PHOTO CREDIT: missionskincare.com

Winter finally showed up, just in time for the holidays.  Here in the Chicago area we have had serious snow, wind and sub-zero temperatures.  Tonight is the third night of Hanukkah and I’m looking to lip products that will keep my poor pucker safe from harm.  If I can protect my mouth from winter winds and summer sun then I’m a step ahead of the game.  These lip balms are all formulated to shield as they hydrate.

When I was living in Berlin I became obsessed with the infinite varieties of Labello lip balms.  They come in these distinctive little tubes that make for easy application and they work exceptionally well.  For blustery weather, nothing beats Labello UV-Alpin SPF 30.  Packed with shea butter, jojoba oil and vitamin E, UV-Alpin is perfectly suited for a day on the slopes or just trotting around town.  It’s an import product that retails for $7.95 through various online vendors.  If you’re like me, you can ask friends traveling to Europe to bring back a bunch of tubes for a fraction of the price.

Eco Lips deserves a spot alongside the organic balms I mentioned on the first night of Hanukkah, and Eco Lips SPF 30 Sport Lip Balm is the best of both worlds; the organic balm designed for people who love the great outdoors provides excellent protection against sun, wind and cold.  I like the fact that it comes on a cutie aluminum carabiner.  It’s not like I have ever gone climbing in my life, but a $3.99 lip balm that can be clipped to my keys or diaper bag is pure genius.

Mission Skincare Ultra-Hydrating Lip Protector is as hard working as the high performance athletes for and by whom it was engineered.  The sleek package reveals a gel that promises to “condition in all conditions” with SPF20.  The fantastic scent comes courtesy of grapefruit peel oil, which works with lanolin, shea butter, mango seed butter, aloe leaf extract and soybean and coconut oils to deliver lasting hydration and protection, whether you’re poolside or trekking through the mountains.  Lip Protector costs $3.99 and is preservative and paraben free.

All three of these products are wonderful for women and men alike.  This year all of my presents for my husband seem to revolve around the theme of protecting him against the harsh elements (no honey, sane people do not walk the dog in a t-shirt when it’s 10 degrees) so I’ll be sure to slip him some of these lip balms to keep him kissable.

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PHOTO CREDIT: yestocarrots.com

Hanukkah is the festival of light, but it is also a celebration of oil, so it’s only fitting to kick off our eight nights of lip stuff we love with organics that make great use of natural oils to keep puckers supple and healthy.  Waxy is fine for the candles on my menorah, but for my lips I want good slip, great texture and lasting moisture.

Tela Beauty Organics Anti Age Lip Balm is hands down the best balm I have used in recent memory.  Its green-on-green packaging boasts the USDA Organic seal, and that little pot holds a remarkable blend of organic ingredients including olive oil, beeswax, shea butter, sweet almond, acai and rose hips oils, red sage, sprouted soy and burdock.  It was good enough for me to chase after my husband, product in hand saying, “you gotta try this!”  The results are immediate and enduring.  At $12 a pot, it’s a little spendy but worth every penny.

For green beauty on a budget, Yes To Carrots has rewritten the playbook, and their organic C Me Smile Lip Butter comes in a yummy variety of scents including Carrot, Berry, Citrus, Mint and Melon, the last being my personal favorite.  These all natural, cruelty-free, paraben, petroleum and pthalate-free Lip Butters use coconut and olive oils to moisturize and vitamin E to protect against environmental bad guys.  At $3.69 a tube you never need to go without.

Going organic can be tricky when you or a loved one has a nut allergy.  This hadn’t even occurred to me until my friend Alicia mentioned that she needed a lip balm that would allow her to kiss her daughter who has a severe tree nut allergy.  In addition to almond oil, shea butter can trigger allergies and it is a mainstay in most of these products.  One safe exception is Badger Balm.  Available in sticks or tins in tons of delicious flavors including Pink Grapefruit, Ginger & Lemon and Tangerine Breeze, these run about $3 a pop.  Each flavor has different ingredients working off of the Unscented ingredients which are listed as follows: Pure & Simple. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Golden Yellow Beeswax, Castor Bean Oil and nothing else.  If you’re looking to keep it natural and safe then Badger Balm is your best bet.

If I only ever got great lip products for Hanukkah then I would be a happy camper.  They make great stocking stuffers too!  I’ll be posting about all different kinds of lip stuff in the coming week, so stay tuned.  Happy Holidays!

KohGenDo Maifanshi Moisture Foundation

photo credit: www.kohgendocosmetics.com

EUREKA! I have come to the end of my search for a fantastic foundation. This search has taken a long time, but the wait was well worth it.

Koh Gen Do’s moisture foundation adheres easily to my skin, has virtually no scent, and performs miracles. I am no make up artist, and often struggle with foundation application.  I have tried many in my time, and finally here is one that is not messy, stinky, slippery, sticky, watery  or cakey.  This foundation is perfection.  Three or four small drops and a make up sponge are all you need for beautiful, flawless looking skin. This foundation manages to provide coverage like a cream foundation, but gives a smooth, sheer finish you would expect from a liquid foundation. Goodbye uneven skin, goodbye large pores, hello gorgeous. Still want more?  This foundation lasts and lasts, and yet, is gentle to the skin due to its paraben free ingredient list.  

Final Verdict: RDW (Run Don’t Walk) Take it from a woman who is not a highly skilled make up artist, this stuff is worth its weight in gold. And if you don’t believe me, take it from the Head of Make Up for the TV shows Entourage and 90210 who swear by this product.  This moisture foundation will make you look beautiful, whether you are on camera, or simply gorgeous  in real life.

$55 for 20g, available at www.kohgendocosmetics.com