C.O. Bigelow Coconut Body Cleanser

Fall may be quickly on its way but I will not stop using coconut fragranced body products any time soon, I am still in love with Bath and Body Works' Malibu Heat and will be very sad when I finish my last shower gel in the product.  I have been alternating that scent with the C.O. Bigelow Coconut body products and I am really happy to add another coconut to my body product collection.

I first used this collection years ago when I was in college and it was released at Bath and Body Works.  Some of their stores still carry it but it is very disappointing to see how much the line has shrunk over the years and I have taken to ordering the products from the C.O. Bigelow website.  This website carries the full line of products that are available at the apothecary in the West Village and I am planning to visit there one day soon.  Until that day occurs, I will just be doing a good amount of online shopping to get my goodies from this company.  I first started using the newest body product collection with the Lime and Coriander fragrance and was very impressed with the quality of the shower gel.  This time around, I ordered the products in the Coconut fragrance. 

We are starting with the body wash and then moving onto the matching body lotion.  The C.O. Bigelow website states, "This refreshing body cleanser provides a rich, creamy lather while gently cleansing the skin. Formulated with hydrating sodium PCA (a naturally occurring humectant that draws moisture to the skin) and soothing aloe vera to help skin maintain a perfect moisture balance. Fragranced with a sensual blend of toasted coconut and creamy coconut milk."

"This silky, moisturizing body lotion provides lightweight moisture while conditioning the skin. Formulated to soften and replenish skin with moisturizing olive and borage oils and soothing aloe vera for super healthy skin, day after day. Fragranced with a sensual blend of toasted coconut and creamy coconut milk.", states the C.O. Bigelow website in the product description of the matching body lotion. 

The C.O. Bigelow Coconut is less of the "suntan lotion" type of coconut fragrance and reminds me more the old Bath and Body Works Exotic Coconut fragrance.  There is a strong note of coconut at the heart of the fragrance but the almond and sandalwood notes develop more as the lotion remains on my skin.  This is a deeper and richer coconut fragrance than the ones that I had been using throughout the summer and will be a great choice for a "fall" coconut and will be a nice change of pace.

All of the C.O. Bigelow body products are extremely high quality and I would love to be able to see them back on the shelves in Bath and Body Works.  The body washes foam up quickly and produce abundant lather on the skin while rinsing clean and not leaving any residue.  The lightweight lotion absorbs quickly and hydrates normal to slightly dry skin well.  This lotion will not be hydrating enough to use in the late fall and winter months and this company does not offer any type of body cream or oil that would work with the Coconut body wash.  I would also love to see the fragrances from this line in more products (I wouldn't mind a perfume in this lovely coconut too). 

I own quite a few fragrances from this line and the only one left for me to order is the Rosemary Mint, I had this fragrance when I was back in college and the company had another body product line out.  I loved it then and I know that I will love it for next spring and summer.

photo courtesy of C.O. Bigelow

Skincare Ingredients Week Day Four - C. O. Bigelow Acai Repair Night Cream

Anti-oxidants have a big part in Skincare Ingredients Theme Week, my skin is young enough that I want to protect it from future signs of aging and I prefer to avoid having to go to the plastic surgeon for as long as possible.  Therefore, anti-oxidants and their role in protecting my skin are of huge interest to me and I will always try a new product that has anti-oxidant active ingredients and promises to help protect my skin from the environment.  Today we are going to look at another fruit anti-oxidant ingredient, acai berry.  Acai berry is very similar to pomegranate in its ability to protect and help the skin.

Acai berry targets the protection of both collagen and elastin, other anti-oxidant ingredients tend to target only one of these essential skin proteins.  The acai berry produces extract that contains more anti-oxidant power than most fruit, including the blueberry.  This ingredient is mostly used to protect skin, it helps to neutralize free radicals by binding to them before they bind to the skin and begin the breakdown of the essential proteins in the epidermis.  Acai can help to reduce the visible signs of again however this is not where it excels, I would recommend products spiked with this active ingredient mostly for younger skin that is free of signs of aging.  Given the power of the acai berry, I do not understand why it is not used in as many skincare products as pomegranate or Vitamin C.  I wonder how hard this product is to find or if it is more difficult to stabilize and add into a formula.

I have only seen this ingredients used alone in one product, the C.O. Bigelow Acai Repair Night Cream.  This product is getting harder and harder to find, it used to be carried in all Bath and Body Works and now it can only be ordered from the C.O. Bigelow website.  This is a shame since I love this night cream and I have used it for about a year now, I have alternated it with other products but i have come back to it time after time, I really wish it was much easier to find than it currently is.

"Rebalance and nourish sleepy skin with this dream cream formula. this cream is made with two exclusive complexes packed with powerful levels of super-antioxidants, multi-vitamans and multi-minerals. Formulated to mend signs of past damage and replace lost nutrients while moisturizing skin all night while you sleep.  Healthy Skin Complex 1.3%; Skin-Renewal Complex 10.3 %; Acai Berry Extract 2%."

"Healthy Skin Complex: This complex is packed and super-boosted with vitamins, minerals (zinc, copper, iron, magnesium) and antioxidant-rich berries that deliver essential nutrients to the skin to keep it looking healthy, strong, and youthful.  Skin-Renewal Complex: Formulated to combat visible signs of aging and skin dehydration. It contains a unique blend of vital elements for skin to look its best. Reparative ingredients along with moisture-replenishing and retaining lipids give skin a renewing boost to prevent depletion of skin's natural moisture."

I have used this face cream at night and during the day, I actually preferred to use it during the day instead of at night.  During the testing phase for this Theme Week, I alternated this product with the Philosophy Hope in a Jar Cream.  Originally, I used this product at night and the other one during the day but found that the opposite use of these two products gave me the best results.  This product is a thicker so I would only recommend day use of this product if you skin is dry, otherwise this texture will be too much for you to layer on primer and foundation.  The acai berry in this product will be best used during the day in order for skin to fight the free radicals in the air while helping to treat some of the visible signs of aging.  As I stated earlier, this cream is on the thicker side so I could only recommend it for people with normal to dry skin, I wish that this company offered the acai berry ingredient in a lighter lotion too as it is a great ingredient.

This is one of the strongest anti-oxidant ingredients on the market and I am really hoping that I will begin to find this in more products over the next few years.

photo courtesy of C.O. Bigelow

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Body Exfoliating Soap

I have been all over the Mentha Body Product line lately and I have just opened up the last product that I haven't tried yet.  I have been using most of the body products all summer however I hadn't opened the bar soap until a few days ago.  The peppermint oil in the body wash and matching lotion have been super refreshing over the pat few days of heat and I decided that this would be the best time of the year to open up the bar soap.  I only use these products in the summer months so there would be no point in me trying the products anytime after Labor Day.  I use the bar soap in the morning to add another layer to my Mentha routine and it's one of my new favorite ways to start the day!

"Our mint-infused exfoliating soap refreshes, energizes, and lightly sloughs drab skin with a super-infusion of peppermint oil and crushed walnut shells, for a wake-you-up cleansing experience.  Infused with cooling peppermint for an invigorating experience.", states the Bath and Body Works website in a product description.  If you like the fragrance of peppermint the way that I do, then this will be one of the greatest ways to start off a summer morning!

The entire C.O. Bigelow Mentha product line is infused with real peppermint oil, it cools the skin and leaves a tingly feeling long after you get out of the shower.  The bar soap is the least pepperminty of the products (the lotion packs a real punch) and therefore this is the product that I would recommend that you start with when trying this line out.  This is a lightly scented mint bar, the peppermint oil effect is present in the shower but doesn't linger as long as the body wash or body lotion does.  This is a huge bar of soap and will last quite a long time, it should get me through the rest of the summer with no issues. 

This bar soap is a softer texture and I use it right on my skin in the shower.  The soap itself is very creamy and produces a slight lather when used directly on wet skin.  This bar soap also contains crushed walnut shells to lightly exfoliate, I initially hesitiated to use this product when I was also self tanning since I was afraid that it would take the tanner off faster than I wish but I haven't noticed that issue so far.  What it does it helps to lightly exfoliate areas that have absorbed too much color, overall it is helping to keep the color more even than if I was using a bar without any type of exfoliator.  The exfoliator in this bar soap would be too much in the winter, that time fo the year my skin gets very dry and the crushed walnut shells would make the problem even worse.  The exfoliator is yet another reason that I could only use this product in the middle of the summer.

If you haven't tried the C.O. Bigelow Mentha Body line then I really recommend starting with this bar soap, it is an easy way to get into the products and has the least amount of the peppermint oil in.  This is great product to use in the morning and gets my day started on the right foot.  This product would also be great for men, all the Mentha products are uni-sex and I believe that men would love this scent too. 

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

C.O. Bigelow All-in-One Protective Day Lotion SPF 25

Several weeks ago, I raved about the C.O. Vitamin Face Wash that I ordered when I was restocking my collection of Lemon body products.  That product turned me into a C.O. Bigelow face care lover and now that the time has come to order another tube of the face wash, I decided to see what else I could find from this line of products.  It is summer and since it feels like we have been going through a heat wave for the past three weeks in my area of the country, I was more interested in trying to find a light face lotion rather than my usual face cream formula.  I only use light lotions during July and August so I actually didn't have a spare one in my product stash. 

I ordered the All-in-One Protective Day Lotion SPF 25 from the C.O. Bigelow website.  This is obviously a day lotion since it contains SPF 25 and the texture is light enough to use with makeup and primer during the hot weather months.  There was a time last summer when I just gave up on face lotion all together and used only sunscreen on my face during the day but this left my face really within a month and it remained really parched when fall came.  I am hoping to avoid that course of action this year and that is where this product from C.O. Bigelow will come into play.

I found this product on the C.O. Bigelow website and if you don't live in one of the few cities that has a free-standing C.O. Bigelow store than this is your only option to purchase this product.  "Hydrate and protect skin with this lightweight moisturizer, formulated with a power network of vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants, and UV protection.  Provides all day moisture and shields against damaging free radicals.  Protects against environmental pollutants with on-demand, light-activated antioxidants."

This is the first time that I am hearing about antioxidants that work on demand, this is a lovely concept but I can't say that I really buy in it very deeply.  I could see using ingredients or complexes that are activated by UVA and UVB rays (in theory).  However I have not read about technology that performs like this from any other company and I really believe that if it works all well as it should than many other companies would be using it too.  I would be more likely to believe a claim like this from a company like DDF or Murad where there is a much bigger budget for research and technology and the products are much higher end.  The C.O. Bigelow website states that this day lotion contains the following three ingredients: Anti-Pollution Complex, Healthy Skin Complex, and Skin Renewal Complex.  Unfortunately, this is where the description ends.  When reviewing all the ingredients, I can see different antioxidants and metals in the mix however if this company wants to make a claim like this one of the product effectiveness, then I want to see more research and specific details.

I'm not saying that this is a bad product, I actually really like it.  What I am saying is that this product is a very nice, light face lotion for normal skin.  This is not a product that will change your skin.  This face lotion added a bit of hydration to my skin but didn't make it oily, even in my T-Zone area.  I could not use this product any time other than the summer months, it wouldn't be anywhere near hydrating enough for my face.  This product doesn't contain a mattifying agent so I do need to bring blotting papers in my purse for touch-ups.  I try to apply this product thickly enough to reap some benefits of the SPF protection however I still prefer to use separate sunscreens and moisturizers whenever possible.  At least this product contains an SPF of 25 to make up for the fact that I can't apply it quite as thickly as I wish that I could.

This product works well with my pared-down summer beauty routine.  I rely on self tanner this time of the year and am able to maintain a light to medium bronzed look on my face and body.  I then use this product in the morning with a primer and a bit of bronzer.  This lotion is light enough that my primer and bronzer don't cake or feel heavy on my skin.  This is a good, solid lightweight face lotion for the summer months only.

photo courtesy of C.O. Bigelow

My Current Favorite Beauty Products!

In the middle of June, I did a Favorites list and I was on the fence about doing another one, I am still loving many of the products that were on the list and I didn't want to write up a list that was exactly the same this month.  I am still into keeping a great fake tan and making sure that I don't fall into the hot weather rut of simply grabbing the same products over and over again.  I have fallen into that trap for a few summers in a row and I refuse to fall into it again this year.  That being said, I still have some of the same favorites but my tastes have been changing over the past few weeks.  My self tan is now fully developed and I have fallen comfortably into that routine and have been choosing shades that complement it.  I stopped summer product shopping well over a month ago and am now beginning to collect shades that I can use both now and in the fall months or products that I am putting away for after Labor Day.

Being that I am really into the self tanning routine now, I am all over bright shades for my tips and lips to complement the bronzed look.  Illamasqua's Collide Nail Varnish was on my last Top Five List and it still tops this one, this neon pink is simply one of the best pinks and a consistent favorite of mine.  I believe that it will remain a favorite hue of mine all through the beginning of fall.

So what am I loving right now?!

China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Aquadelic - "China Glaze is a professional-level nail enamel made with a special balance of polymers and resins that combine to create a nail lacquer that is long lasting, chip-resistant and resistant to color and shine fading.  Will not thicken in the bottle, no thinners necessary."  Aquadelic is a shade that came out with the spring Electropop collection, this shade is a bright turquoise cream that pops out against a tan.  I initally tried this shade on my toes and was a bit hesistant to wear it on my hands during the spring months but now that summer is in full swing, I have been rocking it as much as I can.  I never fail to get compliments on this color and I get two to three full days of wear from this shade with very minimal chipping.  I love this shade and this is one of my summer favorites, I am very glad that I left my comfort zone and bought this at Ulta several months ago.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Collide - "Leave your mark with bold, rich, vibrant colours that stand out.  The formula is hardwearing and chip resistant and contains individual finishes from matte to high gloss.  Apply two coats for high intensity and use with Illamasqua Nail Base Coat and Illamasqua Nail Top Coat for the perfect finish.  Make a statement and talk with your hands!"  Collide is a "bright neon pink" with a satin finish.  I have been wearing this pink hue for about two months now and it is one of the few polishes that I turn to at least once a week.  This bright pink is very vibrant against my fake tan and simply screams "Summer!" to me.  I just bought a vintage Lilly Pultizer dress and this pink shade is the exact same shade that is used in the dress, yet another reason for me to love this polish!

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Body Vitamin Body Wash - "Our mint-infused body wash provides an invigorating sensation while cleansing and refreshing skin.  Wake-you-up formula deeply nourishes with Vitamins A, C, and E to keep skin extra-healthy and looking its best.  Infused with cooling peppermint for an invigorating experience."  This body wash and matching products are my savior during the hot, humid months of the summer.  The cooling peppermint oil acts like an air conditioner for your body and manages to cool me off even while I am still in the shower.  This wash is perfect for morning or night; in the morning, it helps to wake me up and help me start my day and in the evening, it helps to rinse all the sweat and dirt from the day off.  I also use this after going running and it is the perfect product for an after workout shower.  This product is best in the summer, it is too strong for any other time of the year.  This is one of C.O. Bigelow's best body product blends.

NARS Semi-Matte Lipstick in Schiap - "A modern semi-matte lipstick that provides full-bodied, velvety color in a highly pigmented and non-drying formula.  Longwearing, full coverage finish.  Rich, vivid shade range from neutrals to high fashion hues.  Patened blend of conditioners and antioxidants hydrate, nourish, and protect lips."  Schiap is a "shocking matte pink" and works well with a bronzed or pale complexion.  I have been reaching for this shade when dressing up for day or night recently and it has taken the place of my beloved red lips for summertime drama.  I will be wearing it all the way through the fall since bright matte lips will remain a top trend.  This lipstick formula lasts for several hours and stays on well through eating and drinking.  The formula can be slightly drying after an hour or two so I do need a separate lip balm with it.  This is one of my favorite lipstick formulas and I add to my collection of them almost everytime that I head to Sephora.

Chloe L'Eau de Chloe - "L'Eau de Chloe is elegance injected with a modern twist.  It's an utterly innate sense of chic with the fresh feeling of springtime pastels, light dresses, and rose petals.  This smooth and comfortable fragrance is a toally addictive floral mix.  Made with 22 percent natural rosewater, the scent is fresh, carefree, and feminine with a delicate and lively mix of rose, floral notes, and green outdoorsy notes.  The notes of this fragrance are - Grapefruit, Cedrat, Peach, Violet, Rose Petals, Natural Water of Rose, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Amber."  I originally bought and reviewed this perfume earlier in the spring and had no room for it on my dresser.  Having finally used a few body products at the beginning of this summer, I cleared enough room to get it out.  This light floral scent starts out with the grapefruit notes and then goes quickly into the rose notes.  This is one of the few grapefruit scents that I really wear since it contains all the rose notes and rosewater in the  formula.  The fragrance develops into a floral mix of rose notes and the cedarwood that lasts all day on my skin.  I wear the original version of this scent all year but this version is special for the warmer weather months.

I know that we have been looking at the fall collections of the past few weeks but summer is still in full swing and I will be making use of all of my summer beauty products until Labor Day!

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

C.O. Bigelow Clementine Body Wash and Body Lotion

I am not shy about sharing my love of all things C.O. Bigelow, this is one of the best body product brands on the market and produces a full line up of simple products that work exactly as the company states that they should!  I still have a full collection of Lemon products and I have been using my Mentha products since summer has hit with a bang in my area of the country.  While digging though my collection of products, I have also found a few shower gels and lotions from this company that I had originally tried in college and then ordered more from the Bath and Body Works website when I saw them re-released.  When I worked at Bath and Body Works in college, the C.O. Bigelow line had just been introduced and within several months of the introduction, the line grew rapidly and my collection grew right along with it!  C.O. Bigelow has remained on of my favorite body product brands over the years and I continue to browse botht he Bath and Body Works and the company's website to see what else I might want to order from the line (since it is getting increasingly hard to find outside of the major flagship store in New York City).
The Clementine line of body products was one of the originals in the body line, I first used it when I was a senior in college and stocked up on it when it was discontinued from the line.  However now that many of the shower gels and body lotions have been repackaged, it is back and I am happy to report that it is exactly the same as before.  I ordered the shower gel and the body lotion from the C.O. Bigelow website several weeks ago and hoped that I wouldn't be disappointed if the scent or formula changed around.  The packaging may be different but the great products inside are exactly the same as before!
First we will look at the body wash in the fragrance, I couldn't find this product on the Bigelow website at the moment so I am pulling all of my information from the Bath and Body Works website.  "Our extra-light, uplifting wash leaves skin feeling clean, refreshed, and lightly scented with the refreshing scent of clementine.  Made with honest, genuine, and trustworthy ingredients."  This wash is one of the freshest and best citrus scents that I have ever used.  The clementine scent is dead-on to the fruit and is light enough for the summer months.  The wash foams up very well with only the use of a dime-sized drop on a shower pouf.  It rinses cleanly and leaves a very subtle citrus scent on the skin.  This is one of my favorite washes to use in the summer and I am so happy that it came back in time for the warm weather. 

The matching lotion in this scent is another winner for me.  "Our ultra-light lotion is specially formulated to absorb quickly and leave skin feeling hydrated and replenished.  Made with honest, genuine, and trustworthy ingredients."  This lightweight lotion contains Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, and Vitamin E to help hydrate skin without feeling heavy or leaving a film on the skin.  I love the new bottle that this lotion is offered in, I love the pump-style bottle since it is easier for me to control the amount that I use of the product.  This lotion sinks in very quickly in the spring and early summer months however when the weather turns very humid and hot, I only use the body was in this product. 

I find it really annoying that I have to search for this product online since the C.O. Bigelow staores are getting fewer and further between.  I am so looking forward to moving to New York City since then I can just head right into the flagship store and stock up on whatever I need.  C.O. Bigelow body products need more recognition in the beauty world since they create great simple formulas that smell great and work very well at the same time.  I noticed that this fragrance is now made in a body scrub and a hand soap, the body scrub will be included in my next order since I can't wait to buy more products in this scent!

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Eau de Parfum

I have already bought the new Chloe fragrance for this spring and when I wrote about it, I stated that I had no place for it and that I would have to review it and then put it back in the box and keep it there until I had more room to put it on my dresser.  And knowing that, I tried forcing myself to not buy any more fragrances for the spring.  I kept good on my vow until about two weeks ago when I began trying some new fragrances at Macy*s and Sephora and my resolve began weakening.  I wasn't finding anything that was blowing me away so I have actually been good the whole time.  But that doesn't mean that I have totally given up on looking for new fragrances to wear...

While playing around the C.O. Bigelow website, I found a fragrance that I haven't tried out yet and I wanted to order it immediately.  I have often written about how much I love the Lemon product line and how I have been collecting it over the years.  One piece that I haven't tried yet it is the fragrance in this line, a simple Lemon EDT that matches all of the Lemon body care line.  I haven't always been a citrus fan since these fragrances can sour on me very quickly.  In fact, the new Chloe scent is one of the few citrus fragrances that has ever worked with my skin chemistry (but this might be because it has about 22% rosewater in the fragrance), making me curious if there are any more that will work well for me.  I have always loved other people in citrus fragrances and I love how light they are in the warm weather months and my goal has always been to find a light citrus fragrance that doesn't sour on me.  So far, I can only wear a citrus if it a top note and combined with a group of flower middle notes.

The Bigelow Lemon fragrance has me curious, the lemon scent in the body products is natural and therefore it wears off in less than an hour.  I did wonder about the staying power of this fragrance, will it wear off in very little time or is the formula revamped from the body product line?  Looking at these facts, I wanted to try this fragrance before I ordered it online.  This perfume is a bit harder to find than it used to be so I tried it at one of the few Bath and Body Works that carries this full line of products.

"This freshly scented Eau de Parfum is inspired by one of our most-loved, favorite original formulary, Lemon Body Cream.  The pure, sparkling Lemon fragrance blends effervescent citrus notes with green lemon leaves and sensual, creamy undertones of white musk.  If you love C.O. Bigelow Lemon Body Cream, you'll love this sparkling Eau de Parfum."  This fragrance has a strong lemon note in it and appears to have a series of notes that complement and bring out the lemon notes.  I see that there is a musk bottom note in this fragrance and that will help to keep the fragrance strong on the skin.

This fragrance proved to me that I must try every citrus fragrance on before I consider purchasing it.  The lemon in this fragrance is very strong and smelled exactly the same on the skin as it did when I sprayed it in the air.  It reminded me of Lemon Pledge and this is not a scent that I can wear all day long.  And then of course, this fragrance lasted the whole rest of the day on me and I had to wash it off at night.  I do wonder how it lasted so long since the lemon is a top note and none of the other notes ever came out in it.  The only explanation that I have for the formulation on this fragrance is that the musk is only in the mix to stablilize the lemon and to extend the life of the fragrance. 

I still love the Lemon Body Cream and the rest of the products in the line however this is going tobe the one product that doesn't work at all for me.  I still love citrus fragrances on other people and I wish that I could find one that really worked for me.  As of right now, the newest Chloe fragrance is the closest that I will get to a citrus scent.

photo courtesy of C.O. Bigelow

C.O. Bigelow Vitamin Boost Cream Cleanser

The other week I wrote about my love of the C.O. Bigelow Lemon products and after I finished writing it up, I couldn't get some of these products out of my head and decided that I wanted to order more of them from C.O. Bigelow.  While stocking up on my Lemon products, I checked out everything in the line of products from this collection and wanted to try something new with my order.  I was getting very low on face wash so I wanted to order a new one with the rest of my Bigelow products.  I choose one of the face wash choices in the C.O. Bigelow house skincare line, I had used their face care in college and I remembered that it was quite high quality and my sensitive skin never had  any reactions to the products that I had tried.  I was quite looking forward to receiving my order of Bigelow products and I have been playing with them for the past week.  So far, I can state that this new skincare line from Bigelow is as high quality as the other one and I line that I can see myself ordering more from in the very near future.

I ordered the C.O. Bigelow Vitamin Boost Cream Cleanser, a face wash that is recommended for normal to dry skin.  "Give your face a natural, fresh start.  This vitamin-packed cleanser foams into a rich lather to cushion skin as it washes away makeup, dirt, impurities, and environmental pollutants, leaving skin looking healthy and clean, without feeling tight or dry.  Gentle, foaming cream.  For skin that needs a bit more moisture.  Cushions as it cleanses to keep skin soft, nourished, and healthy."

I use this product once a day, only at night.  It helps to get all of my makeup off without leaving any type of residue.  This is a cream cleanser so it doesn't foam up as much as many traditional gel cleansers but still fully cleans my skin.  Many cream cleansers leave residue on the skin and don't clean as well as gel or foam formulas.  This formula doesn't strip my skin as some others do however I still must use a face cream when I get out of the shower or my skin will dry out over the day, my skin has felt much drier lately and I think that I will have to stick to cream cleansers until the middle of summer.

This product is effective at getting face makeup off, even though I use a strong primer underneath my foundation.  This has me very impressed, I have had many cream face washes that cannot get all of my makeup off and I am then forced to use a toner to finish getting all the foundation off.  However this then makes my face drier and the cycle just continues.  I have never tried this product to get my eye makeup off and I can state that I never will try to use it to remove eye makeup, I still prefer a separate eye makeup remover with all of the products that I tend to use on a daily basis. 

This is a very good basic face cleanser for normal to dry skin, it doesn't claim to anti-aging, brightening, etc benefits but it works very well to get your makeup off and your skin clean without stripping it of moisture.  This really is the funcation of a face wash, all the product is just washed off and any advertised benefits often just go right down the drain.  A face wash is made to get your face clean, not to improve or heal skin.  The best face washes are gentle and get your skin clean enough to fully absorb any serums and creams that you then use.  This one woprks exactly as advertised and I recommend it for someone with normal to dry skin, however this company also has a verison for normal to oily skin that I haven't used yet.

photo courtesy of C.O.Bigelow

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Hand Treatment

One of my favorite products when I was in college was the C.O. Bigelow Lemon Hand Treatment and I stocked up on this product before Bath and Body Works stopped carrying it.  I am reaching the end of my supply so I started playing around on the actual C.O. Bigelow website to see what they still carried from this Lemon product line.  To all of you that aren't in the know about Bigelow, this company started as a separate apothecary in the middle of the 1800s and a line of their products was picked up several years ago by Bath and Body Works, bringing these great formulas more into the mainstream.  Ever since college, many of the C.O. Bigelow products have been my favorite body products and I wish that an actual Bigelow store was much closer to me.  The closest one is now in New York City since I don't believe that the one that I used to frequent is in King of Prussia anymore.  I can't even imagine the amount of beauty products that I would have if I lived in New York City...

Some pieces of the Lemon line are still carried in Bath and Body Works and I have used and covered this line several times before, so you can still find some of these products to try out.  However the poroduct that we are looking at today is not so you will have to do some online ordering if this product really appeals to you, I think that this product is worth the search if you ahve dry hands and/or love the scent of lemons.  Both of these statements describe me so this is one of the best hand products for me to use. 

"This ultra-moisturizing and skin-brightening formula absorbs quickly to treat dry hands.", is the product description provided by the C.O. Bigelow website.  This product contains the following three active ingredients: Lemon Oil and Extracts (6.25%), Grape Seed Oil (.75%), and Licorice Extract (.25%).  This product also contains shea butter to help the hydration.  The description of the product is pretty accurate but I am going to expand on the information. 

This product has a light lotion texture and sinks into the skin very quickly and easily, without leaving any greasy residue.  I would recommend this product for anyone who has normal to dry hands, pretty much anyone can benefit from this product.  The Shea Butter and the Grape Seed Oil help to hydrate dry areas and allow the skin to retain moisture after repeated washings.  The Lemon Oil in this product helps to fade areas of sun damage and hyper pigmentation however with the addition of this as one of the active ingredients, this is best used as a night hand cream in the summer months.  Lemon is a very effective natural de-pigmenting agent however it can make skin photosensitive, making the skin extra sensitive to the sun.  I would recommend being diligent with sunscreen if you choose to use a product line with natural lemon in during the summer months.

The scent of this product is very light and is 100% natural lemon.  Since the fragrance is the natural oil, it is not going to hang around all day so this product can be used with any type of fragrance and will work well for men also.  This will disappoint those of you who like a strong fragrance but I love how light it is and how it won't compete with any other fragrance that I am wearing that day.  This is a big reason why this is a favorite hand cream of mine!

photo courtesy of C.O. Bigelow

C.O. Bigelow Lip Butters

Earlier this season, C.O. Bigelow added a series of lip butters to their extensive lip balm selection.  For those who shop at The Body Shop, these lip butters will look very similar to those classics from this company.  I love the Mango Lip Butter from The Body Shop so I was very interested in this version from C.O. Bigelow.  C.O. Bigelow has made some of my favorite lip glosses (Mentha line) and moisturizers (Rose Salve) over the past few year so I get very excited every single time that they release a new product.  I have been using the Rose Salve for years every winter since my lips get so dry and chapped and this is the best formula that I have ever found to soothe them.  However, the new Lip Butters come in both Coconut and Mango!  I love these scents and would love to take the fragrances from summer into the winter.  These products really remind me of the lip treatments from The Body Shop...even down to the fragrances, all of these are classics from The Body Shop....

This new formula is waxier and less soft than the Rose Salve, waxier formulas usually stick on the lips longer and help to protect them when they worn outside in cold winter air.  My lips get really bad in the winter months so anything that can help protect them when I go outside is needed.  I am thinking that I can use the soft Rose Salve formula at night to really hydrate and this waxy formula to help protect in the daytime.  "Our new C.O. Bigelow Lip Butter is infused with intensely hydrating ingredients that offer comfort and moisture to dry, damaged lips.  It leaves lips soft, smooth, and deeply conditioned.", states the Bath and Body Works website. 

This formula is offered in four new fragrances; Coconut, Mango, Cocoa, and Shea.  The Coconut and the Mango promise to be my favorites of the collection since I love both fragrances and the Cocoa Butter is one that I will skip over since I am not a fan of the natural scent of cocoa butter.  I wasn't aware that shea butter has much of a natural scent since I already own a pure shea product and it has little to no natural scent. 

The Coconut Lip Butter is described as a "creamy rich coconut flavor" and it smells lovely indeed.  It is a true, rich, warm coconut scent that reminds me of the summer months and the beach.  I was really considering buying this one but I decided to try only one to begin with and decide how much I liked the formula before I bought several of them.  The debate was really between the Coconut and Mango and the Mango won out since I have less choices for a natural mango scent.  The Mango is the product that I bought, it is a "tropical, refreshing mango flavor".  It is the perfect natural mango, both sweet and crisp.  I love this scent and was so excited that I could find it somewhere other than just The Body Shop.

The Shea Butter product has next to no natural scent, this wasn't my favorite of the bunch and was an easy choice for me to skip over.  "A nourishing, rich shea flavor" is the description on the website but it has little to no fragrance.  However that is what I have come to expect from natural shea so I wasn't disappointed with the fragrance, this is light enough to make it a great choice for someone who wears no makeup or a man that needs help with his chapped lips.  The Cocoa Butter one smelled awful and I actually liked it even less than I thought that I would, this one didn't appeal to me at all and will completely be skipped over.  It is a "comforting, rich cocoa flavor", this one just smelled slightly sour and wasn't for me.

I wanted to love these Lip Butters, I really really wanted to love these Lip Butters and make up reasons to buy both the Mango and the Coconut.  However, this formula just didn't work out for me, I much prefer the Rose Salve formulation and the less waxier texture.  This texture was hard to apply and didn't spread as well as I would have liked on my lips.  I had more issues than I would have liked in spreading it and it actually made my lips worse to begin with.  The texture didn't hydrate as well as I would have liked, it would be better in a stick formula to spread and apply.  I bet that it will help protect my lips but it was so hard to work with that I would prefer to find another formula that comes in a stick instead of a pot.

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

C.O. Bigelow Merry Mentha Mentha Lip Shines

Last holiday, I fell in love with the C.O. Bigelow limited edition Mentha Lip Shines and therefore I began stalking the Bath and Body Works website at the very beginning of the month to see when and if they would be released this year.  I feel like it took forever but I have finally found them and I am so excited to try them all out!  Last year, there was a gloss that reminded me of the Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice and I quickly fell in love with it and bought so many of them that I still have unopened tubes of it in my lip gloss collection.  Not that that little fact will stop me from buying a bunch more this year if that same scent is offered...

This year, the holiday Mentha collection is named Merry Mentha and consists of four yummy, limited edition glosses: Peppermint Mentha, Gingerbread Latte, Spiced Vanilla Chai, and Sparkling Apple Cider.  Yay!  There is another apple cider scent, I can't wait to buy more tubes of this product!
The first gloss (Peppermint Mocha) instantly reminds me of one of my other favorite treats from Starbucks.  I love their holiday Peppermint Mochas and I order these all the time as soon as November rolls around.  "Treat your lips to a delicious new flavor that will remind you of one of your favorite winter treats.  Our Merry Mentha Lip Gloss combines the high shine, incredible moisture, and breath-freshening benefits of our Mentha Lip Shine with the delectable flavor of one of your favorite holiday drinks."  I can't wait to buy of these glosses for myself and give them as gifts, I give all kinds of Menthas every single year and everyone on my gift list always loves them.

Of course, I am very excited about the Sparkling Apple Cider.  Last year, this gloss was the perfect apple cider scent that was combined with hints of the lovely mint that is found in all of these glosses.  This is one of my favorite glosses of all time and this year's version doesn't disappoint me.  I smelled it when I was at a store and it is pretty much the same gloss as last year.  This year, the packaging is so much prettier and therefore I am even more excited to give them out as gifts this year.  I will be stocking up on this scent again for myself since I loved it so much last year and will use it for the rest of the winter and at the beginning of next fall again.

The Peppermint Mocha is the other lip gloss in this collection that I got really excited about the first time that I heard about it.  I had a Chocolate Mentha a long time ago that smelled great and I have been missing it for the past few years.  This scent reminds me more of the drink from Starbucks that I was raving about at the beginning of this post, the older version of the lip gloss was more of a chocolate malt (I believe) and I like this version even better.  This is another gloss that I will be grabbing a bunch of to both give and keep for myself.  This is the perfect chocolate mint scent and gets me really excited for both lip gloss and Starbucks.

Gingerbread Latte is one of the newer scents for this year, I'm not a huge fan of the scent of gingerbread to begin with so this won't be a top choice of mine.  When I first smelled this gloss, it sort of reminded me of the Gingerbread Latte drink that is also offered at Starbucks around the holidays.  It smelled spicy and the cinnamon note is a bit too strong in this gloss for me to use on a daily basis.  I have never liked cinnamon so this is one that I would skip over for myself.  I can see this one being a really popular gloss since gingerbread is such a classic at the holidays but this isn't my favorite of the collection.

The last of the new lip glosses is named Spiced Vanilla Chai.  Chai isn't normally what I order but I began to like it when Bath and Body Works introduced the Chai Carumba gloss in the middle of last summer.  I have been using that lip gloss faithfully for this whole fall and this gloss is just another extension of it.  This one has the addition of the vanilla note so I actually like the scent a bit more since it isn't quite as spicy as the other version.  I will buy this one right along with the Peppermint Mocha and the Sparkling Apple Cider glosses but I don't think that I stock up on this flavor quite the way that I plan to on the others.
I love Mentha Lip Shines and I was so happy when this holiday collection came out.  Sparkling Apple Cider is going to be my favorite gloss again and I can't wait to buy a bunch of them to add to my collection.  Peppermint Mocha is going to be another gloss that I will be adding multiples of to my collection and I will also be buying more than enough to give out to friends and family.  Holiday versions of the Mentha Lip Shines are among my favorite of the year and I also think that Menthas are the best lip glosses that Bath and Body Works has ever released.

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

C.O. Bigelow Triple Task Eye Treatment

Hello everyone!  My full power and internet have just returned and so I am putting them to good use!  Everyone on my end got through the storm with no major issues and now it will just be a test of time to see how quickly we can get back to real life.  In my case, time to think about beauty products...

Earlier this season, I wrote about the Entre Derm Instant Lift eye cream and praised its hydrating qualities but noted that it was lacking ingredients to effectively combat puffy eyes and dark undereye circles.  I continued to use this product twice a day but it soon became clear that this was an eye cream best saved for nighttime.  I was considering repurchasing a favorite Caudalie eye cream however I really wanted to try something completely different and from a brand that I tend not to immeditately gravitate toward.  I intended to go to Sephora while I was out shopping one day however I went to Bath and Body Works first to pick up some Halloween items and decided to grab the Bigelow eye cream and see what happened.  Honestly, I figured that it couldn't be any worse than the Entre Derm for dark circles and puffiness.

I had used the C.O. Bigelow skincare line a very long time ago when I was in college.  I remembered only positive experiences with it, it was nothing fancy however the simple formulas actually worked as they were supposed to and never irritated my skin.  I decided that I could at least give it a shot and see what happens.  I bought the Triple Task Eye Treatment, an eye cream targeted for dark circles and puffiness that contains Haloxyl, Eyeliss, and the Bigelow Healthy Skin Complex. 

The C.O. Bigelow website provides a full product description for this eye cream.  "This multi-tasking, antioxidant-rich preparation is formulated to noticeably diminish the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circles.  A moisturizing, gentle eye preparation, it's specially formulated with clinically tested Haloxyl and Eyeliss to reduce the appearance of puffiness.  Noticeably diminishes the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circles.  Treats the delicate eye area skin with soothing nutrients, helping to reduce signs of aging and fatigue.  Contains Haloxyl to treat undereye circles.  Contains Eyeliss to reduce the appearance of puffiness.  Consumer research results: Within 2 weeks, consumers saw a visible reduction in fine lines, wrinkles, and puffiness."

I have been using this cream in the morning for the past four weeks and so far I have seen an improvment in my eye area.  I am continuing to use the Entre Derm as my night eye cream since it is very hydrating and my eye area tends to get dry in the fall and winter months.  I really like this as a day eye cream, it brightens my eye area and makes concealer much easier to apply.  My under eye puffiness is also reduced along with the overall brightening of my eye area.  This cream both helps to reduce the amount of undereye concealer that I need and makes it much easier to apply. 

This eye product has a lightweight lotion texture that sinks in quickly.  I apply one dot of it to my finger and that is enough product for both eyes.  The results are not as dramatic as I would have seen from Peter Thomas Roth or B. Kamins but this is a well-made, good quality eye cream.  It doesn't completely get rid of dark circles, I will need a more potent product for that.  I find that it is better for reducing the puffiness in my eye area and helping my concealer glide on smoothly and easily.  I recommend this product someone who has more issues with puffiness than dark circles and who doesn't have very dry skin (as it is not hydrating enough to care for very dry skin.)

photo courtesy of C.O. Bigelow

C.O. Bigelow Tinted Lemon Lip Balms

Last spring, I raved about the berry versions of the C.O. Bigelow Lemon Lip Balms and fell madly in love with the Black Cherry and Lemon flavor.  However, like the spring season, these balms are long gone and I am so glad that I picked an extra Black Cherry one up at their sale in June.  But of course Bath and Body Works wouldn't disappoint me and they have released a fall version of these lip balms.  This time around, it is tinted version of the product and it reminds me of the Fresh Lip Balms that have been such a hit over the past few years.  I love tinted lip balms overall and these might take a place in my top favorite products.

This product comes in three shades; Blackberry, Strawberry, and Ginger.  The Blackberry is the one that I bought and have been trying out over the few days. 

The Blackberry shade was the one that caught my eye first, most likely since it is the darkest of the three shades and contrasted the most with the other products on the lip table at Bath and Body Works.  "Fresh from the fruit groves, our delicious Lemon Blackberry Tinted Lip Balm softens and smooths lips while adding just a hint of color.  Tints lips a soft plum color.  Flavors lips with a delicious blend of tangy lemon mixed with fresh blackberries."  I have tried out all three shades and this one is the most dramatic of the three, it looks very scary in the tube, but turns a deep berry plum shade on the lips.  This is one that I will be saving for fall, it was a bit off looking with my summer tan.  This one will be best for someone with a cool toned complexion, it won't be flattering on you if you can't wear any type of purple shade.  This one is the best of the group and I am glad that this is the one that I was able to get. 

The Strawberry shade is the only other shade that I like in the new collection, this is a better shade for the spring and summer.  "Fresh from the fruit groves, our delicious Lemon Strawberry Tinted Lip Balm softens and smooths lips while adding color.  Leaves a soft pink tint on lips.  Flavors lips with a delicious blend of tangy lemon mixed with sweet strawberries."  This one turns a light pink hue on the lips and is very sheer.  This one has very little tint and is barely noticeable on the lips.  This one is best for the days when you aren't wearing much makeup or against a stronger eye makeup.  I didn't buy this one since I already own a bunch of light pink tinted lip glosses and this one is not that unique at all.

The last shade is the Ginger, my least favorite of the three.  This one is the warmest of the three shades so this is one that wouldn't work with my skintone anyway.  This one is totally see through on the lips and really could be completely skipped all together.  When applied, this shade looks almost no different from the actual Lemon Lip Balm itself.  "Fresh from the fruit groves, our delicious Lemon Ginger Tinted Lip Balm softens and smooths lips while adding just a hint of color.  Leaves a soft natural tint on lips.  Flavors lips with a delicious blend of tangy lemon mixed with spicy fresh ginger."  This one is the easiest to skip of the three, it is a nice hue but it is so sheer that there is almost no point in using this one. 

The Blackberry is the most dramatic of the three shades but the others had little to no tint at all.  Of all the products, the Blackberry is the one most worthy of a purchase.  The other two are so sheer that they could be skipped on altogether.  I will be saving the Blackberry shade for the fall, it will be right on trend with the lip shades that are being released by many other beauty companies.  The scnet on these if the natural lemon and the fruit mix so it is strong at first and disappears very quickly afterword so this is a good choice for someone who doesn't like strongly scented products on their lips.  I love that Bath and Body Works is really keeping up on the some of the new makeup trends.  I would love to see a red tint in this collection...one that tastes like black cherry of course!  I would have also liked to see more color from the Strawberry and Ginger lip balms since they are so sheer.  A deeper pink or neutral shade would have been lovely and give these two balms much more of an impact.

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Body Vitamin Body Lotion

A heat wave is currently surging throughout the whole East Coast and people are seeking any ways that they can cool their skin down.  I first started with the C.O. Bigelow Mentha Body Care line when it was sent to me by a PR company last summer and I quickly discovered how great it is to use in the summer months.  I started with the body wash in this collection and quickly fell so in love with it that I started using the matching scrub and lotion.  I reviewed the wash and the matching scrub last summer but somehow managed to forget about the matching body lotion.  I dug this product out of my collection at the beginning of last week and fell back in love with it very quickly.

It is no secret that I love the scent of mint.  Bath and Body Works Twisted Peppermint is a favorite of mine to buy every single holiday season and I always make sure to have a bottle or two of the shower gel on hand at anytime.  C.O. Bigelow's Mentha Body Care line is more a natural and herbal mint instead of the peppermint candy scent of the Twisted Peppermint.  Both of the fragrances are fantastic at any time during the year however, in the hot months, they become prized possessions.  Both of the formulas really help to cool skin down and leave a bit of a tingle when applied, just what is needed most in the hot weather. 

"Our mint-infused body lotion moisturizes, tones, and nourishes skin with a refreshing, minty sensation.  This hydrating formula deeply conditions with vitamins A, C, and E, leaving skin soft, smooth, and supple.  Infused with cooling peppermint for an invigorating experience."  This body product is unisex and the fragrance is the natural peppermint so it fades in several minutes, unlike the Twisted Peppermint.  Therefore, this line is more subtle than the Twisted Peppermint and I think it is more universal. 

This lotion has a lightweight texture and therefore makes it better suited to the summer months than the winter.  It absorbs in quickly and the mint tingles on your skin then cools it down.  This one is best used in combination with the shower gel and/or the body scrub to really complete the experience.  As I stated above, the fragrance oil in this product is the natural peppermint so it tingles on your skin and then the scent fades within several minutes.  Because of this, this is a great lotion to apply in both the evening and morning.  The scent fades so quickly that you can then use any type of perfume and the fragrances won't clash.  This is great way to both start off and finish up a super hot summer day.  The pump bottle is very convenient and can be used at the sink as a hand lotion too.

Hopefully this heat wave will pass us by soon but until it does, mint body lotion will play a very prominent place in my beauty product collection.

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

C.O. Bigelow Lime and Coriander

As soon as the warm weather begins, I become a body wash junkie instead of a body lotion junkie.  It seems that onvernight, my skin becomes much less dry and as the humidity rises, I don't need body lotion everyday and alternating all types of scented washes are revolving through my shower.  My major requirement this time of the year until Labor Day is that the fragrances are light and crisp, whether they be fruity, floral, or on the sweet side.  Most of the time, I alternate between Philosophy 3-in-1s and Bath and Body Works Shower Gels but sometimes I find a new product in an unexpected place.

A favorite of mine in the current rotation is the C.O. Bigelow Lime and Coriander Body Wash, a wash that is found only in a few Bath and Body Works and that I wouldn't even have noticed had one of their managers not brought it over to show me.  I tend to get distracted by bright colors when I go shopping in the summer time so I get very excited when someone shows me something that I never would have seen otherwise.  "This refreshing body cleanser provides a rich, creamy lather while gently cleansing the skin.  Formulated with hydrating sodium PCA (a naturally occuring humectant that draws moisture to the skin) and soothing aloe vera to help skin maintain a perfect moisture balance."  This product is "fragranced with a fresh citrus burst of effervescent lime and exotic coriander leaves".

This is a lovely fragranced wash and is among the most unique that I own.  It balances the tart lime fragrance with the herbs and becomes a light, refreshing fragrance on the skin.  This scent could be used by either gender and fades very quickly after rinsing so it doesn't compete with anything that I put on in the morning.  This shower gel was also featured in one issue of Allure from last summer as an Editor's pick for summer beauty products.  The formula also lives up to my high expectations of products from the C.O. Bigelow line.  It foams up like crazy on a shower puff and rinses cleaner than many other body washes that I have ever tried.  It has not dried out my skin at all, which can be rare among certain types of body washes.

I only bought this fragrance in the shower gel but it is also available in a matching body lotion, which will end up on my shopping list the next time that I go to only Bath and Body Works around me that offers this line.  The lotion contains olive and borage oils for hydration and aloe vera for both it's hydrating and soothing properties on my skin.  I use this fragrance so much in the warm weather that I think the lotion would be the perfect complement for it in the winter (I love "eternal summer" feeling in my shower) or to use to hydrate and soothe my fake tans. 

This isn't the only scent in the line of C.O. Bigelow cleansers and lotions so I do want to go back to that store to check out the rest.  This find proves that some days it is best to walk around the whole store and look at every single product that you can find instead of running in and out in a hurry.  Or when times permits, I should say.

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

C.O. Bigelow Organic Lip Shines

C.O. Bigelow has introduced three more new lip shines for the spring season. Earlier, we looked at the new flavors in the Lemon Lip collection, all of which were more of a balm texture than a gloss. This time around, the lip glosses are much glossier while still mainting great hydrating properties. This time around, C.O. Bigelow has changed around a bit and introduced glosses that aren't part of the Mentha collection. I still love the Mentha collection but I was really excited to see flavors that stand on their own and aren't mixed with the mint. These new glosses also fall into the Organic line of glosses from this company, another plus. April is Earth month so any extra effort that can be put forward this month to buy more items that are "green" is much encouraged. And how easy is it to buy more organic lip glosses when they also happen to be fantastic?!

There are three flavors in this collection; Golden Peach, Ripe Blackberry, and Strawberries and Cream.  all of the glosses have the same texture and shine properties, so any is a great choice from that aspect.  "Our refreshingly delicious moisturizing Lip Shines are made with 92% organic ingredients and natural fruit extracts.  Treat your lips to 'good-for-you' ingredients, delicious flavor and a touch of shine!"

Golden Peach is a true peach scent, there is nothing super sweet or artifical about this one.  This is a perfect summer scent for anyone who loves peach or fruit-based scents in general.  This one couldn'y be any more spot on, it might just be the perfect peach scent.  Ripe Blackberry is my favorite of the three, even though I normally dislike berry scents for lip glosses.  Most lip glosses have fake, super-sweet berry scents.  This one is nothing like the others, it is just pure blackberry, sweet without being fake or syrupy.  I thought that I would hate this one but I love it the most of all of them.  The last scent is the Strawberries & Cream, the sweetest of the three.  This one reminds me more of strawberry ice cream instead of pure strawberry.  I was hoping that it would be more true to the strawberry scent and a bit less sweet but I still like this scent.

The blackberry is my favorite and I will be purchasing at leat two of these to keep for the whole summer.  I like both of the other flavors and wouldn't hesitate to buy both of them at any time.  I don't know if these are limited edition but it seems like Bath and Body Works rotates through their lip products seasonally.  This is a great addition to my lip gloss collection and I can only hope that Bigelow will do something like this again for summer.  Mango? Coconut?  Watermelon?  I can only hope!

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Lip Balm Collection

Bath and Body Works has been releasing new items like crazy the past few weeks but it seems like there has only been one new release from the C.O. Bigelow line and is from the Lemon Lip collection. The original Lemon stick lip balm is one of the few products that I have never tried and had used the Lemon Lip Cream instead. The Lip Cream is very soft and hydrating but I have found that it doesn't last at long as I would like it to. The Lip Balm stick seems to be a thicker hydrator and stays on much longer than the other formula.

Bath and Body Works describes the original product with the following description. "Formulated with a high concentration of lemon oil and extract (3.5%), this addictive Lemon Lip Balm is packed with vitamins and minerals, providing a major dose of Vitamin C. 100% natural lemon flavor provides a tangy burst, while ultra-moisturizing shea butter (1%) nourishes and conditions lips. The creamy formula glides on smooth, leaving lips feeling soft and moisturized. Untinted balm prevents dryness and chapping while providing a dew-kissed sheen." The original is pure lemon and really moisturizes the lips. The stick is a bit more waxy then the cream but stays on much longer and helps to protect the lips in cold, harsh weather.

The original formula has been around for at least a year or two but this season, Bath and Body Works has brought out three new versions of it, all of which are the lemon mixed with berries. All of the new formula lip balms are anti-oxidant spiked to contribute to overall lip health and hydration. The first one is the Lemon and Raspberry blend which I thought was the lightest scent of the three. This one was my least favorite because the balm smelled strongly of lemon with very little raspberry mixed in. The second new fragrance is the Lemon and Blueberry. This one is a medium strength scent with a stronger scent of lemon. However, the blueberry is more prevalent in this one than the raspberry in the other. The last of the new balms is my favorite of the three. Lemon and Black Cherry is a great combination, more tart than the other two but the best mix of the two scents.

So far, I have bought the Lemon and Black Cherry mix but I do plan to purchase the original Lemon formula and maybe the blueberry one also in the near future. I am happy that this line of lip balms has come out to update the line for spring but I would be very happy if the Lemon and Black Cherry came out in an entire body product line. Hint, hint...

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine Organic Sheer Tint

My latest Mentha Lip Shine obsession (now that I have bought all the holiday glosses and willl pick up more at the Semi-Annual Sale to tide me over for the whole year) is the Organic Sheer Tint collection. The shades of this product aren't near as intense as they appear in the tube, every shade gives me just a hint of tint that I can pair with any eye look or on a no-makeup day. I am partial to the pink and rose shades from this collection but the neutrals also work well for someone with a more warm toned complexion.

"Give your lips an Organic Tint! Our Mentha Organics Sheer Lip Tints combine the breath-freshening, shine boosting benefits of our original formula with the added appeal of naturally nourishing organic ingredients". This product is formulated with 92% Organic ingredients and is flavored with 100% Natural Mint for fresh breath. This product is currently available in three shades to suit pretty much any complexion.

Here are the shades...

- Sheer Rose - provides a light hint of deep pink on lips

- Barely There - sheer natural nude shade

- Just Blushed - provides a sheer pale pink tint for lips

My favorite shade is the Sheer Rose, it gives a me a hint of rose on my lips and creates the "my lips but better" look. I have paired it with dramatic eye makeup and it never looks over done. This lip gloss is about a medium in glossiness, it's not over done but you can see the sheen on the lips. I have yet to buy the pale pink or the neutral shade yet, I want to see how tinted they actually appear on my lips since the rose is the deepest shade and it doesn't really change the shade of my lips. I still love the traditional mint taste and tingle of the Mentha formula so I bet that I will be trying these out unless something really nice comes out in the collection in the upcoming seasons.

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

C.O. Bigelow Holiday Mentha Lip Shines

A week or two ago, we looked at the traditional Mentha Lip Shines that are offered by the C.O. Bigelow company. The originals churned out several collections, some that are tinted, some that are organic, and several holiday based collections that change with the seasons of the year. Since we are going into the holidays, we are going to look at the products that have been released lately to celebrate the scents of the holiday season. Personally I have tried all of these and I think that this is one of my favorite collections to date. The Warm Apple Cider Mentha...oh my!

There are four lip glosses in the collection. The first one is called Spiced Latte and is reminiscent of the warm, spicy beverages that come out when the temperatures drop. This flavor lip gloss is described on the Bath and Body Works site as "nutty, creamy, and spicy - with a minty twist". I liked this one but not enough to purchase it, I found it to be kind of subtle and the scent wasn't as strong as I was hoping when I first heard of the flavor.

The second fragrance is the Holiday Shortbread and I found this one to be another light fragranced lip gloss. Of course this one isn't styled after a drink but the dessert that I often crave when I can get myself to any Scottish bakery. This one is "rich and buttery - with a minty twist". I was hoping that this one would be a bit stronger but I found it to be a just a sweet mint fragrance and this is another one that I liked but didn't love enough to buy in the first round of shopping.

The third new lip gloss is my favorite of the group, in fact this one might be one of my top favorite lip gloss flavors that I have ever had. This one is named Warm Apple Cider and I had to pick up two of the flavor so I could have a back up. I love drinking hot spiced cider at the holidays so this one was right up my alley. The description of thie gloss is "aromatic and fruity - with a minty twist". This flavor reminds me of the old Tutti Dolci Apple Torta gloss that I loved and of the Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice drink that I drink in the fall and the winter.

The last new fragrance is named after another holiday dessert, the Butterscotch Pudding. Or the Buttery Nipple shot if you prefer to think of it that way. I love this gloss too, through not as much as the Warm Apple Cider gloss. Bath and Body Works states that this flavor is "sweet and comforting - with a minty twist". I bought this Mentha also, I love this flavor.

This collection is wonderful for the holiday season and these glosses would make great gifts or gifts for yourself. As I have already stated, the Warm Apple Cider is my favorite with the Butterscotch Pudding as a close second. I like the other two flavors and would buy them if I needed items to use a coupon or needed something extra for a purchase.

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

C.O. Bigelow Classic Mentha Lip Shines

I believe that there is no one in the country who hasn't tried a C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine. This line started out with only the Original Formula being available. But after the fantastic sales of this lip gloss, the line expanded to include colored formulas, organic formulas, and special edition flavors for every single new season. Needless to day, I have tons of these lip glosses, from every single collection and season. I have dubbed the clear glosses as the classic Menthas since these are the most widely available and I believe are the still the best sellers from the Mentha Lip line.

First, we are going to look at the first and original formula. "This lip preparation is the ultimate three-in-one moisturizer. Combines high gloss, incredible moisture, and long-lasting breath freshening with a refreshing, minty, cooling sensation. Can be worn under or over lip color". The next formula that was available in this collection is the Ultra Mentha Lip Shine. This is a pumped up verison of the original that doubles as both a lip gloss and a lip plumper. "We super-infused our classic Mentha with more intense flavor and longer lasting breath-freshening to create the ultimate balm. It provides the same glossy high shine with an even greater refreshing, cooler sensation. Made with 100% natural mint flavor".

The lip gloss is also available in Spearmint, which is my personal favorite of the line. "Our spearmint-infused lip balm provides a glossy high shine with a refreshing cooling sensation. Lips stay moist and protected while Spearmint gives breath long-lasting freshness". The Spearmint is one of the top sellers and is a personal favorite of mine and several of my friends.

The next two lip glosses are mixtures of mint and other herbs. The first is the Cinnamint Mentha, which is the only one that I have tried from this group. "Our Cinnamon and Mint-infused lip balm provides a glossy high shine with a refreshing cooling sensation. Lips stay moist and protected while Cinnamon and Peppermint give breath long-lasting freshness". The second lip gloss in this category in the Vanilla Mint Mentha. This one is my second favorite flavor, right after the Spearmint. "This lip preparation is the ultimate three-in-one lip moisturizer. Combines high gloss, incredible moisture, and long-lasting breath freshness with a creamy and minty, cooling sensation. Can be worn under or over lip color. Developed by Bigelow chemists".

The last product in this collection is a lip balm instead of the lip gloss and balm combination.
The SPF 15 Mentha Lip Balm Stick is a no shine, no gloss formula and therefore makes this the best selling product for men from the C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip line. "Our SPF 15, mint-infused lip balm soothes and shields lips with shea butter, leaving behind a smooth, matte finish. Lips stay moist and protected while peppermint oil give breath long-lasting freshness".

These lip products are great purchases for yourself or for little gift for family and friends. I have purchased all the above products with the exception of the Cinnamint (since I hate cinnamon) and will continue to purchase them as long as I am able to.

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works