Cool Packaging | Girl Gloss

Votre Vu Lip Balm and Hand Creme Combo

How cool is this? Votre Vu, a luxury French skin care company, has a combination lip balm and hand creme in one package. Considering that I am addicted to both, I immediately loved the idea! I also ended up loving both items.

The Duo is backed in a regular sized tube of hand cream with the balm inside the cap. The hand creme is wonderful. It is quite thick and luxurious and has a nice almond and coconut scent I’m not usually a fan of almond scent combos, but for some reason I adore it in this particular hand creme. I must be the coconut that I like so much. As a bonus, the hand creme also has both UVA and UVB sun protection. I would consider purchasing this product for the hand creme alone, but having the balm is a welcome perk and is why I decided to review the product here on Girl Gloss.

The lip balm is a nice medium texture balm with no real discernible scent or flavor. It is untinted. The balm’s primary oil is coconut oil, with the primary butter being shea butter. It lasts well and is quite nice to wear. I find it to be a good basic daily wear balm.

The Votre Vu Lip balm and Hand Creme combination retaiIs at $38, which is a bit high, but not all that bad for a luxury brand. I love the idea of this product and already am thinking that I need several of these. One for the office, one for my bag, one for home, etc. I am rather amazed that more companies haven’t made such a simple and obviously utilitarian combo! I’m guessing that this one will make my best products of the year list.

Votre Vu is a multi-level marketing (MLM) company that sell through consultants, but it appears that you can also order their items online without dealing with a salesperson, which is almost always my preference with such things.

Note: This review is based on a product sent to me by a representative of the company. For more, please see my disclosure page.

Popularity: 1% [?]

YSL Rouge Volupte Sensual Radiant Lipstick

A reader recently asked me what the best pigmented and moisturizing lipstick was and my answer was Yves Saint Laurent ROUGE VOLUPTÉSilky Sensual Radiant Lipstick SPF 15. The YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick line is packed full of pigment, yet the YSL lipsticks are comfortable to wear. Needless to say, they also last very well. Furthermore, YSL packaging is always gorgeous!

Most of the YSL lipstick shades are not for someone who is shy about lip color. For the most part, they are bright and vibrant. They also pack in pigment, so there is nothing sheer or mild about them! With that said, you actually can wear most YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick on them on the sheer side by being careful with the application. Then build them up for more color punch.

For the neutral shade lover like me, finding a YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick that isn’t too intimidating can be difficult, but I like several of them. Below are YSL Lipstick swatches of my four favorite shades. From left to right: Nude Beige, Spicy Pink, Opera Rose, Exquisite Plum. Opera Rose is new—it is part of the 2010 YSL spring collection.

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick is pricey, but it ranks among the best there is. If you find a shade that you like, it is well worth it. Plus, every girl needs a luxury lippie or two (or three, or four, or more….)

Popularity: 4% [?]

Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick Compact

For complete luxury in both packaging and quality the Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain Jewel Lipstick Compact is a must have. In Rouge G, Guerlain has put together what I think is the most beautiful lip package ever created. I love it for the case alone, which also does a nice job of including a mirror. But the lipstick itself is also wonderful. It is creamy, smooth, and wears beautifully.

Here is what the company says about it:

Rouge G de Guerlain Jewel Lipstick Compact

What it is: A shimmering, ruby-powder lipstick tucked inside a chic, Parisian case.
What it does: Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain Jewel Lipstick Compact contains a ruby-powder formula that interacts with the light and creates a jaw-dropping pout of perfection. At first glaze, lips will be left defined, smoothed, plumped, and hydrated.
What else you need to know: Tucked in a compact that marries beauty with high design, with one click, you will have a luminous lipstick and mirror at your fingertips. Designed by Lorenz Bäumer, the most talented jeweler from the Place Vendôme in Paris, it is the ultimate accessory of mystery and seduction.

I say, get it for the sake of having a beautiful luxury lipstick in your purse.

Popularity: 3% [?]

MAC Holiday Lip Kits and Bags

I managed to sneak in a field trip to the MAC store to see the new MAC Holiday Collection . The MAC lip bags this year are quite nice. I like the silver bags, and the colors in both sets are quite attractive. One set is a selection of pretty pinks, and the other collection is akin to brick red in color.

The lip kits are also nice, as usual. One kit has neutral shades and the other has pinks. There is also a MAC Viva Glam set. Again, I like the cases on these quite a bit this year.

Finally, there are new dazzleglasses out for the holidays, including two very nice pinks. The shades are softer this year, and I rather like that!

Want to shop the collection? You can see, and shop, all of the MAC Holiday Collection at Holiday Makeup!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Luna Twilight DuWop Lip Venom

the Luna Twilight Makeup Collection has some interesting items with neat packaging. One that really intrigued me was the Luna Twilight Duwop Lip Venom, so I eagerly went out to Nordstrom to see it and fully planned to buy it if I liked it. I ended up coming home empty handed.

The idea of the Twilight Lip Venom is that there is lip stain at the bottom and clear plumper at the top. In theory, you dip the the applicator into the bottom for stain, only in the top for clear plumper, or shake it up to get both. That is it in theory. I had a hard time getting it to work well in practice. When I tried to just get stain, I still ended up with oily plumper as well that washed the stain away. When I shook it up, I had better results, but the stain still sat on top of the plumper, making it hard to get an even stained look. Here it is on my hand which, unfortunately, was as even as I could get it. This is taken outside in natural light after it dried.

I ended up disappointed, in part perhaps because I had such high hopes for this product. The overall shade of the stain is nice, but I don’t want to battle with a product to get an even color application. You can get a more even look with a standard lip stain. Then, if you want plumping, add regular Lip Venom or your other favorite plumper over it.

Popularity: 10% [?]

YSL Fall Color Collection Swatch: Rouge Volupté Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick

Yves Saint Laurent ‘Rouge Volupté’ Lipstick has a new shade out for fall that is gorgeous! I love this lipstick in general, but often the shades are a bit out there for my tastes. However, the new Exquisite Plum shade is perfect. It looks rather dark in online shopping color swatches, but it isn’t quite so extreme on the skin, especially since you can apply it on the sheer side if desired. Below is a swatch, along with a couple of lovely shades from a Yves Saint Laurent ‘Ombres Duolumières’ Eye Shadow Duo in anise green and intense plum. I’ll review those at some point on Beauty and Fashion Tech.

YSL Rouge Volupté lipsticks are creamy, smooth, and packed with pigment. You can do a sheer swipe with them (which I did in the picture), but add a layer or two and you can also get a more intense look. I assume the model in the picture is wearing the shade, but honestly, it was much more sheer for me in the store (which I prefer, so I didn’t try to get it too dark).

The packaging is also gorgeous. Personally, I think YSL makes some of the best lipsticks around (Dior is another favorite), but the price does reflect that.