Pooka.machine.- Pooka.gloss

I just recently discovered ETSY, which is an online retailer of home-made goodies for ridiculously good prices. All for that home-made feel, without the effort. :) But among the art, crafts, T's, etc, they actually carry homemade beauty products. Just so that all of you eco-friendly/vegetarian girls guys out there know, ALOT of their products are 100% vegan. In fact, they have an entire category dedicated to vegan-friendly beauty products (among other things also).

Pooka.Machine. makes 100% vegan beauty products and uses all natural ingredients. I picked up 3 of the 4 lipbalms that Pooka offers over at ETSY (the complete product line is NOT available YET at ETSY, but will be soon), and was won over immeadiatly with the ADORABLE packaging. Cute, Cute Cute!



I have to give Pooka a 10 outta' 10 for packaging! The tubes are atad smaller than your average lipbalm tube (shown in the picture below), but in my opinion make them much more jean-pocket friendly.



Okay, so onto the review! First up is the Peppermint Lipbalm, which once opened smells of hard peppermint candies. Sweet and refreshing for anytime of the day. The glide is smooooooth and moisture is instant. Pooka nailed that 'layer' of moisture that leaves your lips slick, not slippery or wet as with a gloss. Perfect for chapped lips. I wouldn't recommend this balm for flaky, very dry lips (perhaps for being out in the sun too long) because that 'slick' makes the little flakes of skin more apparent. But, after 5-7 minutes, the balm absorbs into the lip, still leaving lips soft, smooth and well moisturized.

Next is the Vanilla Lip Balm, which is meant to have more of a 'glossy, wet lip' effect compared to the others (according to the website, correct me if I'm wrong please). I'm not too sure about that to be honest, it appeared to have the same sheen as the others. But aside from that the lip balm was almost impeccable. I LOVED the vanilla scent. It reminds me of Vanilla Soymilk.....Vanilla IS a relaxing scent....but alot of the Vanillas we see on the market today are that more "Ice-Cream-y sweet Vanilla". Which is fine! Don't get me wrong, I love it as much as the next girl. But vanilla represented as relaxing, calm and comforting in this balm is soooooo underrated....it's a darn shame. Definatly pick it up as a nite-time balm, or just something to relax you during the mid-day blues.

Last is the Sweet Orange Lip Balm, which is another hit with me. It smells just like those little clementine oranges that we get in the summer time here in California......it's juicy and sweeeeeeeeeeeet. Definatly sexy, in an understated "I'm-just-drawn-that-way" type of sexy (props to Jessica Rabbit).

Overall, Pooka.Machine. Balm were fantastic. Probably some of the best quality that I've tried so far, and the packaging is something that a girl will WANT to be caught putting on......... I'm giving this one 9 outta' 10, I knocked off one point ONLY because it didn't contain SPF. Definatly try these balms out!

Revlon's Raisin Glaze

I suppose that me, and the rest of the world is looking for the "perfect" gloss. I suppose one that would suit each and every user's wants and needs, should it be patent-leather shine or full-on coverage. Gloss for me, is one of those lovely beauty basics. Although not classic like the "perfect" red lipstick, it is a more casual alternative to looking try-too-hard-glamorous when I go to work in the morning. Being LA born and bread, gloss is a staple as is, lets say.....a pair of jeans.

So, let me give props to Dain over at The Lipstick Page for showing me this hidden drugstore tresure! Revlon's Super Lustrious Raisin Glaze Gloss is STUNNING. Just as she described it, it was an apricot-y plum/brown. I know that it sounds strange, but the color is actually very beautiful. It sort of reminds me of the drugstore version of Chanel Glosses, (which are FABULOUS and worth the splurge) and has a gold base, which immeadiatly brightens the lip. Even my Manager (who is a former make-up artist) mistook the gloss for Chanel. The color, the texture, the lovely golden micro-fine glitter just screams luxury. Oh yeah, and it has SPF 15. Not bad.




It also looks quite intense in the tube, which I was intimidated of at first. But once applied to the lip it just deepened my pink lips natural color....quite sexy actually. Definatly a good buy, and I would HIGHLY recommend it for any redheads. Sometimes I find it so hard to find cosmetics that don't make me look like a french whore (because nothing looks worse than a read-head with electric blue eyeshadow or frosty-pink lipstick. ew.). It "compliments" my red hair and fair skin, instead of clashing with harsh, bright color. Nice.

Viva La-Bello!

Picking my favorite lip balm would be like telling a mother to choose their favorite child. I just....couldn't do it. I don't believe that there is such a thing as 'the holy grail' of lip balms...I keep EVERY SINGLE balm that I have ever purchased. Because They're all sooooooo different. Some are minty....some smell like my favorite desserts, some don't have any scent at all! I But, recently I've been going through all of my lipbalms that have collected in my purse, bathroom cabinet, my vanity, my glove compartment.....all over the place. So once I got all of my lip balms together, I realized the staggering number that I actually had.....I must have over 50 tubes on my kitchen counter just WAITING to be used....

I should probably consider swap over at Make-Up Alley :/

ANYWAYS........Labello is one of those 'cult' favorites. The brand is unavailable in the US, and is known as the 'Chapstic' of Europe. A friend of mine visted Germany recently and noticed that they use the word 'Labello' like how we say 'Chapstic'. Interesting, hm? But rightfully so, because this balm is fantastic. Compared to most of that cheap crap we put on our lips State Side, this is the creme de la creme of balms.

The application is smoooooooooth.......and THICK. It leaves a pleasent layer of moisture on the lips, but nothing unpleasent. After 4-5 minutes, the layer seems to soak right into the lips, just leaving behind soft, supple lips. In my experience, this effect lasted ALL day.....after eating, drinking, and a little bit of macking out with a significant other. Almost too good to be true isn't? It also has subtlest of spa-like scents in the tube and when applied to the lips. It's not floral, or citrus-y, but soft....soothing.....like baby lotion.





Another great thing about Labello is the WIDE array of flavors and formulas. So they'll have somethning for everyone! They even make a "manly" version called Labello for Men, which is a more matter version of the original.

I ordered the Classic balm (in the notorious blue tube), Cherry, Strawberry and the special SPF 30. I bought mine online from an ebay seller based in France who sold me the four for the riduclously low price of $8.00 (with shipping).

The only problem I had with Labello, was the consistency between he different formulas. For example, the Cherry and Strawberry flavors have a very sheer red/berry coloring to them, and can be layered for a lipstick like effect (in my opinion) and they don't last nearly as long as the Original formula. I found that both flavors dried out on my lips over time, and made me reapply more often. Still a VERY good balm, but just not as good as the Original. On another note, let me just say that the two flavors that I tried have the most natural flavoring I've ever smelled. Opening the tube of the Stawberry flavor is like picking up a fresh strawberry. Nothing like Chapstic..... :/ The same goes for the Cherry flavor which is just.......juicy and delicious.

Another downside (the few that I found) is the lack of UV protection built right into the balm. Even chapstic has the bottom of the barrel SPH 4 in it formula (not good, but it's better than nothing). You have to buy the special UV protection version, which is fine....but I just would have preferred to have it in the formula already. Call me overconcerned. But this fair skinned redhead has to watch out for the sun in the Cali heat. I found the UV formula to be MUCH stiffer compared to the smooth glide of the other three. It also left a whiteness cast like when applying sunscreen....ew....pasty.... :/

Overall, I would just pick up the Cherry and/or Stawberry flavors and of COURSE the Original, which I've ALREADY (I've been using them for about 3-4 months now) almost used down to the nub.

China Glaze: For Audrey

I've had this thing for Audrey Hepburn since I was a very young girl. There was something just so......elegant, flawless....and simply lovely. In my eyes she was perfect. She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen, and there she was....standing outside the door at Tiffany's. She was everything that every girl I knew had hoped to be. Later, when I found out about all of her contributions to UNICEF, and even starting her own foundation for children in need....I knew that I had found my idol. She will always remain a beacon of classic beauty and loveliness. I simply adore her. So when a polish was released just 'For Audrey' I HAD to have it.

This polish was inspired by those pretty blue boxes that one receives when purchasing at Tiffany's. I suppose they had the idea to have a tiny bit of that luxury in a nail polish. They had the right idea. What girl doesn't love Tiffany's? Though...few girls can ACTUALLY afford it.....China Glaze created For Audrey for the 'Something Blue' collection, which I was a bit confused by to be honest with you, because when I thought it was a wedding 'inspired' polish. Er...maybe it's just me....But anyway, after much searching, I couldn't find it on any discount online retailers, and going to the ebay scalpers is for the birds so, I knew I had to set off on foot to find it. Eventually I did, at a little hole-in-the-wall beauty store across from a Nordys. They had an ENTIRE box full of them....which I was SHOCKED to see after searching on the internet for as long as I had. I picked up a bottle for $4.99, which isn't terrible considering that I own a small collection of Chanel poshes, some of which I had paid over $30 for (Black Satin about a year ago, when black polish reigned supreme). BUT, you CAN get 'For Audrey' online, for as low as $2.99. BUT, they do sell out fast on retailers that actually carry China Glaze, so if you see it available, definatly grab it while you still can.




When I first got it, I thought it would be the PERFECT summer pedi polish. And, I was right.....to some extent. The color is gorgeous...not quite the 'Tiffany' blue it was inspired by, but close. This polish may be a little too grey-blue for some gals. I've read several other reviews this claim that the polish washes them out, especially when you want your pedi to stand out in the summer. I'm very fair skinned, and the polish came out to a milky turquoise color on my toes. It was pretty, but I wasn't too sure if I liked the color on or not. I had never tried a light blue/turquoise polish like this before, and it was a bit much for me at first. But, I picked up a pair of lovely silver metallic flats at Nordy's the other day, and when I wore them to work, I received many compliments on the color (pic above is color in indoor lighting)




This polish is actually quite bland once indoors, or at least in my opinion. It kind of reminds me of the early ninties. Um....ew. But, in sunlight it's a lovely creamy blue, just like Tiffany's. Blue fans, definatly pick this one up. Lookin' for some adventurous new colors? Check it out. Lookin to complete the rainbow of yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, green...get it. But, your more classic pink/red/vampy girls....pass this one up. Also, if you're a woman of color lookin for some fun polish, I think that this pretty blue would look amazing against darker skin :)

My Lip Stuff Lipbalms, and other stuff <3

I just got my box of 9 balms in mail today to add to my collection of balms. My Lip Stuff (www.mylipstuff.com) makes all natural, animal friendly, homemade lipbalms and other bath/body products. I actually found them on PETA's "mall" for eco-friendly/vegan friendly shopping online. Of course, since I've been on this lipbalm kick lately, I had to try it. My Lip Stuff is known for thier 400 flavor collection of balms.....so there is definatly a flavor for everyone! Also, their products are NOT vegan....they use bees wax which many vegan do not use (while it's okay for some). BUT, they DO carry 100% vegan balms which are made from candelilia wax (instead of bees wax).

I wasn't really sure what to try, so I just picked up a few of the top sellers and a couple that I just thought sounded interesting: Cinnamon Roll, Rainbow Sherbet, "Mixed Mystery", Upside-Down Pineapple Cake, Monkey Farts and Peach Melba. I also picked up the intensly moisterizing Lickity Lips balm, and the Pink Cake Lip Gloss (which was HIGHLY recommended on the website). Okay, so lets get started!



Rainbow Sherbet: Let me just say that when I opened up the tube, it smelled EXACTLY like rainbow sherbet! I usually don't really like fruity ice creams (I'm more of a vanilla kind of gal)....but I was pleasently surpised the super juciy scent. As I appiled it, the scent became even more intense and the balm glided on smoothly, almost like a gloss. It left a lovely sheen to the lips, and absorbed quickly as it moisterized. The scent died down a bit after a few minutes, but still lingered on the lips. This would be the perfect balm for a date night (or at least if you were expecting a kiss ;) ) Very good balm overall.

Peace of Mind: I see why they call this Peace of Mind, the name is very suiting of the peppermint, spearmint, anise, basil and eucalyptus blend. As soon as I opened the cap, I could smell the refreshing scents of mint and licorice. It appiled smoothly, as of the other balms and absorbed quickly, and left a slight sheen. It also had a nice tingle when first appiled (like the Burts Bees lipbalms). It claims that you could use it to freshen your breath after a meal, but I would still stick with a tin of Altoids. But, like the Burt's Bees balms, the peppermint dries out the lips overtime, and might make you reapply more often. But, the scent is nice and pleasent compared to the other intense scents that have a time and a place; for this balm it's right before bedtime.

Monkey Farts: Silly name, I know. But this balm is a combination of bubblegum, banana, stawberry, kiwi, vanilla and grapefruit (dunno how they came up with the name, it's a bit off putting isn't?). It appiles and is essentially the same as the others (consistency in this brand is very good in my opinion compared to other homemade brands). When first appiled the balm has a VERY intense bubblebum smell....almost too overwhelming. BUT, after a minute or two, it mellows out, and I can definatly smell the notes of banana, strawberry, kiwi and vanilla (and not so much grapefruit, except in a slight tartness). Very good, but might want to pass it up if you are sensitive to intense scents.

Peach Melba: I've never had the dessert which was the inspiartion for this balm, but I just might now...Peach melba (just in case your like me, and had NO idea what it was) is a dessert with chilled peaches, rasberries, vanilla ice cream and a tiny bit of lemon juice. When I first appiled it, I at first smelled the rich vanilla, and then began to smell the other more subtle notes. Good balm, nothing special. Pick up one of the more interesting scents instead.

"Mixed Mystery"- the idea behind this balm is the 'mystery' scent which apparently changes each time you apply it. I'm not so sure about that....but it came free with my order, so I had to try it anyway. Essectially the same as the others. When appiled it had the same intense bubblegum scent, and really didn't die down until I wiped it off my lips. I'm not the biggest fan of bubblegum scents in balm, they give me a headache and just smell.....a little too strong for me.

Upside-Down Pineapple Cake- MmmmmMMmmmmmmMMmmm........probably has the best scent that I've tried on so far in the tube. You can immeadiatly smell the yummy yellow cake and frosting...and then you get the juicyness of the pineapple, which is absolutely AMAZING. It reminds me of summers sitting by the pool at my Aunts house and eating freshly baked Upside-Down Pineapple Cake under the cabana. The scent is sweet, but not TOO sweet versus the intense bubblegum (Monkey Fart) scent, which for me was a bit too strong.

Cinnamon Roll- I have a Cinnabon in the mall where I work, and occasionally I can smell the fresh baking rolls, even from the other side of the mall. As this is one of my all-time favorite desserts, there are sometimes when I just crave a fresh baked cinnamon roll. This is JUST like that......it smells warm, cinnamon-y, goey and delicious. You can seriously smell the frosting when you lick your lips....yummy. I would HIGHLY recomment this one for cinnamon roll lovers. It's like eating a cinnamon roll, without the guilt ;)

Lickity Lips- This highly moisterizing balm is unscented and has a thicker texture than the other lipbalms. It is meant for the more 'mature' crowd you just want all the moisture without the fun scents. Although, I think that it does smell like the spa....relaxing and natural, but nothing overwelming. Very good for very dry lips. Has the signature My Lip Stuff ease of appilcation and give a sheen to the lips. Perfect before bedtime for an overnight lip treatment.

Last but certainly not least:

Pink Cake Gloss: The gloss is in those old-school rollerball tubes that I used buy at the dollar store and smelled like candy. So, it had a little bit of nostalgia for me to get it....just with a super yummy flavor. I read quite a few reviews that were featured on the website and this gloss falvor was HIGHLY recommended. When I first even twisted the cap, it smelled exactly like freshly baked yellow cake (very similar to Jaqua's Buttercream Frosting). It glided on easily, even though it took a few seconds to get the ball rolling (pun intended). It left a nice 'wetness' to the lips, like just coming out of the pool. But, not a super glossy appearance (go with a MAC lip gloss for a UBER shiney lip). This is perfect for the girl who wants a glossy look, but without the worry of the gloss being stuck on her hair. Ovetime, it absorbs into the lip, leaving them nice and smooth. But on the downside, the slight gloss completly dissolves.

overall, the products were very good. The only problem that I had with the brand was its quick absorbtion. I prefer when I purse my lips and I can feel a little bit of something on my lips. This brand wouldn't be good for those who like to lick their lips, even from time to time because you would wipe off any product that you appiled. But, don't get me wrong it's not that big of a deal, and the yummy flavors more than make up for it!