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. 

July Favorites

This past month has flown by so quickly! My daughter celebrated her FIRST birthday on the 20th of July and I'm happy but so sad at the same time. My little girl is growing up so fast!

My little monster<3

Anyway, I definitely have a few favorites that I've been using almost everyday in July...

NARS Primer

This has been a favorite of mine since I got it in May. I've been through so many primers and when I got this, I didn't even think I'd like it -- but I love it. I feel like this deserves a review.

Lazy Day Lipstick (Lustre)

Lazy  Day is from the 'To The Beach' collection. It's a milky-cool pink. On it's own, I don't care for it because it makes me look sort of sickly. If I line with Subculture first, it warms up the color a bit, making it very pretty and wearable. Lining with Subculture has the same effect when I use VG Gaga, too.

MAC Subculture Lip Liner

As of now, it's my favorite liner EVER!

Tare Cheek Stain: Flower Child

I went on a cheek stain craze this past winter. I'm over the phase, but I still love Flower Child for my lips. It's a golden rosy-pink. The beauty with cheek stains is that they have the ability to give you an overall natural glow and a light flush -- that 'just pinched' look. I have five of them, and this is my favorite. Though the taste is quite repulsive, I don't let it offend me. Also, the consistency of this stain differs from the others -- probably because this one has shimmer to it. This was limited edition and it's discontinued, but there's still a wide variety to choose from at Sephora. Tarte's cheek stains retail for $30 USD (keep in mind that you get a lot of product).

A few swatches...

Flower Child

By the way, I like these a lot for summer -- for those days when all you need is some tinted moisturizer and concealer.

MAC Summer Rose Beauty Powder

I bought this from the Liberty of London collection. For a beauty powder, it's quite pigmented. I can't say this would show up well on darker skin tones, but as a pasty princess, this works well as a blush. 

                                                                  

Fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

I've had this for a while. I probably got it from Sephora during the winter. It went in the drawer and didn't come out until a few weeks ago. It has a nice sugary scent and a taste to match. The tint is sheer, but yet it has a nice color payoff. My only complaint is the hefty price tag. While I love this now and will continue to use it, I'm not sure I'd repurchase it again. $22.50 USD is a lot of money for a tinted lip conditioner!

As you can see, the month of July was all about lips for me!

P.S.: My skin has gotten so dry! NOT a sexy look! If anyone knows of good products for SUPER dry skin, do tell! For now, I'll see how this drinking water thing works out. Thanks =)