Lip Moisturizers

I am a chapstick / lip moisturizer hoarder. I've tried them all, I've kept a few, but I am constantly moisturizing my lips. I'm the same with lotion. I just hate feeling dry and even talking about it makes my lips feel chapped!!! I was going to do this in a "top 5" post, but I couldn't narrow it down, and everyone is different (eos and soft lips, for example, never do it for me, whereas other people swear by them!), so I wanted to include all my favorites, because I'm sure with these nine products, I'm not leaving anybody out!

With the dryer season coming up, I'm sure I'll run out of each of these tubes by spring time! I don't know how many different things can be said about moisturizing lip products, so I guess we'll find out. I'll talk about them left to right below:

C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve | smells exactly like a rose, can be used on more than just the lips (cuticles, elbows, knees, other random dry spots, etc.) and no tint or color, just a sheen. it's nice and thick and stays on for quite awhile.

Chapstick Medicated | I know I've talked about this stuff before, and that's because it's my every day, go-to, very most favorite moisturizer that works best for me. I have at least 2 tubes of this in my bathroom, one in my nightstand, my purse, my car, my desk at home, my desk at work, and in the pockets of all my ski coats. It's everywhere, all the time, because it works better for me than anything else ever has. I started using this while Devin and I were dating because it's what he used, and it just made kissing more convenient and less mess (don't read into that too much. kissing isn't messy...haha). I'm not a big fan of sticky lip gloss, and what guy wants lip color all over him from kissing his girl? It worked out well and I'm completely hooked. We are always stocked up on this stuff. We've got more chapstick storage than food storage.

Bag Balm | Okay don't freak out, but this stuff was originally formulated for cows' utters. It's just that moisturizing. The first time I used it I thought heck no, this stuff reeks, there's no way i can have this on my lips. But I got used to the smell way fast and now I actually like it. This stuff is THICK. And a little goes a long way. This is another salve that can be used all over the body, and in some cases, could be used instead of neosporin. It's also safe to use on pets! This is what I put on at night before I go to bed and my lips are noticeably softer since I started using it. A tiny can runs about $6 which seemed expensive to me (you can also get the bigger tub for $10) but it's probably going to last longer than I will! It was so worth it. I think this is something everyone needs.

Chapstick Hydration Lock | I got this chapstick in my birchbox this month, so I haven't used it a ton, but I am pleasantly surprised! I used to swear off anything that was Chapstick brand, but not the medicated formula, but using the two moisturizers that come in this tube together, is the perfect combo! The "moisturize" end has all the weird, strong stuff in it that leaves your lips feeling almost wet, and then "renew" end has all the buttery stuff like shea in it, to keep your lips soft. Perfect. Combo.

C.O. Bigelow Lip Renewal Remedy | This stuff is the big guns. This is what I go to when I'm desperate. When my lips feel like sandpaper, or they've gotten really sunburned, I pull out my renewal remedy. C.O. Bigelow really knows what they're doing, here. I don't use this very often, because it's extremely moisturizing, like so much so, that I don't like it, but it works so amazing that I think everybody needs a tube in their arsenal. If my lipstick is looking cakey and uneven, it usually means I need to exfoliate and sluff off dead skin cells to smooth out my lips. Exfoliating your lips, though, as it turns out, is not a fun thing and actually hurts and burns. I go in with this stuff immediatley after. It's so thick and milky and soft, and it's the weirdest feeling. It's so thick that it's totally piled on your lips, but in a way that you can't really feel it? I don't know. You'll just have to try it. It works miracles though. If you are having problems with your lipstick looking smooth on your lips, exfoliate them (I usually use brown sugar and olive oil) and then go in with this stuff and your life will never be the same, in the best way possible. This stuff will probably out-live me as well. It's a big tube!

Savex | (link is for a two-pack, i couldn't find anything else, sorry!) I really don't have a choice but to love and rely on savex, because I grew up with a father that is utterly obsessed. It's all he uses, and as we (my siblings and I) each turned 16, he promptly equipped each of our cars with our own tub of savex. It's like carmex, which seems to be the more popular of the two, and it's a lip variation of vaseline, I'd say. It's a thicker formula, one I wouldn't use regularly throughout the day, but does wonders regardless, I just tend to stick with lighter formulas for day and thicker ones at night. I will never not have savex in my medicine cabient!

Baby Lips Dr. Rescue | This is another lighter formula chapstick that moisturizes, which I feel like everything else on here was a thick one, so know I'm not biased! Everybody loves baby lips. I... don't. Until I found Dr. Rescue. The regular baby lips chapsticks did nothing for me, I feel like I would constantly have to reapply, but the Dr. Rescue formula is just as good as it sounds! Perfect for the job. You can get Dr. Rescue with tints, but I like the plain one.

Vaseline Lip Therapy | I have a confession: I bought this product because I originally thought I was an itty bitty tiny tub of vaseline and I squealed when I saw it and couldn't leave without it. Then I realized it was for lips specifically, and didn't really care, because it's still the cutest, tiniest bottle. This is another thick formula that I use more for repair then I do for regular moisturizing, and I've been using bag balm more than this lately, but you can't go wrong with the original! This stuff is so sensitive, that it could work for anyone, and I'm guessing a lot of people just won't be able to get on board with bag balm, so this is where I'd point you next! I keep this one in my purse, and use it pretty often. There is a version of this with rose elements in it that looks amazing, and I'll have to try it next!

C. O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Balm | You can really tell my favorite brands by now, can't you?! I worked at bath & body works years ago and this was the product I recommended to everybody. It's got the best mint smell of anything ever (like, I could eat it) and it's so creamy and smooth. The menthol in it subsequently makes your breath smell minty, and it lasts for hours. They have tons of mentha lip products, but this balm takes the cake.

A Big Deal

standing in his future office at the new gym

as you should all be aware, the company my husband works for, Momentum Climbing is opening a new location this fall in Lehi (about 45 seconds from where I work, which is such a lucky coincidence). For the past several months, Devin has been completely and utterly consumed with Momentem Lehi. it's been a very cool, very tiring, very eye-opening experience for each of us (clearly, more so for him) and I have seriously gained so much respect for Devin through this process. He has been so professional and he's been making about 90% of the major decisions for this gym as it's being built and it feels pretty cool to be married to the big man on campus. His boss has already moved on to the next big thing for the gym, so everything was sort of dropped in Devin's lap which is a) a little freaky and panic-inducing, but b) pretty freaking awesome to know he's trusted with such a huge thing. Devin is down at the gym almost every day as the opening day gets closer, making executive decisions with the contractor, going through samples, discussing blueprints and floor plans, and making sure everyone is doing their job. I've always admired Devin's work ethic and his professionalism, but this experience has taken it to the next level, not to mention, the kind of opportunities he's getting with this position, before he's even got his degree, is putting him leaps and bounds ahead of the other people in his program at UVU, and he's gaining a lot of valuable skills, and he's networking and building relationships with people and he's really opened the door for himself to be able to do whatever he wants in the future, and he's become an irreplaceable asset along the way. I said this in an instagram post recently, that I think it's a little petty to brag about your spouse, but he's kind of a big deal. 

Top 5: Nail Polish Shades

I'm a firm believer in nail polish. I haven't gone without it on my toes in over 10 years, and I almost always have my fingernails painted, as well. Nail polish is a really easy collection to build, and fast, because there are a ton of brands, tons of colors and shades, and a pretty wide price range. I don't think you need all OPI everything ($9 a pop is a little steep for my budget), but I do think it's important to invest in your staple shades, you know, the nude that looks best with your skin tone, a good bright red, and your favorite shade of pink. But you better believe my glittery shades, my bright neon colors, and my multiple, scarily similar shades of purple, are almost all $2 bottles from NYC or Forever 21. 

I don't think there's a lot to say about nail polish, but here are my top 5, gotta have 'em, can't live without 'em, constantly reaching for them, hard to kick them out of the rotation shades (from left to right):

essie "topless and barefoot" | this color is pretty popular on pinterest, from what i can tell, but i loved it long before then. it's a great, light, milky nude shade that's got a blush pink undertone in it that i think looks better than a straight flesh-colored polish (at least for my skin tone). i try to keep my polish season-appropriate, which is awesome news for nudes, because they work perfectly year round.

orly "haute red" | i have had this bottle forever!! it's huge and lasts so long, and I honestly think I like this brand better than any other. it's formula is amazing and this isn't a straight red color, it's more red-orange, which is perfect for me. i love that it's just different enough. and this formulaaaaa 

color club "pardon my french" | i actually bought this polsih in a 4-pack from birchbox because I was trying to get my cart to $35 so I could get a free gift with purchase, but I fell in love!! the bottles are small but I have been so impressed with the colors! I had never found such light shades so opaque before! and they aren't chalky! this purple, along with the other 3 it came with, were created exclusively for birchbox, and i don't know how much longer they'll be around, but i plan on buying this purple one again and again if i can! 

essie "peach daiquiri" | this was the first essie polish i ever bought, and i really just wanted a fun, bright summer color, which is exactly what this is. it's not as pink as it looks in the pictures, it's a pretty coral color, but I almost always have this on my fingers or toes at all times. it's my favorite shade out of all of them. it's so perfect in every way, and nobody could complain about the essie quality! it's worth it's price.

love & beauty "fuchsia purple" | i don't understand forever 21's nail polish game, because some of their polishes don't even have names on them, but if you can ever find this one, buy 2 so you can give one to me! i don't know what i'll do when i run out of this bottle! forever 21 polish is only $2.80, and almost every time i go into that store, i walk out with a few new colors (probably 75% of my nail polish collection is from forever 21). they have sooooo many colors but this has by far been my favorite. it's a neon fuchsia. need i say more?! it's so bright and different from anything i've seen. you definitely need a shiny top coat, because the finish after it's dried isn't really matte but doesn't have any shine to it, either, and i prefer the shine, but it's worth it! and for the price? I've never been disappointed with this brand.

so chances are, if you see me, i am probably wearing at least one of these 5 shades on either my fingers or toes (yes, even right now).

Labor Day | Cooper & Scarlett

Devin got scheduled to work all day on Labor Day so I got to hang out with McKayla and ScarlyBird! We had so much fun and it's so cute to watch Cooper with her, he's so curious but also a little protective of her? It's adorable. He loves her, as long as she isn't pulling his ears. 

Katie, Lately

 

surefire way for me to wind down after a long, hard day.

 

i'm back on a passion tea lemonade kick (try it! you'll love it, i swear)

 

I declared it be Fall the first week in September, and pulled out my plaid. I'm just over summer, guys. I'm sorry.

 

Macey's is killing it with their ice cream cones. The perfect night cap to a double date with our besties, the Andrews!

 

Finally tried Cubby's, loved it, but I'm super upset because this is so close to my work, but also right next door to Vivint, so going here for lunch, ever is basically impossible. :(

 

I told Devin the rule is: He can call me "wifey" but I can't call myself that, and neither of us are ever allowed to say "hubby" or anything similar.

 

These girls were so amused when they realized Brother Ashby was the only boy in class on Sunday. This is one of the biggest reasons that I'm glad we are staying in Herriman for another year, because I have become so invested in these sunbeams! I love them so much! They're some of the sweetest little girls on the planet!

 

This stuff happens where I live: a couple of guys riding their horses right through the soccer field, in the middle of a park, in the middle of the city. I love it.

 

Wednesday night manicures and dinner with Danica was probably the only reason I made it past hump day last week!

 

Can't go to the french bakery without getting a french macaron! And whatever that dessert was (I can't pronounce it) that's blurred out in the background? I could have died, it was the most amazing thing in the world.

 

Gourmandise happens to be Devin's favorite, so whenever I go without him, I can't not get him a slice of tiramisu. It's just common knowledge.

 

Spoiler Alert: Rumbi Island Grill makes amazing sweet potato fries. Now you know all my secrets.

Cooper jumped around with me during my workout and when we were done, he promptly fell asleep on the couch.

Benny

I have a huge obsession with my nieces and nephews, and I'm convinced that this little man's laugh is better than therapy. He is growing up SO fast, but watching him transition from infant, to baby to toddler has been so cool, and he's acting like such a big kid now! I hate that's he's growing so fast, but I'm so excited for him to start talking, and to see more of his personality as he gets older! He and I are really starting to become friends, and that's been so special for me! The relationships I have with these kids makes me excited about what it will be like with my own some day! Love you, Benjamin!

An Afternoon with Birdie

This baby, I tell ya.

Cupcakes for Sunbeams

 

I'm really glad we didn't end up moving this summer, because we've got such a great ward and we're in a really good spot right now. I love my calling as a Primary Teacher with the Sunbeams (4 year olds) and we're really getting into a good groove in class. I really love all those crazy little kids. We had the infamous Primary Program a few weeks ago, and they each had a very small part they needed to recite at the pulpit, in front of the whole ward, which can be a very intimidating thing for a 4 year old, so I bribed them (don't judge me). I told them that if they sang loud, and said their parts audibly, I would bring the cupcakes. And me and those kids? We all held up our end of the deal. They're the cutest things.

But for future reference, a note to self; don't give 4 year olds cupcakes... it's a mess.