Dunce Cap Moment: A long, long time ago, my friend K. (names have been abbreviated to protect the innocent) wanted to put on some makeup. Unfortunately, we were just kids and didn’t have any. What we did have was her sister’s bottle of cherry red fingernail polish. It didn’t take us long to decide that since lipstick is red (always!) and the fingernail polish was red, they were obviously interchangeable. So K. sat down at a mirror (I might be a dunce, but I let her be the guinea pig on this one!) and lathered the lacquer across her lips. Taking our premise one step further, she also drew shiny red circles on her cheeks for blush. She turned to me with a smile as if to say, “See? It worked perfectly, so now it’s your turn!” and then started screaming. I’m not sure about the science, and I can’t rightly say what pain K. experienced (I never repeated this experiment myself), but it is sufficient to say that nail polish should never ever go on your face. (Apparently finger nail polish remover is only slightly less painful…)
Lesson Learned: Finger nail polish on nails. Not lips, not cheeks. I know it’s tempting, but don’t do it.
I saw an ad for Maybelline’s Baby Lips at the movie theater (a time when I’m especially susceptible to advertising, because I’m just happy to be there) and I went out and bought some right away.
The Good:
- The delicious fruity flavors (I bought Peach Kiss originally and have since added Grape Vine and Cherry Me to my collection, but there is also Quenched, Peppermint and Pink Punch available.)
- The subtle hint of color (These aren’t full on lipsticks, but they do have a bit of tint for a more casual look.)
- SPF 20
- The moisturizing (My lips felt instantly softer and these are really great if your lips are sore or irritated.)
- The long lasting stay (Most lip balms and chapsticks seem to disappear from my lips after only a few minutes. This was still on after several hours. I don’t know if it was the full 8 hours that Maybelline claims, but it was a goodly while.)
The Bad:
- Give us more colors and flavors!
I really don’t have anything negative to say about the actual product, but there are some downsides.
The Ugly:
- Retails for $3-4 for .15 oz (Walmart seems to be a few cents cheaper than other stores, but this still strikes me as a lot for a tube of lip balm.)
- Are hard to find at stores (This probably isn’t Maybelline’s fault, but it seems like these are always hidden at the bottom of the Maybelline section in every store I’ve been to.)
- Maybelline tests on animals (Grrr!)
The Grade: A-
Lower the price a tad and phase out that animal testing, then you’re golden!
I was in Sephora with my sister (the first time I’d ever been there!) and I saw these cute little containers with the awesome brand name. I tried on Tarte’s Natural Cheek Stain in Blissful and loved it…until I saw the price tag and put it down like it was hot. Later, I found some on ebay for a much more reasonable price in the color Natural Beauty.
The Good:
- The vibrant color (The more product you use, the more color and vice-versa.)
- The versatility (You can use it as blush! lip tint! eye shadow!)
- The size (I don’t think I will ever finish my container off.)
- The smooth application (You can rub it straight on or apply with your fingers or sponge.)
- No animal testing (Hooray!)
The Bad:
- Doesn’t age well (I hadn’t used mine in a while, so I pulled it out and found the consistency had become a little lumpy. It smoothed out with some rubbing, but it still seemed a bit chalky.)
The Ugly:
- $30 for a 1 oz. container!!! (I found mine for $5 on ebay, but haven’t been able to find a similar price since. If you are desperate to have some, try a mini size.)
The Grade: C+
Totally worthwhile if you can get it for a reasonable price. If not…forget it.
BeautyDunce 