Etre Belle Liplift Peel

One of my last Glossyboxes introduced me to the English brand Toni and Guy and now we are looking at yet another brand that was introduced to me by a recent Glossybox.  The second new brand is Etre Belle, a skincare line from Germany.  I think this is the first time that I have ever used a skincare product from Germany and I'm not sure what I was expecting from Etre Belle.  While doing some light research, I found out that Germany has spas all over the country and believes heavily in spa therapy instead of traditional allopathic medicine.  I'm not sure how I feel about trying spa cures for medicine appeals to me but I do expect high quality skincare from this brand.

Etre Belle is a spa quality skincare line from the southern area of Germany.  I received a lip scrub from this brand and now I want to order some more of the facial skincare and really see how the brand compares to high end spa-inspired brands from the United States.  I wasn't overwhelmed by this lip scrub but I don't quite know that I should really expect to be overwhelmed by a product designed solely to exfoliate dry skin from the lips. 

"A gentle and moisturizing exfoliator for the lip area.  It gently removes dead cells and refines the surface skin.", states the company's website.  I am used to sugar-based lip scrubs and this formula is very differently than these formulas.  This formula is a very fine grain exfoliator and the grains are suspended in a lightly textured lotion, I do not like this texture and I much prefer the larger grains of the sugar-based exfoliators.  In addition, this formula tastes like chemicals if you are unfortunate enough to get some of it in your mouth (as I was).  The exfoliation from this product is very light and I need to use it twice as often as I did any sugar-based formula.  I am glad that I got this in my Glossybox and was able to try it as I would never purchase by itself again.  I will use the tube up and then start looking for another formula to replace it.

This many not have been my favorite product but I still do want to try some others from this brand.  I would like to try some of face washes and creams and see how the German philosophy of skincare works.

photo courtesy of Etre Belle

Fresh Sugar Lip Polish

I have just finished raving about one of the new Fresh skincare products that I have been using and now I am moving onto to another one of their products that I have been loving the past few days.  The Black Tea Face Mask has already established its place in my weekly skincare regime and I am continuing to think about what other products I will need to purchase as the winter starts to cool down.  A weekly face mask will be quite helpful to me and I will continue to check more products from Fresh out.  Today I am looking at a Fresh lip product that I picked up the last time that I visited Sephora.  I love the Fresh Sugar lip product line and the Lip Polish might be one of my new favorite lip products.  I used to use a lip scrub from C.O. Bigelow but Bath and Body Works didn't have it the last time that I was at the store and I needed to find something else to use.

My lips are always dry and I have to use lip balms and scrubs on a regular basis in order to keep them smooth and lipstick ready.  "A sweet exfoliating treatment that leaves lips incredibly soft and smooth.  This unique formula is enriched with real brown sugar crystals to gently buff away dry flakes as it exfoliates and conditions for a smooth finish. It nourishes the lips with quick-absorbing meadowfoam seed, jojoba seed, and grapeseed oils while shea butter provides long-lasting moisture. Lips are left smooth, protected, and hydrated.", states the Sephora website. 

I use this product once a week right now and then will increase up to two times per week as the winter comes.  I use in on my lips before I get into the shower and then scrub them with my finger for about thirty seconds before rinsing it off.  It helps to get rid of dry patches and improve my overall lip texture.  I can't say that it helps to hydrate as I use a lip balm as soon as I get out of the shower.  I once tried skipping this step and my lips were dry soon after getting out of the shower and using the scrub. I will just continue to apply the balm right after showering. 

Sugar is an essential ingredient in the Fresh lip care line.  "The inspiration for the Sugar Collection dates back to Fresh co-founders Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg's childhood. Each of their grandmothers used sugar, a natural antiseptic, to heal their scrapes. Wanting to pass this effective ritual on to the world, they bottled their shared tradition, pioneering the use of sugar in the beauty industry."  I can't speak for sugar's healing properties but I do like that this scrub doesn't contain foul tasting chemicals since I always manage to get the product in my mouth when I use it. 

The Sugar Lip Polish is another high quality product from the Fresh brand and I will be repurchasing it once this jar runs out.  I use only a very little bit at a time so I doubt that I will need to repurchase any time soon but I am glad that I have another formula to rely on since my C.O. Bigelow one seems to have disappeared...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Leaf and Rusher Tx Lips

One of the product that I found at the bottom of my traincase when spring cleaning was this lip scrub and I have been putting my new treasure to good use over the past month.  Leaf and Rusher is a skincare line that was created several years ago by a Hollywood plastic surgeon and nurse team (Leaf and Rusher) and is based on improving the signs of aging through DNA technology.  The products are very intensive and so the only product that I really needed from this collection was the Tx Lips, a great smoothing lip scrub.

I bought this product several years ago at Nordstrom when one of their reps was there to explain the product line and how the Dermaroller product in one of a kind.  This is one of those product lines that works best to correct and treat visible signs of aging and there wasn't really any product that would well for my skin.  However I was so interested in the DNA technology that is used by this company that I really wanted to buy and try at least product from this line.  The rep recommended that I buy the lip scrub since lips can show signs of aging much faster than any other area of the face.  Lips have no pores and therefore have no natural oils to smooth and hydrate them.  Therefore the lip area needs to be hydrate and treated faster and more than any area of the face.

This product is getting harder and harder to find but I am still able to find it on the Nordstrom website, though I am not sure if the counter is still at the store that I go to in King of Prussia.  "A remarkable lip exfoliating product that leaves the lip contour looking and feeling smoother and more youthful.  Fruit of the exotic buriti palm, combined with natural hops, provides natural SPF protection, humectant properties, and plumps the lips.  The newly smooth, moist lip surface accepts lipstick application with ease and less feathering.  As fun to wear as it is effective, the sweet taste of the natural fruit sugars remains on the lips for a delicious finale."

This product is gentle enough for daily use however I only recommend using it twice a week, though I will up my use of it to three times a week during the winter.  This product can be wiped off or left on the lips (the sugar crystals will dissolve).  I rinse it off the lips in the shower, I have never liked the results after leaving the sugar crystals to dissolve on the lips. The result is that my lips are smooth and my lip products go on much better.  Right after I get out of the shower, I use a hydrating lip balm to further the results that I get from this product.  I have been very focused on this product since I have recently bought several NARS matte lipsticks and they require precise application and can clump easily on dry lips, this is a wonderful product to help my lipstick application and I will be using it all year round.

I am continuing to try and track more Leaf and Rusher products down, I want to try and find out what types of antioxidant and preventative skincare that this line carries.  I am interested in all aspects of the DNA skincare however I am not sure how a repairative technology would work as a preventative product.

photo courtesy of Nordstrom

LUSH Lip Scrubs

I tend to go through phases with companies and products and right now my big obsession is trying out LUSH skincare.  I started with the hand cream a few weeks ago and now have tried out one of the new lip scrubs that they released about two years ago.  I ordered this product from LUSH the exact same way that I order all of my other fun LUSH products, what color is it and what does it smell like?  I must confess that the lip scrubs didn't hold my interest as a skincare product, instead I saw that they were candy scented and that one of them was bright pink.  When a product is bright pink and from LUSH, I can't resist and I ask no questions before I purchase it.  Thank god that this is a high quality line and I haven't gotten any major duds this way...

The LUSH website gives an overall description of the lip scrubs and then a detailed description of each product.  "Ro created the scrubs because she feels that people don't take enough care with their lips.  There are perfect for scrubbing and moisturizing your lips before you put your lipstick on."  The main ingredient in all of these scrubs is castor sugar, a fine-grained sugar that dissolves in water very easily.  It is used in these scrubs and it is also used in baking.  Every lip scrub that I have ever used contains sugar so I wasn't surprised at all when it was the main ingredient in this line of lip scrubs.  I wonder what other types of ingredients could even be gentle enough to use on an area such as the lips.

The first of the three new scrubs is the one that I purchased, Bubblegum Lip Scrub.  "This one will make your lips smell like our best-selling Snow Fairy shower gel.  Bubblegum is made with exfoliating castor sugar and our delicious vegan flavor to gently scrub away rough skin, keeping your lips smooth and kissably soft with the help of jojoba oil."  I loved the Bubblegum Lip Scrub from the very first time that I used it, the scent itself was the Snow Fairy scent that I love every single holiday.  I couldn't live without Snow Fairy and it continues to be one of my favorite LUSH fragrances ever.  The product melted quickly on my lips and a fingertip-sized ball was enough to fully cover my lips and get all the dead, flaky skin off. 

Sweet Lips is the second of the LUSH scrubs and is the other one that smells yummy enough to eat.  Sweet Lips smells exactly like a bar of milk chocolate and this one uses vanilla and jojoba in addition to the sugar to keep lips soft and smooth.  "Our fabulous lips scrubs are here tio keep your kissers sweet.  Ro created the scrubs because she feels that people don't take enough care with their lips.  These are perfect for scrubbing and moisturizing your lips before you put on your lipstick.  Sweet Lips is the lip scrub for chocolate fanatics, it smells like a bar of creamy milk chocolate."  The jojoba oil is a favorable alternative to petroleum-derived lubricants due to their emollient properties and biodegradability.  Jojoba oil is both softening and light-textured at the same time and therefore will absorb quickly and fully hydrate the lips.  Milk chocolate sounds great and I would consider buying this one when I finish up the Bubblegum scrub.

The last of the three scrubs is the Mint Julip flavor, a slightly less sweet version of the scrubs.  This scrubs is described on the LUSH website as being a "refreshing mint scrub".  "When you use Mint Julips, you'll find yourself craving a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream.  It's made with refreshing peppermint oil, which will make your lips feel soothed and tingly, and jojoba oil to moisturize."  This one is a better choice for you if you don't love the super sweet scents of the other two.  This one is a bit more of a herbal mint than a very sweet mint chocolate chip scent and the peppermint oil will leave your lips tingling after you wipe it off. 

The Bubblegum selection from this company is a great lip scrub though I must confess that I don't find many lip scrubs to differ all that much in formulation.  Most of the differences between the individuial products occurs with the scent and types of moisturizers included in the formula.  Every lip scrub that I have tried so far is made with sugar and none of the formulas really differ all that much.  As far as I am concerned, as long as the company uses a combination of sugar and an oil, the scrubs will not differ all that much and will perform at about the same level.  That being said, I don't want a plain product when I could have a bright pink lip scrub that tastes like bubblegum!  Of course the bubblegum would be my favorite of the products and would be the one that I would order first.  When I need to repurchase this product, I wouldn't have anything against purchasing the chocolate or the mint but I bet that I would buy the bubblegum since I love it so much.

photo courtesy of LUSH