Category Archives: Lips

Five Excellent Lip Balms for Beautiful Lips

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I'm a big fan of lip balm. I have worn it since I was in primary school. I remember a student teacher once asking a group of us girls at musical practice 'what's the difference between lip gloss and lip balm" (said with a Canadian accent, we found it most amusing).

Anyone knows that lip gloss, while amazing looking, is also sticky and drying on your lips.

Lip balm, on the other hand, often has no colour but is great for hydrating your kisser. It can come in a tube, tub, or stick and is pretty much the only solution to chapped lips (that I've discovered so far, anyway).

I rarely finish a stick of lip balm (as they always seem to go missing before I get to the end) and my bags contain multiple lip balm choices because I know the pain of a lip balm-free day!

Here are my five favourite balms:

1 – Dr Lipp Nipple Balm for Lips – AU$28 – Dr Lipp is a heavy duty lip balm with a cheeky name. I like to apply it at night and in the morning because it is really thick and a great way to both start and end the day. In Australia, Dr Lipp is pretty pricey though and in winter it is REALLY difficult to get out of the tube!

2 – Blistex LIp Conditioning Balm – AU$3.50 – Blistex has been with me through thick and thin. Aside from being ridiculously affordable, I have always found this balm to provide the most consistent results. My sister always liked the tub version but I'm a fan of the stick. I have a strange love for the tingly sensation when applied to sore lips – is that weird? This stuff is the business!

3 – Lanolips 101 Ointment - AU$17.95 – The Lanolips is not quite as thick as Dr Lipp and has a creaminess to it that just makes it a thrill to slide onto lips. Again it works as a great 'before bed' balm and I like to wear it under lipsticks that are particularly drying. It does affect how long they last but it makes my lips feel so good that I don't really care! Lanolips also comes in coloured varieties, pretty and conditioning. Win.

4 – Lucas Pawpaw Ointment - AU$5.95 – Lucas Pawpaw Ointment has become the new Vaseline (am I right?!). It's one of those products that is ridiculously cheap, everyone carries it with them, and it can be used on a multitude of ailments. It's not my favourite lip healer, but it's so versatile that I keep it with me for any dry skin emergencies!

5 – Blistex Lip Ointment Tube - AU$ – This stuff is hard core. Every now and again, particularly when the weather is really bad, my chapped lips step up to another level of painful that none of my lip products can solve. That's when I call in the big guns. Blistex Lip Ointment is the only product I've found so far that can bring my lips back to normal. I am yet to find something that works so well. It is yellow-ish and creamy and best applied in private because it can be a bit weird looking. I think it's mostly for cold sores but it works on super chapped lips in a way that no other balm can. Save this for those emergency situations so your lips don't get too used to it and it becomes less effective (this is a thing, trust me).

What's your favourite lip balm product?! I'm always trying new ones and I'd love to try some of your faves!

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Lip of the Week: Benefit Full Finish Lipstick

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Firstly, Happy New Year! 2013 has started with a bang and everywhere I look, I see more people excited about this year and that makes me excited!

I had the most amazing view of Sydney Harbour for the fireworks on New Year's Eve and I thought it was fitting to share Kylie Minogue's lips with you, in case you didn't see them! Even Sydney and Kylie agree that lips are important and wonderful and that just makes us happy here at The Perfect Lipstick!

Secondly, I have to rave a bit more about my new Full Finish Lipstick in Mod Squad. Oh man, am I in love with this lipstick!! I don't even think you can get them here, but I paid US$16 (usually $18) for this one in my recent Benefit haul and the closest Benefit lipstick you can get in Australia will set you back $34!! Outrageous.

So the price is amazing.

 

Then the lipstick itself. Whoa. The colour is perfect for me and turned out exactly the way I had hoped. It is creamy with a bit of sheen, which I'm not always a fan of, but I love this one. I find this lipstick so much creamier on my lips than other full finish lipsticks, and with a little lip balm underneath, it is just dreamy.

Have you tried any of the Benefit lippies? What do you think?

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My Pre-Christmas Benefit Haul

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So I have this habit of doing the same thing every year before Christmas (when I should be buying presents), I buy myself stuff. This year, it just so happens that I got caught in a mini frenzy around the Black Friday sales and picked up a tidy haul from Benefit.

Do you know Benefit? Do you know how EXPENSIVE Benefit is to buy in Australia? I've always been easily excited by the adorable packaging, the brow bar, and the great rep of Benefit but the exorbitant prices at the counters in our leading department stores just always put me off.

Until the Cyber Monday sales in the US. I discovered a pretty good deal (and free international shipping) plus HEAPS of free samples buying direct from Benefit online. Win. Win. Win.

Here's what I got:

Finding Mr Bright – AU$45 US$36 (I paid $27.99)- I've wanted to try all of these (Girl Meets Pearl, Posie Tint, High Beam, Erase Paste) for a while so I thought I would get the kit and sample them all.

Dandelion Brightening Powder – AU$51 US$28 - I love dandelions, I love pink, I love blush. And bright cheeks are just a bonus. I have wanted to try this for soooo long but at over AU$50, I have never been able to justify it. So I didn't ;)

Full Finish Lipstick in  Mod Squad – AU$34 US$16 - This is literally my new favourite lipstick. But more on this later in the week when I bring you a proper review! All I will say now is that the Full Finish Lipsticks we get in Australia don't even LOOK THE SAME! Plus they are almost double the price here! This was the only item that got slightly injured in its travels and was smooshed up against the inside of the tube. 

And the freebies I got:

L to R: The POREfessional (to minimise appearance of pores), Sugar Bomb face powder, Bad Girl Lash mascara mini, Triple Performing Facial Emulsion, 360 Stay Put Primer sample and a holiday catalogue.

I also bought a few little bits and pieces as Christmas pressies, but I don't want to ruin any surprises!

I will say is that I finally get the Benefit hype. I'm so disappointed that the prices we pay here in Australia are so much more than overseas. Aside from a little crushed packaging and no PO Box delivery, I would ship from the US every time at the better price (especially if it's free shipping and chock full of samples!)

What do you think? Would you rather buy from a counter and know what you're getting straight up, or would you rather pay fair prices but have to wait for it to arrive?

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Lip of the Week – Australis Show Stopper Gloss

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I'm a big fan of lip gloss but I kind of hate the icky sticky factor. Why do I always decide to wear gloss on days when I wear my hair down? Why must my hair inevitably end up IN my glossy pout. And a pout it sure is by the time I realise how frustrating lip gloss is.

Australis Show Stopper Gloss is a bit different. You don't quite get the high gloss of a traditional gloss – it is somewhere between a lipstick and a tinted lip balm with a glossy sheen. It is deliciously pigmented and the Fairy Floss lives up to its name.

 

I bought it weeks and weeks ago and promptly left it in the bottom of a make up bag and forgot about it. The bright pink was too hard to go past and the $10 special at Priceline (usually $12.95) made it impossible to resist but not really a necessity in my life – how many shiny pink lipsticks can a girl own?

I haven't tried the other colours – Hoola Hoop and Firework – but I would easily buy them and use them as my weekend go to's. One word of warning – this gloss-tinted lip balm-lip liner-lipstick/stain is a great multi purpose pencil in an easy to apply shape, but make sure you exfoliate your lips before application because the pastely pigments will reveal every tiny bit of dry skin!

Have you tried the Show Stopper Gloss? How do you feel about it?! 

 

 
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Lip of the Week – Innoxa Lovely Lips Lipstick

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When I was in Sydney a couple of weeks ago I got the chance to rifle through Katherine's boxes of products that she has amassed.  This was a real treat for me, as I don't have anyone else in my life who collects products and stores them like I do (sometimes requiring a stocktake).  And being such a sucker for lipstick I spied these three great Innoxa lipsticks that she had, and helped myself to the boldest, brightest 'in your face' one.

Innoxa claims its range of Lovely Lips lipsticks contain 'natural ingredients … infused with minerals and sunscreen'.

Lovely Lips come in 12 different shades, and I am lucky enough to have stolen be the proud owner of one in Passionflower.  Take no notice of the colours on the website, they do this product no justice.  Passionflower is a vibrant 'in your face' hot pink, as shown here.

This is a really creamy lipstick, with great staying power.  It contains Jojoba oil to condition lips and the vibrant colour comes from mineral pigments with no artificial colors.  At RRP $14.95 I could collect all of the colours.

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Mother/Daughter Monday: Clinique Chubby Stick

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The Product: Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm

The Purpose: They say "Super-nourishing balm is loaded with mango and shea butters. Just what dry, delicate lips need to feel comfortably soft and smooth. Eight mouth watering lip tints in all, each with a subtle sheen."

The Price: RRP $35 from Clinique counters in 16 shades

Sue Says:

Well it's not normally me that's the last one on the band wagon for a new lip product, but I have to admit that I was a Chubby Stick virgin until only two weeks ago.

Lots of excuses, but my main reason for not forking out the $35 was that it is a colour balm, not a lipstick, and not a gloss.  And at my age I need a product that shouts itself out loud and clear.

However, good old Clinique have jumped on the October Breast Cancer awareness, and I was able to purchase the Pink with a Purpose, Limited Edition Chubby Stick which comes in Plumped Up Pink, with a cute little barrel bag to go with it.  Definately worth waiting for as Clinique donates a whopping $5 for each one purchased.

It's not the colour I would have chosen.  If not buying for the good cause, I probably would have picked Fuller Fig or Graped Up.  But it is a lovely product and 89% of reviewers on the Clinique site said they would recommend it to a friend.  I would recommend it to anyone under 50, but beyond that it's just a fun lip balm that's easy to carry and apply.  Without a lip liner underneath it's too sheer to have much effect.

But it's Clinique – a brand I love – therefore I have to give it 9 out of 10.

Katherine Says:

I have to be honest, I mostly bought a Clinique Chubby Stick because the name was hilarious and the colours and 'chubbiness' of the stick are great. I am so much more a lip balm wearer than a lipstick wearer as the former has been a part of my life for so long and such a comfortable part of my life for so long that I am more likely to buy and wear a moisturising tinted balm than just about anything else.

I find lipsticks mostly drying and have really yet to to feel comfortable rocking the brightest shades every day (don't even get me started on the 'reapply' that I have yet to master).

Yes, I agree with Mum, the Clinique Chubby Stick is a pricey one but she I have to remind her of words she once told me when complaining about paying $100 for a pair of ballet flats. The quality of the product is still the same, even if you are choosing a flat over a heel. Perhaps the same can be said for the tinted lip balm? (Or maybe not because the Maybelline Baby Lips tinted balms are awesome at $3.99 a pop and I'm yet to review a similar Australis product that cost $10!)

I love the shape of the Chubby Stick, it makes the product easy to apply and it does last longer on your lips than, say, the Revlon Lip Butters (plus the shape is much more friendly on smaller lips). The colour I chose was Super Strawberry and I love the tint, not to mention the extra moisture you just don't get with a regular lip stick and the fact that it reminds me of Crayolas that I had when I was a kid. 

I'd probably give it an 8/10 mostly because $35 for a tinted lip balm is pretty pricey given my beauty budget!

What do you think? Where do you stand on the Chubby Stick bandwagon?

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Lip of the Week: Dr Lipp’s Nipple Balm for Lips

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We're already raved about Dr Lipp's Nipple Balm for Lips in a previous Mother/Daughter Monday but that was before we introduced the new hall of lip fame and I decided that Dr Lipp deserved some time in our Lip of the Week frame. If you've tried it, you will definitely agree.

Sometimes we try products and discuss them or review them but after a while, they become forgotten about or they become just a part of our daily beauty routine. I can safely say that Dr Lipp has become one of my holy grail items and a part of my every day. I balm my lips right before bed and can safely say that my lips are in the best state they have ever been in.

A couple of things that I mentioned in my previous review was that the balm is really difficult to extract from the tube. After a little while of using it (or maybe as the freezing weather sorted itself out), this isn't an issue at all any more. It is a lot more willing to come out of the tube now, which makes me happy!

The other thing is that I'm a sufferer of bad lips from long ago. I don't know if there is some allergy involved with this, but every now and again my lips just burn for no apparent reason. This just started happening a couple of days ago and with a few extra applications of Dr Lipp, I'm all good again! I also had an incident recently where the side of my lip split a little and after my nightly rub of Dr Lipp, I awoke the next morning to find it had completely gone away.

Amazing! Dr Lipp is $28 from Mecca Cosmetica.

Okay, that's two lots of raving now about Dr Lipp's Nipple Balm for Lips. I promise to stop now (but if you have tried it, then you totally know what I'm talking about!)

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Imagine a world without breast cancer…

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I've been a little absent lately, and for that I apologise.  Sometimes life just takes you down roads you didn't thing you were going to have to traverse.  I haven't even posted what came in September's Lust Have It! box.  But I will tomorrow – I promise.

I wanted to let you know 2 things about Clinique though first.  It is in the forefront of my mind because Rachael and I went down to Sydney and spent a couple of days in Sydney with Katherine last week.  And we did girly shopping together (and lots of talking and eating and drinking coffee) and the only thing I really wanted was to get in to David Jones and pick up Clinique's latest GWP.  Which is the first of the two things.

What to buy to get it this time was very easy, and this is the second thing.  Clinique is supporting The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®,  founded by Evelyn H. Lauder and dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure by funding clinical and translational research worldwide.  Two products are available during Breast Cancer Awareness month (October) and, when you purchase either of them, Clinique is donating part of the profit to the Foundation.

The first is the Limited Edition Chubby Stick in Plumped Up Pink, which comes with a barrel-shaped pink purse.  The second is the Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion, in a whopping 200ml, which comes with a beautiful "Breast Cancer' pink ribbon key charm.  $5 from the $35 retail price on the Chubby Stick, and $20 from the $110 retail on the Moisture Lotion goes to the Foundation.

As usual the products in the GWP are fantastic, and all so useable (especially for travelling).  But even more exciting this time is the knowledge that I am contributing toward the research into a disease that touches so many of us.

So I returned home with a pretty new pink Chubby Stick, a bunch of other Clinique products, and a few things I pinched from Katherine, knowing that one day we may not have to worry about the threat of breast cancer because the world has found a cure.

 

 

Disclaimer: These products were all purchased by us and images were borrowed from the Clinique links in this post!

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Lip of the Week – Maybelline Super Stay 14-Hour Lipstick

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I'd like to prefact this post by saying that I only realised that I selected Maybelline lip products as the first and second ever 'Lip of the Week' by complete accident. In fact, it wasn't until after I finished the post that I even realised this fact. I am in no way affiliated with Maybelline, just (clearly) a fan of their lip products!

That being said, the other week when I was sick and spending ridiculous amounts of money on doctor bills and medication, I decided to spoil myself with a new lipstick while waiting for my prescriptions to be filled.

I picked up one of Maybelline's new Super Stay 14-hour lipsticks in hope that I would be able to solve my constant problem with the lipstick reapply. I love putting lipstick on in the morning before leaving the house, but I haven't exactly mastered the reapply. I feel weird taking my lipstick to the bathroom to touch up through the day, pulling out a make up mirror and reapplying at my desk, or reapplying after meals. It just feels so bizarre to me.

I put lip balm on all through the day to avoid dry, chapped lips but you can put lip balm on without a mirror and not have to worry about smudging or going outside of the natural lip line. Lipstick, not so much!

The Maybelline 14-hour lipstick is pretty good. It's not drying like lots of lipsticks. The colour I chose was Ultimate Blush and it is shimmery and very pink, just how I like a lipstick! The colour doesn't last for 14 hours, I'm sorry but with eating and drinking, it would be near impossible to sustain the full colour. But, admitedly, the colour did stay on for most of the day so I will call it somewhat of a success!

I find lipsticks difficult because I have little lips, but the shape of this lipstick is perfect and the packaging is great.

All in all, the Maybelline 14-hour lipstick has been my favourite lipstick for a couple of weeks, but it is getting the official Lipstick of the Week honour this week!

Have you got any tips for me in my quest to tackle the lipstick reapply? Have you tried any of the Maybelline 14-hour range? What did you think?

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Lip of the Week: Babylips Glow

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Firstly, I want to welcome you to a brand new feature on The Perfect Lipstick. The lip of the week. It seems only fitting that we pay special mention to our pick of lips given the name of our blog and showcase it in the sidebar for all to see!

Secondly, I have been a fan of Maybelline's Baby Lips FOREVER! I don't know how long they were around before I discovered them, but since that moment I have not looked back. I've always collected copious amounts of lip balms but none as delightfully pretty as the Baby Lips range. I'm not kidding here, people, I have as many as four different flavours going at a time and more still in their packets as back ups. I love the candy coloured packaging and the fruity scents!

That having been said, you can probably imagine my joy when I discovered the latest range to hit our shores, the Baby Lips Glow balms. Taking a product I love and giving it a pink hue, what's not to love? I bought both immediately.

I am the worst at reapplying lipstick and so to be able to carry around a lip balm with a pinkish tint to top up whatever lipstick I happen to be wearing on a given day (almost always pink) is just a dream come true. Not to mention that the pastel and neon packaging of 'Baby Pink' and 'Pink Blast' are oh so on trend right now and they are both berry scented and simply delicious!

I don't know about you, but for a few bucks a pop (I paid $3.49ea at Target), the Baby Lips Glow range are just too much happiness in two little lip balms! I can't wait for the other Baby Lips products to head on down under soon!

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