REVIEW: Olio e Osso Balm
You ever buy a product you really don't expect anything of and it turns out to be awesome and one of your favorite things? Enter: Olio e Osso balm in No. 2!
I think one of the main reasons I am consistently surprised by this is that there is relatively small hype surrounding this product. It's popped up on Into the Gloss a couple of times, but it's not one of those things that you hear about a lot as an HG -- especially in that way that I use it, which is as a blush. (This says more about my susceptibility to marketing I think than anything else!)
Embarrassingly, I heard about using the No. 2 "French Melon" shade of Olio e Osso through... goop. 🙄 Their 'Ask Jean' column promoted it as a great "no makeup makeup" product and that was enough for me! 💸
There's not much to say except -- this holds up. It's SUCH a mellow, pretty pink that really does look natural. The only tint in this (which is also listed as the last ingredient) is "Red Lake 21 (CI 45380)" -- despite this, a couple of dabs straight from the stick on your cheek deposits a surprising amount of color. (This is another aspect of this product that perplexes me: isn't this just plain food coloring? How is this such a great blush if it doesn't have magic micro pigments with fancy names?)
No.2's weird shape -- which makes it so awkward as a lip product -- is perfect for cheeks. I like to dab it straight from the stick both vertically (see photo below) and horizontally. Usually I just plonk along until I get the color I like -- no blending required. 😚
Like so!
For lips... eh? It's barely noticeable. I really prefer this as a cheek product, but if you want to create some symmetry you can use it. 🤷🏼♀️ It has a weird waxy texture that doesn't feel moisturizing on lips and doesn't give the sheen I expect / like from my lip balms. On cheeks it can lean on the greasier side, but a little powder fixes that.
As seen from the above photos, yes, it does look like a rash on my arm, but believe me it does look nice on cheeks! It's pretty sheer, but I think this is actually a good thing in that it blends in really naturally with your skin. In the goop promotional article they mention it works for "all" skin tones, but I am a little skeptical about this -- if you have darker skin and want to try this out I would just make sure the place you are buying from has a good return policy.
The latest trick I've learned (thanks, Lisa Eldridge!) is to apply this first, along with your favorite highlighter (my current favorite is RMS's Living Luminizer) so that it has time to 'soak in' while you do your other makeup. This is nice because by the time you are heading out it has sat enough to look really natural slash if you haven't put enough for the effect you want you can add some more. I love the slight pink flush this gives so much that I usually carry it along with me for touch-ups. I really am not a blush person, but this is quickly becoming one of my favorite purchases of 2018.
Olio e Osso No.2 on cheeks and lips
