Lip Butter by Korres

By Jove, I've found it!

Nope, it's not a gloss. Nor is it a lip balm. Rather, it goes by the name of "Lip Butter" and pictured above is the lovely, oh-so-flattering color Jasmine.

Korres, originally established in Greece in 1996, is my "of-the-moment" totally lovable cosmetics company. For starters, their steadfast philosophy is (and I quote): "A collection of advanced natural formulations using a targeted ingredient approach to correct the signs of aging and address variety of skin concerns." This environmentally-conscious cosmetics brand becomes even more noteworthy due to the fact none of their products are tested on animals. (Though this information is not published on their website, I contacted their Customer Service department to confirm). The product packaging is either recycled or recyclable AND they avoid using non-biodagradable ingredients in their formulations. Hooray for active botanicals!

At one time only available to our friends across the pond, Korres products are now distributed internationally throughout 14 countries. Their one U.S. flagship store is conveniently located in Manhattan's trendy SoHo area (field-trip anyone?), but don't you worry. A wide variety of Korres products are also available in Sephora shops worldwide. Indeed, this is where I first stumbled upon this fantastic brand.

So. What exactly is said Lip Butter and why on earth is a little 0.21-Oz. tub of it worthy of a blog post?

In utter desperation to combat winter's unrelenting weather and consequential effects of chapped lips, it's an ongoing endeavor of mine to seek out the best remedy. Seriously. I must have about eight varieties of lip glosses, lip balms, Chapsticks, Aquaphors, you-name-its, scattered about my apartment and hidden in the crevices of my "junk drawer" at work, so one is never too far out of reach. When I stumbled upon Lip Butter by this company, I deemed it experimental investigation to purchase one...my retail-therapy moment fueled by positive consumer ratings on Sephora's website.

All this being said, Korres' Lip Butter concoction is nothing short of amazing. It melts into your lips providing them with ample hydration, simultaneously leaving a long-lasting sheen. I find this balm/butter gives a little bit of plump to your pucker (without any stinging effect), and NO stickiness at all. Lovin' that! Butters come in a spectrum of colors, but for me, Jasmine is the perfect hint of natural, nude-ish pink. The shade I've been looking for all along. The price tag of $10.00 is a bit steep, but hey - for a butter/balm that actually works, I'll be stocking up on more as soon as this little tub runs dry.

Expiration Rule-of-Thumb

Moldy bread. Rotten lettuce. Sour milk. Stale cereal. Gross, right? Food, as we all know, has varying expiration dates. It's fairly easy to recognize when a snack in the fridge or pantry has gone rotten because we can physically see the mold, smell the foul odor, or taste when something has gone rancid. What's hard to remember, though, (and even harder to be disciplined about, but more on that later), is that cosmetics all have their relative expiration dates too. Mascara. Foundation. Lip Gloss. Blush. Eyeliner. Eyeshadow. Concealer. Under-eye-brightening shimmer. You name it, it sadly doesn't last forever. In fact, the cruel truth is that all of those absolutely brilliant beauty products displayed in Sephora and department stores are contaminated the moment they're opened and exposed to air.

Given the precious dollars spent on makeup, (egad, how effective marketing can lure us in), it's a downright painful process to weed out old and expired products from a cosmetics bag. Trust me, I know. Just thinking about tossing a lip gloss that hasn't been squeezed to the very last drop makes me want to cringe. Consequently, I'm guilty-as-charged because my makeup bag is busting at the seams and has, in due time, become slightly out-of-control. It's vital, though, to realize the importance of keeping bacteria at bay and off the skin. Breakouts? Irritations? Eye infections? Nooooo thank you. Time to purge. Out with the old. Now, where's that trashcan and recycling bin?

So, ladies, I invite you to join me in a little mid-winter cleaning! According to an article published by www.ivillage.co.uk, the shelf lives of some typical beauty products are as follows:

• Oil-Free Foundation: 1 year
• Cream or Compact Foundation: 18 months
• Concealer: 12-18 months
• Powder: 2 years
• Blush and Bronzer: 2 years
• Cream Blush: 12-18 months
• Powder Eye Shadow: 2 years
• Cream Eye Shadow: 12-18 months
• Eyeliner: 2 years
• Liquid eyeliner: 3-6 months
• Mascara: 3 months
• Lipstick: 2 years
• Lip liner: 2 years
• Lip gloss: 18-24 months

While U.S. labeling restrictions do not require an expiration date on most cosmetics, some cosmetic companies conveniently do include a Period-After-Opening (PAO) symbol on the back of their packaging. The PAO identifies the useful lifetime of a cosmetics product after the packaging has been opened for the first time. The time period is most often written as a number followed by the letter "M," as in 12M, which indicates the number of recommended months. However, please take note that the lifespan of a product is also related to the environment in which it is stored and used in. Products that have been improperly stored may deteriorate substantially before the expiration date.

Ideally, makeup should be kept in a dry, dark, cool place, (though convenient, a steamy bathroom can encourage bacterial growth). Also, avoid using your fingertips to apply product directly from the container. Brushes, which should be washed about once a month in mild soap, are the preferred and cleanest method. Refrain from sharing makeup - especially eye makeup, and as a general rule-of-thumb, if the product changes at all in color, texture, consistency, or odor, it's time to toss it. Just like you would that expired yogurt, forgotten in the back of the fridge.

Vampire-Chic

The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the highly anticipated flick based off of author Stephenie Meyer's second book in the Twilight series, debuts tomorrow in theaters nation-wide.

It's an understatement to say there has been excitement revolving around the release of this film..."Twilight mass-hysteria" would be a more-fitting phrase. Click here to see the reaction of "Twi-fans" to heartthrob, Robert Pattinson's (Edward Cullen's), appearance on NBC's Today Show. I’ll be the first to admit. He’s pretty dreamy for a blood-sucking vampire…

What the Twilight cast is to Hollywood, though, Twilight Beauty will be to the world of cosmetics. Recently launched to coincide with the second movie installment, this brilliant new line of beauty products is unveiled to us mere mortals by Cristina Bartolucci, (celebrity makeup artist and creator of the DuWop makeup brand). The cast supposedly wore this makeup in New Moon, which means we too now have the ability to transform our lips into that perfect shade of vampire crimson red.

Twilight Beauty is comprised of two luscious collections: "Luna Twilight" and "Volturi Twilight." Luna Twilight features products for eyes, lips, face, and body, whereas Volturi Twilight for eyes, lips, and body. In line with the DuWop brand’s use of high-quality ingredients including plant extracts, antioxidants, as well as a strict no-animal testing policy, Twilight Beauty features a yummy cocktail of mascaras, lip glosses, body shimmers, eye shadows, blushes, and lip stains.

Luna Twilight Collection

Volturi Twilight Collection

In my opinion, the Luna Twilight collection is housed in much more sophisticated packaging, albeit the price points are slightly higher. But both lines, nonetheless, capture our Twilight lust with tantalizing names such as “Just Bitten Staining Balm,” “Femme Fatale Lip Gloss,” “Twilight Venom” (does Lip Venom by DuWop sound familiar?), “Mortal Glow Blushing Crème,” and color palettes in shades called “Bella” “Victoria” “Rosale” and “Alice.” So fitting for a mysterious night out on the town…and a simply genius concept marketed to the perfect target fan base.

Be Radiant

I'm a firm believer in the power of natural remedies and organically-based products for soothing skin irritations.

Having struggled with bouts of frustrating acne as a teenager, (didn't we all), and the occasional blemish that rears its ugly head every so often, trust me: I've tried just about every over-the-counter facial cleanser, topical gel, and astringent on the market. Nothing ever seemed to work. These "acne treatments" either completely dried out my skin, stung too much to continue using, or just exacerbated the problem....UNTIL, I found my secret weapon. I've literally gone through six bottles of this cleanser, recommend it to everyone I know, and swear by its magical powers: Aubrey Organics Natural Herbal Facial Cleanser for Oily Skin 5. Available at WholeFoods, health food stores, and Aubrey online for $12.98 (8 oz.).

Ingredients? Things you can pronounce! Deionized Water, Coconut Fatty Alcohol, Witch Hazel (natural herbal extract), Natural Grain Alcohol, Castile Soap; a special blend of Organic Eucalyptus Oil, Camphor Oil and Menthol Oil; Aubrey's Preservative (Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamins A, C and E), Organic Rosemary Oil, Organic Sage Oil, Panthenol (Vitamin B-5), Organic Aloe Vera.

Here's the trick: morning and evening, rinse face with warm water, and gently scrub with a little bit of cleanser on a washcloth. Rinse briefly. It's OK if you leave some transparent residue on your face. This product has a distinctive herbal smell which is another reason I love it so much...super refreshing! Pat dry. Then, just sit back, relax, and let the tingling ingredients kill off bacteria and other yucky stuff. Your face will feel refreshed, soft, and radiant. Use it habitually for a month, and you should see significant results; it treats current breakouts and keeps blemishes at bay.