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Mon Mar 07, 2005 12:05 pm  |
I've been using this for about a week and I have to say that of all the lip balm products that I've tried in the past few months, I love this stuff the best!! I've mostly been using this stuff at night or on weekends to keep my lips moisturized when I don't want to bother with 'putting on my face,' and/or wasting any of my precious LipFusion plumping gloss. The package says that Gatineau Electelle LipCare "Moisturizes, softens and protects against the signs of aging with volumizing and 'photo-protective' complexes and can be used to prevent chapping."
Its a thick, rich, pale pink cream, rather than an emollient 'gloss' like traditional lip balms (i.e.: Jurlique, Decleor, Dr. H, Carmex, etc), with a slightly pearlescent/luminiscent sheen to it. It has no discernable taste or fragrance. After first applying the Gatineau, it seems to sit on your lips then sinks in, leaving your lips moist and super soft but a sexy little pearly gleam to them. After I've put it on, if I touch my lips with my finger afew minutes later (after it's had a chance to sink in), it doesn't feel like I'm wearing a coating of 'goo' on my mouth, but if I rub my lips together, they still feel really slick and lubricated.
The product info claims that it has lip plumping qualities but I didn't find any difference in the volume/fullness of my lips (remember, I'm taking the hyaluronic acid/collagen capsules plus using the LipFusion topical plumper so I think my lips might have reached their maximum plumpness!), although I *do* think that use of the Gatineau LipCare can give you the illusion of fullness do to the luminescene qualities of it -- you know how beauty mags say that you can make your pout look fuller by putting a spot of glimmer in the middle of your lower lip to create an optical illusion?? This is what the Gatineau appears to do....Something else that might contribute to the illusion of plumper lips is the fact that the Gatineau somehow minimizes the shallow lines on the surface of my lips, which serves to give them that "pillow-lipped" appearance. Another plus of the Gatineau is that it has a built-in SPF, unlike the Decleor or Jurlique.
Even if the Gatineau didn't have the above benefits, it would still remain at the top of my list of best lip balms simply because of its moisturizing qualities. I had thought my Jurlique lip balm had good staying power (i.e.: seemed to remain on my lips even overnight so my lips still felt moist and hydrated), but after having used the Gatineau I have to say that it wins the 'long-lasting' competition hands down!! I put a generous layer of Gatineau on at bedtime and when I wake up 8-10 hours later (please don't begrudge me my beauty sleep! I'm one of those people that can't function without at least 8 hours of shut-eye every night!!), and even though the product has penetrated and been absorbed into my lips overnight, I wake up with lips that don't feel at all dry or tight as is sometimes the case with when I use the Jurlique or even apply the LipFusion gloss as an overnight treatment (especially if its a weekend and I'm sleeping in even longer!!). When I apply this at night before retiring, when I wake up in the morning it feels like I have brand new, silky smooth lips!! And because the Gatineau sinks into your lips, if you use it during the day the moisturing/hydrating effects will last through drinking/smoking/eating and I only have to reapply maybe once or twice throughout the entire day and evening. My boyfriend loves this, too. Wait, that sentence didn't come out right: I mean, he likes it on me!! When I'm wearing the Gatineau and he kisses me, he's happy because he thinks my lips are completely bare and 'au naturel,' and I like it because my lips still feel moist and hydrated (I can't stand not to be wearing some kind of lip balm/gloss at all times because my lips start to feel all dry and dehydrated). He can't even tell that I'm wearing anything on my lips!
It comes in one of those squeeze-tubes with a slanted tip applicator slightly bigger than the Carmex in the squeeze tube, except Carmex has an annoying round tip applicator. This stuff is *very* pricey ($36USD) for a mere lip balm, but I'll definitely be repurchasing (although hopefully I can shop around online and find it for much cheaper!) especially as you only need to apply it 2-3 times per day so the tube ought to last at three months.
All in all, this stuff is imcredibly awesome and amazing. To give you an idea of how crazy I am for this product, let me say that I'd be willing to exchange both my Jurlique and Decleor lip balms (along with all of the others lounging unused in the drawer of my nightstand) for another tube (or two) of the Gatineau!! To those of you who have considered me to be the Imelda Marcos of lip products and have enjoyed reading my past reviews on them, I regret to inform you that this will most likely be the last product review I give on a lip balm as I have finally found my holy grail!!! I'm going to keep buying and using this stuff for as long as they make it. In fact, I'm going to try and hit up the manager of my local Ulta store and beg them to begin carrying the Gatineau product line so I don't have to go through the hassle of ordering online whenever I need another tube of this stuff....
Carrie |
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The above post is a review of the following product available at EDS:
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Gatineau Electelle Lip Care (15 ml)
Complete care for volume and sheen of leeps. The Electelle line of products stimulate cellular respiration and restores oxygen and energy to the skin.
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Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:17 pm |
 Well done carrie, fantastic review of the Gatineau. I like the stuff myself, but cause of its price, I dont like to rave cause I dont think it plumps and I'd hate for someone to buy it on my say so and be disappointed. That said I didnt put you off and now youve actually got a holy grail product.  I stick by my oiginal review and say that after I put a coating on at night, my lips do feel like someone elses in the morning. Lip products no matter which one stay on my lips for a maximum of 60 seconds.  Im a constant lip licker...  |
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Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:42 pm |
| Flippin eck...how on earth do you follow that review......just to say, that is one of my hero products that i'd never ever be without. I agree with everything you say!!!! |
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[img]http://pic13.picturetrail.com/VOL470/2390945/6177231/92912749.jpg[/img] |
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Mon Mar 07, 2005 3:05 pm |
now I wanna try it!!!  |
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Mon Mar 07, 2005 7:13 pm |
| This sounds great. I just tried Valmont lip formula (can't remember the name of it at the moment) I wasn't impressed at all. This sounds intriging. |
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Mabsy
Moderator
 
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Tue Mar 08, 2005 2:24 am |
| *sigh* I just can't keep up with you Carrie! I only last week bought the Jurlique one after reading your review I had actually (wrongfully) thought that I had cured myself of my lipbalm obsession but I think I might have been wrong... Decleor is still my favorite but I might pick this up as an "impulse buy" when I'm passing through a dept store one of these days. |
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Tue Mar 08, 2005 5:44 am |
My sincerest apologies if I've given anyone another lemming moment regarding the Gatineau -- I'm only trying to give honest and impartial feedback!!  Is it *my* fault that some people have no self control??  <Just joking!!> A word of advice though: do NOT make any online purchases fromwww.fragrance-net.com -- they took *forever* to process and complete my order and I'll never order anything from them again because of it.
| abejita wrote: |
| This sounds great. I just tried Valmont lip formula (can't remember the name of it at the moment) I wasn't impressed at all. This sounds intriging. |
That's the one that costs over $100USD, right? The Valmont lip stuff was actually next on my list of lip products to try, but even *I* couldn't justify spending that much for one item (although my logic seems ridiculous when you consider that I've spent twice that much on all the lip products I've bought and promptly discarded these last few months!! Now I'm glad I didn't get it, both because you said you weren't impressed by it and also because I've found my Gatineau.
There was another lip balm product that I wanted to try that cost around $120USD (I can't even remember the name of it, something I'd never heard of before) that I saw listed in the advice column of a bridal magazine (a friend is getting married in a few months and she's got those flippin' magazines all over her house...they cost like $10USD each!! For the amount she's spent on magazines, she could've upgraded to the fancy floral arrangement she had her heart set on!!), but I'm glad I didn't make the effort to try and track that stuff down either....
Mabsy -- I can honestly say that my lip balm obsession is over now! Unless maybe Gatineau comes up with a new and improved version, then I might be tempted to try it. But now I've got a whole drawer full of lip balms that I'm never going to use again. Too bad lip products aren't among those that would be "safe" (read: hygienic!!) to trade on MUA. But I guess I could always put them on my swap list for others who aren't as fastidious!! I'm really bummed about the Jurlique and Decleor, as they were among the most expensive ones that I've tried recently...too bad I didn't get them at Sephora so I could take them back and exchange them for another tube of LipFusion or the Decleor Ylang Ylang balm that I'm jonesing for now (I got a sample yesterday when I went to buy a tube of LipFusion for Karina in the UK). Oh well. I guess I can console my pocketbook with the knowledge that we won't be wasting any more money on lip balms in future!! My thanks to Cindi and Gucci for helping to decide to give the Gatineau a try.
BTW, for those of you who use Vit-C serums: do you apply it *on* your lips, or just around your mouth? What about your eyes: just around the eye-area or to you actually smooth it under your eyes and over the (closed) lids? The reason I ask is because I have this area just under my browbone that is significantly lighter/paler than the rest of my eye area (I'm guessing it was because for many, many years I let my eyebrows grow 'au naturel' so that when I finally started waxing/threading/shaping them, the area under my browbone saw "the light of day" for the first time in 28 years!! I guess the upside of this freaky little area is that I don't have to bother using a pale eyeshadow to 'highlight' my browbone since it's already highlighted by virtue of the stark white skin on it!!). I'm wondering if I could use Vit-C serum to fade the rest of my eye area so it will match the paleness under my browbone or if Vit-C would be too harsh and I should just leave well enough alone...? Any advice?
thanks,
Carrie |
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Mabsy
Moderator
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Wed Mar 09, 2005 12:30 am |
| carekate wrote: |
| Mabsy -- I can honestly say that my lip balm obsession is over now! |
I think I'll be quoting you on that in the future I'm actually very happy with my Decleor lip balm and it seems to make my lips looks bigger, even though I'm pretty sure it doesn't actually make them bigger. Jurlique is growing on me as well. I'll probably end up trying the Gatineau in a moment of weakness  |
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Wed Mar 09, 2005 6:51 am |
| Mabsy wrote: |
| I'm actually very happy with my Decleor lip balm and it seems to make my lips looks bigger, even though I'm pretty sure it doesn't actually make them bigger. |
I meant to post this when I added on to one of the (existing) reviews because I actually noticed that with the Decleor, too! But I figured out it was an optical illusion (like that dot-of-glimmer-in-the-middle-of-lower- lip-trick I mentioned above) because there's something in the Decleor that gives it a hint of shine/glimmer...I'm not sure what it is exactly because it definitely doesn't contain any sparkles or glitter, but it gives that 'pouty' illusion just the same....but I still love my Gatineau better! |
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Sun Mar 13, 2005 6:16 pm |
I received Valmont lip repair sample from generous EDS.
I have been using it for 4 days and I am not impressed either. When I apply it , my lips feel soft for about 20 min and then dry again.
I am still waiting for my order of Gatineau lip care |
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Mon Mar 14, 2005 4:03 pm |
My Valmont lip repair was a sample also. I don't think that I could bring myself to purchase a lip product that is over $100,no matter how wonderful it is.
I had the same experience as kpka. I put it on and nothing particular happened, and it seemed to be gone in minutes. I even tried putting it under my Dr. H lip balm and it didn't seem to enhance that any either.
Liz |
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Mabsy
Moderator
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:54 am |
| Ok, I caved and this (the Gatineau) became my impulse buy. I just tried it about two hours ago and have had dinner since and my lips are still quite good in terms of moisture. There's nothing actually on them but they're not dry. I will have to wait a few days to actually review this properly but my first impression is that I prefer the Decleor to this one. So far I don't like the thicker texture and heavier feeling on the lips. It reminds me of the Biotherm lip treatment.... |
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Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:04 pm |
Have to add that I don't like this product. Feels very thick and it didn't moisturize enough. Left it on overnight and lips were dry in places in the morning.
Linda |
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Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:27 pm |
I finally received mine. I really like it. I use it at night and wake up with moisturized lips. I can't compare it to Decleor since I don't have it.
Carrie, thank you for the review! |
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