New | Burt's Bees Lip Crayon In Sedona Sands #405 Review and Swatches!

Burt's Bees Lip Crayon Sedona Sands

I've been having a little bit of a lipstick obsession lately. I guess it's the one area in my makeup collection where I don't have an abundance of products. I don't usually stray too far from what I know suits me. I mean, I've done some definite experimenting over the last few years, trying out bright colours that I would never have tried before, and it just confirmed what I already knew- I don't suit bright or dark colours. But, as all of us beauty junkies know, not all nudes are the same, so I can have 100 shades of nude lippies that are all a bit different, right!? hehe

Since Burt's Bees came out with some all natural lip products recently, I decided to try out a few. I previously reviewed their Lipstick in Nile Nude (review linked here). This time, I went for one of their new matte lip crayons. There are only 6 colours to choose from and I chose the colour #405 Sedona Sands, it looked like a safe nude/pink colour.

Burt's Bees Lip Crayon in Sedona Sands

Info from Burt's Bees:

Introducing six creamy, full-coverage shades of matte lip colour in a modern crayon for truly beautiful lip colour. Lightweight moisture for a comfortable, everyday wear formula infused with Shea Butter, Kendi Oil, and Jojoba Oil. It's colour that truly cares for your lips!

• Creamy matte colour and moisture-rich wear
• For everyday wear either alone or layered under a Lip Gloss or Lip Shine
• Precise application in a playful form without the hassle and mess of sharpening
• No added flavour or fragrance
• Hydrates and moisturizes lips, leaving them feeling soft and smooth

Burt's Bees Lip Crayon in Sedona Sands (swatch)

These lip crayons are 100% natural, which makes me super happy! The product is creamy and really easy to apply, it glides on smoothly and evenly with good pigmentation. I would say that this product is a satin-matte, which is good for me as I have super dry lips. The product is fairly comfortable even with my super dehydrated lips, although I wouldn't say it's particularly moisturizing. The colour lasted longer than average on me compared to a lipstick. After 3.5 hours some of the creaminess had worn off, this left my lips feeling drier, but the colour was still there. Then I ate and it completely wore off. It's not a stain and that's a good thing in my books, me and lip stains don't really get along, so I don't mind reapplying.

I have many deep lines in my lips and that makes it very difficult for me to wear matte lip colours. I would prefer to wear a balm or a bit of gloss over this product to reduce the look of my lip lines but for the sake of testing purposes, I went without anything on top. I have to say, this is one of the few matte lipsticks that I can wear (the other being Covergirl's Katy Kat Matte lipstick, which is a demi-matte- Full review linked here).

If your lips are in better condition than mine, which I'm sure most people's are, you will probably love these!

Comparison Swatch

Swatches: Left- Burt's Bees Lip Crayon Sedona Sands/
 Right- Burt's Bees Lipstick Nile Nude

Lip Swatches

Burt's Bees Lip Crayon in Sedona Sands

Burt's Bees Lip Crayon in Sedona Sands

I feel this is truly the perfect colour for me. It's the perfect nude/pink with a hint of mauve, think MLBB. It reminds me a lot of the colours I wore in my 20's and 30's, which I wore ALL the time! Back then, I had one or two colours that I wore every day as that's what looked best on me so I stuck with it.

A makeup look wearing Sedona Sands.

Final thoughts:

• I am so happy that I bought this lip crayon. It's the perfect nude/pink for me. 
• I love that it's 100% natural
• No scent, hint of a clay like taste which fades
• It's long lasting compared to other lipsticks
• I get a demi-matte effect without it being too drying on my dehydrated lips
• No glitter or shimmer
• I wish they would come out with more colours. But, of course, I would just get a different shade of nude. lol
• These get a 5-star rating from me! (at least in this shade)
• I'm not happy that Burt's Bees is apparently no longer cruelty-free!
• I do think this is a great product and I would repurchase it

This product retails for $9.99 for 3.11 grams 

Have you tried any of Burt's Bees new lip crayons? Are you loving them too?

New Essence Sheer and Shine Lipstick Review: Cute Nude & Candy Love!

I was at my local Shoppers Drug Mart the other day and whenever I'm there I always have to check out the Essence makeup display to see if they have anything new. That's when I saw their new Sheer and Shine lipsticks and I couldn't resist, so I grab a couple to share with you. 

They had 9 shades to choose from and a nice range of colours from nudes to pinks and corals and deeper shades. I went for the two nudes that I knew I would get the most use of and it's a pretty safe bet that they'll suit me too. 

I picked out #02 Cute Nude a nice sheer pinky nude and #12 Candy Love a sheer light berry toned pink with blue undertones.

 Cute Nude (left) Candy Love (right)

Here they are swatched in daylight. Cute Nude is the paler colour and Candy Love is pinker.

The swatches here have been built up with a few swipes. One swipe would be much more sheer. Either way, you will not end up with an opaque lipstick look, which I'm not a huge fan of on myself.

I find that they are nice and moisturizing and they don't leave a stain. They are easily built up to get more colour (as pictured). They don't last too long as they have a balm-like texture. I find these are great everyday lipsticks to throw in my purse, and these are the kind of shades you can just slap on and go! They also don't settle into lip lines. I love them both but I like Candy Love a little bit more as it has more colour and I find that blue-based pinks really suit me.

If you have aging or even just dehydrated lips I think you would really like these. Same, if you have a lot of lip lines as I do and you can't pull off all the matte lip looks. I think this type of formula and these lighter colours are good for creating a more youthful look on the lips. 

I'm really liking these and at only $3.49 you really can't go wrong. I'm generally a nude and pink lips kind of person, but if you want something a lot darker or deeper they have that too, they just won't be opaque. And, did I mention that Essence is cruelty-free!?

Have you tried any of these new lippies? If so, how do you like them?

Amy

xoxo

Plato's Closet- Where Have You Been All My Life!? (Oakville, Ontario) #Review

If you have an addiction to fashion like I do, you'll want to read this post!

 I have had a clothing addiction from an early age. I can remember coming home from school for lunch when I was about 6 years old and my Mom had gone shopping and bought me some new clothes. I recall it like it was yesterday. Inside I was jumping up and down and squealing, and probably doing so on the outside too! Ever since that day, I went home with a bit of excitement and wonder if my Mom had more new clothes waiting for me when I got home. So, I'm not sure what fueled this obsession with fashion, I can only assume I was just born this way. I love my fashion, but I've always gotten bored with my new items really fast and wanted some more new threads, like now! Before I go on, I'd like to say, the first step is admitting that I have a problem. The second step is going to Plato's closet!

I had heard of Plato's Closet before, but I didn't know that one had opened about 40 minutes away from me. I thought they were only in the USA and some other Provinces in Canada.  I was happy to find out that there was one I could go check out, as I had a pile of clothing left after cleaning out my closet (something I do seasonally, if not more.) I had sold many items at my garage sale before I found out that I had a Plato's Closet within driving distance. But, I also had many items that I didn't want to sell at my garage sale where I get very little for items, even if they are new with tags. In hindsight, there are some items I did sell at my garage sale that I'm pretty sure now I would have received more money if I had taken them to Plato's Closet. 

For years, I had been trying to sell my clothes online and using apps with very little success and a lot of work. It's tough to sell clothing online. You have to factor in that the potential buyer doesn't know if the item will fit, plus there's postage and handling.  If it's not a designer piece that you want to sell, it's most likely not worth selling online, at least here in Canada where shipping prices are sky-high!  I've also tried consignment shops, which are few and far between, plus you only get paid if and when the item(s) sell. At Plato's Closet, they pay you cash, right there on the spot! What can get better than that?  This is just the kind of place for someone like me who gets bored of my clothes quickly and is always itching for something new. Then there are the clothes that I was supposed to fit into someday, but that day hasn't come, again, this is where Plato's Closet comes in.

I didn't want to make a trip in vain, so I called Plato's Closet before I left to get the scoop. They told me that they only accept clothing that is either new or like new condition. Plus, they only want items that are between 1-1.5 years old and within the current fashion trends. This means that for fashion obsessed people like myself, it will not only be a great place to sell but also to shop! ;)  I asked if I needed an appointment and they said no appointment necessary, just come on in. So, I packed up all my clothes and shoes and headed out.

Front Entrance

Once I got there, I saw how well laid out and organized the store was. Overhead signs at the front desk (not shown) direct you where to go. I was greeted by the staff and they placed all my items in a bin and told me I was 3rd in line to have my items looked at. I took a look around the store while I waited and somehow the denim rack found me- stalker! So, I had to try on some jeans, duh! I happened to find a pair that fit like they were made just for me! They seemed like new and were only $14. Sold! *Excited

The store is brimming with the latest fashions and categorized by type and then sizes. Again, since they don't accept outdated items, you know that everything in the store is on-trend. They are really marketing to teens and young adults, but as long as you like fashion and have a youthful spirit, I think this would be a store for you. On the other hand, if you're looking to buy or sell business wear, this wouldn't be the right shop for those types of items. 

They have some great jewelry and accessories too!

Once it was my turn to have the staff go through my items, I went up to the desk and watched as they carefully inspected and selected the items they wanted. Luckily for me, that turned out to be most of my items! The really do have quite high standards regarding what they accept. This doesn't mean it has to be name brand or anything, just that the items are still trending now, and in great or like new condition.

Going into this, I had no idea what to expect as this was a new concept for me. I was really happy with how things went. I did quite well for my first time. I came home with some extra cash in my wallet and a great fitting pair of jeans! Not to mention how great it felt to get rid of some items that didn't work for me and were just taking up space, and turning that into cash.

If you're a clothing recycler like I am, and you have a casual or trendy style, you really need to check this place out. They've really got something that the market desperately needed. It's like having all the latest clothing and shops in one store. If you love cleaning out your closet and revamping your wardrobe over and over again like I do, you will love this shop!

I've been donating my clothes for years and enjoy doing so. But, sometimes I have items that are still new with the tags and I can't return them for various reasons and I also need some extra cash. Plato's Closet is my answer. All I could think after I left was "Where have you been all my life?!"

All the staff were super friendly and helpful, from the fitting room to the cash and selling process. I had such a great experience buying and selling at Plato's Closet, so I will definitely be back for more. The location I went to was in Oakville, Ontario Canada. Soon there will be 2 more locations opening up that are even closer to me; one in Mississauga and another in Brampton (both in Ontario, Canada.)

The staff were kind enough to allow me to take some photos of their store.

I wish I had taken more pictures but it all happened quite last minute. I was so happy with my experience at Plato's Closet that as I was leaving I thought, I just have to share this, it's too good to keep it to myself. So, I got permission and quickly took a few shots of the store.

If you have some new to like new clothes that you don't wear, what are you waiting for? Check out Plato's Closet and turn it into some cash!

For more info, here is a link to Plato's Closet in Oakville.

Disclaimer: Plato's closet has no idea who I am nor do they know that I am writing this article.

Amy