The bee's knees? Burt's Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream and Beeswax Lip Balm

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm & Shea Butter Hand Reair Cream

Bees, they work in wondrous ways and we get to benefit from the fruits of their labour.

I'm looking at you, Teddy Bear jar filled with honey! You sweeten my tea, naturally.

But what about the remnants? I'm glad you asked.

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm (say that three times, fast) -- the Beeswax locks down moisture, while the Peppermint tinge serves as a treat for the nose and the lips and Vitatmin E serves as the conditioner. A recycled plastic tube filled with goodness awaits to work hard for your smacker.

Deep beneath the scent of peppermint lies a smoky, almost medicinal note which I attribute to the presence of rosemary. The consistency is far lighter than many other chapstick brands I've used over the years; a thin film coats the lips and only lasted for a few hours. Lana Del Rey soft without the bee sting (*cough* filler) puffiness. Just wish it had SPF.

Now, the Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream. Hmm, not gonna lie, but this stuff is pungent. It smells like clay mixed with craft paste (the kind used in Kindergarten) and Calamine Lotion. Truth be told, I have a bit of a ritual -- after I apply my hand lotion I love to take a quick whiff, it's sort of my own Mary Katherine Gallagher thing. Despite being left with soft hands, I just can't get past the nostril flaring sensory overload. It's Mother Nature in the form of a tube.

Yes, I'll go sit in the corner now with my stinky, silky, smooth hands.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Burt's Bees:

• Beeswax Lip Balm - $6.95 AUS / $3.30 USD
• Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream - $29.95 AUS / $13.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 7 out of 10 bags for the Beeswax Lip Balm — I'm a Chapstick gal through and through
• 5 out of 10 bags for the Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream — can we infuse it with something sweet like vanilla?

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer is effortless and perfect for low-maintenance gals and for lippie newbies.

*PR sample provided –  Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

Saturday's sample: Bare Minerals' Stroke of Light in Luminous 2

Bare Minerals' Stroke of Light in Luminous 2 and the sample that got me hooked (for scale)

For the past month or so I thought an Oompa Loompa had sought refuge underneath my eyes. The orange hued mask concealing my under eye circles has been absolutely unbecoming, far more than the circles themselves.

My once loved concealer was failing me. Collecting at the inner corners of my eyes and not working in the, well, business of concealing things. Coincidentally, I picked up a sample of Bare Minerals' Stroke of Light in Luminous 2 in my Beauty Loop box from Mecca.

You see, being a makeup addict totally has its perks!

Hello, Bambi's calling. The forever handy doe foot applicator

Swatches of Stroke of Light in Luminous 2 unblended (left) and blended (right)

The miniature bottle of Stroke of Light has proven to be the little engine that could. While petite in stature it managed to deliver a healthy dose of bright eyed and bushy tailed. Because, you know, mornings are sort of my favourite time of day -- pfft!

Bare Minerals states:

"Immediately brighten the eye area and diffuse dark shadows (don't mind if I do!) while reducing the appearance of fine lines and dark circles over time. Apply on bare skin or over makeup."

Done and done!

When compared to NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, I've found Stroke of Light easier to blend and layer. Stroke of Light also stays put like an eager to please puppy fresh out of training.

In total there are four shades on offer as follows..

• Luminous 1 - fair in colour with pink undertones
• Luminous 2 - light in colour with yellow undertones
• Luminous 3 - tan in colour with neutral undertones (I found it to be more orange than tan)
• Luminous 4 - deep in colour with golden undertones (sight unseen); available over at Sephora, but not at Mecca Cosmetica

I sent the Oompa Loompas back to the factory due to their lack of productivity 

Laters, dark circles.

And to Mecca, thanks for featuring quality samples in your Beauty Loop boxes -- it's a nice incentive for being a frequent flier in addition to the box being a gateway drug and I mean it in the best way possible!

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Bare Minerals' Stroke of Light:

• $26.95 AUS / $22.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 9 out of 10 bags — Lovely and wicked affordable!

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Always, you know me!

Beauty in a tick: YSL's Gloss Volupte in Terriblement Fuchsia

YSL's Gloss Volupte in Terriblement Fuchsia

Lindsey Wixson I am not, but our lips do have a few things something in common.

They are full and lipsticks all over the world beg and plead for a bite at the apple. Or, at least that's my justification for whenever I pick up a new lippie.

The super cute lip shaped applicator

Swatch of 49 Terriblement Fuchsia

And on closer inspection..

Terriblement (translation: much or a lot in English) Fuchsia is a blindingly bright pink with an iridescent finish. The microscopic silver light reflecting particles help to make my lips appear wickedly full. The high watt gloss lasts for a little over an hour -- unfortunately, the glossiness will succumb in far less time if drinking and eating are involved.

The leftover sheen and hue remains true to the colour viewed in the tube for an additional four hours.  Touch ups are a must if you love the super drenched lip look.

Wearing Terriblement Fuchsia (iridescent)

For kicks, let's take another look at the other two finishes in YSL's Gloss Volupte range, Golden and Pure.

Wearing Grenade Pepite (golden)

Wearing Fuchsia Oran (pure)

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for YSL's Gloss Volupte:

• $49.00 AUS / $32.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 10 out of 10 bags — I am OBSESSED with Terriblement Fuchsia! Fruity scent and all.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Unfortunately, no. Girl's gotta save.

She loves me, she loves me not: Bobbi Brown's Lip Gloss in Petal

Bobbi Brown's Petal

Have you ever scanned the faces in the tram during your morning commute and wondered why the girl standing across from you took the time to put on makeup, but failed to complete the look by skipping her lips? I just don't get that -- even tinted chapstick would do. Alas.

For the mornings I don't feel like putting in a lot of effort, but still want to look somewhat alive I reach for soft pinks to enhance my pout.

Swatch of Bobbi Brown's Petal

Bobbi Brown's Petal (a brown based pink) goes on like honey to a piece of toast; it's a slick-y, sticky treat for the lips, at first. Avocado, Chamomile oils, Jojoba and Aloe extract with the subtlest hint of vanilla nourish the lips during the first few hours of wear. By hour four, call it lunchtime, Petal has all but disappeared and what remains is a nasty white line just on the inside of my lips. Ick. 

Here comes the less glamorous side of beauty. To combat things, I grab a super scratchy paper towel from the ladies room and scrape off the remnants of Petal and reapply my chapstick to keep my lips moisturised. 

Can I look beyond this odd phenomenon in exchange for a universally flattering pink hue that's easy enough to apply without a mirror in sight?

Wearing Petal on my lips and Clinique's Peach Pop on my cheeks

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Bobbi Brown's Lip Gloss in Petal:

• $44.00 AUS / $25.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 5 out of 10 bags — lip gloss, why can't we be friends?

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Not at the moment.