Even more lip balms ^.^
I reviewed the Lip Essence below a loooooong time ago, but forgot to include them in my Lip Balms Part II post, so I've included them here.
Lip Essence
Similar to Maquillage Lip Essence, these aren't really a balm or a gloss. I think they're a bit of both as they are very moisturizing and gives a bit of a sheen but not full on gloss. I have already reviewed both colors (they are completely sheer!) pictured below, 02 Cassis Pink and 03 Milky Pink, back in 2008, so this brief mentioning is quite a bit late and outdated, sorry!
02 Cassis Pink
03 Milky Pink
EOS - Evolution of Smooth
Never heard of this brand until I saw these Lip Balm Spheres in a magazine (Allure?) and just had to have them!
Lip Balm Smooth Sphere
- Sweet Mint: now this is my favorite flavor, as the minty scent and sensation is actually quite strong, very similar to Burt's Bees' Bees Wax Lipbalm. Hubby likes it too but gave up on carrying it because of it odd shape and funny fit in his messenger bag.
Korres
Yes, these oddly shaped lip balms are a bit of a challenge to carry around. You definitely can't sneak them into your jeans pocket (or any pocket, really) as they will bulge up funny. And they take up lots of space in your makeup bag and don't really sit well in pretty much any bag unless you're talking about a big backpack or handbag. The only good point about their round shape, as far as I can see, is that you literally press your lips together and slather them across, which is what I do :P That, and they're so damn cute!
Unfortunately, they turn out to be much waxier than I would like, and they all taste a bit sweet too. Still, I collect them because their freakin' adorableness is too strong to resist. And plus there are days when I prefer something more dry and waxy as oppose to wet and slick. When I bought them, there were only 4 flavors - Honeysuckle Honeydew, Sweet Mint, Summer Fruit, and Lemon Drop, which just came out at the time. Now there is an even newer member Medicated Tangerine, which I am very tempted to get.
- Honeysuckle Honeydew: I normally don't like melon flavoring so this is tolerably my least favorite out of the 4 and I seldom reach for it.
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax (Cire D’abeille)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Natural Flavor, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Tocopherol, Cucumis Melo (Honeydew Melon) Seed Extract*, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract*, Limonene1, Linalool.
- Sweet Mint: now this is my favorite flavor, as the minty scent and sensation is actually quite strong, very similar to Burt's Bees' Bees Wax Lipbalm. Hubby likes it too but gave up on carrying it because of it odd shape and funny fit in his messenger bag.
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax (Cire D’abeille)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract*, Tocopherol, Limonene1, Linalool.
- Summer Fruit: this one has a cocktail-like fragrance and I can smell the berries in its ingredients plus something else I couldn't put a finger on.
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax (Cire D’abeille)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Natural Flavor, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract*, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract*, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Fruit Extract*, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract*, Linalool.
- Lemon Drop: this one smells wonderfully lemony, has SPF but is unfortunately a bit drier than the rest.
Active ingredients Octinoxate 7.5%, Oxybenzone 3.0%. Inactive ingredients Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax (Cire D’abeille), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Natural Flavor, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil*, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract, Citral1, Geraniol1, Limonene1, Linalool.
***Lists of ingredients from Evolution of Smooth.
A clothing brand that ventured a bit into fragrances and cosmetics, though so far I have only seen lip glosses and a few creams here and there. I've seen many others done the same, and there is probably a logic behind this that I totally missed. Seriously, when I think of getting a lip gloss, I don't think Juicy Couture or Express or Gap or whatever. Just my own opinion, but I think stretching a brand too thin, especially with things they aren't particularly good at, will only cheapen the brand's image. With all that said, I did fall for the heart-shape tin pot that holds this lip gloss. Yes, I'm a total sucker and a complete hypocrite.
Lip Gloss
As I said, I bought it solely because of the heart-shaped tin :) To me, it's not a full on gloss but more like VS's Soothing Lip Balm below, only much thinner, and the minty tingling sensation is faint, not to mention it tastes a bit sweet (urgh). But hey, I really do love the heart shape tin pot. There was another one in hot pink tin too but Sephora sold out of it before I got my hands on it. Damn.
- Layer Cake: smells like minty sweet vanilla, which is actually quite a lovely scent. I wish the minty sensation was stronger though, and it would also be nice if the texture were a bit thicker.
Korres
I'm brand new to Korres and have only recently gotten into their Lip Butters and Mango Butter Lipsticks. I really like it that they have value sets and love it even more that they mix things up a bit every now and then, shuffling the color combinations in their value sets. Those sets are such a great way to try out different colors, especially with a promotion or discount ;) If you like to buy in multiples like me, you can satisfy your curiosity without breaking your bank.
Lip Butter
I bought the Save Your Lips Lip Butter Value Collection with Pomegranate, Mango, and Guava. Unfortunately, so far my impression of these are just ho-hum. They are moisturizing, but neither the color or the lip butter itself lasted even an hour on me. If anything, these feel like glorified sometimes-tinted lip balms, which is why I don't feel guilty for getting an excellent deal on these. I would never buy them at retail value otherwise as they run $10 for .21 oz.!
I do think, however, that these Lip Butters have this really neat texture that reminds me of the Pop Beauty Ribbon Gloss. When you rub your finger on their surface, they feel...bouncy. I really hate the more delicate glosses/balms because any pressure at all will dig a hole into their surfaces, but these Lip Butters? Nope, toy away! Of course now we have to consider the hygiene aspect... -.-'
Pomegranate, Guava, and Mango Lip Butter
- Pomegranate: this gives my lips a coral tint that's really pretty. Pity it doesn't really have any staying power. I haven't really been paying attention to the scent. It's got this waxy smell like some unscented lipsticks, and may be just a hint of fruit, either way it doesn't bother me.
- Mango: oooh I really like the orangey peach tint I get from this one. Again I really wish the stuff lasts longer. It does have a faint fake mango scent that's overwhelmed by the waxy smell. Still doesn't bother me.
- Guava: this one, to borrow my teenage brother's language, is a big fail. The guava fragrance smells a bit better in this one, but sadly that whitish color you see is not transparent. It's not even translucent. It's opaque. Yes, opaque, meaning when I apply it, I get this icky white cast on my lips that's just not very pretty. What were they thinking? Why won't they just make it clear? So this one I wear exclusively at home.
Located in the UK. They have a variety of salves and lip balms, not unlike Rosebud Perfume Company. Rose & Co Apothecary's salves are a tad more expensive, but their tins are cuter than those from Rosebud's :) They also have other toiletries, and I have tried their soaps, as well as bath & shower cream, and lotion.
Rose Petal Salve
Their signature salve. The rose fragrance in this salve is even stronger than Smith's Rosebud Salve, more flowery even. The texture is thicker than both Smith's and C.O. Bigelow's Rose Salve, though it's not waxy or tacky and has great staying power. It is a multi-purpose product, just like all other salves, so I use it on my cuticles too.
Beauty Salve Collection
Spotted this and just had to have it. It contains mini tins of Sweet Vanilla Salve, Cherry Kiss Lip Balm, and Rose Petal Salve. Super cute!
From left to right: Sweet Vanilla Salve, Cherry Kiss Lip Balm, and Rose Petal Salve.
Full size 20g. versus the mini size 10g. in the collection
This went to my sister too, so other than the nice and tangy strawberry scent, I have no idea of its texture or quality. My sister said she likes it best out of the 4 balms I sent, the other 3 being the collection above. She called me one night and said, hey, this strawberry lip balm is pretty good! And she has similar taste to me when it comes to lip balms, i.e. she's also a fan of VS Beauty Rush Soothing Lip Balm below, so I would take her word for it.
I think this is probably my favorite lavender scented item right now. Many lavender scented products tend to be on the strong side (well, lavender oil is pretty strong!), but the intensity of this fragrance is just a perfect balance, not too faint but not too strong either. The balm itself is excellent too, though I use it more on my cuticles, elbows, and knees. It even helped sooth my blisters when I was breaking in my Lily Lumberjack Plaid Crocs! The texture is very similar to the VS Naturally Blackberry & Tonka Bean All-over Moisture Salve below.
I have to at least try every salve made by this company ^.^ To date, my favorite salve from this company has got to be the Minted Rose Lip Balm. It's just the best combination of peppermint and rose and I have yet to come across anything that can even compare.
Mocha Rose Lip Balm
Unfortunately this probably will not climb the ladder of my favor anytime soon - the coffee scent is waaaay too strong. I love coffee flavor anything, but not when it's mixed with rose. I'm not sure what, exactly, they were trying to accomplish with this scent. Were they trying to make a coffee-rose scent, chocolate-rose scent, or a combination or both? Either way, this came out skewed in favor of the coffee.
Now this is your classic menthol balm with similar consistency as the White Cloverine Brand Petrolatum Salve, only I like it much better because it has a tingly menthol sensation. The eucalyptus helps with sinus clearing too!
Victoria's Secret
Naturally Blackberry & Tonka Bean All-over Moisture Salve
Of course my most favorite lip balms get a special mention in this post too :P Yes, that includes several of Victoria's Secret items below and no, it's definitely not because they are made by VS. They are just some of the best lip balms I've used, and I've used many many, just happened to be made by VS, that's all. There are no causal relationship here.
Beauty Rush Soothing Lip Balms
I have already reviewed the original as well as the newer additions in updated packaging pictured below, so I won't repeat anything here.
Clear Shine
Pretty Buff
Petal Soft
Pink Sugar
Clear Shine
Pretty Buff
Petal Soft
Pink Sugar
I have reviewed the original too and mentioned it again in my previous Lip Balms Part II post. I have also reviewed the newer flavors Citrusmint and Cinnamint, as well as Vanillamint, Bubblemint, and Berrymint.
Citrusmint
Vanillamint
Bubblemint
Berrymint
Naturally Blackberry & Tonka Bean All-over Moisture Salve
An all-purpose salve and another hit from VS, in my opinion, and I have backups to prove it. I have reviewed it here.
2 comments:
Wow that's a lot of lip gloss. Which one is your favourite for winter? And one most suitable for summer? I always lose mine! Looking for another one to buy now :)
Hi Jaki,
I love the Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Soothing Lip Balms the most, but I believe these are on their way to be discontinued, if not already. Such a shame. After the VS lip balms I like Rosebud Perfume Company or Rose & Co Apothecary. They both make a comparable oil-based lip salve/balm that's great year round.
Thank you for reading and happy hunting!
D.
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