Rosebud Perfume Co. Strawberry Lip Balm

image from sephora.com

Price: $7 for .8oz (22g)

What they say:
"Indulge your sweet tooth as you soothe dry, chapped lips with Rosebud's newest, strawberry-scented lip balm. Following in the Rosebud tradition of simple, easy to use products, this vintage-inspired tin contains a combination of rich emollients that lock-in moisture and banish dryness after only one application."

What I say:
I actually don't like fake strawberry flavored things, so keep that in mind when you read this review.

I originally got this is the "Three Lavish Layers of Lip Balm" set, which is a great deal, btw.  Anyway, since I hate strawberry the most, and I like to finish things from worst->best I decided to open this one first.

The smell is gross to me, but like I said I don't like fake strawberry.  Hindsight says that I should have just given this one away to my niece or someone else, but it's too late now, so I'll just use it up.  The smell thankfully does not linger, so it is tolerable for use on my lips.

The consistency is like Burt's Bees salve, or like a really hard lip balm.  To use I have to warm it up with my fingers, and then put it on my lips.  I think this won't melt that easily, so it would make a good summer lip balm for a handbag.  Once on my lips it is soft, but not too soft.  A thin layer spreads well, leaving a non-sticky coating behind.  It is not the most moisturizing lip balm I have ever used, but that is because vaseline-type products are not moisturizers, but instead moisture trappers.  If you really want moisturized lips, put on a moisturizer first, and then put something like this on top to trap the moisture where you placed it.  Anyway, it does a good job as a trapping layer, and it stays for a decent amount of time, so I would say it does its job well.

The price for what it is is okay, but not great.  This is basically just glorified Vaseline with flavor and scent added.  There is a little color in the tin, but nothing appears on my lips, so there really is no reason for the colorant being added to the batch in the first place.

The tin is a well made metal, not too hard or too easy to open, but the product along the sides looks like it would be hard to get out.  I personally don't like tins for lip balms myself, since the product gets all over your fingers when you try to get it out, but I know Rosebud makes a tube version of this product, so they have already addressed this problem.

Overall:
This makes a good gift if you like strawberries and like lip balm.  I can see why so many people rave about his product, but I personally don't think it is really that great for what it is.  The price for amount is pretty good but Vaseline, which this basically is, is cheaper and doesn't have unnessesary ingredients (like color) added to it.  Don't get me wrong, I think it is an okay product, I just don't understand the hype behind it, and think there are better products for better prices.
4/5 if another flavor, 3.5/5 because the strawberry was so fake.

Korres Lip Butter Plum

Price: $10 for .21oz

What they say:
"Ultimate lip treatment with intensely hydrating formulas, packed with a juicy pop of color
• Shea Butter’s anti-inflammatory and potent moisturising benefits cushion the skin and help to restructure it
• Rice Wax helps to seal in hydration, leaving the lips smooth all day "

What I say:
This is nice, but I think the best part about it is the smell (yum!).  It smells like plums, but a little more fake than that.  Maybe more like plum candy.  I like the smell, but I can see how others might think it is a little strong.  Anyway...

Let's start with the packaging.  This comes in a tub, as you can see in the picture, and I happen to fall in the "prefer tube" category.  This isn't a deal breaker for me, but I don't like sticking un-clean fingers into my makeup, so this product becomes an "only if my hands are clean" item.  I don't like those for travel, since I can't guarantee when I will be able to reapply.  That said, the tub is well made, lightweight, and doesn't open accidentally.  There is a plastic cover over the product, like what comes with many face products in tubs, which I think is a nice touch, since it makes it harder for the product to dry out.

The texture is lightweight, and feels moisturizing.  This butter is not moisturizing like a lip treatment, but it is moisturizing enough to keep your lips comfortable during the day.  I would have liked it being more moisturizing, but it wasn't drying, so that's good.  It feels kinda soft when you put your fingers into it, like a facial mask, or maybe more like room temperature butter, or body butter.  When placed on my lips, it is more creamy, and spreads easily.  It layers without problems, and doesn't settle into fine lines, or creep out onto the outside and corners of my mouth.

A little goes a long way with this particular color.  It is sheer when a thin layer is applied, but it can look a bit much if I apply a lot of it, since I am more pale, and this contrasts with that.  Still, the color is nice, and I would say it might lean more towards the cool side than warm, but not too much that anyone can't pull this color off.

According to Korres, lip butters can also double as cheek colors, making this a multi-use product like Stila's Convertibles.  Personally, I think the texture of this, while great for spreading and blending, is a little too greasy for my combination skin.  I haven't noticed breakouts, but without a powder, it looks a little... fake?  I guess that's the right word.  On more dry skin, this might sink in more, looking a little less dewy.

Overall, this is a good product, especially considering the price.  For $10 you get a respectable amount of balm (compare to MAC tendertones, that were $14.50 for .2oz back in 2008).  Korres also has sets, where you can get 3 of their lip butters for $19.50 (or $6.50 each).  Like I said before, I would like to see these in a tube instead of a tub, and would like to have them be more moisturizing, but these are little things, overall, for a product that does deliver.

4/5

fresh: Sugar Lip Treatment

image from sephora.com

Price: $22.50 for .15oz

What they say:

"Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 blends reparative oils and waxes together with real sugar for delectable and dependable moisture with maximum sun protection. Sweet and tart blackcurrant oil cushions the lips with essential plumping fatty acids, while antioxidant grapeseed polyphenols and vitamins A, C, and E provide extra protection."

What I say:

This is my favorite lip treatment, and I keep coming back to it again and again.  This isn't cheap, so I don't use it all the time (like during the day, when I use Nivea instead), but this is a great night treatment, even though it has SPF in it.

The smell of this reminds me of lemon bars, if you know what I mean.  Lemony, vanilla-y, sweet, but not overpowering, and mouth-wateringly good.  The smell goes away quickly after you put it on, so for those who don't like the smell, don't worry, it doesn't linger all day (or night).

The case is metal, with a screw-on top.  I have put this in purses, my pocket, thrown it across the room, my cats have played with it... Well, you get the picture.  Anyway, it has not opened on me once, unless I want to open it.  No screwing up your purse or pocket with this one.  Also, the case can take quite a beating, to the point that I'm thinking of reusing it as a pill case for vitamins when traveling, since it is compact, and strong.

The texture of this is what makes it such a great treatment; it is thick, a little greasy feeling, but not like after you eat something greasy, and it stays put.  I put this on right before bed, and there is still some on my lips when I wake up the next morning.  During winter, that is the difference between nice lips, and zombie, skin coming off, apocalypse lips.  The texture is also part of why I don't use this all the time during the day.  Unless I really need the extra thick layer on my lips, this is overkill.  Still, even though I don't use it during the day all the time, it is nice to know that there is some SPF in it, in case.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, this is not a cheap lip treatment.  A tube of this lasts me, well, practically forever, so I wait until a sale to pick up a tube or two, which will last me more than a year.  If this is extremely outside your price range, though (or if you lost yours, and you can't find it, like what happened to me once...), I suggest something like Nivea/Labello (depending on where you live), which is much cheaper, and also quite nice.

5/5 HG Night Treatment

Smashbox Emulsion Lip Exfoliant

image from smashbox.com

Price: $18 for .75oz

What they say:

"Got cracked, dry lips? EMULSION is the perfect solution for you! This sugar-based, peppermint-infused lip exfoliant is packed with vitamins and soothing conditioners to smooth and soften lips. Poppy seeds and sugar granules gently exfoliate while cocoa and shea butter, grape seed extract and jojoba deeply nourish. Lips instantly feel soft and kissable!"

What I say:

This is a nice treatment.  I normally just use a toothbrush to exfoliate my lips, since, like the rest of me, gentle exfoliants just don't cut it (my skin doesn't like the flake off).  I had heard good things about this exfoliant for your lips, so I decided to finally take the plung and pick it up.

It didn't make my lips overly dry (though I would still say use a lip balm afterwards, since you did just forcefully remove the dead layer of skin). The exfoliator was hardish, like a petroleum balm, when first squeezed from the tube, but warmed up quickly once on the lips. A little of this goes a long way.

The scent was a mild peppermint, not over the top, and the taste (yes, I did accidentally get some in my mouth) was not unpleasant.  It was a little sweet, a little pepperminty, and a little... other, I guess would be the best way of putting it.  I have heard it claimed that this is perfectly edible, but I wouldn't suggest just licking your lips off when you are done, instead of wiping it off like it tells you to in the instructions.

To use, you just take a little of the product, place it on your lips, and rub.  I like to do a combination of small circular motions, mixed in with just placing my lips together and rubbing them together.  This wasn't very harsh, and was not very irritating, either.

Highly recommended for anyone who, like me, suffers from flaky lips.

4.5/5