skysenshi.com

I was hanging out with my gay friends (they’re the best shopping buddies a girl could ever have) when I passed by TheFaceShop at the SM Mall of Asia, got curious, and eventually tried out their products. I was looking for lip gloss, since I just finished off my Nivea Strawberry glosses. It was in this store that I actually learned that there is a huge difference between glosses, balms and sticks. The sales ladies explained to me that lip gloss just gives you mild coloring and shine (as I usually do not like wearing lipstick) while lip balms actually provide the nourishment that your puckers need. I was also to learn later on, while I was talking to my female colleagues, that balms should serve as your primer before any other lip products.

I’ve always had problems with dryness and skin shedding. No matter what I tried — be it a shiner, gloss, petroleum jelly, cream — nothing seems to do the trick. I always end up chewing my lips and tearing the skin off with my teeth, a nasty habit that a lot of people always scold me for. It also makes public speaking difficult, as the dryness causes me to mispronounce my words, rendering me incoherent. Nivea’s lip gloss will temporarily alleviate the problem, but it provides very little comfort.

I bought the Plus+1 Lip Care Cream and with the help of my chic friends, picked out the lipstick color that matched my natural shade (Black Label “Graceful Pink”). I know, I can hear people say, “Why would you buy lipstick if it’s just going to be the same shade as your lips?” My sister has a smart answer: “Because the natural-colored ones even out your lips’ imperfections while keeping it realistic.”

Anyway, it’s only been a week since I’ve bought the goodies and I must say I’m hooked. I have never had this consistent state of softness before. There are times when I only need to put on the lipstick once or twice in the morning and the balm just makes my lips glow the whole day. They retain the lighter pinkish shade provided by the lipstick while maintaining moisture. I swear my lips feel so supple, I’d kiss myself if I could!

Rating: 9/10

EDIT November 4, 2007:
After trying out a more expensive brand, I have proven that this is really the brand that’s suited for me. I realized that I have learned how to exfoliate properly. It was also when I started using this that my boyfriend complained, “Your lips are disturbingly soft!” The only thing that’s keeping me from giving this a perfect 10 is the fact that the tube starts to get annoying when you’re running out: the sides split and you’d have the good stuff spilling out of it.