Cold Weather Lip Balm: Osmia Luster

A few weeks ago, Osmia Organics sent me their lovely Luster Lip Balm. I knew I wanted to try it after seeing Jessica's post (here) about this beet colored balm, and I am not disappointed.

The air at work is quite good at drying out just about everything - my first day back, my hydrated skin and lips were dehydrated and uncomfortable by lunch. When I wear Osmia Luster, my lips feel good all day. For maximum hydration, I do have to reapply throughout the day to make it through the horrible dry air situation, but even if I apply this just once, my lips feel ok enough to get through the day. (Does something exist for dry-lipped people that doesn't require reapplying?)

I am also a fan of the sheer red tint it brings to my lips. Even though in the tube it looks deeply purple like beets, (which is an ingredient in this lip balm!), on my lips it becomes a nice warm red tint. Funnily enough, this lip balm smells a bit earthy like beets too! 

While I'm still not sure where this ranks with my favorite lip balms, (surely in my top 5!) I'm definitely a big fan of Osmia Organics Luster and am so glad to be able to try it! What do you think? Will you be grabbing one for yourself? :)

Product provided for review. 

My Week in Lip (Balms)

A month or two ago, everyone was talking about lipstick, and the lovely Gummy posted about her week in lip products. (See that post here!) I loved the post, and thought that I would like to do it too, until I realized that I really use very little over the course of a typical week. I may use a lipstick here and there, but "my week in lips" is really more like "my week in lip balms".

And seriously, I've tried for weeks (ever since she made her post in MID AUGUST!!) and all i've managed besides lip balms is maybe one lipstick here or there until it wears off. LOL! So finally, I decided I should just show you all of it anyway. Everybody likes lip balm right? 

The Luxury Must Haves
Hourglass N28 Lip Oil and La Mer The Lip Balm have been favorites, and really contribute to the overall look of my lips. When I do a good job using them regularly, my lips are more even toned and less wrinkly - my fiance even compliments me on them! 

The Pretty Tints 
The Jouer Tinted Lip Enhancer in Shiraz and Clinique Superbalm in Grapefruit live inside random jacket pockets. Perfect mini sizes to tote around for a bit of moisture, and I like to slick them on for a hint of gloss and color. I love the bit of berry tone in the Jouer, and the classic light pink tint of the Clinique. For a bit more color and hydration I use on Lancome Baume in Love in Urban Ballet, and the neon shade in the tube cheers me up too.  

The Everyday Balm 
Towards the end of summer, I received the Lush Honey Trap Lip Balm*, and have been using this little floral-honey scented pot. The moisturizing effect doesn't last as long as the La Mer or Hourglass for me, but it still works well. It does take a bit of warming up to get it to that proper balmy texture, and I haven't quite figured it out yet. (My fiance seems to be able to do this successfully with just his finger, while I can't seem to at all!) I'm most curious to try this under Lush Emotional Brilliance Lipsticks, as a kind associate once showed me how the lip balm could add moisture and soften the color. 

And I seem to have talked about most of these in a post about my favorite lip products. How predictable of me! :) What do you think of my week in lips? What lip products have you used this week? I'd love to know! 

This post contains affiliate links. Products marked with a * were provided for review.

My Favorite Lip Products

This year, I've somehow become obsessive about lip products, so I thought I ought to share my favorites. Picking favorites for me is generally an impossible task, so this was definitely interesting...!

I've broken down my picks into categories: lip balms, moisturizing glosses, lipsticks, pigmented glosses, lip crayons, and a drugstore pick for a grand total of 13 awesome products that I love.

I do have a need for moisturizing products, as my lips peel even in their natural state. A requirement of any lip product for me is comfortable wear, and at the very least maintaining whatever level of moisture my lips had.

While I was editing the video, I realized I've also forgotten all about Armani Lip Maestro! There are other products that I think might make it on the favorites list too, so perhaps I will have to make another video in a few months!

Watch the video to hear more about the products I like! Are any of these favorites of yours? Do share!

UM I failed to mention Armani Lip Maestro. I like those too.

Lip Care: Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm

As you might have noticed, I have quite an obsession with lip balms. The condition of my lips is always fluctuating, based on weather/environment and products that I use. My absolute favorite balm is La Mer, but at $50 a pop, it isn't the most practical purchase. I also am afraid to bring it anywhere because I don't want to get it dirty or lose it! After reading so many great reviews about Nuxe Reve de Miel, I decided it could be a great alternative that I can take with me on the go.I think the packaging design is quite pretty, even if I dont love sticking my fingers into pots. (It seems hard to avoid products in little jars these days!) I like that this balm has a bit of heft, but this packaging also means that it isn't something that I can throw into a back pocket. (A jacket pocket maybe, or a small clutch!) I also like that the packaging stays relatively clean of fingerprints & grime in comparison to those super shiny or super matte surfaces. I had heard that the texture of this is different - I agree and I love it! It is hard to describe, but it is definitely thicker and more emollient than most balms. The only comparison I can think of is a really finely ground almond butter, or Nutella, but my boyfriend thinks I'm weird for thinking that. Haha! This balm is also taste free and nearly fragrance free, which is great!

This balm is very hydrating for me, and definitely what I was hoping for. It isn't as miraculous as La Mer's Lip Balm was for me, but I think La Mer's balm took me through a time of very rough lips. If I hadn't had La Mer to heal my lips this past spring, I don't know if this balm would have solved my problems, though I'd like to think so! I think I can reasonably use Nuxe Reve de Miel for everyday dryness and chapped lips, and save La Mer for those extreme conditions or added pampering. Wohoo!

For those of you in the US, I purchased this through the Nuxe website, which has a great rewards programs and many sample offerings! Nuxe is also available at a number of online retailers such as beauty.com, birchbox, and beautybar. I purchased this during Nuxe's "Christmas in July" sale, and I wish I had picked it up sooner!

What do you think? Do you have this product or anything else from the Nuxe line you'd recommend?