I love tinted lip balms, I love lip balms with mineral sunscreens, and I love when you combine the two into one perfect product! Softlips is rocking my summer this year with their new Pure products, including three shades of tinted lip balm, three shades of lip gloss, a lip butter, and a lip scrub. Everything but the scrub contains a zinc-based spf 15 sunscreen! Woohoo!

A few years back I complained about the lack of lip products with sunscreen that DIDN’T contain a chemical sunscreen. I don’t have it in for chemical sunscreens, I just really hate the taste. I can always tell when they’re present by the icky, slightly bitter taste. Yuck! Besides, I want broad spectrum protection, and zinc oxide provides that, and works as soon as you apply it.

Fast forward two years, and suddenly we have a LOT more choices on the market! Good times! Each of the new Softlips Pure balms and glosses include an SPF 15 from zinc oxide. Sweet!

The tinted lip balms are great – the colors have nice pigmentation, but are still sheer enough to be just a tint. They taste good (vanilla-berry), and have nice lasting power, and keep things hydrated with coconut oil and beeswax. They don’t get melty in my pocket (I hate that!) so basically, they’re a total win for me. Love them!

The lip gloss is also exceptional. It’s very nourishing, the colors are very flattering, and how great is a lip gloss with spf 15? Awesome!!

The lip butter provides nice hydration in a clear formula with spf 15 – a great choice if you don’t want the color but do want the protection. Nice!

I’m not a huge fan of lip scrubs because I don’t find them super-useful (I brush my lips with my toothbrush, takes care of dead skin bits) but if they are your thing, get this one. It tastes good and works well and is inexpensive to boot.

Basically, I’m loving the new Softlips offerings. They’re inexpensive, pretty, functional, natural… Summer lip care really doesn’t get any better than this. Two Thumbs Up!!! You can find these in the natural beauty care aisle in select Target stores nationwide.

I love fig fragrances. I haven’t really met a fig scent that I didn’t like, actually. You can guess, then, that I was quite excited to see that Bath & Body Works has introduced another fig scent, this time Sandalwood Fig, as a part of their aromatherapy line. W00t!

The last time BBW did a fig I had to have, it was the True Blue Morocco Sweet Fig & Argan Body Lotion (which is still available on the website, half off!) and at the time I wished they made a body spray in the scent. The Sandalwood Fig is quite close, with all the wonderful figgy scent mixed with the warmth of sandalwood. I was pleased to see the new roll-on size, as this is perfect for trying out the scent, and keeping in the purse.

I wish the fragrance had more staying power, but it isn’t meant to be stronger than a body spray. A person could probably layer with the matching lotion and body wash to make it last longer (and since they are currently 2 for $20, I may just get them too!). In the meantime, I’m enjoying the roll-on a lot.

The candle smelled pretty awesome too, and might require further investigation… (All in the name of science, of course!)

Two Thumbs Up!

Tarte Cosmetics is having a sale on their Double Ended Lip Gloss, currently $10 each instead of $19!! Such a steal!!

I have three of these puppies already, in Lloyd & Diane, Jake & Samantha, and Westley & Buttercup. I love the smooth formula, the coordinating shades, and the sweet cake-like scent. I have a feeling these are on sale because they are being discontinued (although that’s not a sure thing), so it might be a good idea to grab a few while you can.

If I buy another one, it’ll be Ronald & Cindy – I like the light purple shades.

I love a really great scented body wash. Usually, I can be persuaded to pay over $10 a bottle for a really good scented body wash. Occasionally, though, I wish for something with an amazing scent without the higher price tag. Desert Essence Organics delivers both, with their line of body washes that run less than $9 a tube. Win!

I recently had the chance to try out the Green Apple & Ginger fragrance, and I’m in love. It’s tart and tangy and a little spicy from the ginger. If you like a true apple scent (no fake overly sweet apple scent here), do check it out! The other scents sound delectable too, especially Vanilla Chai and Red Raspberry.

The body wash lathers nicely and doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry. They contain a slew of certified organic ingredients, including alpha hydroxy acids to help gently exfoliate your skin. Overall, this is a good choice if you want a natural product that will leave you with softer skin. The scents are amazing while you are in the shower, but don’t particularly linger, something I like because I wear perfume and don’t want to clash.

Right now, Desert Essence has a bunch of deals on their website as well, you should check it out!

In the past, I haven’t been a big fan of drugstore body washes. Back in the day when body washes were a new thing, they tended to be rather drying to my skin and I rarely liked the scents. Since that was 10+ years ago, it goes without saying that the market has changed a bit since then. Now, I’m finding plenty of good body washes at the drugstore/supermarket that combine a nice formula with a nice scent and an even nicer budget price. For the win!

Softsoap offers up two new body washes, called Nutri-Serums. They contain softening “Serum Pearls” that help keep skin nourished and healthy. The Restoring formula has Vitamin E and the Moisture Retaining formula features Omegas 3 & 6 (those essential fatty acids that help your skin retain moisture). I like the body washes because they aren’t drying to my skin at all. In fact, they leave my skin with the same soft, comfortable feeling left by more expensive brands. The lather is rich and foamy, but rinses clean.

Both formulas have a somewhat sweet, fruity scent, and I find I prefer the Restoring (the one with green pearls) to the Moisture Retaining. The scents aren’t the best ever, but for a large bottle of body wash for under five bucks, I’m not complaining. They smell nice while I’m in the shower but don’t particularly linger (which is exactly what I want). No clashing with perfume here.

Overall, I believe it’s definitely worth checking out Softsoap brand body washes, especially if you are looking for places to trim your beauty budget without sacrificing a happy experience in your morning shower. My morning shower is sacred, so whatever cleanser I’m using better feel and smell good or the day just doesn’t start out on a good note!

I recently have been using Rimmel Glam’Eyes Lash Flirt Mascara, and I’m a little bit on the fence about it. Read on for my thoughts!

I have a pretty short list of demands when it comes to mascara. I want it to be dark, I want it to be flake and smudge-free, I want it to be volumizing, and I want it to give good separation. Rimmel meets these needs, but does have a few drawbacks as well.

The brush is this neato comb/brush thingy, with four rows of the bristles. The formula is very smooth, with no clumps or globs that stick to the brush. The brush does a nice job separating the lashes and coating them evenly with the mascara. It’s nice and dark, and overall I’m pleased with the dramatic (but not over the top) look that results from this mascara.

On the negative side, I get mascara on my eyelids above the lashline if I’m not SUPER careful when applying it, which is annoying. It also does seem to be really susceptible to smudging if my eyes water at all, which isn’t a problem with most mascaras I’ve tried. It means it comes off super-easy when I wash my face, but as my eyes water a lot, this is kind of a bad thing.

The two strikes aren’t enough to put me off finishing up my tube, but I can only give it one thumb up. Your mileage may vary.