QVC's Top Tips for 'Puckering Up' on National Kissing Day, Thursday 20th June 2013.

Pucker up my lovelies!! It's National Kissing Day tomorrow, and QVC have enlisted the help of some 'Pouting Professionals' (love that term) to give you some fabulous hints and tips to get your lips luscious and ready for action!

All products recommended are available from the QVC Website, or on Sky channel 640, Freeview channel 16, Freesat channel 800 or virgin TV channel 740.

Now all I have to do is find somebody to smooch... ;-)

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Burts Bees Lip Shimmer - Watermelon (Including Swatches)

I’m a big fan of Burts Bees Lip Balms, they’re handy to have by your side and they moisturise your lips beautifully, but what they’re lacking in is a bit of colour. You see I don’t always want to have to make the decision to either have a bit of colour on my lips, or to moisturise them – especially if I’m out and about and not just sat at home; so when I was sent this Lip Shimmer, I was instantly curious to see how well it did both of the tasks.

Now, for your information I was sent the Watermelon variety – and I was sat there thinking that watermelon would be referring to the smell or taste of the product, but alas I was wrong as the balm is actually very minty and tingles on your lips a little bit – which I quite like. The watermelon reference is obviously a nod to the actual shade of the Lip Shimmer (I can't believe this didn't occur to me, ha), and I absolutely love it.

The colour isn’t a full on hit of colour, but it does succeed in giving me the hint of colour that I was missing at times in an ordinary lip balm along with a gorgeous pearly shimmer. I like the natural look of this; it’s perfect for me during the day or even in the evening if I’m going for strong eyes that usually require more neutral lips.

With Flash:

What’s also important is the moisturising qualities of the balm, I was impressed with this too – and whilst it didn’t feel as obviously moisturising (heavy) on the lips as a normal balm, I did notice that my lips felt in generally quite nice condition after wearing it, and definitely better than if I’d just worn a normal lipstick or gloss.

Without Flash:

All in all I’d say this lip shimmer is a bit of a winner – and a bargain at just £5.99 each. In fact I've just found a few of the shades a little cheaper: http://www.cheapsmells.com/

Colours available are:

Caramel
Champagne
Cocoa
Fig
Guava
Nutmeg
Papaya
Peony
Raisin
Rhubarb
Watermelon

Lucas Papaw Ointment!

My lips can be a complete pain – literally. They get so dried out at times that normal lip balm just doesn’t cut it. I quite like using Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream as it really does help to keep them hydrated, but the smell can be a bit overpowering which is something I’ll put up with as it’s providing such a decent protection barrier on my lips (which stops them drying out even more) but it’s not something I love either.

I found Lucas’ Papaw Ointment by accident really as I saw it when browsing the Cult Beauty website for other things. I read the reviews and then decided that I had to give it a whirl, especially after reading that it was a great moisturiser for chapped lips because it didn’t taste chemical and also that it was odourless.

I decided to play it safe and just purchase the one 25g tube of it, as I didn’t want to buy loads of it if I didn’t know how well it was going to work. I made the right decision as this stuff lasts ages anyway; you only need a tiny amount on your lips to do the job.

It’s made from fermented Carica Papaw fruit which doesn’t sound at all enticing but as it said on the product page, you can’t taste or smell anything really, let alone anything ‘bad’ so I haven’t been too bothered about this at all.

Applying the product is just a case of squeezing out a little product and rubbing it into the area you need it – be that your lips or any other dry or problematic areas of your body. The consistency of the product isn’t oily as such, but it is quite slippy and silky (it has a similarity in texture to Vaseline but a bit softer) which to me is great on the lips and it does give a lovely sheen; but I would say that it does need a short time to dry/soak into areas like your fingers where you may come into contact with other items or clothing – just to eliminate any risk of ruining something.

I tend to reapply the product to my lips every 2-3 hours or so, I don’t think it needs to be reapplied more frequently as even when the initial shine has gone, I can still feel some moisture on them. I noticed quite quickly that my lips were much softer and whilst there was still dry skin on there, I found it buffed off much easier using both a toothbrush and also a dedicated lip scrub leaving much smoother and moisturised lips.

I’ve been so impressed with this that next time I think I will go for the big tub (75g or 200g) as well as a tube of it (for my handbag) as although it does go a long way, I do find that I’m using it all over my body where I have dry areas so buying the big tub for this would present even better value!

Some interesting information from the website:

“Lucas' Papaw Ointment is a world-wide proven remedy of over 100 years standing.
Lucas Papaw Ointment has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and may be used as a local topical application on the following.
Minor Burns Chafing Cuts
Gravel Rash Minor Open Wounds
Nappy Rash Scalds
Sunburn Splinters and Thorns


Also:


Temporary relief of the symptoms of dermatitis and eczema


Papaw or Papaya we all know as a delicious fruit, but the beneficial qualities of Papaw greatly aid the skin.
Lucas Papaw Ointment is made in Australia from pure Australian papaws.”

Burt's Bees Balms!

Burt’s Bees have something of a cult following and after trying out their fabulous 2 new lip balms I can now see why. These lip balms are their ‘Nourishing Lip Balm With Mango Butter’ and their ‘Rejuvenating Lip Balm With Acai Berry’ and they are stunning. They’re fabulously fruity without being sickly sweet which makes a nice change, I do love sweet scents but it’s just nice to mix it up a little.

I love the ethics of this company, they use 100% natural ingredients so there’s no worry of any nasties causing problems, and more importantly they’re not tested on animals (product OR ingredient) which more companies should take note of.

Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter

“Hydrate and soften lips naturally with this nourishing 100% natural lip balm. Specially formulated with Mango Butter, this replenishing lip balm moisturises and protects to reveal smooth, healthy lips. Lips will love its lush, fruity flavour and the soft, moisturised feeling it leaves behind.”

More information on Mango Butter is available at this website that I found to be both interesting and informative. http://botanical.com/products/learn/butter/mango.html

Rejuvenating Lip Balm with Acai Berry

“Leave lips feeling renewed, moisturised and healthy wit hthis 100% natural lip balm. Superfruit, Acai Berries, provide free radical fighting antioxidants and Vitamins A, C, D and E, as well as healthy Omega Oils, giving your lips a rejuvenating experience with a rich, sweet flavour. We call that one super balm!


The Acai Berry is a deep purple berry that grows wild in the Brazilian Rainforests. This small berry contains antioxidants, vitamins and healthy Omega Oils. Acai Berries have 15 times more antioxidants than red grapes.”

 I find that I always struggle with pots of lip products because I do have fairly long nails that can make it difficult to get the product out of the pot, and whilst I have come up with a bit of a solution by using the back of my nail, I still find that it’s a pain in the bum to use them like this – especially on the move.

This is not the case with Burt’s balms as they are in an easy to use screw up tube that makes it super quick and easy to apply the product straight to my lips with one effortless swipe, and then pop the lid back on – perfect! Even if you don’t have longer nails, this method is so much better than having to deal with a sticky finger after application.

On the lips this stuff is gorgeous and velvety, not slimy or sticky in the slightest. In fact, if it wasn’t for the lack of dry lips whilst wearing it, you’d barely know you had it on at all. The look of the balm on my lips was neutral and healthy – no colour, however my lips had a lovely soft sheen that looked very natural.

I have used both balms to excess over the last week, with the Mango Butter variety holding a firm place in my handbag and the Acai Berry taking pride of place on my desk so that I always have one to hand whenever my lips are in need of moisture. I’m surprised at how well they have lasted though as I have really used both of them quite a lot and they still look almost unused, so I feel quite confident that they will last me a good while, which is good for the bank balance as we hurtle towards Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, these would make fantastic stocking filler gifts – perfect for winter months where chapped and dry lips can be at their worst and they won’t break the bank at only £3.49 each.