Darling Girl Lip Products Reviews and Swatcharama!

Today I have some swatches and reviews of Darling Girl Cosmetics Lip Products.

They make several different lip products including lip balms, primer and of course colour cosmetics.

Packaging is simple but attractive:

  

Holo Gloss in a click pen, Kiss You Off Colour Rich Lip Balm in a tube, Liquid Kiss Luxe sample in Strawberry Fields Forever in a clam shell, Holo Gloss in a pot.

Reviews and swatches under the cut :)

Models Own Lip Balm Review

I'll just come right out and say it, this review is going to be hideously gushing as this is one of the best lip products I've ever tried. I LOOOOVE it. I actually tried a self imposed boycott of Models Own for a while last year after a big sale fail and then someone from their facebook page nicking photos from my blog without asking or crediting me but then I tried this and was just like '...ok well as a brand they may suck but their products rule!'

So why do I love this so much? Well it's fully opaque with the shine of a gloss, smells like delicious fruity candy, lasts for hours, moisturises my lips as well as a non coloured balm and feels like I'm just wearing a light layer of balm. IT'S JUST AMAZING!

  

As you can see it comes in a little pot (which either weigh 6g full or hold 6g of product. I'm not sure.) The balm itself is like... a paste I guess! It's not as hard as your average lip balm in a tube but not as liquid as a gloss. It's really easy to spread over your lips and looks smooth and even. And my god are the 3 I own pigmented!

Red Hot - bright bold red. Smells like strawberry candy.

 

Tangerine - Reddish coral. Smells like orange candy.

 

Fuschia-Full. Shimmering bright fuschia. Smells like raspberry candy.

 

I wanted to test out their longevity so worn it for a while and took photos at intervals.

Here is Fuschia-Full after about an hour, during which time I drank a pint of water and ate something:

  

IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME!

Here it is after about 4 hours. There was more drinking, eating and at one point I completely smudge it accidentally with my hand. 

 

It has now faded quite a lot but it's an even, sheer pink now, no patchiness or smudging.

While wearing these It just feels like I've applied a thickish layer of normal lip balm, they're not at all sticky or heavy or gloopy feeling. After I remove it my lips feel really softened and supple.

Any cons? Well if you just wanted a slightly tinted lip balm this obviously isn't for you (though there is a clear shade and a light pink that might be suitable), there are only 6 colours available at the moment and some people might not like applying from the pot. Personally I have no problem with the packaging, I use a lip brush to apply it so I don't get messy fingers and because of the consistency I really can't think how else they could package it. Some people also may dislike the fragrances (though those people would be crazy as they smell delicious!) but you can only really smell it when you first apply (or if you stick your nose in the pot to sniff it like I do :P) Other than that I don't see how anyone could dislike it. It's just... lovely! These are usually £5 from Models Own but I think I picked them up in a sale on Asos for about £3 each. Obviously I'm glad I paid less than asking price but I definately think they're worth the full price.

*Despite the hideous gushing in this review I have recieved no form of compensation for it and I bought the products myself, it's just a creamy dreamy product!*

Edit:
If Models Own get to 50000 'likes' on facebook by the end of August there will be a 50% off sale. If anyone outside the UK would like me to do a CP then (or at any other time with any UK brand) I would be more than happy :)

Swatcharama - Models Own lip Products

Dammit I don't want to like these but I can't help it! They're really, really good and it pisses me off! (for reasons why I don't want to like Models Own see here)

They're all  affordable at £5 each (and often on 3 for 2 at Boots) and they just work. The lipsticks are creamy and truly opaque in one swipe, the lip glosses are pretty pigmented and really glossy and the balms... Oh the balms! I need to write a full review on these products because they really deserve it. Godammit, stop being good, I want to hate you! :(

Anyway here be swatches:

Lipsticks:

Coral Pink:

 

More under the cut :)

Clean Start Smart Mouth Lip Shine

(I was sent this to review but all thoughts are my own)

 

The lovely people at Dermalogica were kind enough to send me a sample kit of their Clean Start range. The rest is skincare and I haven't been using it for long enough to review yet.

I get very dry lips, I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's the constant lipstick wearing or the fact that i suffer from dry skin on the rest of my face but anyway the reason isn't important (so why am i discussing it?... dunno!). However I am not one of those people who applies lipbalm religiously. I tend to just apply it before bed everyday, or, if my lips are very chapped and sore, every now and then. My most used balm is Vaseline. Now i know some people swear by it and some despise it. I quite like it personally but the main reason i use it is that i can get a big pot for cheap and just keep it on my bedside table, it will last me months if not years and i don't need to worry about buying more balm. Of course I have tried other balms though, various brands through the years and, while some have worked better than others I've never found one I liked enough tokeep coming back to, apart from the Vaseline.

And then I tried this one.

I can honestly say that this is the best lip balm I've ever tried! I like so so much about it, but the main thing is that i honestly believe this helped cure my chapped lips practically overnight.

A while back, when I recieved this, I had awfully saw lips. Red and painful and chapped to the point that they were very near bleeding. I got this, put it on and my mouth instantlly felt soothed. I was pleased but didn't much more. But i kept putting it on and the next day i woke up and, while my lips were still a bit sore, they felt so, so much better and all the flaking skin was gone and healed. I was amazed. And then by the next day my lips weren't even sore again! Of course this could have been a coincidence, maybe my lips were just healing up anyway, but I reckon it's more likely it was the balm. 

I haven't had such sore lips since, but using this makes my lips feel softer, smoother and hydrated. 

Another great thing about it is the scent. It smells amazing! It'sweet, sort of candy-ish. to me it smells like a mixture of orange and vanilla (what i believe some people call 'creamsicle') It's not overpowering but not weak either, it's just about right. It doesn't have flvour though, just  a sweetness about it. 

However one slight problem I have with it is that although the scent isn't really strong it's still strong enough that I can't wear it at night, but that's just a little niggle.

The packaging isn't very exciting or cute or unusual but i like it anyway. The actual design is nice, quite straight forward and clean, with instructions and information on the back. The colour scheme of two oranges, black and white is nice and vibrant and sort of Pop-art-ish. And the uhh 'delivery system' for the balm is a small, plastic applicator thing with 4 small holes. You have to squeeze quite hard to get the product out, but to me this seems like a good thing as it means it would be unlikely to leak anywhere.

The actual balm is a liquid, basically the same consistency as a lip gloss. And that leads me onto the fact that this balm is designed to be a lip gloss as well. Now I don't really wear clear lipgloss (apart from on top of lipstick, and i haven't tried using this like that yet, but i will try to remember!) but I have seen it on my lips obviously. While it doesn't give you a super-plastic-like shine like some glosses it does give your lips a nice glossy shine and a juicy, wet look. 

So this has basically been enirely positive so far! But here comes quite a big negative: The price. This currently retails at £8.20 for 10ml. Now I've been using this for a while and there seems to still be lots left (as the packaging is opaque i can't actually tell) but I don't know how long it will last. And, well £8 is a LOT for a lip balm in my opinion. And so i don't know if i would actually purchase this myself. I love it, like i said it's the best lip balm i've owned, but i don't know if i could bring myself to spend that much on one lip balm when i could get 225g of Vaseline for £2.25 or a tub of Carmex for £2.50 (i haven't actually tried Carmex myself but i've heard from a tonne of sources that it is the holy grail of lip balms).

The Smart Mouth Lip Shine has the added advantage of acting as a lip gloss as well. If you wear a lot of clear gloss then i would highly recommend it as it will act as your gloss but heal your lips too. However as i said before I don't wear gloss that much.

So in summary: this is a fantatic product and if you can afford it I would highly recommend it, but it does seem too pricey to me.

Mini Review - Nivea Caregloss and Shine

I won this in a giveaway by the lovely Cat (catslittleobsessions.blogspot.com).
First impressions on this are really great! It smells and tastes delicious (sort of berryish and slightly sherbety) and is a really nice shiny pink with a slight shimmer. The idea of this is really attractive to me, quite a well pigmented lip gloss but with the softening and healing effects of a lip balm. It glides on easily and feels nice on my lips, buttery and not at all sticky.
However after about 30 seconds this stuff starts to tingle on my lips, and the tingle turns into a sting. After about a minute it starts prickling me intensely, it doesn't really hurt but it's very irritating and i can't cope with it and have to rub it off. It's a bit like a lip plumper, only it continues to sting for as long as i have it on my lips. I don't know if it's just me that has a problem with this (i am allergic to some spices and similar things so it might contain something that irritates me).
So if anyone else has tried it please let me know how it felt to you.

Review - Sleek Pout Polish

This little beauty was doing the rounds on a lot of blogs a while back. When it first came out Sleek sent out some samples to some beauty bloggers and the reviews were overwhelmingly positive. When i saw these reviews i had terrible chapped lips (which i now have again :/) and they were so sore i couldn't wear my usual heavy lipsticks. I usually hate going out without lipstick on, i feel vulnerable with a naked lip (:P) so this looked amazing to me, a balm that will heal my lips while providing colour that isn't too sheer.

And basically, all of the positive reviews are absolutely true! This stuff is fantastic!

Here's what Sleek say about it:
'Sleek MakeUP is proud to announce the newest member to its lip range; welcome the “POUT POLISH,” a tinted lip conditioner that provides a sheer gloss finish.

As well as looking good, your lips will feel good as POUT POLISH contains SP15 to protect your lips from harmful rays. Highly conditioning POUT POLISH contains shea butter, almond jojoba and avocado oil to deeply nourish your lips so you can pucker up with confidence.

As if this wasn’t enough reason to make POUT POLISH your latest handbag essential this small pot of goodness has added flavour, so if you have a sneaky lick of your lips you will be met with a subtle hint of vanilla.

Drench your lips with pout perfecting moisture in one of 4 perfect shades; Electro Peach, Pink Cadillac, Chocolate Kiss and Perfect Plum come together to give your pout an instant perk. With a delicate tint of colour that gives a subtle sheen to lips, rest assured that whilst your lips are alluring to the eye, they’re nourishing.
Every make-up bag should contain a POUT POLISH have you got yours?

Available in Superdrug from September 2nd. Limited Offer: Any 2 for £6.99, RRP £3.91'



(please ignore my messy room again!)

This stuff is great. For under £4 you get a nice big pot of the creamiest, smoothest balm with amazing colour and shine. It immediately makes my lips feel better, and honestly i don't know how, but it really did seem to 'heal' my lips after just a few applications. The chapped-ness seemed to have melted away and my lips were really soft again.

I really like the packaging too, the pot is flat and wide so dipping your fingers into it is easy as pie, and i think the matte lid with it's name and motif looks really classy and quite high-end looking.

The colour i have is Pink cadillac which is a great, vibrant bubblegum pink. It is sheer, but buildable so you can actually get a nice pigmented lip, in fact if you build this up it can look stronger than a lot of lip glosses i've tried in the past. The colour is just really lovely.



So i really love this, as you can tell, but this product does have a problem which is the 'vanilla' scent that sleek describes is s. I cannot stand it. To me it isn't recognisably vanilla. It's sweet but horribly synthetic and it tastes slightly soapish. I really hate it. Taste and scent are a personal thing, so i'm sure there are people who would have no problem with it (in fact i've read reviews where people either like it, or are neutral to it, but never seen anyone else who hates it like i do), to me it is really quite foul. Luckilly though after a few minutes the taste/smell isn't really noticeable so once i get over my initial disgust i can cope with it, and all in all it's quite a small flaw in an otherwise faultless product.

My superdrug hasn't had these in stock for ages now. When i got mine they only had pink cadillac and chocolate kiss in stock, but testers of the others. Electro peach was beautiful, a very bright orangey peach and i'm hoping to get it as soon as it comes back into the store! I did't like the other two, but they were all very nicely pigmented.

So all in all this stuff is highly recommended, but give the pot a sniff (and maybe give your swatch a tiny lick) when you test the colours!