Dior Addict Lip Glow

Dior Addict Lip Glow 'Colour Awakening Balm.'

I've been searching for a 'perfect' natural pink lip colour for quite some time. On my quest I've tried a number of products with some very mixed results. I was looking for a lip colour which could look natural enough to be worn to classes or the library and yet accentuate my fairly mundane natural lip colour. Thankfully I recently stumbled across a product by the name of Dior Addict Lip Glow which is, in my opinion, the holy grail of natural pink lip colours. 

This product isn't your ordinary tinted lip balm; it contains Dior's 'Color Reviver' technology which reacts with the chemistry of your lips to give a unique colour. The lip balm will therefore be a slightly different colour on each wearer. It should provide a natural pink shade that is perfectly suited to their skin. I really love this aspect of the product. In addition to lending a lovely source of colour, the Lip Glow moisturises your lips well. However, I would recommend Burt's Bees lip balms if you're specifically looking for something to sooth dry lips.

The packaging in front of Singer Sargent's Lady Agnew of Lochnaw and Botticelli's Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Christ Child. 

The Lip Glow has a very slight mint-y flavour and smell. This scent is almost unnoticeable and vanishes soon after application. The colour and shine provided by the balm lasts for a brilliantly long time. It survives for much longer than tinted lip balms from other brands in my experience (for instance, those by Korres or Burt's Bees.) One of my favourite things about the Lip Glow is it's packaging. It is contained in an absolutely beautiful pale pink tube with a metal stem shaped in the iconic Dior Addict style. The product would look lovely inside any handbag or purse. I tend to find that packaging and product design is an area where 'high end' make-up brands excel. 

(L-R) Without the balm - Ten minutes after application.

The one big downside of the product is it's price. It costs £22.50 for just 3.5g of make-up which is rather expensive, especially when compared to 'drug store' (or high street) alternatives. However, I think that this price is justified by the quality of the product. It seems as though a lot of research has gone into bringing this lip balm to market and it shows.

If you're looking for a source of lip colour that is both naturally enhancing and unique, Dior Addict Lip Glow is for you. I definitely look forward to wearing this product as an everyday lip colour. It's quick to apply and appropriate for almost every situation. My quest for the 'perfect' natural pink is finally over!

Revlon Lip Butters

Left to right: #25 Peach Parfait, #80 Strawberry Shortcake, #50 Berry Smoothie

It's my own fault; I managed to choose the wrong colour.

It was fairly quiet in Boots when I visited in the hope of picking this product up. The Revlon booth was easy to find although disappointingly they didn't have the full range of lip butters (only around nine of them!) That was a surprise. I'd hoped to swatch a few of the colours on the back of my hand but the testers looked a little worse for wear. There also weren't any hand washing facilities available and I didn't fancy completing the rest of my shopping with a lip butter-smeared hand.

As a result I went on a bit of whim. I'd done a little research before the trip and had liked the look of shade #50 Berry Smoothie. It didn't disappoint in the flesh and is a lovely raspberry-pink shade. As you can probably see from the picture above, it's the shade I've used most so far and I really like it.

The next lip butter I picked up was on impulse - #25 Peach Parfait looked like a nice enough colour through the see-through top of the tube (which incidentally is a lovely design feature.) I actually quite like it and will almost certainly wear it. The glittery undercurrent isn't to my taste, though, as I'd hoped to wear these lip butters during the day time. As a result I'll probably end up wearing for an evening event.

So, I'd successfully selected two shades from the selection available in Boots. It was at this point that I noticed their '3 for 2' offer. "Fabulous," I thought, I love a good bog-off. I studied the remaining lip butters and selected #80 Strawberry Shortcake. This was a mistake. As I merrily skipped towards the tills (well, not literally, but you get my drift) I was unaware of the demon sitting in my shopping basket. As someone with fairly pale skin and dark hair, bright Barbie-esque pink lip colours (à la Nicki Minaj for M.A.C) don't suit me. I can wear pale pinks if it's in lip gloss form but never as a bold lip colour. It was only when I got home and tried to product on that I realised what I'd done. Okay, so, it doesn't suit me and I have no idea what to do with the product. It feels like a waste of money but at least it was bought as part of the 3-for-2 deal. I'll probably keep it in the hope that one day I'll find an occasion to wear it to.

The product itself is very nice. It's got a lovely, buttery sort of lip balm-ish feeling with the colour of a lipstick. The colour also stays on your lips for a pleasantly long time and doesn't dry your lips out as some lipsticks bought on the high-street can do. It actually feels quite moisturising and comfortable to wear which is lovely. I'd definitely recommend the product although I'd perhaps purchase different shades if I had my time again. I might consider picking up 'Tutti Frutti' if/when the weather gets a little warmer.

The packaging and actual lip butter tubes are lovely. I especially like that the cover of the tube matches the colour of each shade and has a see-through section at the top. The lipstick shape makes it easy to apply without any need for lip liner.

All in all I definitely prefer using lipsticks for a source of lip colour and lip balms for moisturising but these lip butters offer a nice alternative. Good on ya, Revlon.

Left to right: #80 Strawberry Shortcake, #50 Berry Smoothie, #25 Peach Parfait