Emile Cordon Cashmere-On Lip Pots

You probably read the title of this post and thought what and who is Emile Cordon and what's a Cashmere-On Lip Pot? I'll admit I thought the exact same thing when I got an email from them to ask if I'd like to try out their products. I was immediately intrigued because I'd never heard of the brand before but I'm always interested in discovering new brands and new products so I agreed to try them out and very soon afterwards, I received a lovely package with two Lip Pots in it.

The reason I'd never heard of Emile Cordon is because it's quite a new brand, in fact it only just launched earlier this year. It was founded in 2016 by a French chemist who is now retired but has been living in New York for over 20 years. When she was young her grandmother used to make homemade multi-purpose balms for her family. After her grandmother passed away she missed the little balms she used to make so she started making them herself but adding her favourite scents and colours to the simple recipe her grandmother used and so the Cashmere-On Lip Pots came about. 

The Lip Pots are multi purpose, they can be used as a lip balm, to nourish your cuticles, to protect the skin and to soothe the skin after sun exposure. The formula contains castor seed oil, which is an emollient as well as being an anti-inflammatory. Beeswax which again is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, it protects and heals the skin and softens it. Lauryl Laurate which conditions the skin, Vitamin E and Evening Primrose Extract which again soothes and softens the skin and is a good anti-inflammatory. 

I was sent two of the pots- Lisa, which is scented with rosé champagne, fresh tea rose and strawberry leaves and Coco, which has a scent of coconut cake, vanilla accord and powder sugar. There are three other scents, Olivia (mint), Dorine (neroli and lemon) and Pamela (mediterranean fig). 

I definitely prefer Lisa out of the two, it has a gorgeous strawberry/rose scent that's not too overpowering. Coco has more of a sweet vanilla coconut scent which I like, but not as much as Lisa. I like that this is a multi purpose balm, I tend to keep it on my bedside table and apply it on my lips and cuticles at night. I had a cold recently and I applied it to the skin around my nose to help heal it after blowing my nose so much and it worked wonders which is down to the soothing and anti-bacterial ingredients.

The first thing that I noticed about the lip pots was obviously the gorgeous packaging. Rarely does lip balm feel so luxurious, most of the lip balms I've tried have been in squeezy tubes or stick form. The Emile Cordon ones come in a box and inside is a little glass jar with gold lid. You also get a little spatula so that you can scoop out your desired amount of product more hygienically. I really like this little feature because I find lip balms that come in a pot last for quite a long time so it's nice to be able to use the spatula instead of using your finger all the time. 

The most similar lip balm I have to these ones is the NUXE Rêve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm, the product itself is quite different as it's a much thicker matte lip balm but it also comes in a glass jar and because of that I keep it beside my bed to use at night rather than bringing it out with me as I wouldn't like applying it with my finger when I'm out and about and I'd be worried about breaking the glass jar. 

As for this formula, it's incredibly soft and smooth. When I've applied it with my fingers it actually melts from the heat of my skin slightly and feels like silk on my lips. It also gives quite a shine when I first apply it but it does sink into my lips and the shine wears off a bit. I was browsing on the Emile Cordon website and they have also suggested using it to tame brows, to highlight cheekbones and as an eyeshadow base for dewy eyes. I've tried it on my cheekbones and it's such a good idea because it gives a natural, glowy highlighted look. I've also tried it on my eyelids because I've been loving the glossy eyelid look recently. You can apply it under or over eyeshadow depending on the look you want to achieve. 

I wanted to compare the Emile Cordon Lip Pots to some similar products and two that I could find are the Omorovicza Perfecting Lip Balm which is €45 ($42/£32) for 10g and the byTerry Baume de Rose which is €46 (£39/ $60) for 10g. They both share quite a few ingredients with the Cashmere-On Lip Pots which costs $42 (approx. £32/€36, not sure exactly as there is only the price in dollars not he website) and you get 15g of product. I haven't tried the other two so I can't comment as to which is better but I was curious to see if there were similar products at a similar price point on the market because when I first saw the price I thought it was quite expensive for a lip balm. However everyone raves about the byTerry one and that's more money for less product with a very similar ingredients list (the Lip Pots have less ingredients).

On the other hand, one of my favourite lip balms that I've loved for years is the aforementioned Rêve de Miel which is only €12 and for that you get 16.5g of product. Despite the price difference I wouldn't have a problem spending $42 on a lip balm because they last for such a long time that you do get value for money, especially if the ingredients are good (and who can say no to beautiful packaging). I'd have no problem paying three times the price for my Rêve de Miel because it lasts me about 9 months of using it once per day. I'll be interested to see how long the Lip Pots last in comparison but at the moment I'm absolutely loving using them and I think it's going to be a while before I run out of lip balm.

Emile Cordon also ship internationally from their online store.

Have you tried any of the lip balms I've mentioned? What's your all time favourite lip balm?

Emma x

*PR Sample, all opinions are my own.

YSL Volupté Tint-in-Balm

YSL Beauty released their latest lip innovation, the Volupté Tint-in-Balm earlier this month. They come in 12 shades, ranging from nude, coral and pink all the way to deep berry. The lip shaped core offers a sheer tint of colour and the surrounding bullet is a balm that gives the lips nourishing care. Every time you reapply, your lips are hydrated even more and the tint of colour intensifies. 

I was given a sample of shade number 12, Try Me Berry which is a raspberry pink colour with a lighter pink core. When I first opened it I was struck by the packaging which let's be honest is incredibly pretty. This is my first YSL lipstick (although I suppose technically it's a lip balm). I wrote about some shades from the Vernis à Lèvres Vinyl Cream collection last year which are gorgeous. I think YSL really excel at innovative lip products and I love that they have so many different kinds of lip products. 

If I'm completely honest, lip balm type products don't really excite me. I find them all very much the same, especially the tinted ones. I like strong, bright, pigmented lip products so tinted balms just don't do it for me. That being said, one way to get a girl excited about a lip balm is to give it this glorious packaging and already being a fan of YSL lip products I was interested to see how this was going to differ from your standard drugstore tinted lip balm. 

The first thing I noticed when I applied it is the gorgeous mango scent, so if you're not a fan of fruity scents, straight off this won't be for you. I love it and it makes it so much more addictive to reapply. It feels soft, smooth and buttery on my lips but not thick. That's something I like about a balm in bullet form is it's obviously going to be more hygienic but also I don't end up putting too much on (which I always end up doing from a pot) and having to keep rubbing my lips together until it sinks in a bit. 

You can see in the photos that it gives a light shine and a hint of colour. This was just one application but I do find the colour intensifies the more you apply it, which you definitely will because like I said it's so addictive to reapply. I wear this a lot in work because it's so quick and easy to apply and doesn't even require a mirror. I find that some lipsticks can feel drying on my lips throughout the day and when you work somewhere with air conditioning it can effect your skin and lips. I love how nourished my lips feel after a day of wearing this. 

There are plenty of lip balms that will nourish your lips like my favourite NUXE Rêve de miel, but I've never come across any with packaging as gorgeous as this. They are definitely more of a lip colour that a balm to hydrate your lips, I don't think anyone is going apply this before bed at night. The colours are all sheer enough that you can't really go wrong when choosing a shade. If you like fuss free lip products that you can apply on the go without worrying about getting on your teeth or feathering or if you suffer from dry lips and like them to feel hydrated all day, this is definitely a product for you.

They are priced at €33, it's YSL so you know it's not going to be cheap but I think they would make a lovely gift because you don't have to worry about the shade selection too much. Would I repurchase this once I run out? Yes I would, mostly because I don't actually have too many products like this (or any actually) I'm an absolute sucker for the packaging, I love the lips shaped core too, I think that's such a nice touch. If I'm going to be wearing a lip balm all day I do like it to have a bit of colour and I like how this colour builds up throughout the day. Also it's just such a pleasure to apply, after I put some on I keep pouting my lips to smell the mango scent (I know I'm not the only one!)

You can find them at Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Debenhams and any other YSL Beauty stockist. 

What do you think? Have you tried this or any other YSL lip products?

Emma x

REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask and Vita Mineral Lip Balm

I was very impressed by my first foray into REN Skincare, I've previously used the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask and the Radiance Perfection Serum and I loved both of them but my skin has become more oily recently so I was looking for a mask that would mattify my skin and reduce the size of my pores. I decided to try out the Invisible Pores Detox Mask and I got the Vita Mineral Lip Balm at the same time. I've been using them for the past month and I'm so impressed with both products.




The mask is suggested for combination to oily skin which is my skin type. It's a clay based mask so it's supposed to dry out any impurities and excess oil and eliminate dead skin cells . The other natural ingredients are meant to encourage cell renewal and restructure of the skin and leave skin soft and smooth with less visible imperfections.




I use this once a week and I've found the mask did what it claimed it would, it gave my skin an overall clear, fresh and toned appearance and it has also helped to control the excess oil on my T-zone. It also didn't feel drying or tight like other clay based masks I've used in the past. I'll definitely be repurchasing this. You can buy it from €22-28 from sites like Look Fantastic, Cloud 10 Beauty and in Space NK and Marks and Spencers.




The next REN product I want to tell you about is the Vita Mineral Lip Balm. I bought this on a whim after running out of my Caudalie Lip Conditioner and I've been using it non stop since. I love that it comes in a tube so you can squeeze the balm out as needed and apply it with fingers or with the applicator, I prefer the latter as it's more hygienic when you're out and about.

The texture is silky and smooth with a more glossy finish than I'm used to from a lip balm but it makes it perfect for those days where you want to give your lips a break from lipstick but still want them to look nice.

As you can see below the lip balm has an impressive list of ingredients. The Acacia honey has anti- bacterial properties. Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant that protects and repairs the skin and Shea Butter soothes and moisturises the lips.  I had never heard of Calendula oil before so I did some research and apparently it is derived from Marigold flowers and is a powerful anti- inflammatory, anti- bacterial and antiseptic. It seems to have countless uses and benefits so definitely a skincare ingredient to look our for if you like natural products.

The lip balm is priced between €11-12 and can be bought in the same stockists as above.





One of the things I love about REN is that their products contain 100% naturally derived plant and mineral ingredients and are free from synthetic ingredients like sulphates, paragons and silicones. All of the products smell amazing which is an added bonus and makes the products even more of a pleasure to use. The other thing that attracts me to REN is their beautiful minimalist packaging, each range is colour coded too which is a nice touch.


Have you tried REN yet? Do you use any other natural skincare brands?

Emma x

PS. I was at a REN press event yesterday for a very exciting new product launching in September. I tried it for the first time today and will be letting you know my thoughts closer to the launch date.

Luscious Lips

I'm a firm believer that having a good base for make up is essential for making the most of the products you use. Therefore if I'm wearing lipstick or lip gloss I want my lips to be as soft and smooth as possible so that the lip colour lasts and looks good. I've been trying out various lip balms over the past 6 months and I wanted to share my favourites.

First up and one of my more recent purchases is the NUXE Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm. I love pharmacy skincare brands especially French companies like Vichy, La Roche-Posay, Avene and now NUXE. I had heard a bit about this before I decided to buy it, all of which was very positive. I was running out of my Lush Honey Trap and wanted something similar as an overnight lip balm. According to the NUXE site, this rich lip balm repairs, nourishes, restores suppleness and comforts dry and chapped lips. It contains honey, plant oils, shea butter and grapefruit essence. 

When they say rich, they really mean it. I don't wear this during the day as I think it's too rich to wear under a lip colour unless you rub it between your fingers to melt it a bit and a little goes a long way! Also the packaging which is so beautiful, is made of glass so I wouldn't want to risk dropping it when I'm out and breaking it. I keep it on my bedside locker and put it on before I go to bed.  It smells really good, it has a nice subtle fruity scent because of the grapefruit oil but I think it smells kind of orangey too. 

For 15g of product I really think it's worth it because you don't need lots to coat your lips because it's so rich. It's matte too which is great for when I wear matte lipsticks as glossy balms tend to make the lipstick go all over the place unless you really rub it into your lips. I bought this in my local pharmacy for €11.35 and you can buy it online on Feel Unique for €12.35 with free delivery! I definitely want to try out more NUXE products, including the Reve de Miel face cream. 

The second balm I've been loving is the Pomegranate Lip Butter by Korres. I decided to get this thanks to Emma's review. The idea of having a silky buttery lip balm with a tint of colour really appealed to me as a daytime lip balm. It contains shea butter and rice wax and claims to offer deep hydration and softness which I totally agree with. I am happy to wear this by itself all day, it just feels so amazing on my lips and the hint of colour is perfect for those days when I don't want to look too made up and just want to give my lips some hydration.

 I opted for the Pomegranate as the Mango that I wanted was out of stock on Feel Unique. It was €7.80 when I bought it but I think that was a special offer and it's now available for €9.10 with free shipping. The Pomegranate smells really nice, I definitely want to try out the other scents which are Guava, Quince, Mango, Wild Rose, Plum and Jasmine. The packaging is plastic so it's perfect to keep knocking around in your bag. It's not as good value for money as the NUXE one as it's only 6g of product for €9.10 but to be honest when something works as well as this does it's worth the money to me. 

I've already talked about the Figs and Rouge balms after receiving one in a Glossybox. I fell in love with these balms so I decided to get another scent, the Peppermint and Tea Tree one. I also got this on Feel Unique for €4.54 which is a really great price for 8ml of product which is 2g more than the Korres one and half the price. I love anything mint or tea tree scented so the two together is so nice! This is my quick fix balm because it sinks into the skin so quickly, I put this on if I'm in a hurry and want smooth lips quickly before putting on lipstick. If you want to know more check out my review of the Rambling Rose one. 

The final lip balm I want to talk about is Honey Trap from Lush. I got this back in December along with Celebrate and Snow Fairy which were both seasonal scents and on sale. Honey Trap has been my over night lip balm since December and it has earned it's place as one of my all time favourite lip balms. 

It contains oat milk, almond oil, beeswax, white chocolate, organic extra virgin olive oil, shea butter, honey etc. So it has lots of ingredients that all sound lovely (white chocolate!). All of these ingredients help to calm, soothe and smooth the lips and it smells just incredible! I found this balm very rich and hard to work with when I first started using it so I got a knife and broke it all up to make it softer and easier to use. It retails for about €6.50 and for that you get 10g of product. Both of these Christmas Limited Edition Lip Tints smell incredible! I'm a big fan of anything that smells, feels, looks and does good so these lip tints are perfect for me! I took some photos of them on my lips so you can see the kind of colour pay off you get.

Celebrate

Snow Fairy

So what's your favourite lip balm? Are their any that you swear by? Have you got any recommendations for me?

I hope you're all doing well!

PS. The winner of my Wild Curls Mascara Giveaway is Kelly-Marie! Please check out her blog if you have the time, she is such a beautiful person inside and out and I adore her style! 

Emma x