Review | Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm

Before I start this review - I want to chat about the obvious. I am sorry. I have been on hiatus for a while now. So many things have been going on lately between work and day to day life. In less than a year and a half my husband has lost all 4 grandparents. Needless to say, it has been an incredibly difficult time for our family. This is why I disappeared for a while. Recently - the blog has been calling my name. I think it would be a healthy choice for me to come back...and do something that I am passionate about. :) So there.
I purchased a new lip product today! It's the little things guys.  It's from a relatively new line by Revlon - called ColorBurst Matte Balm. I picked up one of these bad boys in the shade "#225 Sultry." It's $6.49 at Target and is currently available in 10 shades. 

Let me start out by saying that I am in love with this color. (#225 Sultry) I have been wearing it all day - and I must say that it is a refreshing break from my normal classic red lip. (I said break...not replacement) It is super creamy and did not exacerbate my chapped lip problem at all. (Thank God) My poor lips have been in a horrible state lately...this Alabama weather has been the culprit. FYI - I have been treating my dry lips with this lip butter by PureLips on Etsy. ------>Lemon Butter Cake flavor. ;)

This "balm" has great staying power and is very pigmented. The color is just the bees knees. I would call it a vintage-rose-mauve? I intended on posting a photo of it actually on my lips - but my face is...just unfortunate right now. The stress finally got to me and my face decided it was going to literally break out all over. :( The following swatch will have to do for the moment. 

Don't worry - a photo of my lips sporting "Sultry" will pop up on here soon. I have a feeling that I'm going to be enjoying this product for quite some time. It's a great transitional shade for any time of the year. I hope everybody has a painless Monday hahaha. I hate having a case of the Mondays. 

Review | Balm Chicky Balm Balm's Huge Cucumber

See what I did there? lol

Balm Chicky Balm Balm

In the flavor "Huge Cucumber"

$12 at balmchicky.com ♥

Guys - this lip balm company is pure genius. Everything about it impresses/makes me giggle...right down to the very box it was packaged in. All of their balms are 100% natural and they feature a unique patented "friend end." How many times have you been minding your own business while applying your lip balm - when your girlfriend comes out of nowhere like Batman and is all like "oooh - can I borrow your lip balm?" -_- Too many times right? The "friend end" is a separate chamber of product for your friends to enjoy that is located on the opposite end of the tube. (So they can share their crusty lip germs amongst themselves and not with you) Yum. The flavor that I chose is "Huge Cucumber." It seemed to be the most scandalously named out of the bunch, so naturally I went with it. I might have also picked it because the man on the tube reminds me of Paul Rudd (in Anchorman)...he's so fine. Here is a list of the flavors that they currently have for sale in their shop.

Juicy Melons

Sweet Baby Ginger

Huge Cucumber

Wild Mountain Honey

and Hot Chocolate Love

Huge Cucumber (how many times can I say it in one post?) smells pretty fantastic. It seems heavier on the hemp seed than cucumber scent. That doesn't bother me one bit though - I love all things hemp. It reminds me of a balm that I used to buy at the Whole Foods Market in Winter Park, FL. It has a slight shimmer to it which I was a little disappointed about. Maybe it's because I'm becoming an old lady and I can't handle glittery things? (Ahh, my eyes) Maybe I should embrace more glitter in my life? Anyways - it's not really that noticeable...but it's there. Simply put, it doesn't look like a disco on your lips. I usually apply it every night before I hit the sack. I always wake up the next morning with baby soft lips. Here is a list of the ingredients!

Organic: extra virgin olive oil, palm oil, hemp seed oil, beeswax, rosemary, vitamin E, fresh mint, and cucumber. 

I plan on picking up the "Hot Chocolate Love" next. Do yourself a favor and check out their stuff. I really admire a company with this sense of humor, and I'm sure you will too. ;)

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AND...Silas says the letter of the day is A! (He did it all by himself)

Review | Derma E's BB Creme

BB Creme, Light Tint, SPF 25

$39.50 on dermae.com ♥

I tried BB creme for the first time at the beginning of my last pregnancy. My friend Jesslyn was visiting from Texas and she was using a creme by Garnier. I ended up purchasing my own tube - only to be grossed out by the scent. (Pregnancy woes) To this day it makes me sick when I think about that particular BB creme lol.  Since last Summer I have tried many brands and none of them have worked for me. They all make these grand promises. "Renews...brightens...hydrates...protects!" Brittany just ends up looking like a shiny raccoon! (Oily and dark circles lol) BB cremes have never provided enough coverage for my face - until now. :)  I really love the guys over at Derma E, they have been so kind to me. I am absolutely infatuated with their BB Creme! Finally a real color-correcting beauty balm that actually conceals! 

Please excuse everything about this photo. It was taken at about 7 o'clock in the morning. I was sleepy and I had no eyebrows. Literally, I was only wearing the BB Creme. I think it looks pretty darn good all things considered. I have been one busy mama lately - a good bit of very little sleep is happening for me right now. 

Eyebrows y'all!

Ugh, I'm not a fan of before and after photos. I hope you guys appreciate it lol! This BB Creme makes my skin look so radiant. It's super moisturizing without being oily...or smelling nasty. (Cough Garnier cough) It only has a very very faint herbal scent - which I approve of. ;) Currently this creme only comes in two shades. (light & medium) I am unsure if Derma E has any plans on coming out with any more colors. I think these two are pretty universal though and will work for many different skin tones. I will tell you that this product is a hot item! Last time I was doing a Derma E review I was browsing through the rest of their line and the BB Cremes were actually sold out! (Crazy huh?) They are just that good. 

Unlike many other cremes on the market this one is 100% vegan, paraben-free, sulfate-free, cruelty-free, mineral oil-free, lanolin-free, gluten free, and GMO free. That is a lot of positive usage of the word "free" folks. :) It's ingredients include Active Plant Stem Cells that brighten and even your skin, how cool is that? You can apply it over primer, moisturizer, or gel, or you can use it to replace your foundation like I did! This lady right here highly recommends it. Derma E has impressed me yet again!

Check out my handsome birthday boy! We are having his 4th birthday party on this Sunday. I took this photo! I think it turned out kinda gorgeous. 

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Review | e.l.f. Studio Lip Exfoliator

e.l.f. Studio Lip Exfoliator 

$3 on eyeslipsface.com

I suffer from really dry lips that have an obnoxious tendency to peel all of the time. It's most likely due to all of the extended stay lipsticks I wear. (I especially love red) 

So - I was pretty excited about this e.l.f. Studio Lip Exfoliator when I spotted it at my local Target. I've already tried Lush's Bubble Gum lip scrub with mixed success. (Meh - I consider it more messy than helpful) It tastes really yummy though! This lip exfoliator by e.l.f also taste very nice - I would call it a pleasant maple syrup flavor. :) Nom nom nom...

I find e.l.f's packaging to be very hit or miss, in this case I think it's very nice. (The studio line is prettier in my opinion) I was really drawn to this scrub because it seemed so convenient. (You have to apply the Lush scrub by finger) I imagined myself driving down the road and exfoliating/moisturizing at the same time. (Super easy/no worries)

My first two applications went great - it buffed away the dead skin and left a layer of smooth jojoba oil and Shea butter in it's path. (Be gentle - this scrub can be quite rough) Sadly - It has left me a bit disappointed every time I have used it since then. Maybe it's just because I picked up a faulty tube? It seems like the exfoliating granules are the only thing I'm getting when I apply it. (Which can be kinda painful) I have been having to use the sides to glide over my lips when I'm done using the top. So strange! I really had high hopes for this lip treatment! Maybe if I hang with it long enough I will get back down to some balm? I sure hope so! I do believe it is worth a try, maybe you will have more success than I did. If not...it was only a $3 loss. :)

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