Tag Archives: Lip

POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer

Dry lips annoy me almost more than the sound of people rustling candy bags during movies, which is still a pretty high level of annoyance.  Despite my ongoing use of balms and a daily sugar scrub (I use PRO Smooth FX Lip Scrub & Balm by Victoria’s Secret before applying lipstick), my lips still seem to dry out quickly.  I LOVE lipstick in all of its finishes and colors and don’t want to have to skip the full color of lipstick in order to have the moisture of a gloss.

My solution has been to apply lipstick in the morning and then use a coordinating gloss when my lips feel dry.  I wipe off all product and reapply the lipstick around midday so that I can still have the color I crave.  It’s like the best of both worlds as well as an AMAZINGLY effective excuse to buy glosses to coordinate with every shade of lipstick I can collect.  
My Birchbox this month contained a full-size version of POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer in Floating Rose.  I love it so much that I have already ordered one in Melted Peach.  I adore the soft and flexible plastic spatula-type applicator, which sounds strange but actually does make sweeping on the gloss virtually  foolproof.  The formula is lightweight, not goopy and thick like other glosses.  As far as the colors go, each are very sheer washes of color with a nice dosePOP Beauty Aqua Lacquer of shine.  Because it contains vitamin E and jojoba oil, it actually works to moisturize my lips instead of just making them feel less dry. 
You’ll notice that I am deliberately not using the word “moist,” which annoys me even more than sticky lip gloss.  Watching our local meteorologist predict moist air and moisture all the time is a trial to be endured, and when offered a moist towelette, I take one for fear of the vomit that those words are likely to produce.
Anyway, I love this lip gloss.  You will, too.

Cost:  $14.00 on Birchbox

Packaging:  Typical plastic tube of lip gloss, with a neat twist.  Instead of a slanted tip with a hole in the middle, attached to the cap is a flexible plastic spatula-type applicator that makes putting on this gloss a breeze.POP Spatula

Scent/Taste:  There is a very mild minty scent to the gloss, but I almost had to jam the tube up my nose to smell it.  No taste that I can detect.

Bear in Mind:  That the word “moist” should never be used no matter what.

I Wish:  That it had a minty taste to go along with the smell.

Overall Rating:    4 out of 5 pink rock stars

4 out of 5 rock stars #birchblogger

bareMinerals 100% Natural Lip Color – Gingersnap

bare-escentuals-bareminerals-100-natural-lipcolor-gingersnapI am on a lifelong quest for the perfect orangey-brown lipstick.  I saw the exact shade I want on a salesclerk once a very long time ago and I should have asked her then what she was wearing, and I didn’t.  I shall regret that move for the rest of my natural life as I purchase umpteen tubes of brown lipsticks with my fingers crossed.
That said, this is a very nice golden/peachy brown color that I definitely will wear.  I’ve also never tried a bareMinerals lip color product, and this one is a pleasant surprise.  It glides on easily and lasts for a long while.  Unlike most lipsticks, this one did not dry out my lips and I can still feel the moisturizing ingredients on my lips two hours later.
After reading the description on Ulta, I can see why my lips still feel nourished and moist.  “bareMinerals by Bare Escentuals 100% Natural Lipcolor moisturizes lips with a blend of jojoba, macadamia, sesame and coconut oils that delivers rich color that glides on and keeps lips perfectly hydrated and supple throughout the day. Brazilian cupuaca butter and Tahitian monoi oil wrap lips in a cushion of comfort and provide deep and long-lasting hydration. Pomegranate seed oil and Vitamin E help nourish and restore lips, while barley lipids replenish your lips natural lipid barrier while improving smoothness and texture.”
As a matter of fact, this is going into my make-up bag right now to replace my current nude/brown lip color.  I like it.  It’s a nice little find as far as formula, but my search for the perfect orange/brown continues.

Cost:  $15.00 on Ulta

Packaging:  Matte black plastic tube that twists up.  It’s kind of a bulky tube and is not as streamlined as others.

Scent/Taste:  None

Bear in Mind:  I ordered this from Ulta.com.  While researching this post, I was unable to find this line on the official bareMinerals site.

I Wish:  You know what I wish.  ::sniffle::

Overall Rating: