Korres Love Your Lips Set Review & Swatches

Korres Love Your Lips ($63.00 value for $34.50)

 I happen to love products that come packaged together – palettes, GWP makeup bags, face in a box sets, etc. – as they just make life so much easier, and lucky for us Korres has brought us all the essentials to whip your lips into prime-puckering shape with minimal effort in the form of the Korres Love Your Lips gift baggie.  Check out the full review, photos galore and some lip swatches after the jump!

 
Your $34.50 gets you two of Korres’ Cherry Oil Lip Glosses in Naked Rose 22 and Naked Beige 30, a Lip Butter in Jasmine (LOVE their Lip Butters – see my review HERE), and their Lemon Lip Scrub – a great value considering that each and every one of these products is one I’d use regularly.

I’d actually planned on purchased Naked Beige (a sheer neutral beige shimmer) at some point prior to receiving this set from Korres as it’s a great neutral shade that can pull together any dramatic eye look, but what really tugged at my heartstrings was the gorgeous golden shimmer in Naked Rose (a golden rose shimmer with light to medium pigmentation).  I’m a sucker for gold in my glosses, and so of course I proceeded to spend a good ten minutes or so just admiring the shade in the sunlight (weird I know).

Korres’ Cherry Full Color glosses have an addictive light cherry scent and nice color pay-off (although some shades are definitely sheerer than others), but what I really love about them is that they stay put remarkably well despite the fact that they’re not sticky or tacky.  Admittedly the shade range is rather limited, but I like to think that the selection is well-edited and hope that Korres will bring us more shades in the future!

As for the Lip Butter, well you need only read my initial review of Korres’ Lip Butter in Quince for my thoughts.  The Lip Butters are smooth, creamy, delicious, and slip right on like butter.  On me Jasmine is pretty much invisible making it much more of a balm than a tint, but it does make a great lipstick underlayer.

So having been continually disappointed by Lip Scrubs that don’t actually scrub over the years (I’ve tried so so many and they really don’t do much of anything for me), I was expecting more of the same from Korres’ Lemon Lip Scrub, but lo and behold this product actually leaves my lips feeling soft, supple and exfoliated.  I was a little disappointed at the lack of lemony scent and the fact that it didn’t get rid of all of my lip flakies, but I did love how fine the exfoliating granules were, which I’m pretty sure is what made this so much more effective than products I’ve tried in the past.

Swatches (from L to R): Jasmine Lip Butter, Naked Rose, Naked Beige

And a close up of Naked Rose and Naked Beige for your viewing pleasure (you know you love the shimmer as much as I do!).

And lip swatches as promised!  Naked Rose on top, Naked Beige down below.

The Verdict: All in all I’d have to say that the handy little package that is Korres’ Love Your Lips set is pretty great value and would make somebody a nice, simple all-in-one gift.  Next time your lips are in need of a little pick-me-up, definitely check this out!

This review contains a press sample sent to ABS by the brand’s PR representative for blog consideration.  If you have any questions regarding the foregoing, please feel free to contact me at a.beautyful.sentiment@gmail.com.

La Mer The Lip Balm Review

La Mer’s The Lip Balm ($45) was a very generous gift from Nicole, who seriously has the most fabulous taste in cosmetics. So I know the big question on everyone mind is — is it worth it? Find out after the jump!


So what does your $45 get you? 0.32 ounces of long-lasting sweet, minty, refreshing balmy goodness containing La Mer’s famous Miracle Broth, vitamins, and marine and botanical extracts. The balm imparts a nice light cooling sensation and a yummy minty scent (and flavor), is never sticky, and is really incredibly moisturizing. A little goes a long way so while the stuff is pricey, it should last you for a few months of regular use.

My gripes? Well I would’ve liked a little SPF in the product, but I guess the absence of SPF makes for a nice nighttime treatment so it goes both ways. My one plea to La Mer is to bring us this fantastic balm in stick form – I would love not having to stick my fingeres into a pot everytime I go to obsessively reapply this wonderfully soothing balm.

So back to the question of whether this slim little pot is worth your hard-earned $45. While I absolutely love my La Mer The Lip Balm, I’m hard-pressed to say that it’s worth what could otherwise be spent on a new bottle of foundation or moisturizer. I personally would repurchase as I’m a bit of a La Mer addict and absolutely adore the product, but if you’re pressed for cash and on the hunt for an insanely moisturizing lip product, I’d say skip The Lip Balm and check out Sara Happ’s The Lip Slip instead. Yes it’s sticky and completely different texture-wise from La Mer’s Balm, but it’s also much friendlier on the wallet and makes a much-appreciated holiday stocking stuffer.

Berry Sweet Bath & Body Lip Scrub: Good Enough To Eat (Literally!)

So the other day I blogged about Berry Sweet Bath & Body’s lip balms, and while I do really like them, my favorite product from this line is by far this Juicy Pineapple Lip Scrub. Not only does it contain some great exfoliating and moisturizing ingredients such sugar, shea, macadamia nut oil, mango butter and other goodies, but it also smells amazingly delicious – to the point that every once in awhile I’ll take a little nibble of the products while it’s on my lips =P.

More photos and details after the jump!


Blogger Charm Candy sent me this fun package full of Berry Sweet Bath & Body products, which are all produced in Hawaii, and the lip scrub came in the cutest candy-shaped tube along with a coordinating piece ‘o cake mango butter balm.

The pineapple scent of this scrub is seriously just heavenly – it literally makes my mouth water every time I pop it open, and I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t resist eating =X. Okay all weirdness aside, it really does leave my lips really smooth and soft and wonderfully exfoliating. Do check it out berrysweetbath.livejournal.com or reach them via e-mail at carri@berry-sweet.com.

All this cuteness was a gift from fellow blogger, Charm Candy. Thanks so much Tori, I had so much playing with (and eating LOL) these delicious products!

Berry Sweet Bath & Body Mango Butter Lip Balm Review

Berry Sweet’s Bath & Body Mango Butter Lip Balms (made in gorgeous Hawaii) are delicious treats for your lips (and fantastic stocking stuffers) that won’t break the bank. Containing coconut, shea, macadamia nut, avocado and sweet almond oils in addition to mango butter, these balms come packaged in fun slightly flattened oval tubes and are available in a myriad of flavor combinations.

So far I’ve tried Gummi Bears, Lemon Cupcake, Fruit Cocktail, Raspberry Lemonade and Strawberry Candy and while they’re all just deliciously scrumptious, my favorite at the moment is Raspberry Lemonade. These light balms are great on their own, but are really just perfect for slicking on under your favorite lipstick or gloss for that extra layer of protection that we all need when the weather turns chilly.

I really love the packaging on these balms and I’m really hoping that Berry Sweet Bath & Body founder, Carri Kaneshiro, will launch an Etsy or other web shop so that I can check out more of her products. For now you can find her at berrysweetbath.livejournal.com or via e-mail at carri@berry-sweet.com.

Thanks so much to Charm Candy for sending me these wonderful little pieces of Hawaiian goodness, you’re too sweet!

These products were a very sweet gift from a fabulous fellow blogger. I’m blessed to have met so many wonderful individuals through ABS! They’re constantly turning me onto new products that I’d never discover otherwise.

Lisa Hoffman Lip Moisturizer Review & Swatches

Lisa Hoffman’s Lip Moisturizer ($24.95 but currently available for a steal on Gilt – more on that later) is one of those products you’ve probably never heard of, but once you manage to get your hands on it, you’ll be wondering where it’s been all your life. I’m utterly obsessed and can’t believe I haven’t heard more about this brand!

See the full review and swatches/ingredients after the jump!


I’m used to my lip treatment products (balms, moisturizers, etc.) coming in stick or pot form, so I was a little confused by the pump packaging, but it’s so wonderfully pragmatic and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The darling pink tube (which is definitely small enough to be purse-friendly) enables you to dispense just the right amount of product without having to stick your hand into a pot of sticky lip product, and the product itself is just heavenly.

The Lip Moisturizer contains a delicious cocktail of ingredients including olive oil, avocado oil, sunflower seed oil and sweet almond oil in addition to Vitamins A, C, and E to intensively condition your lips. It’s non-sticky and just glides over the lips like a fabulous primer would over the face, leaving them looking soft, smooth and shiny.

Lisa Hoffman’s Lip Moisturizer is really a treat for the senses ~ the sweet almond oil really comes through and the product smells absolutely scrumptious. Think the smell of yummy, comforting almond cookies baked at home from scratch. I really wish that you could reach through the screen to feel this product as the way it glides is really nothing short of magic.

I really can’t say much more on this other than I LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Philosophy Kiss Me Tonight Review & The Lip Slip Comparison I Know You Want!

Philosophy Kiss Me Tonight Intense Lip Therapy ($20)

This intense lip therapy keeps lips soft and in perfect kissable condition with an ultra-creamy formula. ‘kiss me tonight’ works on contact to soften roughness, relieve dryness and soothe seriously dry lips. This luxurious lip treatment helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, adds shape and definition and restores a healthy, rosy appearance.

Up until a year or two ago I never had issues with lip dryness, but it seems that as I get older my lips get dryer and dryer, and lately they’ve been crying out for a little pampering. Philosophy’s Kiss Me Tonight is the ideal product for those of you who are looking for soft, pouty, kissable lips without stickiness or tackiness, and while I wouldn’t call it an industrial strength lip salve, it’s pretty fantastic in its own right!

Check out more photos, the full review and my Sara Happ Lip Slip comparison after the jump!


Unlike Lip Slip which is really quite tacky and soft, Philosophy’s Kiss Me Tonight has a firm surface that you melt under your fingertips, and once glided across your lips, you’ll notice an immediate smoothing/line-blurring effect. My favorite way to use this is directly under a long-wearing lipstick for all-day hydration and color ~ my lips have never felt so comfortable in lipsticks!

So how is Kiss Me Tonight different from Lip Slip? Well here’s how I distinguish: Kiss Me Tonight is great for wearing under your daytime lip shades as it’s non-sticky, fabulous as an everyday daytime treatment, and my balm of choice on warmer days. Lip Slip, on the other hand, is my lips’ savior when colder weather rolls around and my lips are really in need of some TLC, and it’s my go-to product when I’m looking for an overnight treatment that will leave my lips looking and feeling incredible lush and soft the next morning.

I can’t recommend one over the other as the two products are quite different from each other, and I’m more than happy to now own both (thank you so much Elaine for sending this to me)! Stay tuned though as I’ve got a review coming your way of a lip moisturizer that I’m absolutely OBSESSED with and think you’ll all love too.

ChapStick True Shimmer Review & Swatches

ChapStick True Shimmer ($2.79)

Good morning my lovelies! So today’s going to be drugstore day, meaning all of the reviewed products will be not only very affordable but available at a drugstore near you! 🙂

Up first we have ChapStick’s True Shimmer lip balm — a fun, affordable little product that offers you the moisturizing benefits of your classic Chapstick with the added benefit of a subtle, soft shimmer. It’s available in an array of fun flavors and it’s cheap enough that you can pop one in every purse.

I really like that ChapSticks have that slightly waxy feel to them as it makes them great to layer under lipsticks, and with True Shimmer’s added shine, any lipstick will have that extra boost.

My one little gripe with these was that the flavors are a little funky. The SO complained that something smelled/tasted a little off when I was wearing these – I believe he said they reminded him of chalky Pez or something along those lines.

The shimmer/shine is very subtle and non-gritty which I can appreciate, as I recall that I wasn’t all too crazy about the SoftLips shimmer products because of their really stiff, strange consistency.

While ChapStick True Shimmers aren’t necessarily a must have for me, I do find it convenient to have them lying all around the house and in all my bags for those times when I just need a little hassle-free moisture and some shine. Plus you can’t really go wrong with something under $3!

Bath & Body Works Teams Up With Sara Happ

I’ve always been rather lax about ensuring that my hands and lips are adequately hydrated so it’s rare that I stumble across a lip product that I truly adore, but the love affair between Sara Happ’s The Lip Slip and my sporadically parched lips is like kismet. It satisfies my lips’ every need and then some, and so I’m excited to see that Bath & Body Works is now carrying the line, although I’d be even happier if they started carrying this in stores.

For those of you who don’t remember, I received Lip Slip as a gift from the very thoughtful Nicole a few months back and instantly fell in love. For more details check out my review HERE!

Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Awakening Lipbalm Review & Swatches

Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Awakening Lipbalm SPF 10 ($28)

Dior’s new Lip Glow Color Awakening Balm enhances and embellishes the natural color of the lips, using its Color Reviver technology to create a customized color result. The Dior Addict Lip Glow reacts directly with the unique chemistry of each woman’s lips before releasing its color ingredient, giving lips a revived, radiant, full look.

The formula is enriched with wild mango and luffa cylindirca, cushioning lips in comfort. Dior’s Lip Glow moisturizes, smooths, and softens the lips while protecting them from environmental damage with SPF 10.

What I Love: Well I absolutely adore the packaging–the classic Dior lipstick tube done in the sweetest baby pink. The balm itself matches the exterior in shade-it’s a slightly translucent light pink that goes on essentially colorless and then ripens into a customized shade on pink on your lips. The formula is long-lasting, moisturizing, and protects your lips from the elements, things that we could all use a little more of. Plus the balm has a nice, lightly minty flavor/scent to it that’s really refreshing, and the mintiness also seems to provide some plumping action for fuller, poutier lips.

Not So Much: Well the price for one–$28 is a bit steep for what’s in essence a nicely packaged $3 mood lipstick. But that having been said, the product is great as a light lip treatment and really does deliver on its promises. I’m also not entirely crazy about the particular shade of this turns on me–somewhat of a deepish berry pink, whereas I was hoping for more of a soft pink. On others I’ve seen this develop into exactly the soft pink that I wanted, but on me it teeters on the brink of being a little too close to red for my liking. I do love the way that it looks in the swatch on my hand though.

Hand Swatch of Addict Lip Glow

Lip Swatch of Addict Lip Glow

Final Thoughts: While I’m not 100% crazy about this, I do love the glossy finish this gives my lips, with the added benefits of moisturization and SPF protection. Oh and of course the slightly fuller look this gives my lips is another bonus. I don’t think I’d repurchase, but I’ll happily use up the tube that I have!

RATING: 3.5/5

The Lip Slip by Sara Happ Review & Swatches

The Lip Slip by Sara Happ: One Luxe Balm ($24)
and a moody cow keychain that says:
“helps keep a smile on your face when the whole world has gone mad”

Yet another review brought about as a result of the fabulous generosity of Nicole! I’d blogged about Sara Happ’s Lip Slip HERE, then forgotten about it for a bit until Candace posted her thoughts on this product in a comment:

“Ladies, this is the only lip balm that has actually functioned like a lip balm for me. It has a little bit of shimmer in it, that doesn’t really make your lips shimmery…just kind of….glowy. It is not thick, but not thin textured either….it has consistency and STAYS ON. It absorbs into your lips, and is a winner for me! I think I am going to order a couple more! I may give Jason a tub to use too, since when we get to Iraq it will wreak havoc on our faces and lips.”

Now for those of you who don’t know, Candace is the queen of lip products, whether they be lipsticks, glosses, conditioners, etc. You have a lip question, Candace can probably answer it–so when she says something good, it’s going to be good!

So when I received a package in the mail from Nicole a few days back (thank you thank you!), I was ecstatic to see Sara Happ’s Lip Slip in there. Apparently Nicole also tried it and loved it so much that she felt I had to have it =). And if I value anybody’s opinion when it comes to products that I’ll love, it’s Nicole’s.

First of all how cute is the little golden box that it comes in? The Lip Slip is seriously my new product obsession~it’s just that good.

The first time that I used this I managed to make a rather large dent in the surface as I thought that this would be similar in texture to a Korres Lip Butter or Carmex (aka pretty solid)–but nope, it’s a soft, gooey substance that reminds me of melted taffy. Slip into some of this and your lips will not only be sheathed in long-lasting moisture, but they’ll take on this pretty, soft-focus glow.

Close Up of Lip Slip

A better look at the shimmery bits.

Lip Slip is infused with Sweet Almond, Jojoba & Macadamia nut oils, and makes an immediate and noticeable difference in the condition of your lips. Wear this as an overnight treatment and you’ll awaken to soft, luscious pouty lips that’ll have you wondering, “Are those mine?”; use it during the day for some subtle shimmer and shine and continued hydration.

Swatch of Lip Slip

The first time that I used this overnight I was seriously amazed by how soft and plump my lips looked the next morning. And while $24 may seem like (and admittedly is) a lot to pay for a lip treatment, The Lip Slip is easily the longest-wearing lip conditioner that I’ve ever tried. I can slick on some Lip Slip, eat breakfast, drink a bottle of water, have a snack, drink some more water, and make it through lunch with this stuff still clinging tenaciously to my lips–this stuff will easily last for 6-7 hours.

Lip Swatch of Lip Slip

The Lip Slip provides some major hydration–notice that all the little lines on my lips caused by dryness seem to have plumped up? I’m usually hesitant to recommend what I consider to be somewhat pricey products, but this is something that I’d definitely purchase for all my friends and loved ones, and I’d recommend that you do the same.

Nicole purchased her Lip Slip from B-Glowing and was more than happy with their CS so if you’re interested in purchasing this, definitely click on over!