Hey everyone! Thursdays are normally reserved for our Company Overview posts, but since I'm fresh out of new companies to review for you, I figured I'd do something a little different. I'm going to revisit three products which I have previously tested and reviewed here. I was surprised at just how much my opinion changed over time for these - some for better and some for worse. The products I'll be revisiting today are Darling Clandestine body balm, Darling Clandestine lip balm, and Shiro Cosmetics tinted balm in With Eyes Unclouded.
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First up is Darling Clandestine's body balm. I first reviewed this in August 2014, and my general thinking was it was an excellent, heavy-duty moisturizer but came at a very greasy price. What a difference a season (or two) makes! We're now well into a chilly winter, and my skin is at maximum dryness. I dug out this product again when I realized my standby Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter wasn't quite enough to stave off dryness. I've been using this religiously every night for a few weeks, and it's made such a difference in my winter comfort. It's taken some trial and error for me to figure out a good amount of body balm for a given body part, but finding the sweet spot means I get copious moisture without too much heaviness or greasiness.
As you'd expect from a balm made pretty much entirely of oils and butters, this product hardens and softens with the ambient temperature. Over the summer I found it easy to just hold the jar upside down and smooth the balm along my skin, but now that we're into the cold season, it takes a little more work to apply. As you can see from my well-loved jar, the product is hard enough now that I've been digging it out with my fingers rather than smoothing it straight onto my skin. Fortunately I only need to rub it between my hands for a few seconds to get it warmed up, then it's pretty easy to distribute evenly onto my skin. So long as I don't apply too much, I feel comfortable getting straight into bed afterward without fear of sticking to my sheets.
One more thing I mentioned in my original review was that the Step Right Up scent didn't seem to translate too well into balm form - it seemed much less complex than the perfume oil. I'm happy to report my current jar, a Suicide Mix, is doing much better. It smells like a mix of Aragon and Serpentina, and I don't believe any of the scents' complexity was lost in translation. My guess is this is hit or miss based on the scent, so your mileage may vary.
One more thing I mentioned in my original review was that the Step Right Up scent didn't seem to translate too well into balm form - it seemed much less complex than the perfume oil. I'm happy to report my current jar, a Suicide Mix, is doing much better. It smells like a mix of Aragon and Serpentina, and I don't believe any of the scents' complexity was lost in translation. My guess is this is hit or miss based on the scent, so your mileage may vary.
Bottom line: I could take it or leave it during most of the year, but this balm has become a winter necessity for me. I'll definitely use up my current tin and repurchase it in a favorite scent.
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Next, let's take a second look at Darling Clandestine's lip balm. I first reviewed this in October 2014 and have been using it every night since as an overnight balm... until a week or two ago.
I hate to say it, but I've fallen out of love with this balm. When the weather turned cold and my lips turned even drier than usual, it just sort of stopped working for me. This is a very soft and comfortable formula, but since it has no real waxiness to it, it's missing staying power now that winter has hit. I would apply it super heavily just before getting into bed, and it would be gone before I fell asleep. I tried using it during the day, and even then it would disappear within a half hour or an hour, leaving my lips just as dry as before application. I'll be putting my tin away until spring.
I hate to say it, but I've fallen out of love with this balm. When the weather turned cold and my lips turned even drier than usual, it just sort of stopped working for me. This is a very soft and comfortable formula, but since it has no real waxiness to it, it's missing staying power now that winter has hit. I would apply it super heavily just before getting into bed, and it would be gone before I fell asleep. I tried using it during the day, and even then it would disappear within a half hour or an hour, leaving my lips just as dry as before application. I'll be putting my tin away until spring.
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Finally, let's look at Shiro's tinted balm in With Eyes Unclouded. I first reviewed this balm when the Miyazaki lip tints were launched in April 2014, and I was deeply disappointed in it. The balm was extremely sheer, didn't build, and didn't lend any tint whatsoever to my lips.
I picked this product up the other day when my lip balm tube ran out, figuring a nearly clear balm based on coconut oil would be a good stand-in. To my absolute shock, here's what I saw:
Shiro tinted balm in With Eyes Unclouded - built up on lips
WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? I have no idea what happened but suddenly my lips were a different color: slightly darker than my natural lip shade, with tones of brick red leaning a bit brown. I assure you - on my honor as a blogger - that I used and swatched this very tube several times before my original review. What used to be barely there is now... well, still sheer, but much more prominent:
Shiro tinted balm in With Eyes Unclouded - one swipe on the left, built up on the right
I'm so confused. My best guess for how this happened is the pigment settled right after the balm was poured into its tube, leaving the top few layers sparse on color. But I'm just as happy to call this a New Year's miracle. With Eyes Unclouded, you have my apologies for misjudging you. Assuming the product continues to perform, I am delighted to reverse my opinion on this product from deeply disappointing to highly recommended. When the sun returns to my gray city, I'll get better swatch photos and update this product's listing in our swatch gallery.
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Have you ever had a big change of opinion about a product? Do you give disappointing products a second chance?
Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, follow us on Pinterest, and/or follow us on BlogLovin to get all of our updates!
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Have you ever had a big change of opinion about a product? Do you give disappointing products a second chance?
Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, follow us on Pinterest, and/or follow us on BlogLovin to get all of our updates!
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