MintGlaze FX Lip Treatment

It never fails. Temperatures drop, heating is cranked up and my lips dry out instantly and crack. The whole thing is painful, not to mention how bleeding lips are not my best look, Halloween or not. The cure this fall has been extremely effective, not to mention multi-functional.

MintGlaze FX from Cover FX is a lip treatment that serves a double and triple duty as a primer, plumper and moisturizer that also gives some sun protection. It has a minty tingle that had me worried for a couple of seconds, but it never irritates my already tortured lips and instead makes them look and feel better within minutes. The plumping is a result of the glaze's hydrating action and the way it locks moisture in. It's a little sticky at first so I'd recommend giving it at least 15 minutes before applying your lipstick.

MintGlaze FX comes in a little tube with a doe-foot sponge applicator. It doesn't only look like a lip gloss- the shiny coat it creates is actually nice enough if you prefer a nude lip look. I find that applying it about 3 times a day is all I need to maintain healthy lips, at least under current conditions. I'll probably apply more once winter gets here and the weather is blistering cold, but I expect similar results.

Bottom Line: a real winner.

MintGlaze FX Lip Treatment ($22) is available from Sephora.

Dior Sérum De Rouge Luminous Color Lip Treatment (Rosewood 740)

Lipsticks and cellphones have one thing in common- their technology improves every year. Most major brands have recently come up with new formulas that look better than ever, feel incredibly soft and give the lips some much needed TLC and nourishment. Dior's most recent contribution is Sérum De Rouge Luminous Color Lip Treatment.

They aren't kidding about the "lip treatment" aspect of this lipstick. While the pigment is rich and the coverage is very good, there's some serious soothing and hydrating going on. Sérum De Rouge feels like a very luxurious lip balm while you're actually wearing a creamy lipstick with a slight sheen. It's not very long lasting and the texture is so soft that I highly recommend using a lip liner even if you get one of the lightest shades, just to keep things firmly in place and remember to reapply after your coffee or snack.

I wish there was a larger color variety. Rosewood Serum (no. 740) was the only shade out of the eight that looked good on me. If you wear pink, coral or beige you'll have better luck. On my pigmented lips and olive skin tone, Rosewood, a brown based rose,  is a lovely natural, "my lips, but better" color. I wear it as a nude and often top it with a dark gloss to spice things up.

Bottom line: I'm ready for a red one.

Dior Sérum De Rouge Luminous Color Lip Treatment ($32) is available from Sephora and Dior counters at most department stores. I bought it at my local Bloomingdale's.

All photos are mine.

Sensai by Kanebo- Total lip Treatment

I had a lip emergency. Between the weather outside and the dry heat in the house (I keep things toasty), I've been going through tubes and pots of lip products. I didn't notice I was running low until I found myself on a cold NYC day with painfully chapped lips. Dryness is even worse on my bottom lip because of the stupid tiny scar that runs across and starts bleeding if not moisturized regularly. It's not pretty and my lipsticks deserve better.

The day was saved by a small sample of Kanebo Sensai Total Lip Treatment I had tucked somewhere in my purse. I had a few of those around- one came from the company and another one or two were a Bergdorf GWP that arrived in the nick of time. It only took minutes for the balm to start hydrating my lips and restoring them to a soft and healthy look. A good lip treatment also plumps- not by stinging or irritating but by making your lips look their natural best. It's an excellent starting point for a dark lipstick (you can't wear red if your lips are pruny and peeling) or a simple gloss.

Bottom line: This is real skincare for lips. Worth every penny.

Total lip Treatment ($65, 15 ml) and the rest of Sensai by Kanebo products are available online from Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. In store they are exclusive to Bergdorf. One can also place the order on kanebo.com and have a rep call you to confirm and consult. Not exactly my way of doing things, but I can see why it would appeal to some.

Image: blog.modernmechanix.com

Chantecaille Lip Contour Fill

I'm pretty sure Chantecaille Lip Contour Fill is going to end up on my Best Of 2010 list.

It looks like a chubby lip pencil and is labeled as a solution for lipstick feathering caused by wrinkles around the mouth. I bought it because I was looking for a product that can fill the tiny scar on my bottom lip that causes many lipsticks to pool in that space and ruin the look. Using most regular balms can be helpful, but it also affects the lipstick's performance, especially by diluting the pigment.

Chantecaille Lip Contour Fill can be used all over the lip surface as well as for contouring. It's invisible and doesn't leave any goopy residue. The pencil feels very comfortable and gel-like, but it's not wet or goopy and you can apply any lip product right away. I've tested it under a dozen lipsticks so far and the results have been outstanding. It really fills the scar and any other imperfection, making the lip surface very smooth. It actually feels moisturizing without ruining a matte lip color. The pencil significantly improves the look of any lipstick- lips appear smoother and more pillowy. I don't think it improves the actual staying power of any color product, but whatever you apply simply looks better.

Bottom line: A holy grail.

Chantecaille Lip Contour Fill ($28) is available from top department store and the company's website. I bought it at Bergdorf Goodman.

Photos by me, feline assistant: Kosh

Shiseido Maquillage Lip Essence EX

Every cosmetics user knows the agony of losing a favorite product to the big discontinued beauty counter in the sky. Sometimes (more often than not, actually) everything turns out all right, since companies tend to offer new products and better formulas. But sometimes a products just goes away, leaving us with a gaping hole in our beauty arsenal.

Smooch from Benefit Cosmetics was a weird little thing: a thin, watery, non-balmy lip treatment that performed miracles on chapped lips. I've gone through many tubes of this white runny substance and stocked up when realized it was being discontinued. But my stash has been running low and I started looking earnestly for a good alternative. While I haven't found an exact match, Shiseido Maquillage Lip Essence EX is the closest I've gotten so far.

Shiseido Maquillage Lip Essence EX is considerably greasier than Smooch, but still thin and not sticky (at all). It comforts and heals distressed lips, adding a light shiny coat that transforms a miserable look into a happy, healthy one. It also makes pretty but too dry lipsticks much more comfortable to wear, which saved several tubes in my collection from a back of the closet oblivion.

Maquillage is a mass market brand by Shiseido which, unfortunately, is only sold in Asia. The internet is a beautiful, beautiful thing and allows us to buy good stuff not available in our stores. Shiseido Maquillage Lip Essence EX (around $30) is available from various websites specializing in Japanese cosmetics. Google, as always, is our friend.

Photo by me.

Sephora Brand Complete Lip Balm

There are a handful of gems hiding in the otherwise not impressing line of Sephora Brand products. One of them is their Complete Lip Balm. I'm usually not a fan of petroleum-based lip products because they feel heavy and tend to just sit there on the lips, not doing much other than providing a barrier (which sometimes, I admit, you need). But this tiny pot seems to also have a few more active ingredients, such as mango butter and vitamin E, both actually making my lips feel good.

The balm is not sticky at all and works well under many lipsticks. It seems to provide quite a bit of moisture and relief, and has just enough menthol to give a cooling effect (and supposedly some plumping, but I think that well-hydrated lips tend to naturally fill up).

Since it's one of those "dip your finger" packaging, I prefer to keep it at home for use with just-washed hands. These days you can't be overly germaphobe. I'd be very happy if Sephora would release a stick version.

Sephora Brand Complete Lip Balm ($8) is available in store and online. I got it as a gift with purchase.

Image: August 1940 cover of Harper's Bazaar

Erno Laszlo pHormula No. 3-9 Lip Balm SPF 15

Being prone to dry lips, I can never have enough lip balm, and I certainly can tell a good one from cheap petroleum gel crap that does nothing but sit on the lips. That said, realizing that the o.5 oz tube of Erno Laszlo pHormula No. 3-9 Lip Balm SPF 15 I was sent retails for $34 was a bit shocking. After all, it's more than the cost of a Chanel lipstick.

I love Erno Laszlo products, and the pHormula No. 3-9 moisturizer is an amazing cream (and a lifesaver at times), and this lip balm is worthy of the label. It's the one I carry with me lately and leave by the bed at night. It goes on a bit oily at first, but when I look in the mirror it doesn't appear greasy, just balmy, and if I were one to go lipstick/gloss-free, this would be a good substitute, especially because of the SPF 15.

The balm heals and calms chapped lips. I have a scar that tends to bother me if my lips are dry, and even re-opens in extreme cases. Lately it's been feeling a lot better, and I've discovered that Octinoxate, the main ingredient in the No. 3-9 Lip Balm is not used just to protect skin from damage, but also to reduce the appearance of scars. Between this and the fact this balm is perfect with dry formula lipsticks (Shiseido and Nars are usually hard for me to wear), I'm starting to think this pricey product might be able to earn its keep.

Erno Laszlo pHormula No. 3-9 Lip Balm SPF 15 ($34) is available from Nordstrom and ernolaszlo.com. I got it as a PR freebie.

Art: Lips by Man Ray

Lip Smacking

This sugar scrub and lip balm combo is one of the little things you start using and immediately wonder how you managed without them. It's not that there aren't several lip scrubs already on the market or that a simple washcloth didn't do a fine enough job at sloughing off dry skin, but I find the Perfect Pout brown sugar scrub from Maiden Beauty to be highly addictive and it works amazingly well.

To test this properly, I didn't do the washcloth exfoliating for a few days and let some icky skin build up (I know you're all happy to know that). Then I tried the scrub and let it do the work. To my delight, it was just what I needed and then some. You rub a tiny amount all over your lips (you need very little) and enjoy the sugary, caramely taste (the smell is very candy-like, quite pleasant but might not be to everyone's taste). You can tissue it off, but since the product is completely edible, I find that giving it a quick lick to clean off the granules works best, as it leaves most of the balm part of the product on your lips until it sinks in and nourishes the skin without any heavy residue.

It tastes good and can become addictive, especially since the results are great. It's become part of my twice-a-day routine and my lips haven't been this happy in ages.

The balm has a similar scent though it doesn't actually taste as sweet. The texture is different than other popular products (Smith Rosebud Salve or Burt's Bees): It's more solid in the tin but wears much thinner. It feels a bit oily for the first 30 seconds before it starts sinking in and giving the lips a plump, healthy look, without stickiness or extra weight. The balm would probably not protect the skin from blistering winds as well as petroleum-based products would, but it does a better job in actually nourishing them.

The balm is tinted, but very sheer. I'm using the one in the darkest color, Lady, a supposedly cherry red that's actually more rosy. In any case, unless I'm applying a huge amount (totally unnecessary, as a little goes a very long way), the color doesn't even show. If you're pale you'd probably get more color.

The scrub and balm are sold together as a gift set (a stocking stuffer idea?), so you can't get them separately.