Wednesday 2 May 2012

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint in 'Blush'

I remember back in high school, EVERYBODY had a Labello lip balm (or Nivea in some countries) & if you didn't have one, well then you were a dork. Ok, ok, truth be told Labellos were just a 'thing' in my group of friends, but still. Everyone had one in either cherry or some tinted variation. Besides keeping our dry, chapped lips moisturised, if were weren't allowed to use real make-up in school, we had to use something, right?

I've come a long way since those make-up-less days..... Gee now I sound like an old dinosaur when it's only been a few years! :D 

Anywho, Labello was my go-to lip balm, until I decided that a gal in her early 20's should be using something a little more... sophisticated


Then I found the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint in 'Blush'. Now that's a mouthful! Here's what it looks like a brand spanking new...
Elizabeth Arden etc. etc. in 'Blush'
It's sleek & ultra grown up packaging really caught my attention, like a lip balm cleverly disguised as a lipstick.

And here's what it looks like after 8 months of rolling around the bottom of my handbag:



Tsk Tsk. My tube has seen better days. See that glaringly huge crack running down the bottom? On the day I bought it, it fell to the floor & cracked! I mean literally on the day it was bought! You'd think Elizabeth Arden packaging is built to last... proved me wrong!

 Well, that sad event led to this:


The entire bottom half of the tube detached itself, which means that every time I tried to pull off the cap to apply the balm, I was actually pulling off the bottom. Sigh. 

Packaging flaws aside, I reckon this balm really works. My lips were badly cracked & on the verge of bleeding - yikes! But it saved my lips. It goes on really soft & smooth and immediately softens lips & kinda heals them too. Within 30mins you'd swear you never had cracked lips! It's also non-greasy, non-sticky & ultra-light, unlike the actual Eight Hour Cream. Plus it has SPF 15, which is essential.

However, very much like the Eight Hour Cream, it smells repulsive to me. It has this odd lemony, medicated smell. Tastes none the better. But it's a small sacrifice coz this stuff works!!



As you can see in the swatch above, it is a really sheer & rosy tint. I suppose it gives lips a really flushed look. Very pretty & subtle. 

There's one small problem though: this stuff definitely does not last 8 hours. In mean, after eating, talking, drinking & in my case, lip-biting it wears off. Actually, if you're like me & forget to reapply often, it dries off and leaves flaky skin. I've noticed that this happens often with tinted lip balms, but the plain colourless variety doesn't have the same flaky effect. Maybe next time I'll try the plain Lip Protectant Stick.


My Verdict: <3
 I'm on the fence with this one. I mean, the Eight Hour Lip Protectant really works (I think I've said this like 5 times already :D ) that's the sole reason I'd repurchase. But, why the flimsy packaging Elizabeth Arden????? You can do better than that!!! Also, the scent could be better & for accident prone gals like me, the frosty white tube casing attracts way too much dirt. No, I'm not being fussy, just a discerning shopper. :)


My rating:
★★★

Minus 2 stars for the flaky drying & weak packaging. It's pricey! I'd expect packaging to be better.

Price: 
ZAR 125! Yes, it's quite pricey! I bought mine at Truworths, but its available at any Elizabeth Arden counter.


Thanks for reading!


Miss. Q

P.S. Am I the only one whose 'Follow' button in the Nav bar has mysteriously disappeared??? What's going on Blogger????

2 comments:

  1. My Follow is missing too... Weird!

    Pretty tint - I love the original 8 hour cream!

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    Replies
    1. Lol could only be Blogger gremlins! thanks for stopping by! :)

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