Smith's Rosebud Salve and a personal update!

I picked this up when I was at Sephora in late April. If you have ever been, you notice that there's tons of product minis that surround you as you wait in line... suckering tempting you to buy something else. This salve was among them and I figured I'd try it for $6 USD.

Under normal circumstances, I get dry, cracked lips year round. Part of the problem was that I didn't drink enough water. Well, for the sake of my pregnancy, I stopped drinking juice entirely and vowed to only drink water. Okay well, that's kind of a lie because I do have a glass of orange juice here and there. Still, that's a huge step for me.

The other problem is that I had no lip care routine. At all.

Smith's Rosebud Salve

Since I purchased this salve, I was sure to use it everyday, and I still do. There is a subtle rose scent, nothing harsh or offensive. Every time I feel it's no longer on my lips, I reapply. And let me tell ya, it works. I noticed a difference on my first day of use. My lips were by no means cured within the first 24 hours or anything, but they felt noticeably softer. A few days (and a good exfoliating) later, I had healthy lips again. Hooray!

Sorry, I touched it!!

The thing is, I need to reapply several times throughout the day or else my lips begin to feel a little dry again. Nothing horrendous, though. I apply extra at night, before bed. I also noticed that it helps with other dry areas of my body as well. For example, my knuckles. My poor knuckles take a beating from constantly washing dishes. This stuff takes care of the dryness. I almost forgot to mention that in the description on Sephora's website, Smith's claims that it can be used for diaper rashes. I have an almost two year old who still gets them. I feel like maybe I should try it?? We'll see...

All in all, I think this is a fabulous product. $6 is a little hard to swallow for .8 oz. (in other words, a somewhat little tin) of product. I've made a pretty big dent in it already but then again, I use it frequently. But because it works so well for me, I would most definitely buy this again. In fact, I'd buy two just to have a back up. I'm going to try the strawberry balm next.


A little update on me:

I know I'm not a big poster these days, but life happens, you know? I can't believe I'm having my son in September! This pregnancy has gone by so fast. I'll be 26 weeks on Sunday. That means, I'll be officially starting my third trimester the following Sunday. YIKES!

That's my belly at 25.4 weeks and there's my daughter!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush and Lip Care Stuff

On Mothers Day, I was able to goto Sephora but I was on a time limit. Luckily, I knew exactly what I wanted. A few posts back, I added Tarte's new Amazonian clay blush in Dollface to my wish list. Well, I got it! All of the colors are beautiful. I figured at $25 USD a pop, I would just buy one and if I liked it enough, I'd probably try out another one next time.

Contains 5.6 grams / 0.20 oz. of product for $25 USD

Dollface is the perfect light baby pink. It has a matte finish and for me, it lasts through the day. I can see this working on a variety of skin tones. It's nicely pigmented (though, I read that some of the other colors are even more pigmented) and blends easily into the skin. And, for those who love natural beauty brands, Tarte is right up your alley. Being completely truthful, organic / natural beauty brands don't affect my decision making. Meaning, I'm not overly concerned about product ingredients (or I'm not as concerned as I ought to be?). Anyway, would I buy this again? Yes, despite it being rather expensive, in my opinion. It's an over all great product with a small but eye-catching range of colors. There's something in this line for everyone. I'd like to try Blissful, Amused, and Flush next. What do you think? Have you tried it?

So, the lip care thing...

I'm going to start a new segment on lip care because I have chronic dry lips. Ten bucks says I'm not the only one. Flaky, icky, cracked, bleeding lips all year round. Kinda makes applying lipstick a bummer, huh? Although, that's pretty much my fault because I don't give them much TLC but I've decided to turn over a new leaf. I'm going to test various products ranging from drugstores to MAC to Sephora and whatever else I can get my hands on. I'm going to test each product on its own for a span of 3-4 weeks, then I'll report my findings to you. Sound good? I'm on a mission! Right now, I'm testing Smith's Rosebud Salve. I'll let you know the verdict in about two weeks. 

I got it! I got it!

I had such a fantastic weekend and an amazing Mothers Day. I can't wait until next year when I can celebrate with my two babies. Wow... two babies! I need to get used to saying that, haha. Anyway, I happened to be at Nordstrom on Sunday so I could find a dress for a wedding. I stopped by the MAC counter and whaddya know! They happened to have just ONE more tube of Ever Hip lipstick in stock. If you read my last post, I was grumbling because it sold out online and at my local counter. It was meant to be, I guess! So, here it is:

MAC Ever Hip (LE) (Cremesheen)

I'm so bad at descriptions but here goes...

Ever Hip is coral, but it has some definite pinkyness to it (which is why I found it to be easily wearable despite me being cool-toned). The finish is very creamy (hence, cremesheen) and opaque after some layering. Also, I found that it lasted several hours on my lips. Score!

I can't won't wear orange lipstick of any kind regardless of how 'trendy' it is (because I know I could never get away with it) BUT I am loving coral for summer. This lipstick goes hand in hand with Alpha Girl beauty powder, by the way.

Ever Hip lip swatch, I'm also wearing Alpha Girl beauty powder

Some dupes for ya...

Looking through my lipstick collection, I'm noticing that I keep buying the same colors. Well, same colors with different names and finishes. I've become so redundant! Whatever, I love a nice blue-based pink.

So, recently I bought Snob from MAC. Just my kind of color... and finish. Lately, I've really been into Satin finishes. I did realize, however, that it kind of resembles Revlon's Pink Pout. MAC lipsticks are $14.50, Revlon is about $7-8 (don't quote me on that, because some places have different prices).

When comparing the two, I would say that Snob has more of a blue base to it and has an ever so slight sheen.

Then I whipped out I Like It Like That (In the Groove '10). Oh dear, I love this color. It has an amplified finish. So, it's not matte, definitely more glossy than the other two. Also, it's darker (and bluer) than Snob. Still, if you couldn't get your hands on this baby, Snob is a good alternative.

L-R: Revlon Pink Pout, MAC Snob, MAC I Like It Like That

And, for good measure, I figured I'd throw in an swatch photo from an old post featuring Viva Glam Gaga. That was all I wore last summer (made sure to buy a back up!). Gaga is discontinued, but will always be a favorite of mine. It has a glossy, lustre finish. It's not an exact dupe for any of these colors per se, but it does belong in the same color family. It's a lighter, brighter, blue-based pink.

Viva Glam Gaga

Snob and Pink Pout are the only two permanent colors. Gaga and I Like It Like That are limited edition, sadly.

Lusting for...

Good morning! Just wanted to share a few things that I've been lusting for lately. What's on your list?

ModCloth "Eyes of Mars" sandal

Kate Spade baby bag

Make Up For Ever Aqua Liners

Dolce Vita "Dakota" sandal

MAC Face and Body Foundation

Top Shop maternity dress

Let's discuss Fashionflower... and other stuff

I completely cheated myself out of Ever Hip lipstick. I'm kicking myself hard. Actually, I had every opportunity to get it when I was shopping online but I forgot. And then it sold out.... my counter sold out too. Boo!

I've really just been picking and choosing things here and there from MAC collections. I haven't seen anything particularly eye-catching lately (except for Ever Hip... don't remind me). I did, however, pick up Alpha Girl beauty powder (from Heatherette '08). I love beauty powders... and blush... and anything cheek related.

The packaging is your basic black MAC compact but the product itself imprinted with a very pretty floral pattern. I would describe it as being a subtle coral that leans more pink. I love these kinds of shades for Spring / Summer. Alpha Girl isn't heavily pigmented. I get some decent color payoff on my skin but I'm an NW20. If your skin tone is very deep or dark, you may have a bit of a hard time with this one. Overall, I'm very pleased with it. Edit: I forgot to mention that it's not frosty or shimmery. I add a little By Candlelight MSF to my cheekbones because I like to get my glow on!