I've already talked about how Labello has recently managed to redeem itself in my eyes with one of its lipbalms from their new Fruity Shine line. I really love my Dragonfruit lipbalm and have been using it more often than my Silk Naturals lippies (heresy!), but I was also curious if other products from the same line would manage to perform just as well.

Now I've been trying to achieve this "just-ate-a-lollypop" look practically ever since I started using makeup and was particularly adamant in my wish to be able to get it by using one single product. Sure, I could always go and put on untinted lipbalm, after which I could meticulously apply the correct amount of lipstick (that which would only give my lips a nice sheer tint but no actual coverage), but who the heck wants to go to all that trouble at least five times a day, and more importantly, who the heck can? I certainly can't (and won't), so I am all the more grateful to Fan for introducing me to Labello's Fruity Shine line. You see their strawberry lipbalm is IT. The lippie that helps me create the highly coveted lollypop-look in approximately two swipes. Eeeeeasy. And I just love easy. Actually, don't we all? :-)

I suggest that if you're curious about other things than what this lipbalm looks like, you go and read my post on the dragonfruit version: they perform the same way, weigh and cost just as much, and have the same gel-like texture that feel sort of cushion-y on my lips and don't dry them (unlike Labello's previous attempts).

For now, just glue your eyes to the screen and watch as I show you exactly what I mean when I say this lippie is perfect (and is totally HG material). ;-)

 

Just as Fan has been let down by Maybelline on several occasions, I too have had my fair share of disappointments with Labello. Many years ago, when shopping online was only a distant dream for me and I had to make do with what was available in local drugstores, I bought Labello lipbalms several times and was pretty unhappy with each one. There was a certain yuckyness to them that I can't really describe, and they would disappear from my lips quicker than I could say "Lipsmackers".

Not so with this new lipbalm of theirs. The one I got from Fan, which contains dragonfruit and starfruit extracts, is an excellent quality product and the more I wear it, the deeper I fall in love with it.

Fine, it's not the kind of INCI list that would make me buy the product in question, but somehow it still works.




The stuff I'm happy to see on that list:

• Butyrospermum Parkii (shea) butter
• Candelilla Cera (candelilla wax)
• Prunus Dulcis (almond) oil
• Simmondsia Chinensis (jojoba oil)
• Tocopheryl Acetate (vitamin E)
• Vitis Vinifera (grape) Seed Oil
• Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (a.k.a.: avonbenzone; a chemical sunscreen that doesn't do much on its own, there's too little in there anyway, but hey, a little is more than nothing. By the way, according to Labello's website, this balm and the rest in the series has an SPF of 10.)

The rest is just artificial stuff we have to live with if we decide to buy non-organic, non-natural cosmetics...



Labello's new lipbalm lends my lips a subtle shine (no pearly effect, thank goodness), and some moderate color. It also contains silver sparkles, but while they're visible in the solid product, once you apply the balm to your lips, they disappear completely.




When it comes to color and shine, I can best compare this balm to Silk Naturals' Soft, one of my favorite everyday glosses. It's a sheer raspberry shade that's perfect for daytime wear and provides this classic fresh look that's appropriate both in the office and for a walk in the city with friends.




It feels like a buttery-gel on my lips and so far it has only managed to protect and moisturize them, which is a big deal because many lipbalms actually tend to dry my lips. (Please note the absence of mineral oil on the INCI list, which is probably the reason why this balm performs so well.)





Its scent is delicious, exotic and mouthwatering, which makes it a perfect distraction from one's work. Imagine me sitting in the office, trying to label folders and catalog documents, but failing miserably thanks to an irrepressible urge to sniff said lipbalm every few minutes.
Epic fail... :-DDD
(I even ended up putting some on my wrists as if it were a solid perfume... *blushes like crazy*)



The twist-up tube contains a generous 4.8 g (5.5 ml) and usually retails for 439 HUF (1.8-2.6 EUR / 2.5-4.0USD abroad) in DM in Hungary , so if you're on a budget looking for an affordable, good-quality lipbalm, this is definitely a product you should consider.

It's one of the best lipbalms I've tried in a good while, and I might even go as far as saying that it compares to my beloved Silk Naturals lippies. And that, my dear friends and readers, is a huge compliment from me. :-D


Available in: DM, Rossmann, Müller and Schlecker stores, and probably all major drugstores near you
Rating: a solid 5 out of 5


Okay... Since I'm a huge lipbalm/lipsgloss/lip-practially-anything freak, I am now asking you to tell me what your favorite lipbalm is. I'm risking a lot here, after all one only gets so much money a month, but what the heck, I'm still curious. :-)))


Also, check out the goodies I got recently:

• Whipping Star by Frank Herbert, my favorite author ever (By the way, was it really necessary to insert the most unbecoming picture they could find of him into that Wikipedia article...? Check him out here, at least here he doesn't look like a hobo...)
  
• Hypno Gloss mascara by Essence
• Beauty Box from Artdeco for Sagu
• Brochure from La Roche Posay full of samples

 

Fan and I have been writing each other for a while and promised gifts for the other's birthday. I had mine last Friday, so yesterday I got to be the ecstatic recipient of a lovely package from Belgium full of goodies. :-)

This is the third package I got from Fan (here are the first and second), and as usual its contents blew me away.




What I got:

• A letter. A heartfelt, beautiful, handwritten letter. You don't get those very often now, do you? And it's a shame too, because while e-mails are great, there's just something about handwritten letters that adds a whole new level of "awesome" to one's life.
  
  
• A Stila Lip Glaze in Mandarin Mist
  
  Stila is not available in Hungary (does it even surprise anyone at all anymore...?), so you can imagine how excited I was to find this among my gifts. And you can probably also guess how difficult it is for me not to tell you all about it right now, but I'm planning to dedicate an entire post to each item I got, so you'll have to bear with me a little longer.
  
  
• A blush by HEMA
  
  Fan has already written a post about it, so if you're really curious (which you should be), then you can read about this product here. For now, let it be enough that it's every bit as great as Fan said it would be. :-)
  
  
• A Labello lip balm with star fruit and dragon fruit extracts
  
  I'm risking a lot here when I tell you that my first reaction was: "Ooookay...Labello. Right." Cause we kinda have it in Hungary, and I've had some not-so-pleasant experiences with the brand about five (or more) years ago.
  
  Let me just quickly make amends for my cheek before Fan gets really angry with me and tell you that she knows her stuff when it comes to cosmetics and that this Labello is not the Labello of five years ago. In fact, this stuff is so good that after only two days of using it continuously (yeah, I kinda couldn't get enough of that juicy scent) I can wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who's looking for a good, reliable lip-balm for the summer. (There's added SPF, baby. )
  
  So please Fan, don't hate me for my initial reaction: I've been keeping your name in my prayers ever since I tried this balm. *hug*
  
  
• A lovely necklace with a gorgeous blue crystal surrounded by silvery stars that twinkle with each tiny little movement I make. To me, it symbolizes my love of stars, of endless space, and a literary genre that strives to wrap up the infinite and hand it to us on a silvery plasteel plate: science-fiction.
  
  
• Some nice sheets of paper I can use to try my hands at origami. I should probably start with something easy and not be crazy enough to attempt the Kawasaki Rose, but then again, that Rose smells like a challenge. ^_^

Don't you fret for a minute over the brevity of this post: I'm planning to spend this week and the next with telling you about each of Fan's gifts in a separate post. ;-) There's going to be pictures, lots of details, ingredients lists and all sorts of other juicy stuff to keep you entertained. ^_^

No, I haven't forgotten. Like I ever could. :-)


You've truly made my birthday a special time of year with your letter, your thoughtful (and perfect) gifts and with just being my friend. *hug*