REVIEW | Chanel Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Color x Rouge Coco Stylo Complete Care Lipshine

Even though I don't like wearing lipstick on a daily basis, I still catch myself at times staring at the two Chanel lippies in my collection in adoration - the Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Color and Rouge Coco Stylo Complete Care Lipshine. Just holding a Chanel lipstick in my hand makes me feel a hundred times classier, and I just want to apply them on my lips all the time!

Chanel Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Color

$37USD at Chanel, Nordstrom

0.12 oz | 33 shades

Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo Complete Care Lipshine

$37USD at Chanel, Nordstrom

0.07 oz | 9 shades

440 Arthur | 212 Recit

Chanel Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Color in 440 Arthur |
This is a limited edition, mini-sized lipstick that I received after attending the Chanel pop-up event last year, and it's in the shade 440 Arthur, a medium red-orange shade with a luminous finish. (Fun fact - this is the exact color that Keira Knightley wore in the Rouge Coco ads, but unlike me, she looks effortlessly chic and put together.) It has great pigment and a smooth, buttery consistency that felt very comfortable on the lips. It pulls more coral than red on my pale skin, which I don't think is the most flattering, but I think this pop of color would look beautiful with a tan. Currently, I wear this shade lightly stained on the lips - a perfect popsicle-stained pout - and it manages to subtly brighten my face and complexion. The luminosity and shine disappears after about an hour - this stuff does transfer - but the color stays put for about four hours, even after eating.

Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo Complete Care Lipshine in 212 Recit |
My sister picked this out for my birthday, and for someone who isn't all that into makeup, I think she made a brilliant choice with this gorgeous berry shade. These lipshines claim to have "the intensity of a lipstick, the shine of a lipgloss and the comfort of a lip balm" with a hydrating formula that includes apple seed extract, jojoba oil and coconut oil. It's in a twist-up style (but beware - you can't twist back down so don't be too ambitious!) and this color in 212 Recit is a beautiful berry plum shade with a pearlescent finish, and has teeny tiny gold flecks of shimmer in the tube that (thankfully) doesn't translate on the lips. It is considerably more lustrous and glossy - like a lipgloss - than the lip color in Arthur, but not as opaque upon first swipe. It's buildable from a light mauvey berry shade to a deep plum color. This truly felt comfortable and hydrating like a lip balm, with a very emollient and buttery formula. I also enjoy wearing this lightly dabbed on for an everyday look, as opposed to smeared on at full opacity. This has around the same lasting power - around four hours - but the glossy effect stays put for almost as long. Just like Arthur, Recit does transfer as well, but when it wears off, it leaves behind a beautiful mauve, MLBB stain.

440 Arthur | 212 Recit

So far, I'm impressed with the performance of these two Chanel lip products (but perhaps not as much by the price), so holler in the comments if you have any favorites or holy grails from the brand, as I'd love to check them out in the future!

REVIEW | Winky Lux Flower Balm

Remember last year when the internet properly freaked out over those clear lip balms with tiny flowers suspended inside them? Well, I finally got my hands on one and it is truly as magical and endearing as it sounds - introducing my new Winky Lux Flower Balm!

Winky Lux Flower Balm

$14USD at Winky Lux, ASOS

4 colors

The first flower-infused lip balms I read about were from a Chinese-based makeup company called Kailijumei, and while I ooh-ed and ahh-ed over them like the rest of the world, I never thought twice about going through the hassle of ordering online and getting it shipped to my house. Fast forward to just a few days ago, I was having lunch with one of my besties and she decided to make my day by presenting me with this cute, unassuming floral lipstick box. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised when I twisted the bullet up and saw the tiny treasure frozen inside. It was magical!

Winky Lux Flower Balm in Pink

Just. look. at. that. So freakin' gorgeous! And yes, that's a real Chrysanthemum flower inside! Okay, let's try and focus here. So, Winky Lux is a New York-based makeup brand that ran with the flower lip balm idea and put their own spin on it - these lip balms are vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, and even gluten-free (who knew gluten-free makeup was even a thing!). They also made it more affordable than the Kailijumei version (14USD compared to 25) and more accessible to the masses (now available at ASOS). Huge props!

Now, I have to be honest here and say that the packaging doesn't look (or feel) very fancy - the plastic casing is super lightweight and doesn't feel at all expensive, while the logo on the side just looks printed on. But hey, I'm not hating, just stating! Having said that, however, who gives a cr*p about the outside when the inside looks like that! This is a classic example of not judging a book by its cover. To be fair, I do find the floral packaging pretty darn cute, just not the cheap plastic casing.

In addition to my pink Flower Balm, Winky Lux also offers variations with blue, yellow and green flowers. The clear bullet has a soothing coconut scent (with a hint of vanilla), and is surprisingly very glossy and hydrating on the lips. And the coolest part about the lip balm (besides the pretty flower) is that it actually reacts with your unique pH levels and body chemistry and creates the perfect shade of pink that complements and flatters your skin tone. All this while also keeping your lips moisturized and soft. Yaassss, honey! On me, it lightly tints my lips with a rosy-pink tinge and I am seriously obsessed.

Winky Lux Flower Balm in Pink

And don't be fooled - just because you'll want to reapply this a dozen times a day (and stare at it for hours), doesn't mean you need to. This stuff seriously stains your lips and has great staying power. That swatch remained a lovely pink stripe on my hand all day, despite my frequent hand-washing - makeup lovers, I know y'all feel my pain. 

If you're a lippie lover, or you know one in your life, this lip balm is the perfect present to gift yourself or anyone else. I just can't wait until I finally reach the tiny flower inside, 'cos then I'll have an excuse to get myself another Flower Balm! Flower power!