A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

An exquisite gift for someone special, this Lip Polish trio (£42) from Arbonne combines three easy to wear lip polishes housed in a classy silver pouch.

I’ve talked about these Arbonne Lip Polishes before and I suggest you read the review to familiarise yourself with what it is that makes these so special.  For me, they’re the perfect lip gloss/lipstick hybrid that packs a punch of pigment without that heavy lip gloss feeling.

The three full size glosses included are: Raisin, Nude & Brown Sugar.

Raisin is a sparkle infused wine shade that can be worn full-on for a vampy, glossy finish or blotted down to leave behind a long lasting stain that still manages to look slightly glossy.

Nude is the perfect accompaniment to a true smoky eye.  With no sparkle and a slightly satiny finish… this lip polish cancels out my lip colour and ensures that it’s all about the peepers!

Brown Sugar is a wearable nude for daytime.  This is a warmer toned nude that should suit most skintones and makes for a real work-safe easy to wear colour.

I’ve tried a few things from Arbonne now but it’s these Lip Polishes in particular that have stood out to me as something of considerable quality.

Infact, I’d happily put these in my top 5 product discoveries of the year.  Which is why although expensive at £42 for the trio… for once, I’d not balk at paying this knowing that I’m paying for actual quality formulations and not just a brand name.

To view this gift set in closer detail and find your local Arbonne consultant, click here.

The day that I get my concealer application down to a fine art is the day that I go ALL out on tinted moisturisers.  I love the more natural finish, but hate compromising on coverage.

Arbonne are quite new to me and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the products I’ve tried.  I’ll probably never feel comfortable with the way in which you need to purchase the products through consultants but that’s just because I’m an old fashioned girl who’d much rather be able to pick up her makeup whilst out shopping!

I received a sample of Arbonne’s Sheer Finish Tinted Moisturiser in Fair.  Arbonne offer an impressive 6 shades within their tinted moisturiser range.  I’m used to seeing Light, Medium and Dark… so such a wide selection caught my attention early on.

Packaging is SLEEK!  I know they’ve recently revamped their entire cosmetics line and the dirty pewter finish is lovely!

The texture of the tinted moisturiser is quite fluid… which makes it easy to spread and blend, there’s plenty of slip which makes for quite a fool-proof application.  It’s definitely more like applying a moisturiser than applying a foundation.

It’s a dewy finish that would benefit from a little powder over areas that are prone to shine.  I usually powder my nose, chin and forehead after applying this.  It evens out my skintone nicely but doesn’t provide any coverage for blemishes.  It also doesn’t completely cover redness, but as a tinted moisturiser, it probably isn’t meant to.

It moisturises well (something that most tinted moisturisers actually fail to do!) but the flipside to this is that it leaves my skin feeling slightly tacky to the touch, another reason to set with powder.

At £24 for 50ml, this is high end.  Not as expensive as Laura Mercier’s cult offering or Bobbi Brown’s tinted balm, but more expensive than many high street alternatives including Clinique’s Almost Makeup (which I love for the winter).

Longevity is good, it does slip around my nose by mid-afternoon… but that’s where I’m at my most oily and I don’t use any kind of mattifying products in this area.

Final Verdict – If you’re looking for a sheer tinted moisturiser in a wide variety of shade choices, Arbonne’s Sheer Finish Tinted Moisturiser may be for you.  If you’re prone to oily skin or don’t need so much moisturisation… consider other options first.

…Strawberry!

I was sent an Arbonne lipstick in shade, Strawberry (£16).  It’s an “almost red” that would suit ladies who fear a completely bold red lip, i.e. me.

The texture is smooth and it feels light on the lips.  I’ve been wearing this applied quite sheerly and blotted with my finger to create a softer matte stain-like finish and as a result, longevity has been impressive.  Applied more heavily, you can achieve a glossier effect, but the flipside is a more noticeably dehydrated lip.

It’s a fun shade for the summer, a pink-ed red that suits it’s name perfectly.

Excuse the silliness, I was being too lazy to go and pose in my usual spot properly!

Visit www.arbonneinternational.co.uk or call Customer Services on 0800 977 5721 to locate your nearest consultant and purchase products.

What reds are you favouring for the Summer?

Arbonne… you won’t find them on the high street, their products are sold through a network of independent consultants… like the old Avon lady/Mary Kay situation, but with a 21st Century twist.

The Swiss brand are particularly well-known for their skincare, with an almost cult fanbase in some countries.  More well-known in the U.S, Arbonne have only been active in the UK for a couple of years.

Now, the products aren’t cheap… and I’ve so far experienced some rather (how can I put it delicately) “full on” interactions with Arbonne consultants over the internet.  They come across a bit ‘motivational video/live your dreams/come join us and be happy!’ for me and I find it off-putting.  It’s a shame that you can’t just bypass the whole independent consultant bit… but it is what it is.

Having said that, I’m rapidly falling for the products I was sent to try, and one in particular…. the Arbonne Nude Lip Polish.

Exactly the same size as a Revlon Super Lustrous lipgloss, 5.9ml is a pretty average quantity.  Sadly, Arbonne’s version will set you back £16.  I did say it wasn’t cheap.  What I didn’t say, is that in the week I’ve been wearing it, it’s quickly become one of the nicest products I’ve ever worn on my lips.

It’s semi-sheer… but where most lipglosses aren’t buildable (unless you like 7 inches of gunk stuck to your lips) this somehow is.  I usually apply 2 or 3 layers and in doing so, I achieve a more opaque finish without the product becoming denser and gloopier.  On my lips, it feels like a cross between a lip gloss and a lipstick with a satin gloss finish as opposed to a glassy one.

I guess what I’m saying is… if you don’t generally like lip glosses but kinda wish you did, there’s a very good chance that you’ll love this.

The packaging feels pretty luxe, with a nice weight.  The applicator is your standard doe foot affair, and the colour in the tube is true to life.  It’s also extremely long wearing… 2 cups of tea, 2 4 chocolate digestives and a cheese string later and it’s still holding on!  Oh, and another thing I’ve noticed that I’m really impressed by is Arbonne’s comprehensive website.

I can’t link you directly because it’s (stupidly) built in flash… but if you click through to “lips –> lip polish”, not only do they give you a full ingredient list… but they also state the purpose of each ingredient present in the product.  An extremely worthwhile addition to the website in an age where consumers are so information driven and ingredient conscious.

I love doing heavy eyes, so the Arbonne Lip Polish in Nude is pretty much the perfect accompaniment.  I’m still trying to make peace with the price tag and I guess compared to Beaute’s Weightless Lip Creme (around £20) I’m getting a bargain.

Anyway, wanna see?

You can see the satiny finish and how it’s glossy but without being pornstar full-on sucking on a greasy pork chop… (that’s not a euphamism btw).

I’m also wearing Arbonne’s eyeliner in Plum on my eyes and whilst it’s perfectly lovely… it’s also £15.  There’s no way I’m gonna attempt to justify that when I can buy almost 4 GOSH Velvet Touch eyeliners for the same price.  It’s nice… but it’s not £15 nice yano?

The Nude Lip Polish?  Definitely is.

Arbonne products can be purchased through a consultant and you can find your nearest consultant, here.

Have you tried Arbonne?