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

I Kissed a Girl & I Liked It...

... The taste of her Cherry ChapStick! Well, if it's good enough for Katy Perry! You didn't think I was confessing there, did you?!

This is just a heads up that this year ChapStick is supporting the hugely worthwhile Breast Cancer Care charity by releasing the 'Pink Stick' (Cherry ChapStick) which will donate 20p per sale to help people affected by breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Care’s Judy Beard said:

“One person is diagnosed with breast cancer every 10 minutes in the UK. That’s a shocking statistic and Breast Cancer Care strives to be there for each and every one of them. But we couldn’t even dream of doing it without the support from companies such as ChapStick and their customers, so thank you.”

I remember my first ChapSticks, I bought them in mint and cherry and I used to apply them on my lips and lick them straight off, over and over again - kind of defeating the whole point of them, but I didn't care! Anyway, I think this is a fabulous cause and whilst not all the profits go to the charity, *something* is so much better than nothing - plus you get to keep your lips lovely in the process, providing you don't lick it straight off.

Available from September, in readiness for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October priced at £2.49 from pharmacies and supermarkets.

Clinique Chubby Sticks

I’m a big lover of lip balm, especially since I feel like I constantly have to battle chapped/dry lips; what I'm not a lover of however, is having to sacrifice colour on my lips for the care of my lips so I have been quite excited to find out that Clinique are bringing out ‘Chubby Sticks’, moisturising lip colour balms.

They’re said to be packed full of good-for-you ingredients such as Shea Butter, Mango Seed Butter and Jojoba Seed Oil that will keep your lips lusciously moisturised whilst still giving them a hint of colour and bit of a sheen, which sounds great to me – hopefully they’ll live up to my high expectations.

These sticks also seem perfect for using throughout the day when you may not necessarily want a strong lip colour, and they look like they’ve been designed with ease of use in mind. I much prefer this type of twist up pencil to one that needs a manual sharpening; firstly because it means that you don’t need to carry a sharpener with you, and secondly it means that you don’t run the risk of ruining your product because your sharpener isn’t up to scratch or whatever.

At least 4 colours have really taken my fancy from the pictures I’ve seen (shown below) and those are:

L-R: Chunky Cherry, Whoppin Watermelon, Richer Raisin and Super Strawberry!

Also available in the range: L-R Mega Melon, Graped Up, Fuller Fig and Wholelotta Honey.

They’ll be available at Clinique Counters nationwide from 15th April, priced £13.50 for 1.5ml of product.

Lanolips Lip Ointment/Balm/Gloss In Rose!

My final Lanolips product that I received as one of my birthday presents is their Lip Ointment, basically a bit of a cross between a balm and a gloss in that it’s moisturising but also gives lovely colour and shine in the process. It’s got the magic ingredient, Lanolin in it along with a few other ingredients that look surprisingly unscary and actually contains sunscreen to boot.

L-R below - Apples, Rose, Dark Honey, Sunshine, Rhubarb 

I received this in ‘Rose’ (second from the left in the photo above) which you may think is weird if you have read my recent post on Lanolips Rose Balm Intense and my dislike of rose scented products; however unlike the Rose scent, the colour Rose is not something that I dislike... in fact I love it.

I especially love Lanolips Rose as it’s a beautiful dusky pink that looks very natural on the lips as it’s fairly sheer, colour wise but you can build up a little more colour if that’s what you like, but personally I keep my application quite light.

Talking of application, I was expecting a slanted top to the tube, much like my Lancome Juicy Tubes and other similar products, but this just has a normal flat tube top so I find it easier to apply with my fingers; it’s not ideal for me, but it’s not a deal breaker either.

I’ve just noticed that some of my pictures of the product on my hand (above) look a bit phallic – sorry about that haha!

Below are various swatches on my lips, close up. I've posted 3 of them because I think each one shows the shade slightly differently when in different lights/lighting conditions.

I was surprised by the consistency of this ‘lip ointment’ as it’s really very thick... sooo much thicker than I expected and frankly it needs a good squeeze to even get it out of the tube. It’s not at all sticky, it’s balmier more than anything – this is a very good thing.

Scent wise, to me it smells a little like vanilla-like and generally quite sweet, although not overpoweringly so – in fact the scent is very faint, I don’t think it would offend anybody whether they liked nor disliked scented lip products.

I now want rhubarb, apples and possibly sunshine in my make-up collection (I was told that Sunshine wasn’t as scary on the lips as it looks in the tube, on Twitter by Ms Lanolips herself, Kirsten Carriol) – I’ve heard that there’s a 3 for 2 offer on at Boots.com so I might just have to take advantage of that to stock up!

Have you tried Lanolips before? What do you think if you have? If you haven’t, would this range interest you?

Sponsored Post: Kissable Lips With Nivea Hydro Care!

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought that now would be a perfect time to talk about kissing; or more importantly men I would LIKE to kiss (if I was single, or Mr Beauty Scoop would let me... and of course if the men listed actually agreed to it)!

I’d like to point out straight away that as soon as I try to think of men that make me go ‘PHWOAAAR’, my brain goes blank... it literally fails to function; so this isn’t a full and comprehensive list of all the men I’d like to kiss (hussy I am), merely the ones I could remember – and rather shamefully most of these were remembered only by going through my Sky TV planner!

So ladies (and gentlemen?) let’s get going... oh and warning, there may be some gratuitous male nudity in this post!

A new entry on my ‘radar’ (so to speak) is Jessie Pavelka, I ‘discovered’ him only a few weeks ago when I started watching a programme called Diet Tribe, in which he’s the personal trainer. He’s a bit bulkier and has more tattoos than the kind of man I’d usually fancy, but he has gorgeous eyes and a lurrrvely smile, so I can easily get over the other stuff... he can train me, anyday *ahem*! This photo doesn’t do him as much justice as he deserves, he’s 100% better when animated – well who isn’t!

Next up we have Matt Lanter, he plays the gorgeous Liam Hunt in 90210... he’s very American and quite clean cut but again, I’m drawn to his eyes and mouth. Just look at them - lush!

Ian Somerhalder is up next; he plays the brooding vampire, Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries and is a complete delight to look at. Again I love love lurrve his eyes and lips (quelle surprise) – but who wouldn’t?! Bite me!

I love Glee, and I also think that Finn (Cory Monteith) is rather delightful so yes, I think know I’d quite like to kiss him... I do also think that Puck (Mark Sailing) is rather tasty; but I’m not one to be greedy so I’ll stick with just the one Glee cast member for this exercise. I’ve included 2 pictures here; purely because on the second one I was rather perplexed about the length of his index finger... surely that’s been photoshopped?!

Next is Grey’s Anatomy’s McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey... hubba hubba, wish my doctor looked like that - or maybe not, depending on what ailment I was having him check out haha!

Adam Garcia is definitely on my list, he’s one of the reasons I love watching Got to Dance so much; he’s got gorgeous eyes and a cute little bum dimple on his chin... lovely. Also, just look at that body, damn that towel being there!!

Olly Murs is such a cheeky chappy, and very easy on the eye – how could I resist? ;-)

Last (but definitely by no means least) is Jason Merrells who is currently playing Declan in Emmerdale. He’s a bit of alright, don’t you think?!

So anyway... in order to get my lips ready for all this kissing, I’m going to need to make sure my lips are soft, smooth and ready for action; and to achieve this I will use my Nivea Hydro Care Lip Salve (RRP £1.75).

The balm moisturises and hydrates lips which you’d expect with a balm, but it also locks in moisture (rather than locking it out) which keeps lips hydrated for much longer as water is prevented from evaporating out of them, which is what can leave them dry and chapped.


www.nivea.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

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.

Popping My Cherry With 'The Body Shop' Lip Butter!

Advantages: Moisturises, Non greast, Non sticky, Cheap enough!

Disadvantages: You need to reapply it more than normal lip balm type products.


I eyed up this lip butter for a good few weeks online before buying it, I wasn't sure how heavy duty it would be on tackling my dry lips because it was a lip butter rather than a balm that I am more used to. The website information states:

‘A rich, intensive moisturiser for the lips with tantalising wild cherry. Its creamy butter-like texture melts onto the lips to help prevent dryness, leaving them feeling soft, smooth and kissable.'

• Wild Cherry Oil - For it's moisturising benefits

• Community Trade shea butter - leaves skin soft, smooth and supple

• Community Trade organic beeswax - an excellent skin conditioner'

 
It was when I was at the airport ready to go to Malaysia that I decided I would buy it; and I saved a bit of money in doing so as there was 30% off all the products that were already cheaper than normal stores anyway. I paid approximately £2.40 each for this and a shea butter one (that I am yet to use), which is a saving on the usual £4 price for the 10mls of product that you get. Ok it's not going to make me rich but as we're always told by a certain advert 'every little helps'.

The butter is pale pink in colour and has a lovely creamy look to it which appeals to me as I am quite a girly girl. It's quite low in the pot which means that you don't have a lot of room for manoeuvre to get the product out, especially if you have nails that go past the tip of your fingers. I tend to use the back of my nail to 'scoop' a little product out and then use another finger to apply it which seems to do the job.

If I am honest, I would prefer to have a smaller pot that was full to right near to the top with product as aside from the usage issue, it makes it look like half the product has already been used. Other than that, I do like the pot it is in, the screw top stays on (from my experience) which means it won't mysteriously come off in your handbag meaning it also won't get covered in the even more mysterious handbag fluff, the top also isn't too tight to get off; like Lush lip balms tend to be.

You should probably be aware that if this product gets warm, it does get a lot softer and like a normal creamy texture, which means you shouldn't prod your finger too hard into the pot otherwise you will get a big butter overload.

This lip butter has a delicious scent that hit me straight away, although not like your usual cherry scented product but lurrrvely all the same. It also doesn't really have a strong taste so to speak which is good because it means less/no licking it off straight away but it does take some getting used to because with this kind of scented lip product there would usually also be a little bit more taste from my experience. If the scent wasn't there, or it was more of a herbal/medicated scent like Carmex then personally I wouldn't expect a taste but because it smells sweet, I do - weird.

You only need a tiny bit of product to give your lips a decent covering, I made the mistake of getting too much onto my finger the first time I used it; so Mr Beauty Scoop got to wear it with me too on that occasion. Smoothing it over my lips was easy and although I did have some residue left on my finger but because it was a butter it was easily absorbed and had no sticky feeling either.

This was the same on my lips, it felt lovely, creamy and moisturising with no stickiness; although this was also partly its downfall as it just didn't seem to last that long on the lips, even without me licking it off. The look on the lips is quite nice, a bit of a sheen but nothing over the top, perfect really as if I wanted full on shine, I'd put a gloss on too. I did reapply it a lot more than usual but the moisturising feeling it gave felt worth it as my lips did go softer than before so it felt like it was worth the little bit of extra effort.

Whilst this hasn't got rid of my dry lips on its own, using it with my Lush sugar scrub does seem to be improving the overall condition, so when I finish the pots that I already own I would consider buying more.

As a final note, this product doesn't appear to have parabens in it which is great for all those people who are allergic to them.

http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub - Are You A Scrubber? ;-)

Advantages: Does what it says it does, tastes nice, looks cute, animal friendly

Disadvantages: Eating sugar not healthy, maybe a little pricey for what it essentially is.

My lips always seem to be quite dry; I think this is in part due to having psoriasis and thus something that can't be prevented. That doesn't mean to say that I can't try and make my lips as smooth and soft as I possibly can. This is why I went in search of this product from Lush, but they didn't stock anything like this. I spoke to the Mark Constantine at Lush and he said to have a look on the B site. You see, this lip scrub was originally sold by the now defunct sister company of Lush, 'B never too busy to be beautiful' along with a couple of other 'flavours'. This is when I first tried the product and I picked this flavour as I couldn't resist the girly pink look of it.

When it arrived I was not disappointed, I opened the jar and a waft of sweet bubblegum scent came to my nose. I couldn't wait, I dipped in my finger and started rubbing it on my lips, and the only problem was that I was more or less eating it before I was getting any exfoliation from it as it tasted so gooood! To describe the taste is easy yet difficult as it doesn't have the usual taste of bubblegum, but more like the taste of bubblegum mixed with the taste of the smell of Snow Fairy (a Lush shower gel that gets released at Christmas), if that makes sense?

The application was kind of messy and you should expect granules of sugar to drop below you so it may be worth doing it over a dressing table with maybe a tissue underneath you to catch the escapees! Aside from the messiness, it was easy to apply and massaging it into my lips (providing you don't eat it all) was making them tingle but made my finger a little bit tender as it had also exfoliated that too. All I had to do after the exfoliation was lick my lips and then they were ready for either a lip balm, or a touch of lipstick or gloss. It really was that simple.

This product promises to leave your lips smooth, plump and soft and for me, it really did. The one thing I will say is that it is quite pricey for the small pot you get (£4.50 for 25g), even though it lasts for ages. The reason I say that it's pricey is because to me, I see the ingredients and see that it's basically made up of sugar, oil, flavour and colour. It's quite a simple concoction really, and as such it's possibly something you could make yourself in flavours such as mint or vanilla with mint flavouring or vanilla extract, sugar and oil (even something like olive oil) as there is no real need for the colour really in my opinion!

This product is not tested on animals, much like all of the other products that Lush makes.

In the words of Victoria Wood (in an old Post Office/Stamps advert) 'it makes your lips really really luscious'!