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Posted on November 26, 2017

Top 4 lip balms for dry & chapped lips

lips/ Skincare

Top 4 lip balms for dry and chapped lips

Any dedicated beauty junkie would tell you that there is a slight change in their makeup and beauty routine whenever there is a new season upon us. As the temperature is slowly dropping, it’s time we ought to start thinking about products that will help our skin adapt to changing weather conditions.

The harsh winter weather can play a massive role in contributing to dry lips. But sometimes we need to take it upon ourselves to ensure that the skin on our delicate lips does not remain perpetually cracked – after all, it can be as uncomfortable as it is unsightly!

Here are some of my favourite products that help tackle dry and chapped lips 🙂

1. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Skin Protectant

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Skin Protectant

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Skin Protectant

Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Skin Protectant  has been my absolute go-to post-shower lip product for years now. Due to the thickness of this balm, it wears as a lip gloss and lasts an absolute life time! Very few top ups are necessary to use throughout the day – which is handy because the one I have isn’t as small or portable as other lip balms I use.

While it might be on the larger scale of things (as far as packaging goes), it is still a must have product for me. Not only does this multi-purpose gem work magic on soothing dry lips, but it can also be used to moisturise nail cuticles, in between the fingers and it can help shape the brows!

Final Verdict: It’s thick and very easy to apply, incredibly soothing and wears as a multi-purpose ‘”gloss.”

Rating: 5/5

Price: €33.00, Arnotts

 

2. Uriage Bariederm Cica-Levres Soothing Repair Barrier Lip Balm*

Uriage Cica-Lips Repairing Balm

Uriage Cica-Lips Repairing Balm

Although this product has only been recently introduced to me, I have used it enough times to know that it does what it says on the tin. This lip repairing balm was formulated with an innovative complex that offers a triple action: soothes, repairs and insulates.

The first thing I noticed about this product is how easily it glides on, you can feel it soothing the lips immediately. It also lasts impressively long on the lips so not a lot of top ups are necessary throughout the day with this guy. It is a great size and incredibly affordable – especially for what you’re getting from, it’s an absolute steal!

Final Verdict: It’s affordable, easy to apply and absorbs well!

Rating: 5/5

Price: €10.00, pharmacies nationwide

 

3. Dr PawPaw Original Balm

Dr PawPaw Original Balm

Dr PawPaw Original Balm

Another multi-purpose soothing balm, this affordable and effective product is an absolute weapon for tackling dry lips, skin and nails. While I know the focus of this blog is on lips, I do think it’s important to highlight when you’re getting more than what you bargained for in a product – especially when it’s so affordable!

Dr PawPaw’s Originals Balm is made from natural ingredients. The main ingredient PawPaw, has healing qualities which makes this product great for burned or irritated skin. While I have only used the original, you can get a tinted version of this balm also!

Final Verdict: It absorbs very quickly while maintaining moisture on the lips – it is perfect for wearing under matte lipsticks since it doesn’t leave a glossy finish!

Rating: 4.5/5

Price: €7.95, Hickeys

 

4. Alpha-H Absolute Lip Perfector Lip Balm*

Alpha H Absolute Lip Perfector

Alpha H Absolute Lip Perfector

This product is slightly different from the others as it is a combined serum and balm, making it more of a lip treatment. It is infused with peppermint, wild mint and honeycomb extract, which you notice on the first usage as the smell is almost therapeutic! But what makes this Alpha-H Absolute Lip Perfector Balm truly unique is that it works as a powerful anti-ageing lip treatment when applied overnight.

This product leaves a slight sting effect upon application, which helps with adding volume to the lips. It does however leave a bit of a white hue if too much is applied so it is important to rub the lips together gently until the ingredients are locked deep into the skin.

Final Verdict: It’s thicker than most balms and takes some time to apply. But it leaves the skin on the lips feeling much softer and fuller in the am!

Rating: 4.5/5

Price: €30.00, salons nationwide

Do you have any favourite lip balms? If so, I would love to know your thought! Feel free to tweet me @FilomenaKaguako 🙂

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*The products marked with an asterisk were sent to me for review purposes, however all views are my own.

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10 commandments for perfecting your lip game

lips/ Makeup

mac lip stick collection

Is it just me or does anyone else think that having a strong red lipstick game is a prerequisite for a successful February? Well if it is just me, then let me try and convert you…..

I honestly think there’s nothing worse than seeing someone desperately fail at trying to pull off Monroe’s infamous red lip. Dried out and cracked up lips don’t look pretty under any lip shade, never mind red – that one colour that is particularly unforgiving to such beauty sins.

Because this is a judgment free zone and a place where we can share all our beauty secrets, here are 10 golden rules that will help you a achieve a perfect pout: read them, recite them, cherish them and then pass them on to your fellow mates so that they can do the same 🙂

1. Be sure to exfoliate your lips before applying your lip product. This will help get rid of any dead skin lying on the surface of your lips.

2. Before lipstick comes lip balm. Not only does it make your lipstick apply more smoothly (especially with matte textures) it will also keep your lips soft and moisturised.

3. Remember to line your lips and then fill them in. This will help the colour stay on longer.

4. Lining your lips gives them more definition. Be sure to sharpen your lip pencil to get the most out of this rule.

keep calm wear lipstick

5. Apply your lippy with a lip brush to let the colour really get into your lips. Again, this is another way to prolong the lip colour.

6. For a non-surgical lip augmentation- because not all of us can have Kylie’s lips – simply apply a bit of highlighter to your cupids bow.

7. To avoid getting lipstick on your teeth, poke a (clean) finger into your mouth. I know, it sounds rather disgusting, but it works all the time.

8. Use a cotton bud to clean up around the edges of your lips and then follow up with some concealer. This will give your overall look a clean finish.

9. Finish up with translucent powder to prevent the lipstick from bleeding and to help the colour stay put.

10. Remember, a strong lip game speaks volumes! 🙂

too faced selfie

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Posted on December 5, 2014

How to make your lips look fuller

How To/ lips/ Tips

ange

As much as I hate to admit it, we can’t all be Angelina’s.We can’t all be born with full lips and we can’t all have the courage – or money – to get fillers done. That’s just life!

But like most beauty-related dilemmas, there are ways around it. With the right tricks and techniques, you can make your lips look much fuller than they actually are – it’s all about perception!

Here are some of my suggestions for plumping up your pucker without getting any fillers. After these tips, you’ll be more than just a little ready for that kiss under the mistletoe 😉

Avoid the dark side

When it comes to making your pout appear fuller, lip colour matters. Avoid dark colours and shades, as they will only make your lips look smaller . Opt for lighter shades that are closer to your skin tone if you want to visually enlarge your lips.

Line it up

Use a lip liner close to the colour of your lips to draw around the natural line of your mouth. Try not to overdo it, because it will just look wrong altogether! When you’ve finish outlining, use the same pencil to fill in the lips. Smudge and rough lines before you apply your lippy/gloss.

Highlighting matters

Apply some highlighter right above your cupid’s bow and then use your finger to blend it in lightly. Then, use a brown liner beneath your lower lip line – the line shouldn’t be harsh at all. This highlighting and contouring trick will make your lips look like they are creating a shadow because they’re THAT much fuller!

A clever finish

If you want to give off the illusion of fullness, then it’s a good idea to avoid matte textures. They tend to diminish the actual size of your lips, while shiny finishes reflect light and make your lips look more luscious and full.

Pro tip: Use your toothbrush to exfoliate your lips every morning. This promotes blood circulation to the lips, which in turn will make them seem rosier and fuller. Added bonus? You get a temporary plump!

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Posted on October 9, 2013

How to make your lipstick last longer

How To/ lips

mac rebel

 If you are one of those people who have to constantly worry about retouching your lips, search no further because on enhancewhatsyours.com you’ll find the top tips for having your lipstick last longer so the last thing you have to think about on a night out is constantly doing retouches on your lips (can be pretty annoying!)

So here’s how to make your lipstick last longer:

Prep your lips:

1. Exfoliate: I can’t stress how important lip exfoliation is for your lips, as you might have saw in my D.I.Y lip scrub, regular exfoliation replaces old cells with new cells which is a great way to keep your lips soft and subtle.

Note: If you’re preparing for a night out you can give your lips a gentle scrub with your toothbrush for a quick/fresh exfoliation

2. Lip balm: Before lipstick comes lip balm, let it settle on your lips to keep them moistened and prevent them from cracking. If there is any excess balm make sure you blot it off.

The nitty gritty:

inglot lip pencil 857

1.Lip liner: Line your lips starting from the cupids bow and then fill them in with the liner. This will lay a foundation for your lipstick. Here I’m using a lip liner by Inglot which I love because it’s highly pigmented and also has a lip brush at the other end. (It’s so good, I sometimes use it as a lipstick on it’s own!)

how to make lipstick last longer inglot 857  how to make lipstick last longer inglot 857

2. Lipstick: For the best results, apply your lipstick with a lipstick brush, as it allows the color to really get into the lip and stay on longer. Get a tissue and blot your lips a couple of times to press the color into your lips. After this, go for a second coat of lipstick.

I will be using Rebel by MAC it’s another one of my favorites. And as you can see, the two colors are quite similar so it’s just perfect because the lip liner won’t take away from the lipstick’s true color!

how to make lipstick last longer inglot 857

3. Concealer: As we do to get perfect eyebrows, use concealer to tidy up around the lips and give them a clean edge.

how to make lipstick last longer inglot 857

Note: I also like to use the highlighter from my Gosh BB Skin Perfecting Kit and apply it to my cupids bow, this will give you and effortless pout!

And that’s that, 5 simple steps to have your lipstick last longer! How do you normally apply your lipstick?

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Posted on August 8, 2013

How to make a lip scrub

D.I.Y/ How To/ lips/ Natural beauty

diy lip scrub

I don’t think I stand alone when I say that there’s nothing better than a good D.I.Y that takes no longer than a minute to put together! So for this weeks second post, I thought I’d show you all how to make a lip scrub at home!

Why should you use a lip scrub?

A lip scrub is one of the things that you could use to exfoliate your lips! If you’d like, you could simply brush your lips with a tooth brush after brushing your teeth, but if you’d like to make your beauty routine a bit interesting, you could go on ahead and use this recipe to make your own lip scrub at home!

What you need to make a lip scrub:

1. 1 tbs  Olive oil

2. 1 tbs Honey

3. 2-3 tbs Sugar

4. A clean bowl and spoon

5. Damp face towel

6. Empty jar (optional)

7. Your beautiful lips!

How to put the lip scrub together:

1. Put the Olive oil, honey and sugar into a bowl.

2. Mix the ingredients until you get a pasty mixture as pictured below

how-to-make-a-lip-scrub

3. Using your index finger rub some of the mixture onto your lips for about 30 seconds.

You should already feel a difference at this stage!

4. Using your towel, wipe your lips and repeat the process this time rubbing it for a lot longer (1 -2 mins)

5. Again, use your towel to remove the lip scrub and voila!

6. If you’re a bit of a hoarder, you could put the rest of the lip scrub into an empty jar but make sure you get the full use of it, if not, it will only get hard and go to waste.

Note: Regularly exfoliating your lips with a lip scrub helps remove old and dead skin cells on your lips so over time your lips will become more moist and naturally plump

(Vote no to dry and chapped lips!)

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog to be in a chance to take part of my free giveaway! Feel free to leave any comments below 🙂

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Posted on June 12, 2013

Carmex Lip balm: For dry lips

lips/ product review

carmex lip balm

Dry lips have never been a huge problem for me growing up, I mean let’s face it, what are the chances of someone with oily skin actually ending up with dry lips as well? Life isn’t that bad! But, (there’s always a but) I did go through a stage in my life where I was mad about using Vaseline’s pocket size lip balm. I thought their packaging was cute,  I thought it was great that I could choose from a range of colors and their scents were absolutely gorgeous!  sounds like heaven right?

Far from it! 

This so called ‘Lip Therapy’ balm was actually the cause of my dry lips because from the moment I started using it, I found my lips getting a lot drier than usual.

So that’s when I did some research and discovered that petroleum jelly (the main ingredient in Vaseline) does not moisturize your lips (or any part of your body for that matter) what it does is, it creates a barrier over your skin that protects it from losing moisture and although I’m grateful for that, this product still didn’t tick all the boxes, it just wasn’t enough!

I then decided to be a bit daring by going for something I wouldn’t normally go for: Carmex lip balm and that was by far the best decision I have ever made (I’m speaking for my lips here!) 

This product ‘soothes, relieves and moisturizes’  and thanks to the natural moisturizers it contains i.e cocoa butter and lanolin, you will have healthy looking lips in no time! Because it’s such a great moisturizer, it doesn’t need to be put on as often as others. I tend to use mine right after the shower and then again two or three later on in the day (sometimes even more because of that tingly feeling you get from it! very cool and refreshing!)

This product comes in either a jar or a tube,you also have a few flavors to choose from. I’ve somehow gotten used to the smell of the original one, but if you can’t, then you could always go for the cherry/strawberry flavor (best part is, they contain SPF 15!!)

Have you used any of these products before? If not, What’s your go-to lip balm?

Please comment below and share!

Thanks for reading my post 🙂

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Posted on May 8, 2013

MAC Lipstick: Ruby Woo

lips/ product review

mac ruby woo

I have recently become obsessed with the matte world…..it all started off with a  matte black manicure and it even went as far as matte black cars! (I know, I know,I went a bit matte crazy!) but I must say, the one thing that truly stole my heart was MAC’s matte red lipstick;  Ruby Woo.

It really did woo me….

For me, this lipstick is definitely a holy grail product. I think that every person (including men) should have this on their dressing room table. Even if you’re not going to use it (which I think you’d highly regret), its retro, absolutely gorgeous to look at, and if that isn’t enough, it actually smells nice! Now that’s not something you  find in a lot of lipsticks these days…..

Okay, I was messing about men having this product, I was getting a bit ahead of myself there, but, that just goes to show how much of an impact this lipstick had on me, as well as the impact it can have on you!

I know Riri woo has been out for quite sometime now, and a lot of people have been going crazy about it. I have nothing but love for Rihanna herself, so no disrespect, but I must say that only a few people can get away with rocking that lipstick, and let’s face it, not everyone is Riri.

RUBY woo on the other hand, does not raise that question, the stress of  ”finding the perfect shade” does not apply with this product at all.It’s just one of those magic lipsticks sent from above (with the help of MAC cosmetics of course) and really does suit every skin tone.

It’s classic and represents elegance in the most retro way, you really can’t go wrong!

mac ruby woo

Another thing we have to remember about this lipstick is that it is matte, so because of this it lasts the longest out of any lipstick out there. I would easily bet that this lipstick would last for days if you didn’t take it off (just make sure you use a drinking straw!) so you would only have to go for one lip touch-up when using this product.

Now everything can’t be rosey right? So just a word of precaution:

Before applying this devilish color, be sure to have lip balm on your lips because if not, u won’t embrace this product as much as I did when I first tried it!

Matte lipsticks require you put on a good bit of lip balm due to its drying nature; they are a lot more dense and contain less moisture. But sure that isn’t the most difficult thing now is it? A bit of effort can go a long way…..

Now that u know, stop reading, moisten up those lips and get shopping!

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mac ruby woo

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