Lanolips Banana Balm 3-in-1 and Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour SPF 15 in Rose review+swatches

Lanolips lip products constantly receive good reviews from bloggers and youtubers (Sali Hughes, Sharon Farrell, Pixiwoo). I was lusting after the banana-scented lip ointment – I love bananas –and the coloured version since I have a lot of plain lip balms that I'm happy with at the moment. Recently there was an offer on boots.com, where you received the rose coloured product as a gift with every purchase of the banana lip ointment, so I had the opportunity to try both.

The Lanolips Banana Balm 3-in-1 is supposed to moisturise, create a lustrous finish and act as a protective barrier on the lips. To be honest, I don't think that this is a revolutionary claim. A good lip balm should offer long-lasting moisture as well as immediate relief, so I don't see the need for separate claims. The Banana Balm is essentially a very good lip balm with shimmer. Yes, it soothes and comforts the lips immediately, it has a long-lasting effect and the noticable - when swatched - glitter particles provide a flattering lustrous finish. However, naming this formula 3-in-1 is just a marketing choice. That aside, I do believe that this is an excellent lip moisturiser especially for the winter months due to its impressive lasting power. I suspect that I will particularly enjoy it during the festive season because of the sparkle in it. I can't wait to try it on top of any lipstick to create a more glamorous and Christmas-appropriate look.

The Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour SPF 15 in 'Rose', is an equally effective lip moisturiser with a mauvy pink-nude colour and no sparkle. I find the formula of this product to be the same as the one described above. Again, this is a great outdoorsy lip balm not only due to its protective properties, but also due to the added sun protection factor. 

Lanolips Banana Balm on the left and Lip Ointment with Colour 'Rose' on the right. The second looks great paired with a smokey eye – as you probably have guessed!

It is worth mentioning that both products get quite thick in cold weather and therefore it is difficult to squeeze the product out. I try to  do it from the end towards the tip because I had an accident with a similar product exploding out of the tube in the past. It's nothing to worry about though; lip products with naturally-derived ingredients tend to get harder during the colder months.

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Gel Cream Review + a Dupe

Bare Minerals promises to bring 'the best of a BB, a CC, and a tinted moisturiser...with a 215% increase in skin hydration after just one week*' with Complexion Rescue Tinted Gel Cream. The product is essentially a tinted moisturiser with SPF30, suitable for normal to dry skin. It is also ideal for sensitive skin, as it contains no fragrance. (For more information on the ingredients, check Beautypedia's review of the product.)

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Gel-Cream in the colour 03-Buttercream

I do not think that Complexion Rescue can replace heavy foundation, as the company claims, because it is neither a foundation nor has it sufficient coverage to act as one. The coverage is rather sheer, good enough to even out skin tone but not to cover up proper redness. If you are looking for a new foundation, you might want to skip this product. If you have dry(-ish) skin that doesn't respond well to BB/CC creams, you will love it.

When I first squeezed some product out of the tube, I was surprised. The gel-cream texture was not new to me. It reminded me of a product I owned long ago, the Korres Ginger and Vitamins Foundation. Unfortunately, it appears to be discontinued, but you can still find it online, especially if you live in Greece. As far as I can remember, I wore the colour LF3, which was very similar to Compexion Rescue Buttercream, albeit a tad more olive. The finish of both products is dewy in a natural, non-shimmery, way. With Complexion Rescue, I find that if I powder my oilier spots, my skin stays reasonably oil-free for 4-5 hours. The lasting power isn't impressive, but it is not disappointing either for a mineral product.

All in all, I am happy with this product. It applies seamlessly and feels comfortable on my dehydrated skin, looks natural and offers a good amount of sun protection. I also like that I can build it up to ensure that I get the full SPF30 protection.

I find that it is much like your perfect pair of jeans - it can make you look great while you're still comfortable, but it will not give you the super polished  look that a well-tailored suit will.


Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue retails for 26,00£ but it is often discounted on Feelunique and Escentual.

I use Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply.

CLINIQUE Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief

This review is for the gel version of Clinique's Moisture Surge - not to be confused with the Intense Fortifying Hydrator which is especially formulated for dry and very dry skin. 

To begin with, this is hands down the best summertime moisturizer for all skin types except for extremely dry. Gals with oily skin would benefit from it even in wintertime. The texture is very light and gel-like, typical for moisturizers targeted to oily skin. However, it provides the moisture that most of the other creams with similar texture don't. It really did wonders for my seriously dehydrated and normal-ish skin during the hot Greek summer. I used it a bit when I arrived in Scotland as well, with great results even in the cold autumn mornings. As long as this was included in my skincare routine, there was no need for a hydrating serum which I tend to use. Needless to say, due to its texture it is absorbed immediately providing a perfect base for make-up. The only downside is that because it is so hydrating and light I enjoyed applying a lot of it (you may want to consider this if you have very dehydrated skin like me) and I finished it more quickly than I would otherwise!

Although the price tag is high and the ingredient list quite unimpressive, I would reccommend it to people with oily and combination skin or to people with normal and dry skin who live in a hot climate. It may not be a five-star product, but, hey, it works!

Ingredient list

Graphic Blue Nail Art

Hello!

Since I happen to have some spare time and I won't be having again anytime soon I decided to do a nail art.

It is inspired by this ad from L'Oreal.

As you can see, the only difference is that I used a glittery dark colour. I am really happy with the result and this is why I decided it deserves a post!

For my pink base I used L'Oreal Color Riche in Doutzen's Nude. The lighter blue is OPI No Room For The Blues and the glittery black Essence Jacob's Protection. The base coat I used is Maybelline Express Manicure Soin Blanchissant and as a top coat I use the Quick Dry Protecting Top Coat from the same line.

The BEST way to remove longwearing lip products EVER!

We all know that oils, either natural or synthetic, break down make-up, even the most long-wearing formulas. With that in mind, I used to remove my lipstick with virgin olive oil (I bet that coconut oil works just fine, too). It was effective and I didn't have to worry about swallowing it – a problem I have with eye & lip make-up removers!

Today, as I was thinking about removing the Sephora Cream Lip Stain I came up with an idea. Why not use an oil-based lip butter? I tried it, and I have to say I'm impressed. It is even more effective than olive oil, probably because it contains more than one oil. The lip butter of my choice was the Liposan (a.k.a. Nivea) Vanilla & Macadamia Lip Butter. I totally suggest buying it, even if you don't enjoy it as a lip moisturizer, as it is very affordable (around 3 euros) and smells divine. Personally, I love using it as a nighttime lip treatment as well. Definitely worth purchasing.

CLINIQUE Lid Smoothie antioxidant 8-hour eye colour in 01 bit o' honey

I bought this product in the hunt for a quick and easy everyday lid colour. First of all, it comes in a cream form, which I find very appealing as I have quite dry skin and I love dewiness all year round. I thought it would be suitable for both a light summery glowy make-up look and a quick pick-me-up look that would take me through the day when I have classes at the Uni. 

 Let's see if what the company claims is true:

-"Creamy, crease-resistant eye colour wears for 8 hours."

The eyeshadow is definitely creamy, but or a high-end product you expect at least to get the texture right. It does spread easily without slipping too much and it allows you to blend the edges before it sets. I didn't notice much creasing even without a primer but I don't have particularly oily eyelids anyway. The problem was that the application wasn't even to begin with, which bring us to the third claim:
-"Nourishing ingredients coax fine lid lines into a blanket of smoothness."

There are few nourishing ingredients in the formula (Glycerin, Carnauba Wax as well as Aloe Barbadensis leaf water). However, not only it doesn't fill the lid lines but it also accentuates them! Even using a small amount of product, I couldn't get it to apply evenly.

"Instantly cools thanks to a unique applicator."

The applicator feels cooling indeed, but I can't see anyone applying it directly to the eyelid.

-"Antioxidants help protect eye-area skin."

Some of the ingredients (the fruit extracts mentioned above and caffeine) are found in eye creams, too, so I will have to give them credit for that. The tube ensures that air doesn't get in the product, which would destroy the antioxidants a few days after the opening. Although the packaging is transparent, if you keep it in a drawer I don't think you will have problems with the sun seeing it either.

-"Tip: A little goes a long way—start with a small amount and build with additional colour as desired."

True. You literally need the tiniest amount and it is buildable. In fact, you HAVE to start with a small quantity to get it right.

(The pictures above are taken after 4 hours of wear w/o primer, 8 hours of wear w/o primer and 12 hours of wear with Too Faced Shadow Insurance)

Overall, I expected more from this product, but I will still get a lot of use out of it. The colour is a very light in tone and very shimmery champagne colour. I am not a big fan of overly shimmery eyeshadows, but in this case it doesn't bother me. The reason being, I prefer to use a small amount of it, just to give a sheen to the eyelids for a more natural look. I feel that this works best for my skin tone because of the lightness of the colour, too. Moreover, I will use it as a primer underneath eyeshadows that are already very shimmery like the lighter shades in the MUA Undressed palette. If you have really oily eyelids, I wouldn't suggest using it as a primer though.

-Would I repurchase it? -Nah, the cream eyeshadow offerings are too many for me to go back to it.

-Can I find anything cheaper with similar results and/or ingredients? -I can find something cheaper with BETTER results. As for the ingredients, I won't probably see them in a lower-end product.

(Below there is a comparison with Chubby Sticks for eyes according to the site - I don't have any of these in my personal collection)

KORRES Milk Proteins 3 in 1 Cleansing Emulsion

The Korres Milk Proteins 3 in 1 Cleansing Emulsion was bought by me during my Christmas shopping spree. It wasn't an intended purchase but I decided to give it a go since it was on offer (buy 1 get 1 free). A good cleansing milk is my preferred form of make-up remover anyway. The 3 in 1 claim did get me because I am a fan of basic, fuss-free products and I like to keep my routine as simple as possible. I also had tested it in the past and I didn't recall being disappointed with it.

The product comes in a simple plastic container that seems both old-fashioned and modern to me. There is not much to say about its texture either. It has a typical milk cleanser consistency. In my opinion, the most impressive aspect of this product is the scent, which is quite strong, as in all Korres' products. Personally, despite the fact that I have sensitive skin, I like it. In fact, I find that the scent makes the product feel more soothing due to the slight 'milkiness' of it. Moreover, it smells luxurious. Removing make-up with it is like a treat due to the divine scent. I use it every night for more than two weeks and it hasn't broken me out or aggravated my redness. 

As far as its efficacy in removing make-up is concerned, it did a good job. I wear water-resistant foundation and it removes it properly. I do double cleanse though. The truth is that I was expecting it to be effective at removing my foundation because I was aware that it contains several vegetable oils. The only thing I was skeptical about was it leaving an oily residue due its high oil content. However, this didn't happen. It neither dried my skin out nor made it oily. 

All in all, it is not a miracle product but it's effective and gentle enough for me. I wouldn't recommend it wholeheartedly to someone with sensitivity though, because of the fragrance. In Greece, it is sold in small travel tubes, too, so, if you have the chance, I would advise you to get the smaller size first instead of the normal one. As with all the products that are targeted at all skin types, I believe that it is most suited to people with normal to dry or normal to oily skin. 

-Would I repurchase it? - Yes
- Can you find something cheaper with similar results/ingredients? - No