i got to visit finland last december. but seeing that we were going on tour with all kids on board, i didn't put up any list or have hope whatsoever during the trip. moreover, my last one got sick on our last day and considering it was our last free day, i was a bit lost hope of finding something for myself. but then husband told me to go walk around for a bit while he watched the kids. so i did. and my feet brought me to rituals. some girls on the tour told me they bought hand creams and body butter from them, so i decided to give them a try. and i found one tinted balm by the cashier. i was intrigued by the packaging, so i snatched one.
this is the description from their website: the fortune balm in red is a natural and ultra-nourishing tinted lip balm, enriched with shea butter and aloe vera. an exclusive blend of rich oils - including olive oil, jojoba oil and coconut oil - helps moisturize the lips, while the antioxidants in grapeseed oil and vitamin e help smooth and protect against the damaging effects of free radicals. the 100% natural formula moisturizes, protects and softens dry and damaged lips, while boosting your look with a shade of soft red.
key ingredients:
- shea butter: for hundred of years, the people of central africa have made use of the nurturing and healing properties of shea butter. it stimulates healing processes, makes your skin and lips soft and supple, and protects them from drying out.
- aloe vera: it is well known for its moisturizing, soothing, and calming properties.
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| the box |
the packaging: it comes in a red box with descriptions and ingredients list on it. they print the shade name on top of the box. it's color-coordinated with the shade name. there are nude and pink beside red, but when i was at the store, there was only red there. and the plain one. anyway, as i've said before, i was intrigued by the packaging because it resembled a high end brand one. the tube is all red, but feels metallic instead of plastic. there's nothing on on the tube, only the shade printed on the side. then there's this small button with the logo symbol imprinted on it that you can push. if you push the tiny button, it will pop the inner tube out and then you can twist the bottom's part of the inner tube to get the tinted balm out. i'm quite impressed with the mechanism. but i can't say for sure how much similar it is to the high-end brand one as i never bought nor tried one.
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| the tube |
the color: like i've said, there are three shades available, pink, nude, and red. mine is the red one.
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| the little button at the bottom is the opener |
the product: it's a regular stick tinted balm type. it's quite hard compared to other tinted balm that i have in my stash. at first i was worried that it might be hard in finland but melts when i finally get home. luckily, it doesn't melt despite the hot weather here. in fact, i have to swipe it a couple more times than usual to rub off the top, like warming it up before getting the real color to show up. oh, and this one is a bit scented. there's a faint fragrant smell that my nose picks up when i use this.
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| how it looks like after i popped it open |
the result: like i've said before, it takes a few more swipes for it to warm up so the color doesn't show up vibrant on the first swipe. it takes a few swipes before i can see the red shade. even that, the red isn't as vibrant as lipstick. which is understandable since this is a tinted lip balm so it's not supposed to give vibrant pay off. there's a subtle glow that balm usually brings, but it's very minimal. i kind of like this shade since i'm not usually into reds. this might lean into pinkish red on me. this one makes me feel like i can pull off red without being too noticeable. like a subtle red. that i can wear daily. however, this is not as moisturizing as my other tinted lip balms. it kind of reminds me to my old nyx tinted balm. at least this one is not drying afterward.
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| full face swatch right: lip swatch (i swear it looks brighter and more opaque in person that on camera) and hand swatch (again, i don't know why it looks washed out) |
i have to say that i'm attracted by the packaging, but luckily, it doesn't fall short. the color is nice as well and it gives a subtle glow. not drying afterward even though it's not as moisturizing as my other ones. so if you happen to see rituals and find this one and you're interested in tinted lip balm, then you might want to try it. but otherwise, it's actually a normal tinted lip balm with a pretty packaging. as for me, i'm glad i bought it, but i won't go my way to repurchase it.
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