Getting Lippy
Hi all, I just wanted to do a quick little blog about these lip balms that I picked up in an E.L.F haul a few months back. They are the Conditioning Lip Balms from the Studio Line and they cost £3.50 each.
The first thing to discuss is the packaging. They do come in the typical Studio Line packaging, which is a clear plastic pot with a thick black lid. I'm personally not a huge fan of this; it looks alright, but it's not the most attractive packaging. My biggest bug bear with the lip balms packaging is the sheer size of the pot; compared to regular potted lip balms it's huge. On top of that it's also very angular and awkward so for me it doesn't travel particularly well.
On top of this, when you screw the lid off it has a another lid which is to prevent the product from drying out. Now I totally understand the thought behind this but I've never seen a lip balm that needs such a lid, so why this one?
For me, it's just too much faff for a swipe of lip balm but that's just packaging problems; what's the actual product like?
I have three of the available shades.
1) Peaceful Pink - a candy pink shade which I'd liken to pepto bismol.
2) Blissful Berry - a dark pink, almost purple shade.
3) Romantic Rouge - the brightest red
When it comes to colour pay off, all I will say is that these are highly pigmented so if you do choose to buy them don't expect them to be sheer balms with just a hint of colour. They're more like liquid lipsticks I think. Suffice to say, when I swatched them I was shocked to see three brightly coloured stripes on the back of my hand. It wasn't a pleasant surprise but we'll come to that.
L-R - Peaceful Pink, Blissful Berry, Romantic Rouge
As I mentioned, these products weren't a pleasant surprise for me. I didn't search for swatches before I ordered (E.L.F had a 50% off sale) so I picked up a few things I hadn't tried figuring it wasn't too much money to lose. Well boy do I wish I had done a quick search now.
Don't get me wrong, for the price they are great if you want intense colour and moisturisation. I just wasn't looking for the intense colour part.
Peaceful Pink is the most difficult of the three I have to wear. It's such a pale pink when compared to my natural lip colour so if it's not blended into the lips well it just looks awful. As a result of this, lips need to be incredibly conditioned and looked after for this colour to look good. I applied it to well conditioned lips when I first bought it and after only 15 minutes, the pale colour had gathered in the natural creases on my lips and it just looked unsightly. Suffice to say this is not a colour I would repurchase or recommend unless you know that striking pale pinks suit your complexion and are willing to look after your lips. The only pro is that the product does moisturise, so given that, it must condition the lips and help take care of them.
Romantic Rouge although not very wearable, is a much better shade than Peaceful Pink. It applies well, even if lips aren't up to scratch. However the issue still remains with the colour, it is just too strong for a balm, and as anyone who uses reds will know, precision is everything. Finger application just doesn't cut it with this shade, when I've used it I've always needed a lip brush to ensure the colour goes and stays where I want it to. In light of this, I don't think it's best to call it a lip balm because it lacks the ease of application we usually associate with a lip balm. Application is the only area where the product falls short for me. When applied with a brush, it looks lovely and feels like its keeping my lips hydrated but the colour is just too strong for what the products being marketed as.
Blissful Berry is my favourite out of the three, but it's just the best of a bad bunch. It's a deep pink, bordering on purple and with my pale complexion in the winter it doesn't look too awful. It moisturises and the colour suits so I have no real complaints about this one.
I love that they all have SPF15 though, but application is an issue I just can't get past.When I buy a lip balm, ease of use is one of my main priorities (which is why I usually opt for a Chapstick or a tin of Vaseline). Having to applied a highly pigmented, thick balm on the go just isn't ideal. Any balm left on my finger, I can usually just rub into the back of my hand; these balms just leave a mass of thick, heavy colour on my hand which takes ages to absorb and just looks unsightly. I need something I can grab and go so for me these products just don't do it for me sadly.
I love everything else E.L.F so I was really disappointed with these balms. But that said, they are pretty much the only E.L.F product I've ever disliked.
But it could just be down to me picking the wrong shades for my skin tone, but there we have it. This is just my experience of the shades I have.
Has anyone else tried or have experience with these particular balms? Love to hear what you all think.
Kirstie xoxo
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