Review: Clinique Chubby Stick Intense - Curviest Caramel

You may already know I've got a lot of love for the Clinique Chubby Sticks but for those who didn't you can read my previous review here.

 

For the past few years I've been more inclined towards lip balms and butters compared to lipsticks, mainly because I find them more moisturising and with less tendency to bleed around the lips when eating/drinking/talking (or sometimes all three!)

 

Being the proud owner of quite a few of the standard chubby sticks, I've wanted to try the Intense version in order to make a comparison and explore the new shades for a while now, and so, at £16 I opted for Curviest Caramel.

Marketed on the Clinique.co.uk site as:

 

'NEW Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm delivers full coverage in 8 rich blod shades. Lips are immediately moisturized and left with a soft glossy finish in a bright intense colour.'

 

and described on Clinique.com as a product to:

 

'Tempt lips with a soft cushion of colour that's not quite sheer, not quite opaque - just the perfect happy medium. Loaded with mango and shea butters so lips feel comfortably soft and smooth.'

 

 

My thoughts...

 

I really wasn't expecting it to be much different from the standard chubby sticks, however the colour pay off is a lot stronger and you need fewer coats to get the desired shade. The product feels heavier when applied but without the stickiness you get with a standard gloss. It feels moisturising and smooth and lasts ages.

 

I love this shade against my pale skin. Being a girl who goes for strong eyes/nude lips it's going to look great for my next night out. I'll try to pop a pic or two on of the stick in situ but until then, here's a quick lip pic.

 



 

So, what do you think?

 

Are you a fan of the Clinique Chubby Sticks and if so, which shade is your favourite?

 

Thanks for reading....

 

x Gem

 

Secret Beauty Junkies.... Freebie Challenge!

Over the past couple of months I've been participating in a fantastic challenge through a facebook group I'm a member of.... Secret Beauty Junkies! 

 

'What did the challenge involve?' I hear you ask. Good question. The aim was to gather as many items as possible for free, which you would then send to a designated person (I was paired with the lovely Debra). The items had to be new and not paid for using money (cash/card etc) but the rest was down to the 'freebie finder'.

 

I used a number of methods to gather goodies for Debra: 3 for 2 purchases where the free gift was passed on, loyalty points (Superdrug, Boots, Shopcade), GWP items, Magazine freebies, Sample giveaways, Prize wins, gift items I'd received but wouldn't make use of myself, Clubcard coupons, In store money off vouchers ie tea bags (I had a 50p off voucher for Twinings I'd used to purchase some individually wrapped bags - worked out 50p worth and popped these aside for the swap box), Complimentary Hotel minis...... you get the drift huh?

 

It's been a pretty insightful experience - there really is so much you can get for free when setting your mind to it. I've always loved sourcing a bargain (you may have noticed this from a few other posts) and love getting something for nothing. The main difference this time being the freebies were for someone else.

 

Here are a few pics of the items I received from Debra just yesterday....

 

So many gorgeous goodies - far too many to list! From sample sachets of skincare and makeup, cosmetics, toothpastes, coupons, tea and coffee, bubble bath, a waxing kit, a bracelet, and a Yankee Candle wax tart to some lovely pet food pouches for my gorgeous cat Shange!

 

 

 

Debra and I messaged each other a few times both before and during the collection period to try to make sure the items sent would be suitable and enjoyed.

 

I was so happy to receive my side of the swap and am sure I'll use all of the items, in fact, I've already used some of the tea bags and bubble bath!! Shange was thrilled with her Gourmet pouch (she'd previously only eaten Felix and most recently Whiskas) and may have chosen a new favourite... bizarrely my OH has decided that the little gold fork that came with it is now his - he wants it for his olives and pickled onions so there'll even be some recycling going on!

 

Of the swaps I've seen taking place through the group, everyone who participated has enjoyed. The variety of products gathered has been immense and stands testiment to how a little research, bargain spotting and sometimes, a cheeky request can prove fruitful and rewarding.

 

I can't wait to do it all again!

 

Have any of you completed a similar challenge?

 

Would you do it again?

 

 

Review: Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick - Tourmaline 307

I usually favour glosses over lipsticks but I've recently found a few lippys that are quickly becoming favourites,  one of which is the Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick in shade PK307 Tourmaline.

 

Priced at £22 for the full sized 4g lipstick it's definitely one in the higher price bracket although I'm now the proud owner of the mini version (and a beautiful eyeshadow palette) thanks to the lovely Katie C via Beauty Box Swappers (a facebook group dedicated to bargain hunting and swapping unwanted beauty items).

Described on the website as: 'Rich vibrant color that envelops your lips with just one lustrous coat. The creamy texture with nurturing ingredients improves the lips' condition with regular use.'

 

It feels smooth, buttery and moisturising without being too shiny. This shade looks great with a smokey eye or just a splash of colour and needs just one coat for an even coverage.

 

It's been my go-to lippy for the past two weeks and is one I'm going to definitely repurchase in the near future. In fact, I'm just about stopping myself from pressing the dreaded 'checkout' button on feelunique.com .... but, payday is just around the corner!

 

What do you think? Is this a shade you'd go for or have you tried others from the brand?

 

x Gem