Paula's Choice Lip & Body Treatment Balm #Review

I have a tiny haul to share with you. I wanted to get this out there while the Free shipping and sale are still going on. Right now, Paula's Choice is having 15% off best sellers (the product in this haul was included) + free shipping on everything, and if you spend $65 or more they will send you a free eye shadow palette (code: GLAM15).  Oh, and you always get to choose up to 3 free samples with your order (mine are pictured above). If you want to score this at a real bargain, right now you will get 15% off plus free shipping, and if you've never ordered from PC before just add something else to bring your total to $15 and you can use a referral code to get $10 off your order, making this cost about $5 which will also include whatever other item you chose to add!  # for great deals.

Note: If you miss this sale, never fear, Paula's Choice is always having new sales as you will see in my upcoming haul. You can also sign up for PC emails to find out about the deals as they happen. They will also send you a discount code for your first purchase which you can stack on top of your $10 off!

I've heard so much about Paula's Choice over the last couple of years. I had a $10 off code from a blogger, so I finally bit the bullet and placed an order (that order will be featured in an upcoming haul). But, for now, I wanted to share this little order I placed for their Lip & Body Treatment Balm.

I have horribly dehydrated lips and I pick and bite and peel away at them, it's such a horrible habit that I need to break. I am definitely addicted to lip balms and find myself applying them all day and night. I've used Carmex, Aquaphor (those were the heavy-hitters for me), as well as numerous other balms including organic one's. Despite trying what seemed like everything, I was still looking for my Holy Grail lip balm.

The Balm (pictured above with cap off) is a solid balm and quite hard in consistency. It's also a generous size at 0.5oz. Once you warm the product up with your finger it applies easily and is not too thick, but it's very emollient and hydrates nicely. I've had this product for a week and I definitely would say that this product is the best lip balm/ treatment I have used so far. It is definitely the longest lasting, so I am not applying it every 5 minutes, more like every few hours. Since my lips don't dry out since I've been using this, I've reduced my picking and peeling of my lips. I am hoping that this will help me break that horrible habit for good. Only time will tell though.

As it states, this treatment balm is also intended for use on the body. It could be used on dry cuticles, elbows, heels, you name it. Because it's contained in a pot where you have to stick your finger in it, I prefer to only use it for my lips. I wish Paula's Choice would put this formula in a stick form. But, I would definitely purchase this again. Even with what I think is a high price tag for a lip balm I think it's worth it and I can tell it's going to last for a really long time.

Here is some info from Paula's Choice website:

This long-lasting, emollient balm offers on-the-spot relief for dry, rough, chapped lips, or anywhere on the body.

• Eczema
• Dry/Very Dry Skin
• Targeted relief for dry lips, cuticles, feet, hands
• Creates a protective barrier allowing skin to heal
• Balm is substantial, but not overly thick or waxy

Product Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Petrolatum (emollients), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax (thickener), Lanolin, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters (emollients), Beeswax (Cera Alba), Ozokerite, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, CoperniciaCerifera (Carnauba) Wax (thickeners), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Jojoba Esters, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil (plant emollients/oils), Bisabolol (soothing agent), Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (stabilized vitamin C/antioxidant), Tocopheryl Acetate (vitamin E/antioxidant), Trihydroxystearin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene (thickeners). 

Overall, I give this product 2 thumbs up! I can't wait to get my other order from Paula's Choice and see how those products fare. After this experience, I'm having high hopes for them. I will definitely share my haul with you when my order arrives, it's much bigger than this, so stay tuned. ;)

I now have a referral link that I can share with my readers that will give you $10 off your first order (minimum $15 purchase). Once you've placed an order, you will receive your own referral link that you can share as well.

Click here if you would like to use the $10 off referral link.   (note: this is an affiliate link and we will both benefit).  Of course if you'd rather find another referral link I understand, but if you use my link it is definitely most appreciated.

Paula's Choice is also Cruelty-Free which is hugely appreciated by me!!

Have you used Paula's Choice? If so, what are your favourite products?

Amy

XX

Real Techniques Blush Brush Dupe For $2.39 (USD)??

Hi everyone,

Today I wanted to share with you a dupe? that I found for Real Technique's blush brush, I love the Real Techniques blush brush and when I saw something similar on eBay for only $2.39 usd, I had to check it out.

As you can see by the pictures below, the brushes basically look the same; they are the same length, have the same type of handle, similar bristles and similar shaped head.  Can you tell which one is which?

As you can see by the picture one has a brush head that is slightly wider than the other and one has a darker handle.

Here is a picture from the top, again one seems a little wider than the other. The base of the brush handles are the same and both stand up well.

Here is a closer picture of the brush heads so you can compare:

Drum roll please....... in case you could not tell which one is which, the Real Techniques brush is on the left or the one in the pictures with the lighter pink handle.

The Comparison: They both feel equally soft, the one I purchased from eBay is almost too soft.   Neither of them shed any hair and I put them to the test by pulling a little while washing and drying them.  The Real Techniques one is slightly denser (you really notice this difference during use) and they are both cut in the same tapered style.  I will say that when I was washing the eBay one, the black end of the handle did come loose, but it's nothing a little dollar store super glue wont hold, I just shoved it back into place and it's fine.

The Test: To put them to the test, I used the RT brush on one side of my face and the eBay brush on the other side of my face. I used them to apply my powder and blush. They both picked up the product equally well but I preferred how the RT one felt and how it applied the product; the eBay one was just a little too soft and flimsy, and that density that the Real Techniques one has really makes a difference in the feeling of control during application. Also, the RT brush seemed to deposit more colour when I compared the two sides of my face. 

The Verdict: Just by looking at the two brushes and feeling them, you don't notice much of a difference. It isn't until you use them that you really notice the difference. I really love my RT blush brush, it's very versatile and I use it for powder, blush and bronzer. It's especially great for a soft-effect with your blush because it is so soft and has a large brush head so it blends beautifully, Although the eBay one did the job and it could also be used for powder, blush and bronzer, I found the RT brush to be superior. That extra density in the Real Techniques when you apply your makeup gives you more control! Both are budget friendly in the world of cosmetics in this day and age.

I would say the two brushes are very similar in many ways but definitely not an exact dupe. I will probably end up using the eBay brush for powder because it lacks that control that the RT brush has for applying blush or bronzer.  In this case, I would say, you really do get what you pay for.

ps. Real Techniques is a Cruelty-free company! Thumbs up for that!

Price: 

• I purchased my Real Techniques blush brush on Iherb.com  for $8.99 usd. Iherb has low  shipping rates even for international shipping (You can get $5-$10 off your first order with discount code AGU725)
• I purchased the eBay one here ebay blush brush for $2.39 and that includes shipping!

Sometimes Iherb has 20% off of Real Techniques so you may want to keep your eye out for that.

Have you found any good dupes or great deals lately?

xo Amy