Review: Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips

In one of my recent Birchbox (referral link) orders, I received a "pick two" which included the Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips. If you purchase $35 or more in the Birchbox (referral link) shop, you can add a "pick two" of sample sized products. Since the full size of this product is about half an ounce, this .1oz sample size is actually pretty generous (full size is $14.50). Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips is medical grade lanolin so it's more cost effective to buy this type of product made for nursing mothers (for example, CVS has a 2oz tube for $7.99 - 4x the amount and half the price). However, the packaging is too cute and it was free with my order so I'm not complaining.

It's a standard squeeze tube but has no applicator so it requires using fingers. I found it was decent in moisturizing my lips but I don't find it as moisturizing long-term as some of my favorite balms (still left me a bit dry in the morning when used at night). It's thick and doesn't spread super easily but becomes a bit thinner with the warmth of the lips. I wouldn't repurchase but I'll definitely use this sample up.

Disclosure: Referral link.

Review: Wet n Wild Coverall Cream Foundation and Pressed Powder

Yesterday, I made the mistake of leaving my makeup bag at home. I tend to do my makeup in my car in the garage when I get to work. Usually, I do a semi-full face but I figured I would at least grab some foundation and powder. I swung by CVS and picked up the Wet n Wild Coverall Cream Foundation and Pressed Powder which have been getting amazing reviews given the extremely reasonable price point. I picked up the lightest shades in each #816 Fair/Light in the cream and #823B Light/Pale in the powder. For reference, the cream foundation cost me $4.19 and the powder was $3.19. I'm pretty sure prices will depend on your region.

I was pleased with the coverage it was giving upon application. It easily spread on my dry face with fingers. It was slightly tacky but it didn't appear to cling to dry bits. All in all, I was pleased, until I walked over into sunlight and noticed a huge orange streak down the side of my cheek.

I had heard of girls that had similar skin tones using this foundation, but they must have been exaggerating their paleness or I got a bad batch or something. Because, this is not pale. Granted, my hand is slightly more pasty than my face, but I saw the line down my jaw and my cheek and I was not thrilled. Thankfully, the powder is actually light and I managed to apply a healthy dose of it to make things look less orange.

Yup, it's that barely visible swatch on my hand. That is what I call light.

Granted, the cream foundation not only had amazing coverage, but lasted all day (aside from the bit on my nose due to constant blowing - allergies!). But I wish this came in a lighter shade. I'll be returning the cream foundation and keeping the powder. It's super slim and the perfect purse size.

Have you tried the Wet n Wild Coverall Cream Foundation or Pressed Powder? 

For reference, I'm about a NW10 in MAC.

Review: Almay Hypo-Allergenic Eye Makeup Remover Pads, Non Oily

Almay is not one of the brands in the drugstore that I go for, but sometimes the deal is too good to pass up. I either paid a minimal price or got these for free at CVS. Almay claims that their eye makeup remover pads "nourish skin as they gently remove eye makeup, even waterproof mascara and longwearing lipcolor, without irritation". I don't know how Almay makes the claims they make about these but I found them ineffective. They managed to remove my long-wearing liner and shadow but they barely made a dent with my waterproof mascara. I also found them drier than I would usually expect for this sort of product. Maybe I got a bad batch? I definitely won't be paying retail price for these in the future!

Mascara for Sensitive Eyes/Contact Wearers

My husband indicated that one of his colleagues asked him to ask me about mascara. She is a contact wearer and indicated she needed a waterproof formula for sensitive eyes. I wrote what my husband called a small essay but I thought it was useful information that anyone could use!

Q: JT help! What mascaras would you recommend for sensitive-eyed contact lens wearers that prefer waterproof formulas?

I'm not sure what price point you are looking at, but you have a few options. First of all, anything that is "waterproof" is going to have not so nice ingredients in it which may cause eye irritation if yours are particularly sensitive. If it's only the contacts you are concerned about, you are likely more worried about flaking (which can occur with any mascara and especially drier formulas or tubes that have dried out).

If your eyes are sensitive, I would recommend Neutrogena Healthy Volume mascara. Fairly inexpensive at the drugstore and the Neutrogena line in general is known for putting out products that aren't nearly as irritating as some of the more standard lines. A few years ago, I had a bad case of tearing eyes and this didn't add extra irritation.

If you have some money to spend, I would recommend tubing mascaras. They coat the lashes in a coil and are easily removed with warm water and gentle pressure. One of the more popular ones is Blinc (which you can get at Sephora). A plus, if it doesn't work for you, you can easily return it (same for the Neutrogena at CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens).

If you get flaking, you may need to replace your mascara more often. The recommended time frame is generally 3-6 months depending on the formula. Another thing I want to mention is removal. If you aren't removing all of your mascara, it can lead to irritation, especially if specks get in your eyes overnight. I would highly recommend an oil-based cleanser just to ensure you are getting every bit of mascara off. Even the most sensitive eye friendly mascaras will cause irritation if they aren't thoroughly removed.

Agree or disagree? If you have any additional tips for my husband's coworker, I can always follow up!

June Birchbox (2013)

Birchbox (referral link) has really been hitting it out of the park for me recently. This month's theme is about travel, or wanderlust as they put it. Aside from the perfume sample, I think this box was awesome (though the cap to my glossy kiss came off mid transit and made quite a mess - Birchbox is sending another - awesome CS!). I received the following:

* Klorane Extra-Gentle Dry Shampoo with oatmilk 50ml (full size 150ml|$18) worth $6
* Color Club Reign in Spain nail lacquer .25floz (full size .50floz|$8) worth $4
* Mirenesse Glossy Kiss .15oz/4g (full size 3g|$26.55) worth $26.55
* Oscar De La Renta Something Blue EDP ~$0
* adorable anchor nautical twistband hair tie (6 ties|$14) worth ~$2.30

The Glossy Kiss received looks to be old packaging, as the image on the Birchbox site is different but still definitely a full size product. You'll recall that while I was dubious about the twistband hair ties, especially due to the high price, I wound up loving them! And they also included 4 adorable post cards from their different offices. Certainly worth the $10 this month. What did you get in your June Birchbox?

Review: Kiss My Face Moisture Shave Lavender and Shea

I was recently on the look out for a new shaving cream and although I wasn't looking to spend a lot of dough, it seemed like I was gravitating towards some of the more pricey ones. Well, I happened upon the Kiss My Face Moisture Shave in Lavender Shea when I was checking out at Vitacost (referral link - please read below) and it was on sale for all of $4.58 - score (it's now $5.39) so I thought what the heck. Well, I am happy to report that it is quite nice. It is slightly more liquidy - it reminds me of hand soap - than the etsy shea version I was using previously and it is definitely thinner than the whish which didn't impress me at the price (and clogged my razor).

The scent reminds me a bit of Philosophy Purity which is honestly something I disliked at first sniff but really grew on me. It is a nice relaxing type of scent and doesn't smell artificial to me (though they also have an unscented version). The shaving gel/cream is light but provides a nice slick surface for shaving and it doesn't clog my razor! My legs didn't feel dry afterwards which is great since they are prone to sensitivity especially after shaving. I like the pump bottle as well as it reduces mess and waste. All in all, I am quite happy I found this though I'm probably late to the bandwagon!


Disclosure: The referral link gets you $10 off a $30 or more purchase (I used one from a youtuber to buy this and tea, yummy chips and organic fruit snacks) and I get $10 too.

Also, I apologize for my semi-absence. No good excuse!