Product Love: C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine Review

My previous post may have highlighted... possibly? ;) ...that I kinda like C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shines... So this here post is dedicated to the lovely little tubes of gorgeous glossyness!!

From left to right pictured above is Spearmint, Magenta Mint and Cinnamint Mentha Lip Shine.

They have a price tag of $7.50 USD or if you live in the UK then can be found in a range of flavours for £4.99 at www.bathandbodyshop.co.uk ...and if all else fails try good old ebay ;)

The Reason I love these are that they really do seem to have healing powers over dry chapped lips. Most other products (even the ones that claim to be moisturizing) seem to dry my lips out after a while but this product continually adds moisture to them, plumping them up and giving amazing shine all at the same time as tasting delicious. Due to the yummy minty flavours they actually refresh the breath giving a nice cool tingly freshness - perfect for those times that you don't have any mints to hand but need a little refreshing in the old mouth area. One thing that needs to be noted, which may be a turn off for some, is that the consistency is quite thick but I believe this is what keeps my lips smooth and protected. Lastly, a tube of this seems to go a long way.

The original mentha lip shines are clear in colour but come in different flavours (Mint, Spearmint, Cinnamint, etc) and now the range also includes coloured lip shines. I have tried Coral Mint, Pink Mint and Magenta Mint (Magenta Mint is pictured above.) Each of these add a nice little tint to the lips for some healthy colour but are not greatly pigmented (I found Magenta Mint to have the most impact with regard to colour).

Overall, I have been using these lip glosses for a few years now and swear by them - come winter or shine! Lastly, I must say that my fav has to be Cinnamint. It is just such a lovely smelling yummy flavour!

Let me know if you have tried any of the new flavours, such as Triple Hot Chocolate or Mango Mimosa? These sound quite interesting!

x

NYC C.O. Bigelow Haul

In one of my previous posts I had mentioned my like of C.O. Bigelow (in the 'Product Love: C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve' post.)

It all started with a C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine purchased in Bath & Body Works during one of my trips to visit family in the US...

Bath & Body Works very wisely stock a limited amount of C.O. Bigelow Products and it was there that I sampled one of their Mentha Lip Shines for the first time. That day I bought one of these lippies (the 'Cinnamint' flavour to be precise) and left a happy shopper, not realising the extent of the C.O. Bigelow range that I had never came across before. I brought my little purchase back to the UK with me and found that this quickly slipped into my list of essential beauty items, to be carried around with me at all times. I loved the smell, taste and impact this had on my lips - keeping them moisturised and in good condition. My single tube soon ran dry however and I was desperate to get back to purchase some more!

The next time I ventured over to the good old US of A I hit one of the larger malls and made my way to the Bath & Body Works store for my Mentha Lip Shine beauty fix. It was on my way that I came across an absolute beauty mine! A free standing C.O. Bigelow shop - and a large sumptuous looking one at that! Sleek in black & white and packed full of luxurious looking products. Like a kid in a sweet shop I ventured in with eyes bulging. That day I purchased several more Mentha Lip Shines in various flavours and colours and smelled, touched and trialled a vast range of the other products that lined the shelves. I found the claims and ingredients lists on the bottles to be impressive and enjoyed the majority of the lotions and potions tried that day. I left with one other unexpected purchase - the devine Bigelow Lemon Body Cream and several samples given to me by the pleasant staff. If it hadn't been for my set budget and mid t0 higher range prices I would have bought a lot more on that trip but remained happy with the chance to get more of my highly regarded Mentha Lip Shines!

Since then at my every visit to the US I ensure that I get to a Bigelow store to stock up on Mentha Lip Shines and try out more of their goodies that never fail to satisfy.

Fast forward a few months from my last US trip to visit the fam I find my most recent chance to visit a C.O. Bigelow store, and in no other than the amazing city of New York! With cash to burn and a pre researched list of products in mind that had been eyed up online I found myself purchasing the pictured below;


Here you can see the Bigelow Power Berry Mask, Rice & Bamboo Gentle Dermabrasion, Coconut Body Lotion, Rose Water Skin Tonic and of course a selection of my beloved Mentha Lip Shines (in Magenta Mint, Spearmint and Cinnamint.)


My next posts will give my review on these goodies!

x

New York Trip

"New York, New York (So good, they named it twice)"

Although somewhat cheesy I love that saying, and even more so, I love New York!

It truly is an amazing city which I have had the pleasure of visiting twice now (and hopeful for many more visits!)

From the bright lights of Times Square, to the sleek shopping strip at 5th avenue, the bustling business area of the financial district, to the peace and serenity of the leafy parks and the funky feel of the stylish and unique Soho area. There is the chance to explore, shop, eat, drink and generally hang out in a vast range of ways in what is a truly amazing diverse city.

This post is just a quick little pictorial highlight of the time that I spent in the Big Apple this June with my wonderful Boy :) I will be posting shortly on some of my NY purchases.

Our lovely hotel room ^

Watching the world go by in the city that never sleeps... ^

Times Square! ^

The Financial District ^

A kool view in Central Park ^ We went row boating in the lake above :)

A lovely residential park near Soho ^

And last, but not least, the Haulage...

In my next few posts I will be presenting and reviewing some of the goods hiding in the above bags :)

x

Love of the Moment: 17 Nail Polish

So, I wen't to my fav Boots store yesterday. It's one at a retail park and therefore big and spacious, but more importantly, quiet and always well stocked - a far better shopping experience than the Boots in the city centre. I had originally wen't in for one thing and came out with several more, including these lovely nail polishes...

17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish in Mint Choc Chip, Parma Violet and Orange Soda.
(I also bought Lemon Sorbet, but unfortunately left it at my boyfriends house!)


I love these bright and pastelly colours, especially Mint Choc Chip and Parma Violet :) They apply easily too and seem like they will last a good few days without chipping. Also, they are only £2.99 - not bad at all ;)

x

Lippie Love of the Moment: AVON Ultra Colour Rich Extra Plump Lipstick in Dazzling Pink

My Mum & I are Avon Representatives - something we do as a sort of hobby ever since I started it when I was in high school. We therefore from time to time find little gems amongst the brochures offerings. Like this lippie...

Avon Ultra Colour Rich Extra Plump Lipstick in 'Dazzling Pink';


My Mum ordered this for herself and as she had been raving about it I had to try it out. It was then, in a matter of seconds of it touching my lips, I found myself ordering one too.

It is a great every day lipstick in a beautiful pink colour that is not too in-your-face and seems to really suit my skin tone (for you non pink fans they have several other lovely colours in this lipstick too). The main beauty of this lippie is that it adds volume to your pout whilst providing a lovely rich colour. It has two layers to it - the outside layer being the rich shimmery colour and the inside containing the plumping formula. It slightly tingles on the lips, which according to Avon means its working away at "increasing circulation to improve lips’ fullness," but the tingling is not excessive. I have sensitive lips/skin and unlike some other lip plumpers I don't find this harsh at all. I don't think it greatly largens the lips but it defenitely gives them a lovely plump boost and with it being a sheen lipstick with slight shimmer throughout it makes them look slightly glossy and healthy. Also noteable is the smell...I love the smell of this - sweet and minty, yum! :) Lastly, it contains SPF15, a crucial factor for this time of year ;)


If you have got your hands on an Avon book I would recommend ordering this from your local representative. It is usually £7.00 in the book but often there are deals on so keep your eyes peeled for a little bargain! :)

x

Love of the Moment: Chanel Summer 2010 Makeup Collection

Love the amazing bright summer colours of Chanel's Summer 2010 Makeup Collection. Especially the bright poppin' pink lipstick :) and oh how I would love that excuisite turquoise 'Nouvelle Vague' polish...


Summer beauty.

Product Love: Simple Kind to Skin Purifying Cleansing Lotion & Soothing Facial Toner

From a young age my mum has spoken several words of wisdom to me, and one thing that she told/taught me (that I am ever thankful for) was to cleanse, tone and moisturise every day to keep my skin happy. Boy was she right! I stuck by her advice and I believe that doing this really does make a difference for me. Also, she has got pretty amazing skin so I hope that is indicative of how this tip will pay off in the future! I have tried different ranges of cleansers & toners over the years from drugstore ranges to the more extravagant (always choosing sensitive ones for my skin type,) but for the past year I have been using an inexpensive range that I feel pretty content with.

The Simple skincare 'Kind to Skin' Purifying Cleansing Lotion and Soothing Facial Toner has been my recent cleanser and toner of choice. I have sensitive skin which is quite dry in areas and therefore requires "kind" products, and like the name of this Simple range suggests, I find these to be very "kind". You can buy these from most drugstores, I pick these up either from Superdrug, Semi-Chem, Bodycare or from the Supermarket for about £2.99 each (not bad!).

To start off, the cleanser contains Pro-Vitamin B5 which is said to restore, soften and smooth, along with this it contains added moisturisers and is pH balanced which is important. It is mild and creamy, not harsh at all, and purifies my skin gently leaving it feeling cleansed and moisturised. It certainly removes any left over makeup from my face along with oil and general dirt and pollutants from the day (as I can see this on the cotton wool pad afterward). I squeeze a decent sized blob of the cleanser onto a cotton wool pad and wype this over/into my face, followed by an application of the toner which I dowse on another cotton wool pad, and again, wype over my face. With cleansers I suppose it is personal choice on how to use them. You can go with this method, or you can apply it to the face like you would a moisturiser and then wash off with luke warm water.

Onto the toner... this leaves my skin feeling so refreshed! Some toners feel quite harsh and almost nip my skin, but this does the job gently and just slightly tingles in a lovely clean feeling way. This is probably down to the fact that it is 100% alcohol free, contains soothing chamomile, and again, is pH balanced so it is not harsh or drying like some toners. It contains Witch Hazel which is said to help tone and tighten the pores and from using this I definitely think my pores have benefited. After these two steps I then moisturise.

Overall, I really think doing this has such a positive impact on my skin and I would recommend trying this particular cleanser and toner, which I feel works in harmony with my skin - gently and effectively - keeping it super happy :)

Oh and lastly, I also have the Simple Kind to Skin Conditioning Eye-makeup Remover which I would also recommend.


Plan to try their moisturisers next...