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| Qtica Intense Lip Repair Balm - my Holy Grail lip balm....where have you been all my life????? The best $12.00 I have spent all season. |
The weather outside is cooling off fast. While I simply adore autumn - everything from the deeper color palettes to the fashion (mmmmm, buttery leather jackets and knee high boots) to the Starbucks beverage selection (mmmmm, Pumpkin Spice Latte), my skin tends to protest.
My lips generally suffer the most in cold weather. They are often dry and peeling. The lines in my lips look deeper. I'm not talking a little flaking here and there, but it's like little sheets of skin continually peel off. It's not pretty - and it's especially not pretty when trying to wear the en vogue plum and burgundy lip colors that are fall staples. *shudder*
I have tried countless products to try and combat dry, flaky lips - everything from a homemade sugar and olive oil scrub, drugstore balms to high end salves. And while everything has offered some level of relief, the results usually only last as long as the product remained in contact with my lips. I had resigned myself to religious re-application and constant exfoliation.
That is - until I stumbled upon Qtica's Intense Lip Repair Balm. (I literally stumbled upon it while I was online shopping and needed to spend $10 more dollars to get free shipping!) Even though I have a box full of half-used lip products, the reviews were glowing and I figured I didn't have much to lose.
The balm is incredibly thick and difficult to push out of the tube, but the tiniest dollop applied twice a day (I prefer to use a clean finger) and the flakiness and dryness have almost completely disappeared. It's the first product I've used that doesn't require constant reapplication to keep the hydrated, smooth, soft feeling going. It feels wonderful on and the effects are immediate and long-lasting. I put it on before I go to bed at night and again in the morning before I put on my lipstick. It's not greasy or grainy. There is a noticeable tingling sensation, as with many lip balms that have peppermint in them, but I quite like it and don't find it uncomfortable or overwhelming.
I'm spending the holidays in Colorado this year and with the dry, cold air my lips would normally be a cracked mess. I am obsessed with my new HG lip product from Qtica and for the first time I'm not dreading the winter months (at least, not where my lips are concerned!).
I used to pack at least 3 of the lip products below. I'm not saying these products aren't good, but I find that have to keep slathering them on because none of them seems to have the long-wearing softening and hydrating effects of Qtica. I would definitely use Qtica as a lip treatment and for a spot application during the day - especially when I'm wearing matte / longwearing lipstick that have a drier formulation - I would put one of the below on top just for some added moisture.
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| 1. Nuxe Reve de Miel Balm 2. Jack Black Grapefruit and Ginger Lip Balm 3. Eve Lom Kiss Mix 4. Smith's Rose Salve in Minted Rose 5. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Rose and Original Formulas 6. Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm |
A few quick notes on the above:
1. Nuxe - the texture is different than most balms. It's matte, thick and a bit grainy. I used to put this on at night after exfoliating with a homemade sugar scrub. I wouldn't tote this around with me because the pot packaging. I don't want to dip a finger that's been holding onto subway polls and then smear it all over my lips. Ew.
2. Jack Black - I've bought countless tubes of this stuff. I would still use this because it does contain SPF in it and the smell is divine. It's pretty slippery, so I have to reapply this pretty often to maintain flake-free lips
3. Eve Lom - the single most expensive lip treatment I've ever bought. It's probably got the highest concentration of peppermint in any lip balm I've used, my lips would be extremely tingly after application. While it was the most expensive, I found the effect to be pretty short-lived. Again, it's a pot, so if you're a germaphobe, this isn't the most practical balm to be toting around.
4. Smith's Rose Salve - A cult classic. Too slippery to do much good for very long. Very shiny. Broken record alert - but I really don't like pot applications on the go.
5. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment - Another cult classic. I got this mini set as my Sephora VIB birthday gift. Smells lovely. Glides on like butter and has a great shine. The issue is that I'm constantly reapplying.
So like I said before, there are lots of good lip products out there. The question is: how many times do you want to have to put it on throughout the day? If you're like me, the answer is: as few times as possible.
*This review was unsolicited and all opinions are my own. All products mentioned were purchased with my own money unless otherwise stated.
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