My View:Bare Escentuals Buxom Balm

I have never been a die-hard fan of Bare Escentuals, I think the fact that the foundations so didn't work for me is the reason I steer clear or am uninterested in the brand in general. I have not tried the "Buxom" line of lipglosses, mascara and liner until I picked up the newest incarnations of the line-the balm and liner (review on liner to come) recently. And I must say, I have been pleased with the results.

I like the balm a lot. The container is bulky, cheap and plastic to me, although I think the balm inside is lovely. I am usually not one to love swiping my finger in a balm, but I would make this one an exception. It is very hydrating and gives a beautiful shine and finish to the lips that I see as a middle ground between a hugely shiny gloss and a more matte or flat lipbalm.  It isn't unpleasantly sticky, but still seems to stay on the lip for a good period of time. It seems like the perfect daytime lip product to me. Not too much, but still a pretty healthy look.

I do not however, buy that the balm plumps your lips. My lips are very full to begin with, so I guess I am not the best subject since I don't want my lips plumped, but I see most products that claim to be "lip plumpers" to be utter bull. They either contain an irritant (like cinnamon oil ) that temporarily swells the lips sometimes, or they provide a hydrated, shiny appearance to the lip, which makes anyones lips stand out. It doesn't mean it makes the lips "fuller", I think you gotta get in injection for that (..don't get me started on how unnatural those usually look..plus needles..no thanks!)

This one isn't tingly and doesn't have that irritant, so I see the hydrating and glossy appearance to perhaps make the lips more prominent, but I don't see them being any fuller. It comes in several cute colors and I have it in "copacabana." This is a very sheer (they all are) nude beige color, that looks basically natural and clear on my pigmented lips. There is also a gorgeous bright pink (Waikiki), a sheer violet, and a few berry/red colors. They all look great, and the pink and violet ones are definitely on my list for spring. I like the pretty natural finish and the fact that it is so hydrating, so overall I have been really pleased with the product so far. I also like that the interior of the container has a little mirror in it : )

 I also think right now they are available only in Sephora, so go check it out!

xoxo

Update: Here is what the balm looks like on my lips. Note that I have on MAC's Lip Erase on underneath to make the color more true. I always wear the Lip Erase or Urban Decay's Lip Primer Potion underneath any lip product because my lips are super pigmented and appear bright red alone. This always messes with how colors show up on my lips so I tone them down before I apply anything. I'm shy with pics of me but I think I'll start to post more. Thanks guys : )