Beauty and the Beets: Lip Colors from Fat and the Moon, Alima Pure

“It’s made of beets!”

Apologies to the dozen or so folks who heard me say this on Friday night whilst brandishing my newest natural beauty product acquisitions. I was talking about Fat and the Moon’s Lip & Cheek Stain, and technically, it’s made with beet root (but my heart was in the right place).

I found myself in a lip product desert recently, having used up all of my ol’ standbys, and ordered the stain as well as Alima Pure Lip Tint in Mango. I’ve been using these products in tandem, so figured I’d review them in a single post.

First up: Fat and the Moon. This was a no brainer for me. The lip and cheek stain has been on my “buy” list for a while now: this brand has some awesome stuff, and hopefully I’ll try out more of it.

The stain has one of the most interesting and clever ingredient lists (full list below) I’ve seen in a natural product, using natural sources (beets!…beet root. And alkanet.) for its deep cranberry color.

First impressions: I love the rustic packaging – lip tints/balms belong in little tubs like this. And it’s got some weight to it – it feels substantial in my hand, which I really like. I know this sucker will survive in the gauntlet that is the interior of my purse. Watch out! Flying coins. Key in the face. Etc. Plus, for $12, I can tell this baby is going to last a long time.

The color is immediately striking, and applies much more sheer than expected, allowing me to build up the color to my desired shade. It’s possible that you could apply this with a brush, but I prefer to use my finger to warm it a bit and apply directly to my lips. Since it’s a stain, the color seeps in and lasts long after you’ve applied it, but doesn’t, you know, stain your lips like red wine. You’ll have no trouble getting it off. The texture is waxy and solid, and provides light moisture. The scent is sort of nutty and earthy – I’m a fan, but a few of the people who intercepted my excited banter about this product this weekend didn’t dig it. To each his own.

Probably the greatest bonus about this product is that it’s an absolutely amazing cheek stain, too. I wasn’t planning on or interested in using it for that purpose, but holy cow, I think I like it almost better for cheeks than lips! I’m a dedicated powder blush user and didn’t think I could be swayed. But the Fat and the Moon stain provides a beautiful natural flush that stands alone or can be layered under your favorite powder blush or bronzer. I used a bit on my mom and she’s already asked for it for Christmas (already placed another Fat and the Moon order…boom). The fact that this product multitasks is a game-changer for me. I realize that might sound a bit hyperbolized. But my feeling is that this stain will save me from packing a blush compact and mini brush in my purse going forward, which is what I’ve been doing for the past, oh, you know, ten years. One little metal tub, one giant step for humanity. Well, for Jennifer.

Second: Alima Pure. This is another $12 buy. I spent a lot of time looking at different natural lip products before pulling the trigger on Alima Pure. I’m not a lipstick gal. I’m pretty low-maintenance when it comes to makeup (actually, I think I’m a very low-maintenance woman in general – but my boyfriend disagrees with this statement. No further comment.), and I prefer lip balms and tints that multitask, by depositing color but also moisturizing, and that I can apply throughout the day without looking in the mirror. I’m sort of bad with lip colors. I have this nervous habit of sitting at my desk at work and mindlessly applying and re-applying whatever lip product I have in my purse. By the time I emerge from my desk, I look like a fish wearing lipstick. So, the more foolproof, the better.

Alima definitely fits the bill while still depositing a really rich, buildable color that has a nice shimmer/sheen. The Mango color seems pretty universal to me. It’s kind of a “grown-up” coral: I have acquired a lot of punchy, youthful coral lip colors in my day and this one is more subtle and muted, suitable for everyday use. It is very moisturizing, which I love – it literally melts on to my lips when I’m applying it. I’ve had to resist applying it like a balm (again, fish wearing lipstick). The scent is nutty shea butter.

I mentioned that I’ve been using both the Alima Pure Lip Tint and the Fat and the Moon Lip & Cheek Stain together. The Fat and the Moon stain makes an excellent color and texture base: the Alima Pure Lip Tint glides on smoothly over it and provides a bit of shimmer. Both stand on their own, but I’ve enjoyed using them as a tag team.

I purchased the Alima Pure Lip Tint in Mango directly from the Alima Pure website and snagged Fat and the Moon’s Lip and Cheek Stain from their Etsy page. For all you Cyber Monday shoppers, Alima Pure has a pretty sweet deal going on through tomorrow: purchase $70 and receive a free Black Natural Definition Mascara and the limited edition Mulberry Lip Tint in an Alima makeup bag.

Fat and the Moon Lip & Cheek Stain ingredients:
alkanet root and beet root infused sunflower oil, beeswax, essential oil of rose geranium

Alima Pure Lip Tint ingredients:
organic theobroma cacao (cocoa seed) butter, organic carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, organic ricinius communis (castor) seed oil, organic beeswax, organic olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, organic camellia sinensis (white tea) oil, candelilla wax, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, organic cucurbita pepo (pumpkin seed) oil, organic punica granatum linn (pomegranate seed) oil, organic simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil, tocopherol, vanilla planifola essential oil, organic punica granatum linn (pomegranate seed) extract. May contain [+/-]: mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides