The Body Shop Cranberry Joy Lip Balm

This Christmas my best friend gifted me a lip balm from The Body Shop's new Holiday collection. I had been wanting this lip balm ever since I saw it featured in magazines, but The Body Shop would never have it whenever I visited their stores. But finally I got my hands on it, thanks to my best friend! So here is my review on The Body Shop's Cranberry Joy Lip Balm.

WHAT THE BODY SHOP SAYS: Get mistletoe-ready with a non-sticky balm that quickly hydrates lips and has a fresh berry flavour. The key ingredient is Cranberry seed oil.

PRICE: Rs. 325 (incl. of tax).

PACKAGING: The 15ml lip balm comes in a little metallic tin. I personally love tins as they have a very vintage charm. The Cranberry Joy lip balm's tin is red in colour, with the brand name and product name printed on the lid in white. There are also little festive graphics surrounding all the typed info that look like a wreath. Cute.

TEXTURE: As The Body Shop claims, the lip balm is not at all sticky. It is very smooth and creamy, more like their range of lip butters. Dunking your fingers into pots of lip balms is not something everyone likes, but the lip balm is so non-sticky that it barely remains on your fingers after you apply it to your lips. It feels extremely light weight on your lips and is very moisturizing.

COLOUR: When I first saw the Cranberry range of the Holiday collection, I honestly thought the lip balm would be that bright cranberry red in colour. But I was really surprised when I saw that it is actually the palest of pinks, almost white. It is also a bit shimmery and to me it looks like snow! However, this is not one of my favourite pinks so I was a bit disappointed. On applying the lip balm does give your lips a pale pink-white colour, along with shimmer and looks very matte. The other variant available is Spiced Vanilla.

SMELL & FLAVOUR: The smell is absolutely amazing! I love anything cranberry, and I could go on smelling this lip balm forever. It is quite a strong fragrance, because I could smell the lip balm even before I opened all the packaging! However, it is not one of those sickly sweet smells. Like it says on the lid, it has a 'fresh berry flavour'. It has a very subtle sweet taste, and it is quite hard for me to keep licking it off!

LASTING POWER: The colour lasts for about 2 hours without you eating or drinking anything. The moisturizing goes on for a bit longer than the colour. Although you might have to reapply it after every few hours, it is a good, hydrating product for winters.

SOMETHING EXTRA: Like all Body Shop products, this one too has a Community Trade ingredient. The beeswax used in it has been supplied from bee keepers from the remote Adamaoua region in Cameroon.

CONCLUSION: I love, love, love the packaging. The wreath on the lid, the snowy effect with the actual balm makes it the perfect holiday product! I love how it feels on my lips, and it is extremely hydrating. My only glitch is the colour. I don't like how it pales out my lips. Other than that, this is a really nice buy!

RATING: 4 out of 5

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor

Last week a friend showed me a new Maybelline lipstick she bought. One look at the shade and I knew I had to have it! I had also been impressed by other Maybelline Maybe It's Me products so far. So I decided to give Color Sensational a go. Here is my review on Maybelline's Color Sensational Lipcolor in the shade number 215 - Totally Toffee.

WHAT MAYBELLINE SAYS: Fall in love with color all over again:

Crisper color from pure pigments

Creamier feel from nourishing honey nectar

Lipcolor so rich, so stunning... it's sensational

33 captivating shades

PRICE: Rs. 299 (incl. of tax).

PACKAGING: The lipstick comes in a chunky, rectangular case. The cover is shaded brown (as I bought one of the Natural shades). The colour of the cover varies according to the shade group (Pinks, Reds, Plums, Naturals). The 4.2g of lipstick is inside a glossy, silver case. I really liked the chunky case, quite different from what you usually get. And I love how the cover colour changes according to the shade group!

TEXTURE: The lipstick is really creamy and smooth. It does not feel dry on your lips. It is also quite light weighted. Does not feel cake-y at all. So yes, it is definitely creamy like Maybelline claims. But I did not find any remarkable moisturizing effects.

COLOUR: The shade of my lipstick is 'Totally Toffee'. It is a nude colour, with a very, very slight bit of pink. The lipstick looks darker than it really is. It's more on the brown side, but when you apply it, you get a very pretty nude shade. It looks quite natural and does not pale you out. I loved the colour on sight, but like it even more on application!

SMELL & FLAVOUR: The lipstick does not have any flavour at all. However, it has a very sweet toffee fragrance. The lipstick is also said to have honey nectar. So it definitely is sweet smelling. I don't mind sweet smells, but I have found out that not everyone seems to like the fragrance of this lipstick!

LASTING POWER: I found the lipstick to be quite long lasting. Eating or drinking does not seem to affect it much. It lasted on me for about 3 hours, during which I did eat and drink. Though the creaminess of the lipstick does seem to go down after a while, it does not make your lips go chalky.

SOMETHING EXTRA: There are neither any extra nor any special features in this lipstick.

CONCLUSION: I love the colour as well as the packaging of this lipstick. The texture is good, but there isn't anything outstanding about it. If you're looking for something cheap and efficient, this lipstick does the trick! Maybelline Color Sensational does have some really pretty shades. I could have used with some sheen though.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

Make Up For Ever Liquid Lip Color

Today I'm reviewing a lip colour by a brand I've never used before. The first time I actually came across Make Up For Ever was when a store opened at a mall nearby. Later on I found out that it is a major French brand, especially with make-up professionals. In the mood for some impulsive shopping, I just popped into Make Up For Ever and bought their Liquid Lip Color in shade number 14 - Old Pink.

WHAT MAKE UP FOR EVER SAYS: Liquid Lip Color combines the intensity and coverage of a lipstick with the shine of a gloss. Its formula, rich in active ingredients (Maxi-Lip) contains an active care ingredient which improves hydration of the lips and makes them look fuller (after one month of regular use).

PRICE: Rs.1180 (incl. of tax).

PACKAGING: The lip colour comes in a glossy, black standard box. Make Up For Ever's logo, the product name and all the other details are typed on in neat white font. There is no shade name mentioned anywhere, only the shade number. The lip colour comes in a clear plastic 9ml tube, with a soft brush applicator. So there is no mess when you apply the colour.

However, when I got home and took the tube out of the box, I noticed that some of the colour had gone crusty on the tube. Maybe this was because this was the last tube left of Number 14. I should learn to check next time!

TEXTURE: Irresistibly soft and smooth! The consistency is just as they say - liquid. So be careful while applying, as you don't want too much of it on your lips in just one go! I just used a little bit and it still gave my lips a wonderful colour. Not at all sticky and does not dry out your lips.

COLOUR: The shade I bought is called 'Old Pink' (I checked MUFE's website). It is a dull, rosy pink, mixed with a little nude. It looks really pretty in the tube and even prettier when you apply it! Like I mentioned, I just used a little bit of colour and it still coated my lips wonderfully. The colour makes my lips look so soft and natural! It's perfect for every occasion, every day wear or someplace special! There are 10 shades available in Liquid Lip Color, each one as lovely as the rest.

SMELL & FLAVOUR: There is no special fragrance or flavour to this product. It has a slight smell and taste of your typical 'lipstick', but that's barely noticeable.

LASTING POWER: Considering its liquid consistency, Liquid Lip Color is very long lasting! It lasted for about 4 hours with the same colour intensity and softness from the time I had applied it. After that the color started dulling down slightly, but the smoothness remained.

SOMETHING EXTRA: The lip colour has some lip pumping properties. I have not yet used it for a month, so I don't know the exact results. But I did get a tingly feeling on my lips when I applied it, just like the shop assistant had said I would.

CONCLUSION: For someone who is not used to lipsticks, this is a great product. Gloss and lip colour in the same thing, Liquid Lip Color can act like a beginner's lipstick! One of the prettiest pinks I've come across,  perfect amount of intensity and texture, long lasting power - Make Up For Ever has made a fan out of me for life! I cannot wait to try out their other products!

RATING: 5 out of 5

Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss

Clinique is my most favourite skincare brand. All of their products are allergy tested as well as 100% fragrance free. Although Clinique is known as a skincare line, their make-up is very popular too. Since I absolutely love Clinique's skincare range, I thought about trying out their make-up as well. So here is a review of Clinique's Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in the shade 'Raspberry'.

WHAT CLINIQUE SAYS: Lip balm with a colourful twist. Luscious, high-gloss shades treat your most undermoisturized skin to soothing shine. Instantly relieve dryness, protect with antioxidants and more. Dip in.

PRICE: Rs.950 (incl. of tax).

PACKAGING: The lip gloss comes in a pretty peach, yellow and white box with floral graphics on it. Inside the box is a 15ml tube of lip gloss. The tube is not something I would except out of a vintage looking box. It is a clear plastic squeeze tube with a slanted tip applicator and a shiny, silver cap.

TEXTURE: Since this is a lip gloss and a lip balm offered in one product, the texture is on the thicker side. However the gloss is not at all sticky and does not weigh down your lips. Your lips feel really soft on application. The gloss definitely does moisturize and soften up your lips instantly.

COLOUR: I bought the shade Raspberry, which looks like a bright, darker pink in the tube. But when you apply the lip gloss it gives more of a sheer tint in the subtlest of pinks, while giving your lips a glossy shine at the same time. It's the perfect amount of shine and colour for everyday use. The other shades available are Ginger, Grapefruit, Lilac, Apricot, Mango, Current and Rootbeer. All of the shades were so pretty that I really didn't feel like buying just one!

SMELL & FLAVOUR: Since Clinique tries its best to keep the products allergy free, the lip gloss does not have any smell or flavour. Even though all the shades are given fruity names, the gloss is fragrance and flavour free.

LASTING POWER: The lip gloss lasts for about 2 hours after application, if you do not plan to eat or drink during that time. So you have to keep reapplying the lip gloss throughout the day. But since it also keeps my lips nice and soft, I really don't mind! If you're looking for a more lasting lip gloss, you might want to try Clinique's Long Last Glosswear.

SOMETHING EXTRA: The lip gloss has antioxidants, so your lips can be protected at all times!

CONCLUSION: A lip balm, gloss and tint all in one! What more could I ask for? This is a great product, if you don't mind reapplying it after every few hours. That is the only con of this lip gloss. I really liked this product and cannot to wait to try it out again in the shade 'Ginger'!

RATING: 4.5 out of 5