Review: Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine

I'm always on the hunt for a moisturizing lip balm that doubles as a pretty gloss. And when I say always, I mean it. I blame the Lip Smacker craze that ruled my life as a preteen. Dr. Pepper scented chapstick? Yes please. Sparkly vanilla frosting lip gloss? I'll take two. They never did much in the name of hydration, but they sure made you feel like the coolest kid in the classroom.

While it's safe to say my tastes have...ahem...advanced, I still find it difficult to find a balm that both colors and conditions to my liking. Standard tinted lip balms are typically too waxy and/or drying. That's why I decided to try Korres Lip Butter, touted by Sephora as "a rich, buttery lip balm that melts on the lips and offers a shiny, tinted finish." With seven different colors/scents, there's bound to be a shade for everyone. A few weekends ago, I picked up Jasmine, a sheer neutral pink.

 Pros:

• Milky-pink wash of color that slightly mutes the natural pigment of the lips. The perfect complement to a smoky eye
• Light candy-sweet scent
• Formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs or triclosan
• Adequately moisturizing

Cons:

• Adequately moisturizing. This is both a pro and a con because while it's better than most products I've tried, it still doesn't hydrate as much as I thought it would. It is certainly "buttery," but doesn't really sink into the lips if that makes sense
• Slightly tacky/sticky. This can be avoided by not applying as much product
• Somewhat messy application. Using your finger to apply the product also has the potential to be unsanitary, so make sure your hands are clean. Note: Korres also makes a Lip Butter Glaze that comes in a squeeze tube

The final verdict? I like it. Maybe even enough to repurchase. Note that I didn't include the $14 price tag in the list of cons, as this is more of a neutral factor for me. While it's a relatively small pot of product, a little goes a long way and I have a hunch this will last several months. I would also be interested to see the hydrating effects of this lip butter when used over a long period of time.

What are the most hydrating lip products you've found?

Review: Benefit High Beam

A dewy, healthy glow is a signature look for many models and celebrities. Makeup companies churn out products for the rest of us that claim to shimmer, shine and illuminate their way to a similar look. Unfortunately, most miss the mark -- but I recently added a new product to my collection. Enter Benefit's High Beam, a "luminescent complexion enhancer" designed to give you a healthy glow when blended onto the top of your cheekbones. The packaging notes that it can be used on brow bones too, but I opt for a more minimalist approach. Let's see if High Beam rightly earned its "model in a bottle" nickname, shall we?

Pros:

• (potentially) Perfect for skin tones ranging from light to medium-dark
• Icy pink color that works with either rosy or golden undertones, although there is a more warm-toned peach version called Moon Beam
• Blends smoothly onto the skin
• Has staying power
• No glitter, just very soft, light-reflecting shimmer
• Gives a "candlelit glow"

Cons:

• May cause breakouts if not washed off before bed (learned that the hard way) 
• The brush applicator is similar to a nail polish brush -- I don't mind, but many reviewers dislike this

It can be difficult to capture in photos, depending on the light. But here's a decent example:

The overall verdict? I love it. I can learn to live with the above-mentioned cons, and I'm a big fan of the way it kicks my look up a notch -- provided I don't pile it on. Too much of this product is definitely a bad thing. You want to look glowing, not glow-in-the-dark. My general rule of thumb is to use it sparingly (if at all) during the day, and apply it a bit more liberally for an evening out. Do what works for you. =)

Do you use an illuminating product?

Review: Pangea Organics Facial Cream with Ginger, Lavender, Thyme

If you've ever ventured into the realm of natural beauty products, you may have found yourself as surprised at the range of choices as I did. While I certainly appreciate a homemade coconut oil/sugar scrub or the occasional avocado mask, it never really occurred to me that natural beauty products could venture into "everyday" territory. In a quest to remove parabens and other potentially harmful chemicals from my body, I've done my best to purchase items that make it easier to do this -- the first being Pangea Organics Facial Cream with Nigerian ginger, sweet lavender and thyme for normal to combination skin. The ingredients aren't perfect, but they're much better than what I've used in the past.

A note about my skin type to help you better understand the following pros and cons: combination, with a slightly oily t-zone; minimal breakouts, but when I do break out it's often on my forehead or nose.

Pros

• Smells wonderful -- perfect as a night cream because of the soothing lavender scent
• Helped decrease my breakouts (note: this may not work the same for everyone)
• Not too thick and very easily absorbed
• Matte finish
• Skin felt instantly softer and smoother -- not so with other lotions I've used

Cons:

• Sometimes too quickly absorbed by my skin. Almost makes me wonder if I should use the dry skin formula for winter, and the normal/combination formula during other seasons
• No sunscreen. If you use this as a night cream like I do, this isn't a big deal
• The cost. At $36, it's more than I would typically spend on a face lotion. However, I DO like it enough to repurchase

Speaking of the cost, I used my Birchbox points to purchase this bottle so it was essentially free. If you're not sure what Birchbox is, I did a quick post on it last year.

Are all of my makeup/skincare products free of chemicals? No. In fact, an upcoming review of Benefit High Beam will illustrate this pretty well. It's about balance, and finding alternatives that work for you.

Do you use natural beauty products? If so, which ones and do they work well? If not, are you open to trying them?