Tanya Burr Vampire Kiss Lip Gloss // Review

I'm not a huge fan of lip gloss, only owning three in my entire collection. However, I was desperate to jump on the Tanya Burr bandwagon and try out one of her products.

You may remember the Bristol haul I posted a few months ago, in which I purchased a gloss in the shade 'Vampire Kiss.' There's an overwhelming 12 shades to choose from, and after staring at them all for a good five minutes, unable to swatch them on my wrist, I decided to play it safe and choose my go-to shade; a deep red.

I was also drawn to the name, being born on Halloween and loving any vampire film, program or novel, minus Twilight (although that's probably where she got the name from. I'm going to imagine she drew inspiration from something much cooler like True Blood.)

The packaging for the product is faultless and wouldn't look out of place on a high end makeup counter. The gloss itself is creamy and smells like sweeties. If there's anything I love more than sweets, it's makeup that smells like them.

The gloss has minimal stickyness. Maybe because I'm used to only wearing lipsticks, the gloss feels slightly heavy on my lips and I can tell it's there, although it doesn't cause any irritation or annoyance such as my hair sticking to it.

The applicator is doe foot which allows precise application. The shade of the gloss itself isn't all that I imagined it to be. I bought it assuming that it would be perfect for the Autumn/Winter season because of it's dark colour, although once on the lips, it's much sheerer, brighter and would be suitable all year round.

The only thing I dislike about this product is the short expiry date. Once it's opened, you have to use it within three months, although I like to go by the rule that if it looks, smells, and applies okay then it's fine to use.

I will definitely consider buying more of these glosses. I have my eye on Exotic Island  and Aurora at the moment. At £7.99, they're affordable, however I'm not completely converted to lipglosses and hope Tanya brings out a range of lipsticks soon!

Have you tried any Tanya Burr makeup?

Balmi VS EOS // Review

These lip balms get compared a lot, and it's no surprise really. They're a very similar concept, being neither lip balms in a tin which you dunk your finger into, or lip balms in a tube which you apply directly to the lips.

Despite the similar appearance and concept, these are very different.

Balmi is available in most Boots stores and costs £4.99, which I think is a bit expensive for a lip balm. However, the novelty of the shape convinced me to buy it, as I had never had anything like it before. Balmi's are available in four flavours from Boots; raspberry, strawberry, mint and coconut. I have the raspberry flavour; it smells lovely, not too strong or overpowering like a sweet.

The Balmi comes with a little chain to attach it to a keyring, although I took mine off as I wouldn't ever use it like that. However, it's a good idea if you're forever losing your lip balms. The texture of the balm itself applies quite thin to the lips. It moves around quite easily, and although I wouldn't say it had a greasy texture, it definitely isn't thick and buttery like Carmex for example. However, this could be a good thing, as I know that I prefer 'thinner' lip balms in the day to apply under lipsticks.

Balmi has an SPF of 15, which is great as we often forget to apply SPF to our lips. The only criticism I have of this product is the packaging. When I bought it, it looked great. However, it's advertised as being able to just pop into your handbag, no fuss. After a few weeks, I noticed the thin layer of plastic that coats the Balmi begin to peel off. Then one day, I found the lid had come off and wouldn't attach itself again.

I do frequently mention that my bag is the place where makeup products come to die, as everything I shove in there usually ends up breaking. I just assumed the Balmi would be a lot more resilient. So now, it stays with the majority of makeup, and I use it everyday before I apply my lipstick.

EOS balms are a lot harder to find, being an US product. I bought mine from Harvey Nichols for £7.50 which is a crazy price to pay for a lip balm. But us bloggers are curious creatures and always want what we can't have.

There is a bigger variety of flavours for the EOS, so something for everyone. I got the honeysuckle flavour which is so nice. I don't have anything that tastes or smells like this. The texture of this balm is a lot thicker than the Balmi, and I would probably prefer this product in the Autumn/ Winter seasons as I feel like it would tackle dry lips more and offer more protection.

As far as I'm aware, EOS doesn't have SPF in it, which, considering the price, you would expect.

I can't comment on the resilience of the packaging, as after the Balmi problem, I really didn't want to risk my £7.50 EOS going the same way.

So which of these should you buy? I prefer Balmi for the day and Summer months as it isn't as thick as EOS. I would use EOS for a more conditioning, buttery balm, but the price is ridiculous. Especially as in the US, you can get them for about $3.

However, if I ever get a chance to go to America, I'm definitely stocking up, as even if I don't use them, I imagine they will be an attractive decoration to any vanity or dressing table.

As I mainly use the balm to prime the lips before lipstick, rather than treating chapped lips, I can't comment on how good they are at defeating the inevitable dryness we all get. If this is your problem, I recommend Carmex which can be found in most Poundlands. But if you're after a quirky, unique, mess free balm, definitely invest in either Balmi or EOS.