Category Archives: Makeup

Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm Review

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I absolutely hate taking my make-up off. It’s a hassle, its not a particularly comfortable experience for my delicate skin (cotton pads scraping across my face, urgh) and most of the make-up removal products I’ve tried leave my skin irritated. Wipes and micellars are a nightmare, and most creams leave my skin feeling dirty. It’s a hard life. I’ve found a few gems though, so let me tell you about my latest love…

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I’ve been curious to try Trilogy products for years, but I’ve just never gotten round to trying them. However I was invited to try something from the range and I settled on Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm.* I was actually pretty sceptical, because the things I’ve heard people say about this product defy belief. That it lifts make-up away effortlessly and completely, that it leaves skin perfectly cleansed, that even sensitive skin becomes soft, clear and comfortable after using it…

To use, you scoop out a serving (I push my thumb in and gouge out enough to generously cover my nail) and massage it well into dry skin. If you’re wearing eye make-up, eyebrows or lipstick, give it a really good massage to loosen the make-up. Dampen the soft facecloth that comes with it (or another clean flannel/face cloth – just make sure you only use them once and then wash them! NOT OPTIONAL!!) and wipe the balm off your face. I usually rinse the flannel, turn it over and go in for another swipe afterwards, just to be sure.

After this, you’d probably assume that you’ll need to double cleanse, to really get the make-up off, right? Wrong. Trilogy’s Cleansing Balm has removed every iota of make-up from my face every single time. I check by spraying my face with Avene Thermal Water Spray and gently wiping my face with a cotton pad…my face is always perfectly clean. It’s insane, I don’t understand how a balm can be so effective!! But there it is. Now, I never use waterproof mascara or heavy eye make-up because I have very sensitive eyes, but I can tell you that it removes normal mascara as easily and quickly as it removes the rest of my make-up.

The balm is a blend of sunflower, olive, coconut and their famous rosehip oils, together with soothing camomile extract and antioxidant vitamin E. It smells gorgeous, and I love the way it instantly melts onto the skin.

Would I buy it if I hadn’t been gifted it? Yes! Despite it seeming fairly pricey, it’s lasted twice as long as my other favourite make-up remover and I still have some left, so it’s definitely worth the price!

Get it on Look Fantastic for £20.50 – link

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Skincare and make-up for sensitive eyes

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I have the most outrageously sensitive eyes. At the faintest whiff of stress, harsh products, or god forbid, heavy eye make-up, they get weepy, and the skin around them breaks out in eczema patches. I have recurrent styes in my right eye too, which is particularly annoying as it means I can’t buy expensive mascaras or eyeliners since I have to chuck it out every time I have one! I have a skincare and make-up routine in place now that has kept my eyes in check for a long time now, so I thought I’d share!

Skincare

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Cleansing and eye make-up removal can be a big problem for many people with sensitive skin, but the solution for me was a lucky find – Klorane’s Gentle Eye Make-up Remover. Despite having fragrance and colour, this eye make-up remover is the most soothing product I’ve ever used. Even when I have eczema flare-ups (yes I still use make-up, leave me alone), it doesn’t sting. After cleansing, I use a normal eye cream most of the time, but when my eyes are bad, at night I apply XeraCalm Cream from Avene*. This stuff is super thick, and unbelievably soothing. It’s so so good for eczema flare ups. I love doing a little ‘eye mask’ with it in the evenings, and it’s great for my extremely dry, often itchy hands too. I can’t use it during the day though, as it’s so thick, so in the mornings I apply a soothing aloe vera gel like this one.

Make-up

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It took a loooong time for me to come to terms with the fact that I couldn’t wear mascara when my eyes were irritated  – and even longer to get my every day make-up to a point that I was actually happy with the way I looked without it. I’m more than happy with this look though – I love it! It’s pretty basic, but I’ll explain anyway. I start with Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation all over my face, and then dot their Radiant Creamy Concealer on blemishes, and on the inner corners of my eye area. After that, I brush a thin layer of Clinique Almost Powder all over my face, followed by Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush on the apples of my cheeks. I fill in my brows with Benefit Brow-Zings, and then finally, on the outer corners of my eyes and over a bit of the lid, I pat on some BareMinerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener. The Brow-Zings and brightener are kind of like a replacement for mascara – they give my eyes a wide awake, noticeable look, equivalent to that of mascara. Here’s the finished look:

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I usually throw on a bit of Lipstick Queen Frog Prince too, which balances my face out nicely. Even though I do put the foundation, eye brightener and powder near my eyes, it doesn’t affect them because they are high quality products, and they aren’t absorbed. In fact, they form a protective layer which is actually quite good for the skin!

Do you suffer from sensitive skin or eczema? How do you cope? I hope you found my skincare routine helpful!

Spring Beauty Wishlist

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After moving house more times than should ever be necessary this year, I had to pare it back with the beauty spending a little. But that didn’t stop me thirsting over just about everything I saw, oh no sir-ee. Here’s my Spring Beauty Wishlist! If you’ve tried any of these babies, please let me know in the comments! And link me if you’ve written a post on them 🙂

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Korres Equisetum Deodorant: I was having a little Sephora session when I came across this beautiful little tube. I’m always on the look out for a nice deodorant as I don’t use anti-perspirant, and I loved this formulation – bisabolol is a calming agent and equisetum is a herb that protects and deodorises.

Origins Make a Difference+ Treatment Lotion: My skin doesn’t really get dry unless I piss it off with harsh products, but it gets dehydrated really easily. I love the idea of using a toner to boost hydration, and I’ve read wonderful things about this one!

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush: I’ve been desperate to try this FOREVER. I’m still kicking myself for forgetting about it last time I went to New York. I love blushes because I don’t really have time to highlight or contour in the mornings, so blushes are my only way of getting some definition on my face. I love everything about this one – and yes, this is the colour I’d choose. I wanna go BOLD.

Origins Original Skin Mask: Ok I admit I was initially drawn to the packaging when I saw this in a shop. Then it was the gorgeous scent. Then it was the pun in the name. And THEN I finally decided to be responsible and actually read what it was for. At the time my skin was in a really good place and I didn’t need anything like this, but after being indoors with the heating on all winter and going through a period of excruciating stress, my skin is rubbish and I definitely need this! Update, I bought this! Click to read my review.

Rose Waterfull Mask: This is thanks to a post by Little Miss Fii who’s gorgeous pictures instantly convinced me that I needed it in my life immediately. After reading up on the ingredients I was even more desperate to try it. I rarely use products with acids in them, and would like to get my skin used to them so I can fade a couple of pesky scars. I really think a hydrating formula like this would be the perfect way, especially since it’s Korean so I immediately trust it!

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser: Who doesn’t want this, I mean come on. From what I’ve read it sounds like the best cleanser ever to exist. The only question is…how in the hell do I get hold of it?!

A’Pieu Bal Cheek Blusher: Another lovely blogger, Jasmine at Kkochsongi wrote a post on this and it sounds SO adorably lovely. In spring I would really like to dial the makeup down a bit, but being very pale I need some colour to my cheeks all the time. This is how I’m justifying putting TWO blushers in my wishlist.

Herborist Invigorating All-Day Body Lotion: I’ve been curious about this Chinese brand for ages, ever since stumbling across them on Feel Unique. Unfortunately, I can’t find their ingredients list or any reviews, so I’m a bit apprehensive about buying it, but perhaps I should just be brave and go for it?!

NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint: Another ‘who on earth doesn’t want to try this’ product. I ADORE All Day Luminous Finish Foundation from NARS and have used it for over a year. In the warmer months though, I would love to give a skin tint a whirl, and can’t think of a brand I trust more! – Update, I bought this! Did not care for it. Had a huge allergic reaction, would not recommend…

What are you dying to try? Anything I should have added?

Spectrum Brushes – The Glam Clam

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For the longest time I was of the opinion that make-up brushes should be bought as cheaply as possible. However, after receiving Spectrum Collection’s STUNNING Glam Clam set as a gift from my boyfriend, I’ve gone completely full circle and I am now OBSESSED with these beautiful, premium, incredible brushes.

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They give the most gorgeous finish imaginable, and I’ve done a little demo to show you just how good they are. I’ve never found the time to get into makeup, so it doesn’t usually get more complicated than foundation-powder-brows-blush. But after getting these babies? I may even attempt some of the looks I’ve seen on YouTube! Let’s have a closer look at this adorable perfection…

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Here are the brushes I used:

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I used the large flat buffer for my foundation, the lip liner for my concealer, large domed powder for powder (obviously), the fine detailer for my eyes and the small angled blush for my blusher.

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The thing that struck me about these to begin with was how soft they are. I’d been using the same cheap brushes for years so these felt like fairy kisses in comparison. The large domed powder blush literally bounces off your face as you use it, and it’s SO soft. The small angled blush gives a really soft-focus colour application, and the large flat buffer is resilient but still really soft when you’re patting foundation in – my skin is so delicate that some brushes I have actually scratch my skin, enough for it to be uncomfortable, but these are absolutely wonderful.

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Top left is make-up free, then with concealer dotted on any blotches and blemishes, then after foundation, then after powder. I know I’m making stupid faces – these were my first dslr selfies! I love the even finish the brushes give – I know it was the brushes because I’ve had the same make-up routine for the past three months at least, and it never looks this good!

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Here’s my finished face, with eyebrows, eyes, cheeks and lips. I am SO impressed with the small angled blush brush too, it distributed the blusher perfectly.

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I know that at £60, the full Glam Clam set is definitely a luxury, and I would never have been able to justify buying it myself (thank you boyfriend!) but if you’re looking to treat yourself with some brushes, this is absolutely the way. I mean, look at how beautiful they are. It’s like having art on your make-up table. Spectrum also sell gorgeous individual brushes and smaller sets, so if you’re on a budget you should definitely check those out! But really, why not go big or go home, because if you do, your dressing table could look like mine 😉

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Have you ever tried Spectrum Brushes? What did you think?

Klorane Eye Make-Up Remover

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Say hello to my new best friend, Klorane Floral Lotion Eye Make-Up Remover.* What I thought was going to be a pretty standard cleansing product has turned out to be the only thing I can guarantee won’t irritate or sting my eyes, no matter what’s wrong with them (I get eczema and styes frequently, as well as constant sensitivity). As if that wasn’t enough, it’s also incredibly effective at actually removing mascara and eyeshadow, so it’s not like most other gentle eye products, that don’t irritate but don’t do anything else either. I absolutely adore this stuff!

The ingredients list is short, which is probably one of the reasons why it’s so good. The other is probably the high concentration of cornflower extract. This lovely little herbal flower has been used for centuries to treat eye problems because of some compounds in it called ‘anthocyanins’ which are anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Cornflower extract therefore helps with puffiness and itchiness, as well as the effects of pollution – tiredness and premature ageing. There’s another ingredient called butylene glycol, which is an organic alcohol which helps to preserve products but also helps to improve absorption of other compounds – therefore ensuring your eyes get as much cornflower goodness as possible.

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The texture of the Eye Make-up Remover is gorgeous. A soft water, it’s much less oily than many make-up removers so doesn’t leave your eyes feeling heavy or sticky – in fact, it’s very refreshing and cooling. I always remove my make-up removers (hah) with a thermal water spray, but I can imagine this would feel lovely if you left it on too. You can also keep it in the fridge (I got this tip off a man who worked for Klorane back in the 80’s so you know it’s good advice) to make it extra cooling and soothing.

It’s true that I don’t wear eye make-up very often, but when I do, I absolutely love how quick, easy and pleasant Klorane Eye Make-Up Remover is to use. Get it here – link

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush – Luminous Flush

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Ok, I’ll be honest here – I know almost nothing about blusher, and my only rule is pretty much ‘as long as there’s no glitter in it and it’s pink’…IMG_7317Make-up is fairly unknown territory to me, because I’m so not a morning person. I’ve never had the time to get into it and actually enjoy the process (it’s a ‘slapping it on with my hand, swiping on some powder and trying not to poke myself with mascara as I put my shoes on at the same time’ situation). Through blogging though, I’ve recently discovered products that are so wonderful, my passion has been well and truly ignited. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush is absolutely one of them.

It goes without saying that this blush is beautiful beyond belief. The marble effect looks so luxurious (I mean, it is luxurious, but it really makes you feel like you’re pampering yourself every time you apply it) and I love the fact that it’s two separate parts of the blush, the powder and the pigment, which are combined once you swirl your brush over it. The pigment is astonishing – I swipe my brush lightly over the blush twice and I’m left with a gorgeously warm pink on my cheeks.

IMG_7716This moody-as-hell morning selfie demonstrates how effortlessly this blush imparts a lovely subtle pink to the cheeks. I put next to no effort into my make-up on weekdays, but now my face looks more alive awake and radiant every day. I adore this shade too – the warm pink is a perfect match for my pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. The shades are really varied though, with lovely options for dark and light skin, with both yellow and blue undertones. Hourglass clearly know not only their lighting, but also their skin colours.

My Geologist boyfriend really liked the fact that Hourglass’s Ambient Lighting products contain diamond powder – he tells me that this has the effect of ‘scattering’ the light. As diamond refracts light a lot, adding the powder to the blush means that light will be refracted in lots of different directions instead of just reflected like with glitter. This gives a sophisticated glow, as opposed to the annoying sparkle of glitter (sorry everyone, I REALLY hate glitter in everyday make-up products). It really does as well – in comparison to any other blusher I’ve tried, there’s something incredibly complex about the colour. It’s not a sheen, but when James explained that the powder would refract light like that, it really made sense.

I absolutely love Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush – it’s so much more than just a blusher, and I really want to give their other Ambient Lighting products a try one day. Get it from Space NK for £28 – link

Benefit Dream Screen SPF 45 Broad Spectrum Sunscreen

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I have a weird problem with sunscreens. There are chemicals in most of them my facial skin reacts to, even though it isn’t really that sensitive to anything else. My skin breaks out in blotches, and feels hot. Believe me when I say I wasn’t expecting to find a solution, especially not one so pleasant and protective as Benefit Dream Screen!

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I’ve recently woken up to the fact that I’m in my mid-twenties, and have never used regular sun protection unless it’s the SPF 15 I used to get in my foundation. Did you know that sun damage breaks down the collagen in your skin more than anything else, including poor skincare and even ageing? Especially when you’re as pasty as I am, you need something high protection otherwise you’re screwed.  So when I was pottering around a Benefit stand a while ago I decided to ask for a sample. The lady gave me two little tubs which lasted for ages – giving me more than enough time to know that my skin loved it.

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A couple of things I’ve read about Dream Screen moan that it makes your skin feel greasy – if you’ve read that too (because let’s face it, it’s impossible to avoid paula’s fucking choice when looking for reviews) let me tell you that it’s a load of rubbish. When your skin feels greasy it feels like there’s thick oil covering it, when you put this on, it feels silky. Soft, matt, calm, smooth and ready for anything, including fierce summer sun.
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It sinks into your skin immediately, leaving invisible, broad spectrum and incredibly high protection as well as a soft, gorgeous feeling. It sits under my makeup perfectly, and I’ve been using it instead of my primer this summer. Since I started using it my skin has stayed exactly the same colour, so I’m confident the protection is exactly what they say it is. Benefit Dream Screen SPF 45 is an amazing solution for anyone who usually struggles with sun protection, as well as anyone looking for gorgeous, fuss free sun care. Get it on Feel Unique for £25 – link

Beauty Wishlist for Summer

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I’ve never done one of these before, but there are certainly a lot of products I’ve been mentally wishlisting lately so I thought I’d make physical note, and you never know, you might get some summer inspiration too!wishlist

1. Jurlique Rose Finishing Powder – My No.7 Translucent Powder is about to run out, and I’ve been lusting after this light, gorgeously scented rose powder for as long as I’ve known what Jurlique is. I’m pretty sure it can be used over makeup, and if so, this is definitely my powder most wanted.

2. Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick – How on earth could you not want this in your life. First of all I tried it on my hand in Space NK and the colour was stunning – it’s a slightly translucent, beautiful pink, which is perfect for me because thick, heavily pigmented lipsticks just don’t work for me. I never really put anything luxurious on my lips, so this would be a lovely change.

3. Mario Badescu Flower Tonic Mask – I’m an absolute sucker for anything with a name like ‘Flower Tonic’ so this was always going to be on my list. However after reading that the ingredients include kaolin and Balsam of Peru (an extraordinarily effective healing extract) I was desperate to try it. Pore-clarifying and healing are two things my skin really needs.

4. Mario Badescu Botanical Exfoliating Scrub – Living right up to the stereotype I made for myself in the previous paragraph, the name of this scrub got my attention right away. However this does look amazing, with extracts of basically everything you need to restore a healthy, glowing and balanced complexion. Ginger, gingko, green tea, aloe and coconut together with palm seed powder to buff away dead skin….like…hell yes.

5. Philip Kingsley Geranium and Neroli Elasticizer – The reviews of this stuff are amazing, as are the awards it’s been lauded with. I love the idea of a ‘pre-shampoo’, as well as the fact that you can sleep with it on your hair. I’ve never actually seen it in stores so I have no idea what it smells like, but I can’t see how it wouldn’t be absolutely gorgeous. I just can’t shake the idea that my hair would be left silky smooth after using this, so I shall have  to try it.

6. Sukin Natural Deodorant – I’m anti antiperspirant, but the summer heat in London is proving too much for the lovely Deo My BO solid deodorant bar from Lush (despite it working wonderfully before it got so hot!) I definitely want to give this one a try, as I love everything I’ve tried from Sukin so far.

7. Frog Prince Wash Bag from Catseye – I’ve been lusting after this for over a year – I love the happy, cute design and it’s the perfect size for all the stuff I bring with me everywhere. Really I should just get a grip and buy it, but every time I go into Selfridge’s and see it, it just seems so frivolous (it isn’t, it’s only £15 so I don’t know what I’m on about really).

8. & Other Stories Nail Colour in Dot Peach – I recently bought the most gorgeous sandals from Topshop, but I need a muted nail colour to go with my work clothes. & Other Stories have really lovely nail polishes, and I adore this cute pink colour.

9. Bliss Ingrown Eliminating Pads – I’m really curious about these. Both my boyfriend and I get ingrown hairs occasionally (it’s really common for guys to get these on their legs!) and they’re bloody annoying, so if these work it would be fantastic – it is shorts season after all!

What’s on your summer wishlist? Any of these?

Benefit Bathina “Take a picture…it lasts longer…” Review

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I have wanted this stuff foreeeever. In my early teens I thought Benefit and Lush were the ultimate in beauty, and I was obsessed with their quirky, cool products. Bathina “Take a picture…it lasts longer” like Silky Underwear from Lush, has been on my wishlist since I was about 13. So the other day when I was faffing around on Feel Unique I decided to treat myself, because I’m an adult now (right?) and I have disposable income (…right?)

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Let’s not dwell on how stereotypically 90s kid it is of me to buy what is essentially glorified body glitter. To be fair, it does pack an impressive shimmer, but it’s so much more than that. The glitter is a warm golden colour and the balm is a beautiful pink, so when it reflects in the light it gives this gorgeous peachy shimmer. Perfect for people who don’t tan, and so have no use for bronzer.

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The scent is ludicrously gorgeous, and has some serious staying power. I’ve worn it on bare legs (hellooooo summer!) for the past two days and not only have they been gorgeously shimmery every time I look down, they’ve been silky soft and lightly scented. Something in the fragrance reminds me of summer really vividly, in the same way that suntan lotion always does. This is such a gorgeous treat for the warmer months, and if like me you just do not tan, this’ll give you a break from that milk-bottle leg feeling.

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I did a silly little summer leg shaving ‘step by step’ the other day where I recommended Silky Underwear Dusting Powder or Korres Bergamot Pear Body Milk as the final step – but I think it’s safe to say that this is the perfect finishing touch. Get it from Feel Unique for £23.50 – go on, treat yo self.

Dr Paw Paw Tinted Ultimate Red Balm

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I’d heard about the Australian love of paw paw as an ingredient years ago, when I used to use Aussie hair care (I am aware that Aussie isn’t Australian, don’t worry). So when people started talking about how paw paw ointment is a staple in every Australian’s life, I was curious. Dr Paw Paw isn’t actually Australian, but it’s a great product and I’ve really enjoyed using it.

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I stumbled across Dr Paw Paw in Urban Outfitters and decided to go for the red tinted one because I’m always on the lookout for fuss free ways to apply pigment to my lips (lipstick stresses me out SO much). As well as the un-tinted original, they do a peach pink colour, and a giant tube of the original version.

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The reason for the giant tube is that paw paw ointment is a multipurpose antibacterial and antimicrobiral balm. Fermented paw paw (aka papaya) is an antioxidant, and helps repair the skin. There’s aloe in there to help calm and soothe, as well as olive oil to nourish and petroleum jelly to protect. This is one of those multipurpose magic balms that does it all for chapped, irritated or dry skin. I put mine to the test on the dry, cracked skin between my fingers. Aside from looking distinctly pink from the red pigment, the skin is smooth and soft, with no white bits at all. That’s something that almost all hand creams and balms struggle to get rid of, so I’m very impressed, and will be purchasing an original colourless balm as soon as I can!

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As you can see, the Ultimate Red Balm is a gorgeously rich colour, and I’m actually really impressed with the colour payoff. It’s subtle, but way better than any other coloured lipbalm I’ve tried. Because my lips are quite full and there isn’t a clean line between my lips and the skin around them, I find it really hard to get lipstick to look good. So a balm like this is perfect.

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This balm is great. It’s only £6.95 for a 25ml tube, and leaves the skin soft and nicely coloured for a good while. I think the clear one will go down really well with my boyfriend, who’s lip cracks in the middle a lot (poor baby), as well as with my cracked hands. After applying the red stuff between my fingers, it’s actually kept the dryness at bay for about 3 hours now, which is really impressive!