Rhode has released quite a few new bits recently – we’ve been treat to two new Spring shades and the Rhode x Justin Bieber collaboration, and as someone who already uses their lip treatments and pocket blushes all the time, these were launches I was always going to try (duh).
The Spring launch introduced two new Peptide Lip Tint shades, Pretzel and Sweet Pea, alongside their first red Pocket Blush in Candy Apple. There was also a lovely new pink shade (Tea Cup), but I didn’t try that one, as I already have quite a few similar shades from other brands. Because I’ve already written quite a lot about Rhode’s lip treatments and tints before, there isn’t too much more I can say about the formula itself. It is still one of my favourites and one I keep going back to because it just works for me. It hydrates, wears comfortably and always gives that effortless glossy look Rhode does so well.
Pretzel is a really wearable sparkly warm mauve shade, and Sweet Pea is a soft pearly pink. Both feel very easy to use day to day, and if you already like the original Lip Peptide Tint formula these are exactly what you would expect. I LOVE the pretzel scent and shade – it’s like a really sweet espresso dessert; sweet pea I also like, but I’ve seen mixed reviews from others; I found it to be almost like a jasmine tea scent, and really enjoyed it personally…
The packaging also got me slightly obsessed this time (what’s new…), I am already a bit of a Rhode collector at this point, so two pastel pink tubes arriving at once was always going to be dangerous for me. I actually think doing limited edition shades like this with a product people already love is always a win. It keeps things fun without changing what works.
Candy Apple is – as I say – Rhode’s first red Pocket Blush and I was slightly nervous about this one because red blush can be tricky, especially on pale skin. I did think it it might pull orange on me but thank goodness it doesn’t, at all – I think that’s something quite hard to get right to be fair, so well done to Rhode there. It’s actually very sheer unless you build it up, so it doesn’t have to look dramatic if you don’t want it to, and actually – I think they’re meant to be for that flushed look, rather than full glam. That said, I don’t really reach for a red blush every day regardless, I tend to prefer something softer for daytime.
Where I do really love a red shade though, is for evenings. A red blush can look amazing for a night out, although to be fair, I usually choose powder blushes when I want something long wearing because they tend to last better on me. Interestingly, I reach for Candy Apple more often as a lip product than a blush. Tapping it onto my lips with my fingers gives a really natural bitten lip look that looks stunning with the Rhode liners. It also has a shimmer in it, but I don’t really notice that once it’s actually on my skin.
Right… the Rhode x Justin Bieber launch. Banana is one of my favourite scents and flavour in anything (banana iced coffee is like an addiction) so I had very high expectations for the lip treatment. As a balm, it performs exactly as well as the original. It is still thick, comfortable and properly nourishing… it’s the same formula we all know and love; but the scent and flavour were much weaker than I expected, nooooooooooo!
They’ve definitely captured the caramelised banana idea, which I like, but it just doesn’t last very long at all. I think I had built this one up too much in my head because of how much I love banana scents generally, so I did feel slightly disappointed. I don’t know if this is due to their recent formula changes after moving under the Elf umbrella, as I noticed this with the strawberry glaze re release too. I do really like the brown and yellow twist on the packaging though. It makes for a nice change from the usual Rhode aesthetic.
Spotwear – basically pimple patches – is Rhode’s first move into hydrocolloid blemish patches, again, released as part of the Rhode x Bieber collaboration. According to their marketing info, they’re designed to absorb excess oil and help reduce how visible spots look while protecting the skin at the same time, and they come in “several fun shapes including daisies, mushrooms and jelly beans”. I chose the jelly bean shapes, the most neutral shape and colours for me, as I’m not really into wearing them outside, or as a novelty – I just want them to do their job.
They do work well and perform exactly like I expected them to. They flatten spots, they took away my redness, and I also felt they went away much quicker, which is obviously what hydrocolloid patches are meant to do. That said, they aren’t really doing anything particularly new compared with other patches already on the market. If you already use hydrocolloid patches you’ll probably find these behave very similarly. They are nice, they’re effective and they’re fun, but I don’t think they are something you need to rush out and buy unless you particularly want Rhode versions.
