Bee Good Lime Blossom and Honey Lip Balm

You might remember last year when I announced there was to be a lip balm competition by the fabulous brand Bee Good and I then featured the winning Lip Balm here.  Well today I am sharing the runner up lip balm, which was inspired by the lovely Aarti from MrsJonasrecommends.

In its beautiful green packaging, Lime Blossom and Honey Lip Balm is described as being a rich, deeply replenishing lip balm to repair, intensively condition and soothe dry, chapped lips. As soon as the lid is removed, the one thing you get a hint of is zesty lime. The main ingredients include protective British beeswax, natural source vitamin E, British borage oil; a rich source of skin strengthening essential fatty acids and British echium oil to replenish dry skin. Add to that bee-friendly lime blossom and it makes for a really lovely lip balm.

The texture of the lip balm is similar the others within the range, not too runny but a slight squeeze of the tube releases enough balm to cover both lips.  The applicator is angled to make the application really easy and it melts and absorbs on contact with the skin, so there is no greasy Vaseline feeling at all.  It does leave your lips feeling hydrated and moisturised and of course the Zesty Lime scent is noteable.

Prices at just £4.75 it is great value you money, a perfect lip balm for the Spring and Summer and it can be bought online or in most Waitrose stores.

What scent would you want to see in a lipbalm?

Colourpop Vixen Lippie Stix Set

Yes, I have finally succumbed to Colourpop and thanks to my mister, I have the amazing Vixen Lippie Stix set which I am obsessed with. ColourPop Vixen Lippie Stix Set is a limited edition set of six shades, all of which are just stunning. They arrived nicely package inside this purple box and in amazing condition considering their journey from America to the UK in just a few days.

If you havent come across Colourpop before (err hello) then you won't be surprised to learn that they are an American Brand right out of LA. They don't test on animals, are purse friendly and if you can find a way of shipping them to the UK, then do it because it is an amazing brand.

Inside the Vixen box are six Lippie Stix which are white in colour with silver writing and they look like felt tips pens, but obviously they are not. With names such as Ruffle, Last Call and Night Owl they are every bit as brilliant as they look.

Ruffle is described as a mid toned warm terracotta which has a Matte finish. The shade to me is a slightly warm brown shade with yellowy orange undertones and whilst it is wearable, it is my least favourite in the box.

Last Call is described as a "soft cool-toned mauve pink and it has a creme finish. Not quite Barbie Pink it does give a nice sheen to the lips and is perfect for everyday wear.

Night Owl is described as a “vivid cool-toned hot pink" and is also a creme finish. Now this is a fantastic shade of pink, it is bright, it is bold and it is one I just cannot pull off, but I love it and just wish it was for me.

Swatches from L-R = 54, Last Call, Night Owl, Plastics, Jingle and Ruffle

Jingle is described as a “true blue red" and it has a Matte finish. For me it is definitely a medium red shade and it definitely has cool undertones and is a shade I can wear, but I need to find the courage to do so because I find the red lip quite a scary thought and I just need to get over it. Jingle has a matte finish but I prefer it with gloss over the top to make it shine.

Plastics is my second favourite shade in the box and it is a matte finish and described as a “deep red violet" though to you and I, it is violet with a touch of red in it. I adore this shade and have worn it a few times, oddly I find no issue wearing a purple lip but cannot bring myself to leave the house with red. 

54 which has the most boring name happens to be my favourite shade of the lot. It is described as a “red wine burgundy with red and hot pink glitter" and it has a pearlised finish to it. Under the lights you can see the glitter within the formula.

As this box was designed for the holiday season, I feel the colours within the set are really well thought out and if like me, you are new to the brand, it is a great little introduction.  I adore the formulas of each Lipstix, they glide onto the lips, are bold in colour and pigment and each one lasts an amazing 5-6 hours.  I didnt find anything drying about any of them and for $20 for the set it is a bit of a bargain.  Colourpop Lipstix retail for $5USD which to be honest is just amazing and I now want to add more to my collection.

Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Mask

When moving from one season to the next, or indeed with the Great British weather, one day to the next, my skin can often decide it is having one of those off days where it can be greasy, dry, flaky and just look generally dull and grey. It is at this point that I know my skin need a good exfoliation and a lot of hydration. When the Bamboo Waterlock Mask from Erborian landed on my doorstep, I couldn't wait to give it a try and given the colour of the packaging, it isn't a product that you are going to miss spotting within your stash!

I am a huge fan of Erborian skincare, anything that is a French/Korean hybrid is always going to wow me and something that promises to instantly and deeply hydrate, give an instant plumping effect and a feeling of freshness upon application is just something I need right now.

The tube within which The Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Mask sits is sturdy enough and designed so you can put it down on any surface, once the lid is off, you can scoop out a little of the gel mask and apply without dropping it, dripping it or knocking it over. The mask is referred to as a hydro-gel mask, put simply, that means it is water based facial product that has a gel crossed with a jelly like texture, something quite a few brands are now using, so it isn't overly runny, but it isn't too thick either, it is sort of bouncy under your fingertips when you prod it. Once applied to the skin, there is an instant cooling feeling which I find quite refreshing, more so if it has been in the fridge and it is so incredibly lightweight, you cannot even feel it as it absorbs. The main ingredient used is the Bamboo both in sap which contain minerals and amino acids to help hydrate the skin, while the Bamboo fibers contain proteins and lipids to help maintain skin's natural moisture retention, something you need when your skin just feels in need of hydration. There is also Disospyros kaki, which you might know better as Sharon Fruit, is also an ingredient which is known for its astringent and illuminating properties, helping to keep skin supple and toned with its pore tightening effect.

This Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Mask can be used two ways. If you are wanted a quick fix then you simply apply a light layer to clean cleansed skin and leave for up to 10 minutes and rinse off or you can apply a layer and leave for as long as it takes for your skin to fully absorb the mask, which depending on how dry and thirsty your skin is, could be anything from ten minutes to half an hour. Whenever I use this mask, my skin literally sucks it up almost immediately and I am currently using it twice a week - once over the weekend and once mid-week.

The Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Mask retails at £44 for a 100ml and as far as I am concerned, it is well worth investing in, particularly right now when the weather is hard to predict and your skin is in need of some extra TLC

Makeup Revolution 9 Piece Amazing Brush Collection

If there is one thing I cannot do without, it is my Makeup Brushes and I am in the process of throwing out the ones which are well past their sell-by date or have ceased to become any use and replace them with new ones. 

If I told you that you could buy an entire set of makeup brushes for £20 would you believe me? Well, it is true you can. The people over at Makeup Revolution (who never seem to run out of ideas) have put together this amazing 9 piece brush collection and as suggested, it costs just £20. Now before you wrinkle your nose and think £20 isn't a lot of money, so the brushes cannot be all that, remember it is Makeup Revolution and they have a habit of proving you just wrong!

So inside the box we have:

Pro F101 Foundation Brush - This helps to ensure that you have the perfect base. It can be used with cream or liquid foundation and, like all other Makeup Revolution brushes they are all made from the finest synthetic hair, super soft, and very animal-friendly. What I like about this brush is the handle as it is easy to grip and isn't too weighted. This brush can be bought separately for £3.99.

Pro F103 Stippling Brush - As you would expect, this Stippling Brush is a flat-topped, full circular brush and is to be used for lightweight application and blending of any foundations. Again super soft bristles and a nice sized handle to make it easy to hold and use. This brush can be bought separately for £3.49.

Pro F104 Powder Brush - I have been needing a new powder brush for a while now and this one is great at what it does. I use it for powder foundation and it works well with powder blush and bronzer too. It is a lovely big brush which is easy to grip on to and again, I find it easy to work with because the handle is so well made. This brush can be bought separately for just £3.99 which again is an absolute bargain.

Pro F105 Contour Brush - Designed to help create a natural or intense contour. The brush is shaped to fit the cheekbones and is perfect for use with bronzer, powder blushes, cream blushes and I have used it with my new Sleek Highlighter palette.

Pro F102 Concealer Brush - This brush is brilliant and is used for applying and blending your concealer to build and ensure perfect coverage. The bristles on the brush are incredibly soft and it sits under the eye with no irritation and it does an amazing job at helping to blend concealer. This brush can be bought separately for £1.99 which is such good value for money.

Pro E101 Eyeshadow Brush - This brush can be used with both powder and cream eyeshadows and you can use it when creating that smokey eye to apply colour to your lower lash line. A cute little brush with short, soft bristles and it retails for just £1.99 is bought on its own.

Pro E102 Eyeshadow Contour Brush - This brush is an angled flat-topped brush which makes it perfect for blending, contouring and smudging. Sleek design, easy to hold and costs just £1.99.

Pro E103 Eyeshadow Blending Brush - This is one brush I have never owned and I am now wondering why not. Designed to work with both powder and cream shadows, it makes blending an absolutely doddle to do and even more so if you get the powder shadows with a lot of fall out, it somehow manages to ensure it doesn't drop all over your outfit or freshly made face, but stays within the bristles of the brush. Priced at just £1.99.

Pro E104 Eyebrow Brush - This brush can be used with powder, liquid or cream eyebrow products to help define those brows. It has a nice long handle which I find makes sorting my brows much easier and the brush is small enough, that if you make a mistake, it is easy to correct with no fuss. Again it costs just £1.99 if bought separately.

Again, even if like me, you are not a Make-up Artist nor a pro at applying everything, these brushes are so worthy of investing in and really do take on some of the major high street brands.  There has been no hair shedding, they are easy to clean and quick to dry, in the photos in this review, I have used all of the brushes with make-up and have cleaned them, so you can see they are looking pretty amazing, more so when you consider the price they retail for.

Once again, Makeup Revolution as a brand manages to wow me and proves that yet again, you should never judge a brand by its pricing!