Epic Blend Lip Balm Review & Giveaway

My lips are singing the praises of Epic Blend lip balms!

Epic Blend was launched in 2007 in Kelowna, British Columbia; and is now sold in hundreds of retailers across Canada. They design and produce high-quality lip balms made with only top-shelf natural ingredients, and no harsh synthetics. "We think happy lips make happy people, so we design products that make lips happy." And boy do these lip balms make my lips happy! I'm cursed with extremely dry lips once Winter hits, and I've been trying everything to remedy this. I've only been using these lip balms for a few days and already my lips are 100% better. I am in love and I don't think that I could use anything else.

These balms smooth the lips without the greasiness, and they provide high-level and long lasting moisture. Epic Blend provides three different balm options:

More Moisture

"Seven moisturizers, including Organic Shea Butter come together to provide an extra kick of moisture plus a boost of staying power."

Key Ingredients:

• organic Shea butter
• organic coconut oil
• organic sunflower oil
• organic Castor oil
• organic beeswax
• non-gmo vitamin e

Flavours Include:

1. Unflavoured - no scent, nothing, nada. A true unscented lip balm.
2. Grape - grape soda all the way! I'm not normally a grape fan, but I really like this.
3. Green Apple - green apple jolly ranchers. Yum, Yum, Yum!
4. Cherry - have you ever used cherry chapstick, cause that's what this smells like.

Vegan

"100% plant-based and beeswax-free. We use all-natural food-grade Candelilla wax, which gives these balms an incredibly smooth texture."

Key Ingredients:

• food-grade candelilla wax
• organic coconut oil
• organic sunflower oil
• organic cocoa butter
• non-gmo vitamin e

Flavours Include:

1. Wild Berry - my favourite scent of the bunch! It is very sugary sweet, like Kool-Aid powder before you add the water. Love!
2. Pineapple-Mint - I like pineapple, and I like mint, but together...not so much.

Hemp

"Organic Hemp Seed Oil is a great anti-oxidant, super-nourishing and quickly absorbs deep into the skin cells."

Key Ingredients:

• organic hemp seed oil
• organic coconut oil
• organic sunflower oil
• organic beeswax
• non-gmo vitamin e

Flavours Include:

1. Vanilla - smells very faintly of chocolate. I get no hint of vanilla at all.
2. Mint - smells exactly like Trident Spearmint gum. A very fresh scent.
3. Coconut - very faint coconut scent, and not an overly sweet coconut scent.
4. Citrus Kick - it smells faintly fruity, but I cant make out exactly what fruit or fruits I'm smelling.
5. Banana LE - reminds me of my childhood and banana medicine. I will be cherishing this limited edition scent.
6. Chocolate Rum LE - smells mostly of chocolate, but there is an underlying spiciness, which I think comes from the rum.

Epic Blend Lip Balms retail for $3.49 a piece or you can purchase a 4-pack for $12.00. They ship everywhere in Canada, and SHIPPING IS FREE ON ANY PURCHASE OVER $15. You can find Epic Blend all over the web, buy using the following links:

Website   Facebook   Instagram   Twitter

Thanks to the generosity of Epic Blend I will be giving away a Lip Lovin' Superpack which includes 1 of each lip balm from Epic's regular line. If you would like to win these awesome balms, then enter in the Rafflecopter Form below. This giveaway will run until December 30th, 2013 at midnight. This giveaway is only open to Canadian residents.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Disclaimer: I received these lips balms for free from Epic Blend, in exchange for a review. That does not change my opinion on them, and all thoughts are 100% honest and my own.

February Empties

So this post is a little late...but I guess better late than never! This month I was pretty successful in using up full size products. Next month I want to try and use up a bunch of samples that I still have kicking around.

eos Shave Cream in Vanilla Bliss
This shave cream is just OK. I don't find it moisturizing at all. I actually find that I need a lot of moisturizer after using this, because my legs are left so dry. It also clogs up the razor like crazy. The only thing I really like about this is the smell. Repurchase: No

St. Ives Apricot Cleanser
I bought this cleanser because I really like the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. However, I didn't really like this. I feel that it really didn't clean my skin and it left a residue that made me want to wash my face all over again. The consistency was weird and I had to force myself to use it up. Repurchase: No

B. Kamins Bio-Maple Lip Balm
I really hated this lip balm. I found that the ultra thick consistency turned really liquidy on the lips and I was eating more of it then what was staying on my lips. The smell and taste were off-putting and I am happy this tube is finally finished. Repurchase: No

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles
So this product isn't actually empty. The packaging on this sucks, in my opinion, and broke when a quarter of the product left. I depotted it cause I didn't want to just throw that much product away. I do like this concealer but I feel like the colour is a bit to dark for me. It does a great job at concealing under eye circles and other blemishes. I wish it was packaged differently. Repurchase: Maybe

Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat
This is my Holy Grail Top Coat! If  it was up to me I would only use this forever and ever but at its cost per mL my bank account wants me to find something cheaper. It leaves my nails super glossy and my mani's last at least a week. Repurchase: Yes

Korres White Tea Facial Cleanser
I found this cleanser to be very liquidy and non-foaming. I found I had to use double the amount of product because it kept slipping right through my fingers. I didn't overly love the smell and cleansing wise I wasn't wowed. A big step down considering how well the scrub worked. Repurchase: No.

Korres Pomegranate Scrub
I got this deluxe sample as part of a complete sample skincare set at Winners. I loved this scrub! The smell was amazing and so were the scrubby bits. It reminded me of the texture of the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. It left my skin feeling ultra clean and smooth. Repurchase: Yes, if I could find it on sale.

TRESemme Split Remedy Shampoo & Conditioner
I don't normally gravitate towards Tresemme products but I really enjoyed these samples. My hair smelt great and I noticed less fly aways and frizz. Repurchase: Yes

Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Shampoo & Conditioner
This product has always intrigued me but I wasn't wowed by these samples. They really left something to be desired. However, I want to try them again for a longer period of time because they are a hair therapy duo, so one use isn't going to show instant results. Repurchase: Maybe


Have you used any of these products before? If so, what are your thoughts on them?

I'm back with a Sephora/Target Haul!

Hey ladies, sorry I've been gone so long. This month has just not been good for blogging. I was working a lot at the beginning of the month and then I got the flu which lasted two weeks, then I was out of town. But enough with excuses I'm back and ready to get back into blogging full force.

Last weekend me and the BF went shopping across the border. We went mainly to Christmas shop but I also did some shopping for myself. It was my first time going to Sephora and I did a little damage but not as much as I could have. I just treated myself to a few goodies :)

First stop was Target. I only picked up a few things because I wanted to save my money for Sephora. I found this really pretty Jemma Kidd Neutral Palette on sale for only $18 but I resisted (I did really want it though lol).

I picked up the ELF Tinted Moisturizer to try because my current foundation is almost empty. After trying it on my hand it seems nice. Very lightweight with sheer coverage, but I should be able to build it up without it looking cakey.

On the way to the cash register I saw this EOS lip balm in a pomegranate raspberry flavour. I love these lip balms and a have a few different ones already, but thought this would be a good addition to the collection.

This little Benefit Kit was the main reason I wanted to go to Sephora. I've always wanted to try some Benefit products so I thought this would be the perfect kit. If only I could have walked away with just this.

Sephora is really good at putting little value sets right at the cash register, so while you are waiting to pay you will pick up more things. I've seen reviews of this trio on both blogs and YouTube so when I saw it sitting there calling my name I just had to add it to the basket.

This Tokidoki palette was on sale for only $3 and it contains four purple and silver eye shadows as well as a shimmery pink blush.

The Sephora Smokey Kohl liners were on sale as well so I picked one up in purple and black. They have a really cool triangle shape and I'm excited to try them out.

The mini Urban Decay Primer Potion was at the checkout as well and it easily fell right into the basket. This is a beauty blogger favourite and we'll see if it becomes one of mine.

The sales lady at the checkout counter actually talked me into this and after I bought it I had buyers remorse and kinda wanted to return it. But now that I've got it home I'm glad I bought it. It comes with every form of eyeliner that there is and I am sure it will last me a year before I have to buy another black eyeliner.

This kit has a funny story behind it. I have been researching The Body Shop skincare for sometime and actually had a sales associate talk to me about it but I didn't buy it. At Great Lakes Crossing I spun the Deal Wheel and was given a coupon for $10 off coupon. I almost bought this skincare kit and it was going to cost me $30. I didn't buy it cause I didn't want to spend that much.Then the whole day I talked to the BF about how I should've bought it cause it was a good deal. In Sephora on the clearance rack I saw the same kit for only $19! It became mine super quick and I cant wait to try it out.

I also received a bunch of mini and deluxe samples.

2 deluxe samples of Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation

I deluxe sample of Benefit Eye Cream

Foil packet samples of fresh Soy Moisturizing cream, Skin Foundation, and Sephora brand moisturizer.

 

Overall my Sephora experience was really good and the sales associates were really helpful. I cant want to go back!

What's in my Overnight Bag??

I've seen many different variations of this post but thought while packing my overnight bag that I should do my first "What's in my bag?" post. I slept over at my boyfriends last night so I packed extremely light. Normally I would pack more but seeing as I was just 10 minutes away from home I didn't think I needed that much.

Here is everything that I had in my toiletry bag. When I travel I like to bring sample sizes of almost everything in order to use up my sample stash before they go bad.

Although this toiletry bag works well for small trips, when I go away for more then a couple days it just doesn't do. I found a great train case at Walmart, it's on my Christmas List so hopefully I get it.

• Marcelle Essentials Makeup Remover
• B.Kamins Lip Balm
• Dove Cleartone Deodorant
• Contact Solution
• Contacts & Contact Case
• Glasses

• Mario Badescu Cucumber Cleansing Lotion
• Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser
• Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum
• Estee Lauder Perfectionist Wrinkle Lifting/Firming Serum
• Cotton Rounds
• CyberDerm H2O Hydration Face Cream
• Mario Badescu Strawberry Face Scrub
• Mario Badescu Special Mask for Oily Skin

• La Fresh Waterproof Makeup Remover Wipe
• Biore Pore Strip
• Garnier Body Shea Body Lotion
• Free Your Mane Shampoo & Conditioner

• All over eyeshadow brush
• Definer eyeshadow brush
• Blending crease brush
• Powder brush
• Blush brush
• Foundation brush

•  MAC Concealer (depotted)
• Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Roller w/Concealer
• PUR 4-in-1 Mineral Makeup in Light
• Revlon Colorstay Blush in Roseberry
• Caryl Baker Visage Mineral Eyeshadow in Pillow
• Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in Sandstone
• MAC Painterly Paint Pot
• Essence Quattro Eyeshadow
• Annabelle Kohl Eyeliner in Black
• L'Oreal Linear Intense Liquid Eyeliner
• Annabelle Le BIG Show Mascara

How Much Does My Face Cost?

I have seen posts like this on many beauty blogs and it sparked my interest. How much does my everyday face of makeup actually cost?? When buying products over months of time I think many of us really underestimate how much we actually spend on our beloved products. I decided to look into how much my daily makeup look actually cost me...with tax. In Canada tax is 13% which ended up being a lot on the makeup below.

Caryl Baker Visage Firming Eye Gel - $28.00

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - $31.00

CoverGirl Trublend Foundation - $9.99

NYC Loose Translucent Face Powder - $3.99

MAC Sheertone Blush in Tenderling - $22.50

MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl - $20.00

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base - $8.99

Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Trio - $28.00

MAC Painterly Paint Pot - $20.00

Laura Mercier Eye Colour in Sandstone - $22.00

Garnier Skin Renew Anti Dark Circle Roller in Light - $12.99

MAC Select Cover Up in NW20 - $20.00

Annabelle Kohl Eyeliner in Black - $4.99

EOS Lip Balm in Sweet Mint - $4.99

Caryl Baker Visage Mineral Eyeshadow - $5.00

C.O. Bigelow My Favourite Lip Balm - $5.50

Annabelle Le BIG Show Mascara - $4.99

L'Oreal Carbon Black Liner Intense - $9.49

Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart - $8.99

Total w/o tax - $271.41

Total w/ tax - $306.69



How much does your face cost? If you do this type of post let me know in the comments below. I would love to see what products you use on a daily basis. : )

MAC Lip Product Haul

Over the past couple weeks I have stopped and splurged on some MAC Lip Products. I normally don't buy lip products from MAC because of how expensive the products there are. But some new collections came out and the lip products I gave in and bought were ones that I just couldnt stop looking at. These colors are really out of the box for me but I want to start using colors and products that are out of my comfort zone.

Such a beautiful, crazy tangerine color. Love it!

But when swatched it isn't too orange that I would be scared to wear it. This is going to look great paired with a peach, coral, or nude lipstick.

This pick color is sooo pretty and this product smells amazing!

 The color pay off will make this perfect to wear over a pink lipstick or by itself.

Dish It Up Lipstick from the Cook MAC Collection. This picture is with no flash.

Picture with flash.

I love, love, love the berry color of this lipstick and the smooth consistency.

Chickened out on getting Viva Glam Gaga because of the crazy pink color, but I am all over Viva Glam Nicki. This coral is so out of the box for me, but looks amazing on.

Without flash.

With flash

Gorgeous right?

Disclaimer: I bought all of these products with my own money.

February Glymm Box



I didn't really have high expectations for this month's Glymm Box. Having been disappointed for the last few months I am really not excited anymore about getting my Glymm Box. This month did come with two full size products but they are drugstore brands, so they are really nothing special to me. The other two samples were extremely small samples of products I am not really interested in trying.
  
Another disappointment this month was that my replacement product was not sent to me. Last month my Vasanti product arrived empty and I was promised a replacement product. I did not receive it and after a strongly worded email they promised to send me one next month. I guess we will see but I'm not holding my breathe.

Something else I wanted to talk about this month was the Glymm Facebook page. They have made it so that their followers cannot post openly on their Wall. We are limited to only commenting on what Glymm posts. I have my opinions about this, but that's not what this post is about. Ultimately, I feel like the Customer Service with Glymm is slipping and so is the Quality and Quantity of the boxes from month to month. I keep saying every month that maybe Glymm will redeem themselves and again we will see. They have until November to win me back, but right now I am not re-subscribing. With so many other subscription services giving constantly good products and brands I am thinking my money will be better spent elsewhere.

 Sula Natural Shadow

Sample Value: $8.00 for 0.15 oz

Full Size: $8.00 for 0.15 oz

On the Card: Keep your eyes looking flirty fresh with this trendy, easy-to-use Sula Beauty shadow. Enjoy playfully pretty eye shadow in gorgeous colors. They're long lasting, easy to blend and made with natural ingredients.

My Thoughts: This shadow is a cream shadow, a paint pot like product, and green. Not the color I would have bought for myself which I guess is what this subscription service is about, getting to try products we normally wouldn't pick for ourselves. However, I will probably never use this product. I never really wear greens because I don't know how to make them look good. This may force me to start trying things out of my comfort zone or it may just sit in a drawer and never be used. The consistency is okay, not as creamy as a MAC Paint pot or as pigmented as the Color Tattoos. I really wish I had gotten the pink or purple powder shadow that other people got.

 Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm

Sample Size: $7.99 for 4.25g

Full Size: $7.99 for 4.25g

On the Card: This Tinted Lip Balm by Burt's Bees gives your lips a hint of color with a soft sweet flavor. It was also voted Best New Lip Product by Consumers. It's made with natural ingredients that moisturize and condition your lips. This stuff really is the 'balm'.

My Thoughts: This is the second month that we received Burt's Bees products and I don't know how I feel about that. Last month I HATED the lotion that I got, but I am happy so far with the Lip Balm. I like the Coral color that I received and the smell and taste is okay so I will wear this. However, I really didn't need anymore lip products, as I am literally swimming in them already. Although this is a good color and product, I don't like that it is again a drugstore product that is nothing really special.

 GlamGlow Tingling and Exfoliating Mud Mask

Sample Value: $10.92 for 7mL

Full Size: $78.00 for 50mL

On the Card: Lights, Camera, Action! Designed for Hollywood's entertainment industry, it tingles, tightens & lightens in 15 minutes, so you're always camera-ready. Volcanic rock, French Sea Clay and real pieces of Green Tea Leaf will give you super sexy, super radiant skin.

My Thoughts: I am not really a mask person. Sometimes I get into moods where I use face masks regularly and other times I never use them. I am wary to try this mask because I have heard such good things about it, even before receiving it in this month's box. If it is really good and I fall in love with it it sucks because it is so expensive. We also got in this box a coupon code to get this mask full size on the Glymm website for only $50.00. Maybe if I like this I will use my points and splurge to get this mask. Side note: I actually saw this product at Winners in my home town a few weeks ago for only $39.99.

 Mai Couture 2-1 Oil Blotting/Bronzing Papier

Sample Value: $0.48 for 2 sheets

Full Size Value: $24 for 100 sheets

On the Card: Beauty on-the-go? Mai Couture has the solution. This lightly powdered paper eliminates oil and gives your complexion a shimmery glow. No need to worry about carrying your makeup bag and brushes around with you all day. grab a 'papier' and keep your face flawless.

My Thoughts: This has got to be the stupidest sample I have ever received. I am really pale so there is no way I am going to be able to use these without looking muddy. And they are so shimmery; who likes shimmer in a bronzer?? Not me. I will never use these. I wish I had gotten the blush sheets that others got or maybe just a different sample entirely.

Overall this box was a huge disappointment, and I can't honestly promote them this month when the other subscription services were a million times better. And this months box was late because one of the samples arrived late, can't imagine what it was and it definitely wasn't worth the box being late.

Price of February's Box - $10

Value of February's Box - $27.39 (roughly)

Disclaimer - This box was purchased with my own money. All opinions are honest and my own.