Burt's Bees Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm

If you were stranded on an Island and was granted a single makeup and beauty product from your vanity, which one would it be? 

I would most definitely choose my favorite lip balm... 
...in retrospect, a good sunscreen wouldn't be a bad choice either.

Anyway while my quest to find the ultimate lip balm is still on, here is a quick review of the lippy that has my attention for now.

Burt Bees offers a bunch of lip balms and treatments, but I particularly like this one.

Product Claim:

Burt's Bees Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm claims to contain Kokum Butter that is rich in fatty acids and Vit E and is known for its moisturizing properties. It is also claimed to be hypoallergenic and clinically tested and provides 4-Hour Moisturization.

What I Love: 

First of all, the lippy does provide intense moisturization as the product claims and I generally do not have to reapply often. I use it 3-4 times a day and I have quite dry lips. It works great to soothe chapped and cracked lips even in winters. I simply love its smooth and buttery texture. I also love the fact that this comes in a stick rather than a jar. The best part is that it is fragrance free, flavor free and 100% natural. 
I am not a big fan of Shea butter and Cocoa butter, so I am glad to have found a great product without these. 

I love to wear this one under my lipsticks, especially the matte ones that dry out my lips. 

Since this is a drugstore brand it is very easily available and is quite affordable. 

Pros:

Intense Moisturization
Ultra Smooth and Buttery
Glides easily on the lips
100% Natural
Fragrance (and flavor)) free
Texture remains smooth in winter
Convenient packing and easy to carry around
Keeps lips hydrated for 3-4 hours
Not too expensive

Cons:

None really except that I wish they made these in tints too

Cost: 

$3.50 for 1. (Value packs of 2 and 4 costs less)

Verdict:

It is a great product and a total value for money. While I am still experimenting with other lippys, this one has found a permanent place in my lip balm collection. 

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Cashmere Glow Diamond Shimmer Mist - Bath and Body Works

This is one of the first shimmer spray I picked from Bath and Body Works and ever since I have been hooked to these amazing shimmer sprays.

The mist comes in a beautiful transparent orange bottle through which you can see the lovely shimmer sparkling back at you. And as much as I pretend to be sophisticated and suave, these glittery mists liberates the young girl in me who loves everything sparkly! 


Now most Importantly about the fragrance, as the name suggests, it is warm and musky with distinct notes of vanilla, sandalwood, musk, peaches and tropical fruits.The warm enveloping fragrance reminds of a rich and creamy caramel vanilla latte on a cold evening.The smell is on the stronger side so I recommend using it sparingly, as it could get a little overwhelmingly sweet and musky. The rich heartwarming scent is perfect for the cold weather. 

The fragrance is quite strong and intense initially but the dry down is very soft and warm. The fragrance from the mist stays on my skin for 2 hours and the warm musky smell lingers for up to 3 hours. 

The mist dries in a few minutes leaving behind a lovely rich aroma and a beautiful subtle golden shimmer (unlike the Cullen-in-Sun glitter!) on the body. Once the mist dries the glitter does not transfer easily on touch nor sticks to clothes and washes off easily with a little soap and water. 

A little spray on the arms and shoulders looks great with that LBD on your evening outs. 

Priced at $16 a bottle, it can be a little steep, but Bath and Body Works always has amazing deals at the their stores so keep an eye out for them. 

I have picked up a couple of diamond mists in other fragrances from B&B works as this one gets a little strong for me, but if warm sweet smells are your thing... this one is for you!

(I have also tried the sugar scrub and body wash from this collection and the subtle lingering fragrance the bath products leave behind is divine)

Pros

Subtle shimmer

Always on offer/discount

Lingers for 3 hours on skin

Cons

Strong fragrance 

Only for Winter

Burt’s Bees Essential Kit

I have been hearing rave reviews about Burt’s Bees products and have been wanting to try out some products for a very long time. I finally laid my hands on this awesome pack recently.

The essential Burt’s Bees kit has:

• Hand salve (8.5)
• Beeswax lip balm.
• Coconut foot cream.
• Milk and honey body lotion (25 gm).
• Soap bark and chamomile deep cleansing cream (20 gm).

Price

$10

Burt’s Bees products are made from 100% natural ingredients and does not contain parabens and formaldehydes.

My Experience with Burt’s Bees Essential Kit:

Let me start with the overall packaging.  The products come in a cute yellow cardboard packing with a plastic display window through which the products are visible. The products are neatly placed in a styrofoam tray. The packing and the overall kit is great for travel.

Starting with my favourite product from the kit – the coconut foot cream.

The foot cream contains coconut oil along with peppermint and rosemary. I have used this product only 3-4 times, but I totally love it. The weather here is very dry and so are my feet. The coconut foot cream made my feet very soft and smooth and my usually rough feet felt very soft and happy. On application, the cream produces a heating effect which soothes the feet. It works absolutely like magic. The cream has a strong coconut milky smell. I cannot wait to lay my hands on the full-sized tube. 

Moving on to one of the most used one – the beeswax lip balm.

Beeswax works great to condition the lips and this lip balm also contains vitamin E which leaves the lips nourished and soft. The peppermint oil in the lip balm leaves a tingling sensation on the lips which does bother me, but I love the fact that the lip balm comes in a convenient stick which makes it great to carry around and is very easy to reapply. On the flip side, the balm is a little too waxy. It is very stiff and does not glide easily on the lips. It also feels a bit heavy on the lips, so I keep it mostly for travel purpose. It not a great winter product.

The honey and milk lotion has a strong sweet smell but nourishes the skin.

The soft creamy lotion easily blends and is absorbed by the skin. It does make the skin very soft and smooth. The lotion smells of honey and milk and something vanilla. The strong sweet smell is a little overwhelming for me and the sickly sweet smell is strictly for people who like strong sweet smells.

Soap bark and chamomile deep cleansing cream is one of my least liked products from this kit.

The cleanser did remove dirt and oil from my face, but I didn't really care for the tingling sensation I felt after the wash. It makes my face dry and stretchy. 

The Hand Salve is a very interesting product.

I love its soft waxy balmy texture. I like to use it on my elbow and cuticles as it makes them very soft and supple. It works great to soothe cuts and scratches on the skin and it is a wonder product for winters. This has become a must have for me and i carry it around with me all the time.

What I Like about the kit: 

• No parabens.
• All natural products.
• Economical pack.
• Amazing foot cream.
• Great smelling products.
• Sample sized products are great for trial

What I disliked: 

• Product size is too small.
• Availability.

Recommendation:

I would totally recommend it to first time Burt’s Bees users.  It’s a great way to sample the products and then buy full-sized ones.

Recycle, Reduce and Repurpose Makeup And Beauty Products

I was watching a documentary last night on how consumerism is taking a toll on our

environment and it left me in complete shock.

Taking a break from reviews of beauty products today I am writing about recycling, repurposing

and reducing makeup and beauty products. Because being beautiful is not cool at the cost of

hurting the nature.

Here I have some easy and quick tips on how we can recycle, some I have tried out myself and

some I have simple read about but am still sharing with you guys.

The foremost pollutant is the plastic containers in which our beauty products are

packed. Most of the packages are non biodegradable. What we can do is try to reuse

these containers. Use empty small sized bottles to refill with your favourite toiletries –

shampoo, shower gels and lotions, and keep them in your travel kit. Instead of buying 2

bottles, transfer your favorite lotion into these travel sized bottles for your handbag.


I also like to clean out the convenient pump nozzle bottles and refill it with hand wash

gels. The Fab India body mist spray bottle holds my  homemade rosewater and lavender

face toner. I love the way the toner is sprayed onto my face giving an instantly refreshed

feeling. The lotus toner bottle which also comes which a spray nozzle holds the

homemade patchouli and rose room freshener.

There are some companies which takes back these empty containers and offer free

samples and discounts in return. MAC cosmetics, Origins and Aveda are some of the

companies. One can exchange six empty MAC containers for a brand new lipstick. Empty

Vaseline jars and cleaned out lens cases make a great container for DIY lip balms.


Sometimes we are stuck with makeup or beauty products that we don’t really like or

does not suit our skin. A perfect example would be foundations. If you are stuck with a

foundation shade that does not match your skin stone, simply mix a few drops with your

favourite body lotion and slather it on your legs to give a sexy bronzed look.


If you have a lipstick that you don’t like much, simply use to make great homemade lip

balms. http://makeupandbeauty.com gives you some amazing DIY tips on makeup and

beauty products. You can also REDUCE your makeup consumption with these amazing

DIYs.

You can use old body glitters to create amazing nail arts. Mix old unused sparkly eye

shadow in clear nail paint to create your own signature nail colors.


Eyeliner can be used to make temporary tattoo on your body or even make amazing nail

art.


My little niece and nephew love to raid my make up kit for old eye shadows and body

glitters for their school art and craft work.


I was stuck with a few extra expired lip liners from my wedding trousseau which I now

use to write small romantic notes and hide it in my husband’s lunch box!

I use the Himalaya face pack, which did not suit my facial skin, on my feet and elbows

when I give myself a manicure and pedicure. Same way a not so great face wash doubles

up into a great body cleanser and a bad shampoo into a foot soak!


Old mascara wand when cleaned n sanitized, doubles up as jewellery cleaner, eyebrow

brush and also be used to clean under the nails. (Until the husband started using it to

clean the spaces between the keys on the laptop)


 If Have a lot of makeup lying idle, invite your BFFS over and throw a makeup party!!!

Being green is not about saving money but the environment, so have no qualms about it. Pick

organic and eco friendly products, opt for DIY homemade products, Curb unnecessary buys.

Also, remember, recycle, reuse, repurpose and reduce.

Let’s all do our bit and look beautiful in an eco-friendly fashion!

Oriflame Milk and Honey Sugar Scrub

Hola Beauti-holics

I am here with a review on one of my all time favourite body scrubs, Oriflame’s milk and honey sugar scrub. I am a little obsessed with bath and body products, especially the amazing smelling ones. Though I am not a big fan of Oriflame, I picked up this one from a salon, right after I got through my tube of Satsuma body polish. It has been my favourite ever since.

Product Claim

Smooth away dead skin cells to reveal softer skin below with this rich, decadent body scrub. With organic milk proteins and honey extract to soften and condition the skin, it is a shower experience to cherish.

Price

Rs. 449 for 200 gm

Ingredients

Sugar crystals along with milk and honey extracts are the key ingredients in this scrub. Here is the complete list of ingredients

My experience with Oriflame Milk and Honey Sugar Scrub

I have always been a believer of sugar working miracles for the skin. I often use DIY sugar scrubs on my face and lips. This scrub is combined with my other two favourite ingredients , milk and honey, and so, I just had to pick this one up.

The scrub comes in a beautiful golden soft tube with a secure flip open cap which is very convenient to use. I wish the scrub was also available in smaller tube for traveling purpose.

Now about the scrub itself, it gently exfoliates the skin, making it very smooth. It is very effective in cleaning away dirt and gently removes dead skin and leaves the skin feeling squeaky clean. It has been very effective in smoothening my elbows and knees and has become a staple product in my cleansing rituals. It also moisturizes the skin and leaves it very soft and smooth. It is great for dry skin.

The texture of the scrub is like a clear honey like gel with sugar crystals. It is very easy to spread and a small quantity is enough to exfoliate the skin. The best thing about this scrub is that it doesn’t dry out the skin. Also, it is quite gentle on the skin. Unlike some scrubs, that have rougher scrub granules, this one has soft granules and does not leave scratches on the skin. 

A friend recommended me to use this on my face! I do not know what made me do it, but using it on my face caused breakouts!!! So clearly, it is not meant for the face.

The fragrance of the scrub is simply amazing. It has a very honey like luxurious smell. The fragrance can be described as a mix of a vibrant floral bouquet with hints of something sweet and musty. It has an overpowering fragrance which lingers on my skin for at least an hour. My husband, who generally finds fragrances from my bath products very overpowering, loves this one. Also, using this scrub always puts me in a good mood.

The availability of the scrub is a big con. It is not easily available in the market and I have to get in touch with an Oriflame dealer.

Pros

·         Gentle exfoliation

·         Removes dead skin and smoothens the skin

·         Moisturizes the skin

·         Great for dry skin

·         Amazing fragrance

·         Affordable

Cons

·         Availability

·         Cannot be used on face

Last word

Oriflame’s milk and honey sugar scrub is a great product and would definitely recommend it to people with dry skin. I am almost through the second tube and would definitely buy it again (unless I come across something else even better)!!!

Flomar Deluxe Shine Gloss – D34

Flomar Lip gloss is one of the few products that I received in my fab bag and actually liked and purchased! It’s a nice creamy lippie and has found a permanent place in my handbag. Now for the review.

Product Claims

Flormar's Deluxe Stylo lipstick is the best tool for a shiny and glamorous pout. It's super formula enriched with the much acclaimed Argan oil, Vitamin E, Omega 6 and cacao butter - makes it ultra-hydrating and nourishing while the color really makes a statement.

Price

Rs.700

My Experience with Flomar Deluxe Shine Gloss

My mother who has very sensitive skin and lips and hence is extremely choosy about her lipsticks, loved this one so much that she unceremoniously pinched this one from me and I liked the lipstick so much, I had to order another one for myself in the same shade.

The packing of the this lipstick is very stylish. It comes in a sleek black matt finish casing with a secure cap. It is very handy to carry around and is very travel friendly.

Flomar deluxe shine gloss has the texture of a lip balm. It is very creamy and glides on the lips. It contains Argan oil and Vitamin E that moisturizes the lips and keeps it hydrated. You don’t have to use a lip balm or primer before applying this lipstick. It does not dry out the lips either, so your lips stay soft and smooth.

The color pay off of this lipstick is not that great. A single swipe gives only a faint sheer color. It requires 2-3 swipes to get the actual color on the lips. But since I like less pigmented color, it works well for me. When I had first opened this lipstick and saw the bright red, I was a little disappointed with it as I already have enough bright reds and actually needed a more everyday color. But after using it, I realized the pigmentation of the lipstick is not that great and the color on the lips after 2 swipes is just perfect for me.

The lipstick stays for 2-3 hours on the lips and since it is a very moisturizing lipstick it does transfer onto glasses.  It is very light on the lips.

The best part about the lipstick is that it gives the lips a unique and translucent appearance and glossy reflection. And it nourishes and moisturizes the lips without any greasiness.

The shade D34 is a beautiful soft red which gives a very toned down sophisticated yet glamorous look. It goes with most of my outfits and is my to go lipstick.

The availability is a bit of a problem as it is not yet available in stores in India and you have to buy it online. And though I got lucky with the 2 shades I have, I am reluctant to try more shades without a swatch.

Pros of Flomar Lip Gloss Stylo

·         Organic

·         Creamy texture

·         Glides easily on the lips

·         Stunning color

·         Enriched with Argan oil

·         Moisturizes the lips

·         Does not dry out the lips

·         Does not cake

·         Light on the lips

Cons of Flomar Lip Gloss Stylo

·         Pigmentation is poor

·         Availability

·         Cannot swatch or try it on before buying

·         Does not stay too long

Recommendation

One of the few products I would strongly recommend to ladies who like well nourished and moisturizes lips with some amazing sheer shades. It’s perfect for everyday use as it does not dry lips and keeps them soft. I also bought one more shade (D40) from fab bag. I wish I could swatch or test the other shades before buying.