Worth The Hype? Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

I've decided to do a little series on the blog called 'Worth The Hype?' My aim is to do a post once a week about products or groups of products that receive or have received a lot of attention from the beauty community. I usually try to make sensible decisions when buying new make up but sometimes when a product is talked about so much, I just have to try it and see what the fuss is about!

This week I'm going to be talking about the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains which launched in the UK this summer. Despite hearing good things about these products from Stateside bloggers and YouTubers I told myself that I didn't need them. I wasn't a fan of the Clinique Chubby Sticks that everyone seemed to be comparing these to so I thought I'd save my pennies. 

However, I was in Superdrug one day and spotted the Balm Stains. They were on offer for £5.99 (and still are in Boots - link) so I swatched a few. They were so much creamier and more pigmented than I expected and reminded me more of the Tarte Lip Surgence pencils than the Clinique Chubby Sticks. So, of course, I bought one. I picked up Rendezvous because it was the shade that caught my eye; I love orange shades!

Rendezvous

I decided to give it a whirl the next day and the first thing I noticed was how easy it was to apply. I applied a few layers for the most intense colour and went about my day. I topped it up every three or four hours (after eating/drinking) with ease and by the end of the day my lips were still orange. More importantly, my lips weren't dry at all. I've used this quite a few times now and can safely say that I love it. The sweet minty scent/taste helps as well!

Crush

So I went and bought another shade; Crush. It's a medium berry-red shade which I think will be perfect in during the colder months of the year (which in Glasgow means September - July!) I've only tried this shade once so far but in terms of texture, pigmentation and staying power it performs exactly like Rendezvous. 

Rendezvous 

On a final note I want to mention the packaging. I should have mentioned that first but got a bit carried away!  I've become a bit obsessed with a variety of chubby pencil type products and find that they're particularly great when it comes to lip products. I have relatively thin lips and sometimes normal lipsticks are difficult to use if I'm in a hurry, especially if they're quite pigmented or bright. I like the fact the Balm Stains don't require sharpening, too.

Crush

Are the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains worth the hype?

Yes! 

Rendezvous, Crush

Do you agree?

Stace xx

L'Oreal Color Infallible Eyeshadow in Magnetic Coral

I have no idea what possessed me to buy a coral eyeshadow. I tend to play it safe when it comes to eyeshadow shades but I was really drawn to this product after seeing other blog posts about it so I bought it. And, I've used it a lot more than I thought I would!

I have no problems with the packaging; it's plastic so more travel friendly than a glass jar and it has a little stopper to press down the 'loose' shadow. If you've not tried these before because you don't like loose powder products please don't let that put you off. To me this shadow feels more like a very buttery (think Urban Decay but better) pressed shadow. 

The main difference between this product and a pressed shadow is that they tend to work better when applied with fingers. I've tried a few different brushes and find that they just don't pick up enough product if you want anything more than a very sheer wash of colour. Whilst that might be off-putting for someone who prefers to use brushes, I do find that it's a lot quicker and that I still need to use a brush to blend out the edges and add other shadows (if I want to, I often don't!)

Magnetic Coral was released this summer and it's an orange-coral shade with flecks of fuchsia. You can see from the swatch how the mix of the two shades looks. Formula-wise I find it to be a bit drier than the other shade I have, Sahara Treasure (reviewed here) but aside from that I have no issues with it. Pink/coral eyeshaodw can be difficult to pull off; no one wants to look like they have an eye infection, do they? But because of the golden undertone in Magentic Coral it just looks like a slightly more interesting neutral on me. I think it enhances my brown eyes, too. 

My favourite shadow to pair with Magnetic Coral is Twinks from MAC. Twinks is another shade I wasn't sure about when I first got it but it looks lovely with Magentic Coral. I posted a Face of the Day with it recently (here). The result is a relatively inoffensive everyday smoky eye which is coral and plum rather than brown. 

You can pick up L'Oreal Color Infallible shadows from Boots (link) and anywhere L'Oreal is sold. They are priced at £6.99. 

Have you tried any of these shadows?

Stace xx

PS - I have also tried using this as a blush! It's pretty on the cheeks when applied with a fluffy blush brush but for me it was a tiny bit *too* shimmery.

Osmo Berber Oil Collection

When I was offered the opportunity to try out the Osmo Berber Oil range I jumped at the chance. I've been a fan of the Macadamia Natural Oil range since the beginning of the year and wanted to see how the Osmo range compared. I was sent the Rejuvenating Cleanser shampoo, the Hair Treatment oil and the Restoration Therapy mask.* 

All three products are generous travel sizes; I got between 15-20 washes from the 75ml shampoo (and I have very long hair), I've used the 75ml mask four times and still have lots left and I used the 10ml oil each time I washed my hair. These will definitely get you through a fortnight in the sun! 

I should point out that the Osmo range is, on the whole, more affordable than the Macadamia range I was using. The smaller sized items I'm reviewing are priced at £3.59 for the shampoo, £3.99 for the mask and £5.90 for the oil. The full sized products are £7.99 for the shampoo and mask (250ml each) and £17.60 for 100ml of the oil. The biggest difference in price is between the masks; the Macadamia Deep repair mask is £20.35 for 250 ml. I also find the packaging of the Osmo range to be a bit more travel friendly and easier to use in general compared with the bottles and jars the Macadamia products come in. 

I have to admit I didn't think this range would be as good as the Macadamia products I love but I've been so impressed by the Osmo Berber Oil range that I actually prefer a couple of the products to the equivalents from Macadamia. I should probably tell you a bit about the products now, shouldn't I?

The first thing I noticed about the Rejuvenating Cleanser shampoo was the scent; it's spicy and fruity and delicious! It is quite thick in consistency which made it a bit more difficult for me to work it through my hair but I generally stick to shampooing the roots anyway. Aside from cleansing the hair this shampoo aims to hydrate the hair and leave it looking radiant. I'd say that it does deliver on those claims for me but I don't have particularly dry or damaged hair. In the past I've found that shampoos which claim to 'hydrate' hair usually just make mine look greasy but this one didn't, thankfully! If you're in the market for a new shampoo, I'd definitely recommend this one if you don't have any major hair issues; this is my favourite product from the range. 

The Restoration Therapy mask is the product I've used the least because I can only use it once a week. I find if I use a hair mask any more than that, my hair gets greasy and limp. I could only use the Macadamia mask once every ten days because it was so thick and hydrating but this mask from the Osmo Berber Oil collection is a little more lightweight. I apply it to damp hair after shampooing, leave it on for five minutes and rinse out. It leaves the ends of my hair looking smooth (despite the fact I'm in desperate need of a hair cut). The lighter texture of this product means I can use it a little more often and if I was on holiday in the sun I'd probably use it every couple of days without worrying about it weighing my hair down. If you do have quite dry or damaged hair, you would probably prefer the Macadamia mask but if you've got normal/oily hair, I'd recommend this one instead.

The Hair Treatment oil is the third product I tried. I used this through the ends of my hair after washing it and whilst I did like it, I get better results from my Macadamia equivalent. This oil is a bit thinner in consistency but leaves my hair feeling a little weighed down with product even when I only use a tiny bit. It does make my hair look smooth and shiny, though. It's not a terrible product, I just found it to be a bit too nourishing for me.

All the products mentioned in this post are available on FeelUnique.com (link)  

Have you tried this range or anything similar?

Stace xx

Wishlist Wednesday: Feel Unique

I love the 'wish list' function on Feel Unique; I'm constantly adding items to it so I thought I'd share my most recent additions in today's wish list!

bareMinerals Ready Touch Up Veil - Translucent

£16.50

link

I always wanted to try the loose version of this powder but I was put off by the fact I'd probably spill it everywhere so when this pressed version was released, it went straight on to my wish list! My current face powder is on its way out so I really need to pick up another soon.

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet

£19.80

link

I used to own this but the packaging was different; it was a pump bottle which didn't work very well and eventually broke. The issues with the packaging put me off repurchasing it but I'd happily use it again now that it's changed. This moisturiser is great for dehydrated skin so works well for me. 

Seche Vite Top Coat

£8.87

link

This product is always on my wish list because I alternate between this and Sally Hansen's Insta Dri and I'm running low on the latter. I find that Seche Vite doesn't get as goopy as quickly as the Sally Hansen so don't mind paying an extra few pounds for it.

Jemma Kidd Light As Air Foundation

£20

link

I've not purchased a new foundation for a very long time and have always had my eye on this one. Anna from Viviannadoesmakeup rates it highly so I want to see what all the fuss is about!

BeneFit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Bella Bamba

£13.50

link

I know these glosses haven't been rated highly but for some reason I still want to try one. The swatches look quite sheer so I want to try Bella Bamba as I imagine it'll be the most pigmented of the six.

If you own or have tried any of these products, please let me know what you think of them in the comments!

Stace xx

Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover (Reformulated/Repackaged)

When I heard that Botanics had repackaged and relaunched their line I thought two things. Firstly, I was excited to see what one of my favourite budget skincare brands would come up with and secondly, I was terrified that they'd change the formula of their Soothing Eye Make Up Remover. I've purchased numerous bottles of the old formula; it's the eye make up remover I always go back to. 

I was disappointed to hear that the formula had indeed changed but still hoped that it would be as good or better than it previously was. If I'm honest, I have mixed feelings about the relaunched version. I do prefer the packaging and since using this regularly I've noticed serious improvement in the condition of my eyelashes. It removes even stubborn eye make up as easily as the old formula.

However, I do find this version to be a bit oilier which is a bit annoying as I found the old formula to be just about tolerable in terms of oiliness for me. My biggest gripe with the new formula is that it stings my eyes. The old formula was always so gentle and never caused any stinging or irritation so I'm hugely disappointed that the new formula fails to live up to that.

I'm not sure I'll repurchase this version as often as I repurchased the older one. At full price this retails at £3.99 but it's currently on offer for £2.66. At that price it's probably still unbeatable in terms of quality! It's available in Boots stores and online (here).

Do you have any thoughts on the reformulation?

Stace xx