Difference between lipstick and lip gloss?

I love lip products and get asked quite a bit which I prefer lipstick or lipgloss? It's a hard question to answer because they both have great features. So I wanted to let you know what the difference is between a lipstick and a lipgloss.

There are many brands and many different formulas which are all great but when looking at a basic lipstick and lipgloss here are some of the differences:

LIPSTICK

Lipsticks come in a few different textures and are great at providing rich colour that can last a long time (depending on which type you choose).

You can get matt lipsticks which provide colour and are great for long lasting colour, however they can make your lips dry.

Creamy lipsticks come in really true colours and are great for those prone to get dry lips.

Frosted lipsticks are shimmery colour lipsticks and work well to create a fuller lip.

LIPGLOSS

Lipgloss can come in a tube or pot packaging. Lipgloss does wear off quicker than lipstick.

Sheer lipgloss provide a hint of colour and lots of shine.

Sparkling lipglosses are glitter or shimmer infused and are great to add something more to your lips than traditional lip products.

Shiny lipglosses are great to give you lots of shine, some can give you a really wet look.

Creamy lipgloss gives you more colour and a creamier feel to your lips (but not quite like a lipstick)


These days there are so many different varieties to choose from that you are definitely going to find something that suits you. Both lipsticks and lipglosses can be found in long lasting and moisturising formulas. You can wear both a lipstick and lipgloss together, which looks great.

And don't forget if you have dry lips - before applying lipstick or lipgloss, apply a moisturising lip balm and leave it on for a good ten minutes or so to give you smooth lips and then you can apply your lipstick or lip gloss.

Do you have a preference for lipstick or lipgloss?

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm review

I never leave the house without something on my lips, whether its a lip balm, lipgloss or lipstick!

The Clinique Chubby Sticks were released earlier this year and definitely have been a must try product for me, the packaging is so enticing.

Clinique says: Super-nourishing balm is loaded with mango and shea butters. Just what dry, delicate lips need to feel comfortably soft and smooth. Eight natural-looking lip tints in all, each with a subtle sheen.


The Clinique Chubby sticks are a oversized crayon-like balm that has a cap. Once you take the cap off, you apply the chubby stick to your lips. You wind it up to get more product out and it doesn't need sharpening. I was sent to try the 06 whoppin watermelon - a pretty light pink colour.

The texture of the chubby stick is a thin consistency that feels like a lip balm, glides on beautifully, is smooth and lightweight on the lips. It feels very moisturising and comfortable on the lips, with a light colour payoff. They are sheer, but can be built up if you apply a few layers. I apply a few layers about four and this lip balm lasts a good three to four hours, before I feel like I need to reapply.

It is definitely a lip balm, that moisturises and feels hydrating with a hint of colour. If your after a everyday lip balm that feels moisturising and smooth on the lips (excellent for dry lips) and easy to apply, then these are great. The packaging are presentable, cute and fun!

These are available at Clinique counters for $35aud and have eight shades to choose from.

Do you have a favourite lip balm? What do you prefer lipstick, lipgloss or lip balms?

How to take care of your lips

Lately I have been paying extra attention to my lips. I love wearing either lip gloss or lipstick or both on my lips all the time, but of course I don't like it when my lips are dry.

Here are some tips:

1. Moisturise your lips at all times. Invest in a good lip moisturiser and apply in the morning before applying lipstick/lipgloss.

2. Before going to bed every night, apply a lip balm on your lips. Sleeping with a lip balm on means you will wake up with smoother lips.

3. Exfoliate your lips - There are a few ways to do this, I like two ways. Usually on a regular basis I have a toothbrush that I use gently to exfoliate my lips with. Once or twice a week I get one teaspoon of sugar and one teaspoon of olive oil, mix them in a bowl until it turns into a paste and then gently use your finger to exfoliate for one minute on your lips. Remove with a moist towel and then apply a lip balm.

4. During the day, use a lip product that has SPF in it to protect your skin from damage from the sun. Always carry a lip balm with you and reapply throughout the day as needed.

5. Don't pick at your lips. By biting your lips it will make your lips more dry, chapped and they can bleed. If you feel the need to pick at them, apply milk on them instead, this helps to moisturise them.

Do you use a lip balm for your lips? What do you do to take care of your lips?

BYS lipgloss review

I am really loving the BYS lipglosses. I have blogged about BYS before and love their eyeshadows and nailpolishes and now their lipglosses too. BYS is an Australian brand providing great products and value for money. The ranges and colours that they offer is excellent.

I love this lipgloss in the colour Panther Pink, a beautiful soft pink colour. It is great to wear over any lipstick to give it a gorgeous shine and sparkle. It lasts pretty long and applies smoothly and evenly.

The packaging is a sleek, long tube with a black top and doe foot applicator. The colour is a little pigmented but mostly sheer with a beautiful shine. It is not sticky at all, but rather feels soft and smooth on the lips.

You could wear this alone to give you a nice light pink gloss with beautiful shine or I love it on top of any lipstick to give my lips shine.

The BYS lipglosses retail at $3.95aus which is very affordable and I recommend for anyone that wants a great shiny lipgloss.

BYS are sold in selected stores or online at Fashion Addict who ship internationally. There are a few other great colours to choose from as well.

Do you have a favourite lipgloss?

Revlon lipsticks overview

Revlon have some nice lipsticks that I love. I am daring when it comes to lipsticks and love to try different colours. Apart from pinks and nudes which are my favourite, I like to wear reds, browns, dark and bright lipsticks. Revlon has a decent selection of colours over all their ranges.

Top of my list are the Revlon ColorBurst lipsticks (as shown above the first two, and below) beautiful packaging, moisturising, infused with sweet almond oil, great pigment and good staying power.

The Super Lustrous ( as shown below Smoky Rose) are moisturising with vitamins A, C and E to protect and condition the lips and apply smoothly on the lips. Not as long lasting as the ColorBurst, but a gorgeous colour range.
The Matte lipsticks (as shown below Nude Attitude) are great if your after a matte colour, that gives good pigmentation. I usually apply a gloss on top to give it more staying power and to prevent it from drying out my lips. Great matte lipsticks with a few colours to choose from.

Overall great quality Revlon lipsticks with something for everyone to choose from and a good colour selection. Revlon lipsticks are available from Priceline and department stores and retail for approx $21.95aud.

Do you own any Revlon lipsticks? What are your favourite colours or range?

Arbonne lip polish review

I have never tried any Arbonne products, so when I was sent a lip polish to review I was curious to try it out.

Arbonne is a network marketing business that is run through a network of independant consultants. Their products consist of skincare, body and cosmetics.

The lip polish I was sent is in the colour Raisin, which is a pretty plum colour with some specs of gold shimmer. It looks dark in the tube but it actually is lighter on the lips which I like. The packaging is sturdy and a great compact size.

Arbonne says: Luscious lip polish glides on silky smooth and delivers superior shine without the stickiness.

I have to agree this lip polish is quite good. When you apply it to the lips with the doe foot applicator it is really smooth and feels soft on the lips. The colour is very well pigmented and is a beautiful light plum colour that can be worn during the day or night.  It is not sticky at all, has a slight smell but its not overpowering and I got at least three hours wear out of it.

It definitely feels like a special lip gloss because it is so smooth and soft. This retails for $36 aud and is available from Arbonne website.

Do you have a favourite lip product you are using at the moment?

What makeup products I'm using?

One of the most asked questions I get is  'What products are you using at the moment?'
I always like to know what others are using as well as it is a great way to find out what products are working for others and to work out if you want to try it too.

The lovely Nav whose blog is called Navlandstyle tagged me to do the '10 most reached for products' post.

I am always changing the products I use as I like trying new things and reviewing them. So I picked the ten products I have been using these last few weeks, some of them I have done a full review on.

Loreal True Match Roll on Foundation - this foundation has a great smooth texture and covers redness and blemishes well and is buildable. I don't use the roll on device but rather a makeup sponge to apply it. I like the flawless look it gives my skin.

Maybelline Dream Mousse concealer - I love the soft and creamy texture to this concealer. It feels lightweight and gives good coverage. You only need a little bit otherwise it will look cakey. Its great to cover up blemishes and fine lines.

Revlon Growluscious Mascara by Fabulash - I like the way this lengthens and adds volume to my lashes. It also claims to condition and strengthen your lashes which I do feel like they are strengthened when I wear it all day.

Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal eye pencil - I have a few of these in different colours and love them. I prefer using liquid eyeliner for dramatic looks, but if I want eyeliner during the day for a soft look I use this one. It applies smoothly, soft and great colours.

Australis Stayput lipliner - This is a retractable lip liner which I use all the time. The colour is brown so suits most lip colours and it stays on for a long time.

Face of Australia Face Base Primer - This is a great primer that is easy to apply, smooth and absorbs well into the skin. A great base before applying your foundation. It helps to keep your foundation on longer well. It also has vitamin E and chamomile which are great for the skin.

Bourjois Gloss Effet 3D - This is a great gloss to put over a lipstick to give you a really glossy look and gives the lips a really nice volumised look.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick - These are soft and creamy lipsticks that have great pigmentation. They are moisturising and have honey and vitamine E in them and have great staying power.

Face of Australia Mineral Therapy Blush - This is a great packaged product, the lid has a brush in it so it is easy for application. This is a silky soft blush that looks great on and the colour is really well pigmented.

Olay total effects daily serum - This serum is affordable and feels great on the skin. It is a silky soft texture and I use it under my night moisturiser to soften my skin and it fights the signs of skin aging. Gives my skin a radiant glow and hydrates well.

You can check out my You Tube channel for my monthly favourite products and reviews.

If there is anyone out there that would like to do this tag post, let me know I'd love to see what you are using!

Are there any products that you use all the time that you love?

Face of Australia New Mineral Lip Shine review

I love lip products, whether its a lipstick or lipgloss- it will brighten your face and give some colour. I was recently sent the Face of Australia New Mineral Lip Shine in the colour fairy floss. Immediately the packaging was quite unique from other lip products I've used.

It comes in a silver tube that is sleek looking.

Here is what Face of Australia say:  Mineral Lip Shine combines natural mineral pigments and hydrating ingredients for lasting moisture and colour. The silky formula contains no synthetic dyes and shades range from light sheers to thicker creams.

It is really easy to apply and glides on the lips.

This is a such a pretty sheer pink colour that can be worn everyday. It is so light when you apply it and feels really moisturising, its not too shiny or heavy. Perfect!


The Mineral Lip Shine is infused with natural mineral pigments to deliver radiant shine and sheer colour with no synthetic dyes. It contains antioxidant vitamins and skin hydrating ingredients to keep lips soft and protected.

There are seven shades to choose from and they all look gorgeous too. I have my eye on a few more!

The Face of Australia Mineral Lip Shine retail for $12.95 aud and you can buy them from Priceline or deparment stores.

What is your favourite lipstick at the moment?

Max Factor Lipfinity review



lip balm and the lip colour 191 bronzed

Longer lasting lipstick is something a lot of us look for in a lipstick. Now there are some great products that will allow the lipstick/lipstain stay on all day. I bought the Max Factor Lipfinity in number 191 called 'bronzed' a few months ago.

Max Factor say:  Up to 12 hour ultra long lasting lipstick. A lipstick that stays in place all day and doesn’t lose its ‛just applied look’! No other lip colour has the staying power of Lipfinity, an ultra long lasting and vibrant lip duo that together create a smooth, sheer finish for up to 12 hours! With semi permanent colour and a shine boosting, moisturising topcoat there’s no need to reapply, even after eating and drinking throughout your day – no matter how long it is, your lipstick’s still on!

There are two tubes in the packet, a lip balm and the lipstick colour. First step is to apply the lip colour which will stain the lips and then let it dry for a minute. Don't close your mouth, keep the lips apart. It dries on the lips pretty quickly, then you apply the clear lip balm as a top coat. You keep the lip balm with you and reapply when needed throughout the day.

The lip colour feels like a lipstick, easy to apply. Once its dried, my lips felt dry and I definitely needed some moisture in the lips which is what the lip balm provided.

The staying power on the Lipfinity is fantastic. I ate and drank and it stayed put. After about four hours I felt that my lips were dry, but the colour was still on my lips and looked good,  so I applied the lip balm and that was fine.

After about eight hours I did feel that the colour was wearing off a little in the middle of my lips, nothing too bad though. After the twelve hours you could see the wrinkling and wearing off of the colour.

Overall the Max Factor Lipfinity did work and has good all day staying power, however it does dry the lips out and you can tell straight away because the lips start tightening and feeling cracked. I guess this is expected though as it is staining the lips so the colour stays on all day. Once you reapply the lip balm they feel moisturised and good again. I reapply the top coat lip balm about four times in a twelve hour period.

I'm going to try a few of the other 'longer' lasting lipstick from loreal and covergirl to see how they compare.

Have you tried this? Have you tried a long lasting lipstick/lipstain, what did you think?

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick review

I picked up a Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick a few weeks ago and am really enjoying using this lipstick. It comes in a sleek dark purple packaging, its very simple and lightweight. ( I think they changed the packaging recently to include a silver band in the middle of the tube)

The colour I got is 066 - Heather Shimmer, its a gorgeous brown with plum undertones.
The Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick has a great texture, it is so soft and glides on the lips really smoothly. Its very pigmented and gives a beautiful coverage.

There are over twenty shades to choose from - the colours are really pretty.

The lipstick is called Lasting Finish as it claims to last at least eight hours. For me it lasted about four to five hours and then I needed a touchup.

It doesn't dry the lips out which is good. Its not a moisturising lipstick but it does stay on nice and smooth.


If your looking for a longer lasting lipstick, that is smooth and soft, I'd definitely recommend the Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick. They retail for $9.95 aud.

What lipstick are you liking at the moment?

Australis Lip Butter review

I have been using the Australis Lip Butter for a while and wanted to share it with you. The packaging is the first thing that lured me to buying this. Its a gorgeous round packaging that pops open with a mirror and the product is on the bottom. Its gorgeous and easy to have in your bag or leave on your nightstand.

This buttery lip balm moisturises and nourishes dry lips. It has Vitamin E and Aloe Vera which is great as they help to leave the lips feeling smooth and soft. They are sheer, so not much colour at all but they have a slight tint and a shine finish on the lips.

As you can see in the picture on the left, to use this lip butter you need to use your finger to dab the product and then place it on your lips. I don't particularly like using my fingers - I'd rather use a wind up lip balm, so I usually use this when I come out of the shower as this is when my lips are dry or first thing in the morning before applying other lip products.

When wearing it alone, it lasts on the lips for about 1-2 hours and then I need to reapply. Overall the texture of this lip butter is gorgeous and feels great on the lips. The packaging is just so cute!!

They retail for $8.95aud  from Priceline or department stores. They come in five different shades.

Do you use a lip balm?