Waxelene the Petroleum Jelly Alternative
$6.99
More Info HERE
I was on the quest for my cousin Ben, to find him something to soothe his hands (he works outside and inside and just generally puts them through the ringer).
I came across this little jem one late night at Whole Foods.
Its pretty balm. Continue reading
Mustela Hydra Stick
$9.50
More info HERE
I have mentioned before that I love French beauty products, not because I am obsessed with France, even though it is a lovely country that I had a great time visiting (Hey Rosey!) but because the EU regulates personal care products differently than the US, by regulating what chemicals are allowed to go into personal care products to protect consumers. The EU does not allow chemicals known to cause things including cancer, reproductive and neurological harm, into personal care products. The US, not so much. The EU has banned over 1,000 chemicals from being put into personal care products while the US has banned only nine. I like products made in the EU because they make me feel extra safe.
The first time I used the Mustela Hydra Stick was in high school. I saw it in a magazine and hunted it down to a fancy pharmacy in NYC. I toted it around like I was the coolest person ever because I had this coveted little piece of magic from France.
Nevertheless, as I have mentioned in other posts, I like to, late night on the weekends, on the way home from being out, I like to go to drugstores. Conveniently, there is a great drug store that carries super hard to find brands and is open 24 hours a day down the street and on the way home to my house. So the other night after dinner with my friend Rosey, I stopped in and was inevitably greeted by the night staff that know me well.
I found myself in the baby aisle staring down this little pint-sized deodorant shaped stick of moisture goodness. Because I know Mustela is made in France I knew it would be made without parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, phthalates or triclosan, which it is, so I didn’t even have to do my compulsive label checking. I walked that little stick to the register and skipped home.
The Hydra Stick is a great shape to haphazardly slap it on your lips and it lasts a super long time without being sticky. Its not shiny shiny, but rather it leaves a healthy moistness to your lips and because it is creamy, it tones your lips into this nice supple color, that’s not obvious and is totally unisex. It has a mild baby scent that’s odd for a lip product, but since that’s not its only use, as you can use it on your face too, that makes sense and besides the scent is nice. Its super cute in your purse and it makes me smile every time I pull it out because this little stick is so adult for a baby product and its funny to think of little French kids using it on the playground. Well I don’t know if that’s what all French kids do on the playground, but using my own childhood as a source, that’s what I would do.
*Above image used without permission from HERE
Wild Rose Moisturizing Lip Butter Glaze
$14.00
More info HERE
This stuff gets so much hype and people tend to flip over these little tubes and pots. As a lip product junkie I too drank the Kool Aid after my friend Sabina had been toting her Guava one around and raving about the brand in general.
For the moisture part, these do the trick, they are just the right level of thickness without being gloopy. Which avoids that annoying aspect of gloss of having your hair gets stuck in it, which is a plus during the winter when I would be using such a heavy gloss like this and wearing my hair down. Anyway, this glaze unlike so many other does not dry out your lips, probably because its free of parabens, sulfates, sythetic fragrances, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs and Trisoclan.
So, in addition to having the moisture part down pat Koress has nailed the color. Its that perfect, berry thats not too obvious. Its a fuchsia color that is pretty deep and vibrant without looking clownish. I just dyed my hair super dark brown and this really pops against that dark backdrop. It’s a really nice wash of color, that says I tried, but not too hard.
What I like most about it though is how healthy it makes my lips look. The glaze really coats my lips and minimizes the fine lines I have been noticing more and more– likely due to the excessive diet coke and indoor air– but its does so without that overly glossy balloon lip look that I really try to stay away from.
Definitely, a good lip gloss, that achieves the holy grail here at One Product at a Time, that ‘pulled together effortlessly look, that totally says everything I did was an afterthought.’
*Above image used without permission from HERE
What’s in my bag Wednesday, just a few of the things currently on my ‘I can’t leave home with out’ list
Dickinson’s Original Which Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes:
These wipes are perfect, because they provide the right kind of clean without leaving a residue. With one swipe your face feels super clean and never tight. If you have to at the end of a long day be somewhere else and need to freshen up these are great, the which hazel is a fantastic pick me up the effect on your face is super cooling. The best part is that they are individually wrapped so your not carrying around a huge pack of something, just one little wipe.
I also use these when I travel for the end of my flight to freshen up, because seriously what is with that gross post flight feeling? I have been traveling a lot lately and I just can’t handle it. Well these wipes take care of that. You can probably use them anywhere not just your face, so they double as hand an body wipes if you are really in a pinch. As an added bonus these wipes are 100% natural and contain no nasty stuff. Pretty awesome.
Burt’s Bees Ultra Moisturizing Lip Treatment with Kokum Butter:
This is one of the best balms I have ever used. That is quite a statement considering that I have about 100, no joke. But this one is so awesome, that I immediately purchased a new one, not even before it was out, but when it was running low. When I was studying for the bar, I compulsively put this on (being indoors, the AC really took its toll, that and well malnutrition. Sorry Mom!). Super moisturizing, and not addictive it really delivers just pure moisture and leaves a nice sheen on your lips perfect for a low maintenance look.
In my last ‘What’s in my bag Wednesday’ I posted about hand sanitizer. I really do go through a ton. I like this one because it so slim and takes up little room in my bag, I carry a lot so this is huge selling point. What gets me with this one is the scent though. Its lavender, I use L’Occitane hand crem sometimes, and the scent is pretty much a dead ringer for L’Occitane but without the huge price tag. The scent is great to use whenever a gross situation on the Subway is happening, one little spray, and whatever weird smell is happening is instantly forgotten and I am instantly calmed, or at least, all I smell is this, which sometimes is exactly what you need on a crowded rush hour train.
Maybelline New York Super Stay 10 Stain Gloss in Color 150:
So, while this is decidedly not so green, its the perfect color, the perfect red. Its super bright, and lasts a while and leaves no unsightly marks on your glass or a weird red ring on your lips. The color is great and makes me look instantly like I have put effort into my appearance which is not always the case, but nevertheless its nice to look pulled together. I always have a red lipstick or gloss in my purse, and right now this is my go to. I tried my friend’s Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lip Stick in Fiery, and this one by Maybelline is a very close match in color, texture and function, for a fraction of the Stila price, even more reason to love this super dope stain gloss.
$25.00
I reviewed RMS Lip Shines before in the color Moment a few months ago. But Sublime, Sublime is quite another story. Continue reading
Mullein & Sparrow Lip/ Cheek Balm
$14.00
Mullein & Sparrow is a great local company that produces some serious balm. Located in Brooklyn, they make handmade herbal products and use “all natural, sustainable, organic, and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.” This lip and cheek balm is “an all natural tinted balm to give your lips and cheeks a slight flush with a light, glossy finish. Creates a rosy sheen, but isn’t sticky or super shiny. Our lip & cheek balm leaves lips super moisturized and protected with all natural ingredients.” Its made with jojoba oil infused with rose, alkanet root, castor oil, honey & beeswax. Continue reading
RMS Lip Shine in Moment, $25.00
More info: http://www.rmsbeauty.com/
I have been meaning to try RMS forever. They have a great concept and are a safe alternative to conventional make up that can, according to the RMS founder, be very toxic. I really wanted to try the products but was hesitant to without trying on some colors, so I went to Shen Beauty and played around. I read a bunch of reviews of this color and product online which did not great reviews at all. Many of the reviews said it was too orange or brown. I did not find this to be true at all. The color is a great subtle nude, something I am really into right now the “my lips but better look”. They say the perfect color for you is the inside color of your lip. This definitely for me is the perfect color. It just looks great and relaxed. Maybe not something to wear if you want more of an impact but is perfect for all other times when you want to look put together. It does not have high shine, more of a noticeable healthy moistness. I find that since purchasing it, I have not reached for my lip balm at all. And have brought it out with me every time, I can’t seem to leave it at home. It does not dry out my lips and does not leave me with that addictive drying feeling that other lip products can.
A great nude, great that it is a food grade natural lip product. Very moist and very pretty on the lips.
One Product at a Time 