24/03/2016

Current Lip Balms + A Giveaway!

One product that I seem to constantly cycle through is lip balm. Lip balm is a kind of "behind the scenes" product that doesn't get much of a mention on my blog, but rest assured, I am constantly going through tubes and tubs of lip balm. Often times I don't even finish them (whoops) because they're just not good enough (or I get bored!) and I move on to the next one. I do have a few new additions to my lip balm collection that are definitely worth keeping around though!






L-R: Natralus Lip Butters, Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask, Antipodes Lip Conditioner

Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Lip Conditioner* (4g, $19.50 // Priceline, David Jones)
This is a new release from Antipodes and I was super excited to try it as Antipodes is one of my favourite skincare brands! The balm is packaged much like a lipstick, in a sleek, matte black tube. It contains kiwi seed oil as well as avocado oil to help condition and renew the lips. There is a slight "natural", sort of fruity-but-not scent that isn't really noticeable. When applied, the balm feels thin and soft on the lips. It's not overly shiny or sticky, but is a comfortable, thin balmy layer. I find this perfect as a lip primer due to its thin texture! It doesn't disturb any lipstick on top of it and it absorbs fairly quickly. Partly due to how thin it is and fast absorption, I don't find it to be SUPER nourishing or reparative. I feel like its more of quick slick of moisture and if you wanted to really moisturise your lips, you'd need to reapply fairly often! I usually apply this in the morning and before I put on lipstick, though the tube packaging is perfect for on the go too.

Natralus Australia Natural Paw Paw Lip Butter* (10g, $5.75 // Woolworths)
I was sent three of the scents of Natralus's Lip Butters; Coconut, Strawberry and Honey & Vanilla. I'd actually never heard of this brand before but I believe they have a fairly popular paw paw ointment in their range, which lead to the creation of these lip butters! In addition to organic papaya, they also contain shea butter and vitamin E - without petroleum or petrochemicals! They are packaged in a squeezy tube with a slanted applicator which makes for easy, hygienic application. The three scents pretty much smell as you would expect them too! They're pretty yummy smelling, but the scent also doesn't linger after application. The Lip Butters have a fairly thick texture but one that isn't overly sticky or glossy. These sit well under lip products but the slightly thicker texture may interfere with products on top. Lasting power is pretty good and you can still feel them on your lips for an hour or so before it absorbs leaving the lips feeling soft and nourished. I really enjoy these lip balms for throughout the day, if I'm just hanging around at home I'll apply occasionally. These moisturise the lips well and I don't ever find my lips drying out, however I don't think these are intense enough to help heal super chapped lips!

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask (15g, $38 // Sephora, online retailers)
If you couldn't tell, I've been going from least intense to most intense! The Agave Lip Mask is the thickest of the three lip balms, with an ointment like consistency that does feel a bit sticky and slightly glossy. It contains lanolin, castor seed oil, shea butter, agave nectar and jojoba oil. The aluminium squeezy tube packaging isn't the most practical to be honest! I especially found in cold weather, the product was very hard to squeeze out and needed to be warmed up in the hands first! I've also heard that the writing/grey colour rubs off pretty quickly too! Once you do get the product out though, it's worth slathering all up on dem lips. The thick, sticky balm really does create a mask-like barrier on the lips and lasts for aaages. I typically only use this before bed - or if I have really dry lips -and find I can still feel some residue when I wake up. My lips feel super nourished, soft and smooth. The real testament to this product though is when my lips were tight, dry, itchy and chapped in the super cold, snowy weather on my US trip, this balm was the only thing that managed to save them (of what I had on hand)!

A lip balm for every occasion! I've been reaching for all of these on the daily for my different needs and I have to say - my lips have been very happy! I highly recommend them all :)






The friendly people over at Natralus Australia very kindly sent over six extra Lip Butters so I could hold a giveaway! There will be two winners, each receiving three lip butters in the flavours Coconut, Strawberry and Honey & Vanilla. This giveaway will be open to Australians only - just enter through the Rafflecopter widget below! To whoever wins, I really hope you enjoy these lip balms as much as I do! Good luck :)

RULES:
1| Must be following Shiwashiful on Bloglovin' (please don't follow on private!).
2| Open to Australian residents only.
3| Must be over 18 to enter, or have Parent/Guardian permission.
4| Giveaway will be open for two weeks, ending at Midnight (Brisbane time) on Thursday the 7th of April.
5| I will email the winner within 48 hours, and they will have 48 hours to respond.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Products sent for consideration.