Ripe Shop Lip Balms Review

I haven't had a chance yet to talk about my lip balm obsession which slowly but surely started up during winter. My lips were parched deserts and I was bored with the choices offered at the shops in town. So I did what any beauty blogger does and set out to browse through Etsy! I have found some fantabulous sellers, and the one I want to talk about today is ripe, owned by Adriana over in sunny California.

One thing that drew me in as a customer was the visual aesthetic of her shop. All the photos of her products are simple, but gorgeous. The font design she uses on her products is also gorgeous and fits in perfectly with her shop design. Now that's just that, but what are her products like, you may ask? To be honest, they simply do not disappoint and it's so exciting deciding what flavour of lip balm to purchase (jeez, that makes me sound boring, I swear it's actually fun picking out which ones to buy!).

All three lip balms which I purchased from ripe have been smooth, soft (but not that melting-all-in-your-bag/back-pocket soft) and nourishing. All her lip balms contain: avocado, coconut, jojoba and sweet almond oils, beeswax, cocoa & shea butters, which makes me really happy knowing what I'm putting on my lips, and eventually ingesting because I'm prone to licking my lips especially when they're dry, is natural and not something I'm afraid of getting into my body.

Because I was bought mine in winter time, I was all in the holiday spirit and purchased Gingerbread Egg Nog. At first I found the top to be a bit crumbly, if that's even possible, but after a few uses, the top of the balm smoothed down and I didn't experience this issue again. The smell itself is interesting, and I feel like the "egg nog" is the more prominent flavour, and I don't really get much of the gingerbread, but that's fine with me as I still really enjoyed using it. Unfortunately the writing on the labels wore off really quickly, something I was gutted about with these products as everything else is so great, so I am borrowing the images directly from Adriana's store so you can see how cute they are.

Image courtesy of ripeshop

Because I'm a green tea fiend, and love anything matcha flavoured, not to mention I'm currently living in Japan, the Matcha Green Tea was destined to end up in my clammy, excited, little hands. If you're not a fan of in-yo'-face scents, this would be great for you. This is a lightly flavoured lip balm, and the green tea fragrance is very gentle when you're putting this on your lips. Makes me crave green tea ice cream whenever I put it on! I also had the crumbly beginning with this lip balm as well, but like I mentioned, this issue quickly disappeared.

Image courtesy of ripeshop

And my favourite of all three lip balms is the Chocolate Rosa and this is by far the most divine thing to ever glide on to my lips. The scent is just abso-fricken'-lutely amazing! The chocolate and rose combination is genius, and the scent is just uhhhhhhhhh, so good! I can't even tell you using words how good this actually is, you just have to trust me that whatever else you're purchasing from this store, this also has to be in your shopping cart. I didn't have the crumbly at the beginning issue with this lip balm, it was just perfection from the get-go.

Image courtesy of ripeshop

Getting it ready and shipping took around 2 and a half weeks to get from the USA to Japan, and this was during the holidays, so I was super happy as I was so excited to try them out. Prices range from $4.25 - $5.00 per lip balm, and while this may seem a tad steep for a lip balm, I can guarantee these are worth it; nothing better than handmade things, I say!
These lip balms are all I've been reaching for during the cold winter days, and even now slowly moving into spring, they've been a godsend. Go check out this fantastic shop and tell me what your favourite lip balms from there are. I've got my eyes on the Taro Milk and Chocolate Raspberry, drool. Adriana also has her own site, so you can also have a gander there.

So, what is your favourite lip balm? Have you ever bought lip balms from Etsy before? Do tell!

Loved and Used Up - Empties #1

I've been squirreling away my empties for a few months now, and finally I have a decent amount which is post worthy!

Let's work it from left to right, top to bottom!

1. スペインの匂い (Spain Bath Salts) - I had originally planned to do a review of this but as it was less than ordinary, I have shunned it to the one conglomerate product post. The smell is generic, promising to smell of "Spain", obviously roses are the theme. I found it overpowering and not that pleasant. I didn't have very high expectations as it was ¥100.

2. ハーバリズム Herbalism from LUSH - This is the 3rd pot of Herbalism that I have gone through and although I used to enjoy it, I didn't find it did anything note worthy to my skin. The reason I kept re-purchasing it was I couldn't make up my mind what else to buy, I was desperately in need of a cleanser, so I'd just end up re-purchasing what I knew wasn't bad. The scent is okay, very fresh smelling, it's difficult to describe! I found that the version they make in Japan is a lot smoother than the one in New Zealand. It's supposed to be a gentle exfoliant for sensitive skin, and I agree with that claim. It never left my skin feeling stripped or tight, and I loved the fact that it was vegan, cruelty-free and other crapola-free. Unfortunately, the search for a superduperspecialsparkly cleanser goes on!

3. Schwarzkopf Professional BlondMe Blonde Brilliance Intense Treatment - And a century later the product name is finally typed out...So, this hair treatment I liked! He was nice, was there for me when I was in a state of distress, but unfortunately this is where we part. There was just something missing, the chemistry just wasn't there. I will look back at our times together with fondness. Girls, if you've got blondie locks, which also happen to be curly and fine, this may be the treatment to tide you over while you're looking for ~*the one*~. Think a review is in order.

4. Gucci Rush EDT - This is definitely a perfume that seems to be in the category of, you either love it to bits and want to bathe in it, or you hate it and stay away from it like it's petrol. I am most, most, most, most definitely in the former group. I just absolutely adore this smell, I think it's just so sexy and feminine and a total head turner. I love the stark red video cassette shaped box the perfume is housed in and I love wearing it to make myself feel "grown up" and "sexy". It's sweet, but in a sophisticated way, and the floral notes meld so well with the vanilla and patchouli, it's just divine (ooh, look at me just throwing out notes there). Needless to say, I repurchased as soon as I ran out, definitely would never be without it.

5. Vitacost Ultra Hair Formula - Forever seeking the perfect hair, you know what I'm talking about, long voluminous locks that cascade down your back like you're a mermaid, and when people touch it, it makes them want to recite poetry (what, this isn't what everyone aspires to?), I am constantly trying different things. I have always been very wary and suspicious of supplements, wishing that they'd work, but not really believing they'd do anything. In a desperate bid during the cooler months to help nourish my poor dying locks, I invested in these Ultra Hair Formula supplements. Probably should've continued taking them as they recommend taking any supplements for at least 3 months for results to be apparent, but the site Vitacost, jacked up international shipping prices so I found bigger and greener pastures in the form of another site. Conclusion: would not repurchase, did not really work for me.

6. Korres Japanese Rose Shower Gel - I desperately wish this was available in perfume form because it's absolutely divine. I loved, loved, loved using it during summer (did I mention I loved it?). It's a very sweet fruity rose smell and I look forward to using it during my happy shower times. I love Korres, and this smell is just amazing. Free of the nasties you don't want on your body or in your drain, and a beautiful product from Greece, can you say win?

7. Burt's Bees Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil - Bought during winter time to soothe my chapped and dying lips, I am so proud of myself because I have actually used this all up without losing it first! Featured in my Feb faves.

8. Maybelline Baby Lips Soothing Cherry Lip Balm - Another lip balm that's been used and abused without being lost, woohoo! You go Glen Coco. It's a lovely fruity smell and taste, and whilst it doesn't give you baby soft lips, it does help relieve the chapped pain for a little bit.

Phew! So that's it, ladies and gentlemen, my first empties over and done with. What did you think? What's something you've used up recently that you're dying to repurchase? Share and care below!

Korres Pomegranate Lip Balm Review

I have an avid love for Korres products. Unfortunately, I am suckered in by the fact that they're a Greek product and they're all-natural, all-free-of-crapola-we-don't-need-on-our-faces-etc. I have tried a few different things from them, and I've loved them all. If you're not already familiar with the company, they're an eco-friendly manufacturing and product formulating Greek company that has a wide range of cosmetics and body care products. I highly recommend them to anyone who has not tried anything from them before.

As we all know, the Korres Pomegranate lip balm is a cult favourite, and I have leapt on to the bandwagon with the others.

Let's read what it says on the pottle (a little pot)!:"A buttery lip balm (yes) that melts on the lips (that it does do) and offers a shiny, tinted finish (check, again!). The combination of shea butter and rice wax offers deep hydration and softness. Ideal for chapped lips (I agree entirely)."

Korres Pomegranate Lip Balm

 When I first used my finger to swirl it, it was quite tacky, and I was worried that the stickiness would transfer onto my lips, but I'm happy to say I was completely wrong. The colour is a beautiful coral/watermelon one, and it's buildable. I was sceptical about it soothing my winter abused lips, but it really helped make them soft immediately.

New and un-touched

 I love how they give that pop of colour and help make your lips soft at the same time. This lip balm gets full marks from me, I can definitely understand why so many other girls love it!

Swatchat-y-roo

The only con I can think of with this product is the fact that people might have issues with sticking their (possibly) grubby little finger in the pot, only to then smear it on to their lips. And the price tag is a little high, but a worthy investment, I think.

What are you using to soothe your poor lips this winter? Are you a fan of Korres products?