to do one for a while, but recently I got a request to do it so I thought what the hell! I'm gonna show my makeup in order of application, and if you want reviews on any of the products comment below or message me on ask.fm and I might write one! Lets get started :D




Ted Baker Make-Up Bag

Urban Decay b6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray (applied after toner, before moisturiser) - £21


The Body Shop Concealer Pencil (I depot as it's much easier to use, and apply it under and around the eye) - £9

EcoTools Concealer Brush (used to apply the Bourjois concealer) - £5.49

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer (as a base concealer) - £7.99

Real Techniques Detailer Brush (used to apply the yellow S&G Concealer) - £21.99 (part of a set)

Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer (the pink shade to lighten under the eye and the yellow shade for blemishes not hidden by the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer) - £10

Real Techniques Buffing Brush (used to apply foundation) - £21.99 (part of a set)

No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation - £12.95

Real Techniques Duo-Fibre Face Brush (used to apply both powders) - £23.99 (part of a set)


Real Techniques Duo-Fibre Contour Brush (used to apply bronzer) - £23.99 (part of a set)

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder - £13

Ted Baker Beauty Blusher Brush (used to apply blusher)







What's in YOUR make-up bag?!
~requested~
♥
As I was reading random blog entries one day, I came across a post somewhere in the blogosphere (that typically I can no-longer find) where the blogger had written a comparison between EOS and Balmi lip balms. Now I had previously heard of EOS before after watching make-up collection videos on YouTube, and I really wanted to buy some due to their super-cute packaging and because you could collect them all and have loads of cute little colourful spheres of lip balm! But sadly, they don't sell them in the UK and I couldn't order them online because I wouldn't be home to collect them. But after reading that blog post, I looked on the Boots website (my second home) not expecting them to stock Balmi, but they did! Although the price was a tad expensive for a lip balm, I just couldn't help myself and I ended up ordering the Strawberry and Raspberry scents, and after picking them up from the Boots store and trying them, I fell in love, went straight online and ordered the other two Coconut and Mint scents. Although I couldn't get the EOS balms I really don't feel like I'm missing out now that I've got my Balmis.


From left to right - Mint, Coconut, Strawberry & Raspberry


The lip balms come in one size of 10.5g. They have SPF 15 and UVA protection, not to mention the moisturising properties of Jojoba oil, antioxidant-enriched vitamin e, and shea butter to keep those smackers super-smooth. The mint one also includes an 'added tingle'. I really like these balms, my favourite is probably the Raspberry one, as it's one of my favourite scents in general. The balm stays on for around 3 hours, which is pretty impressive to say you don't need much (it's a fairly oily balm). I don't think the scents themselves are strong or chemical-like, they just smell like the generic raspberry, coconut, mint and strawberry scents, I don't know how to explain them haha! Although, after taking a second sniff at the Strawberry one, it reminded me of those strawberry lollies you get abroad (it is not edible, although I do have to keep stopping myself from licking it off... naughty Saffron!). They don't leave a coloured sheen on the lips, it's just clear and pretty glossy so it's suitable to apply over your favourite lipstick, ideal in the summer when it's hot or the winter when your lips are at their driest.





They're in the same cute spherical shape (although the new ones are cubed due to another company having the patenting rights for the sphere, but they still look good!) with an almost rubber-like coating, but unlike the EOS' they have an attachment for your bag/mobile phone. If you pull on the attachment, the base comes off to reveal the product, which I presume is if you prefer to use your finger for application as the main top part of the lip balm is domed so you can apply it straight to your lips. I'm not a fan of using my finger to apply lip balm as I find it unhygenic and messy, so this alternative to the usual lip balm stick seemed quirky and cute!




Balmi lip balms (both the spherical and cubed versions) are available at Boots for £4.99 and if you want to know more about Balmi lip balms and their other products, visit www.balmi.co.uk

♥