Rose & Co Apothecary Salves

Aside from some really nice Beauty Salves, Rose & Co Apothecary also carries more medicinal balms and salves that are along the lines of vapor rubs and muscle rubs, etc., a few of which I've picked up for myself and for holiday stocking stuffers.

- Zam-Buk Herbal Balm: I kept this one for myself because it looks so...mysterious ^.^ But I haven't used it yet. It's supposedly an antiseptic ointment and, according to the website, has some "amazing powers" and is great for traveling. Alright, I'll keep it with me xD

Zam-Buk Herbal Balm: 

Petrolatum, Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Oil, Cera Alba, (Beeswax), Pinus Sylvestris (Pine) Oil, Camphor, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Oil, Limonene, Linalool, CI 75810, (Chlorophyll).

Boscia Jujube Salve Stick

Errh...I think I must have thrown my last Boscia Jujube Salve Stick out to make room for the newcomer Caudalie Lip Conditioner, because I couldn't find it anywhere. Oops. And searching for a stock picture online, I found out it Boscia had discontinued it too! Double oops. Well, there's always E(vil)bay, but now that I have Caudalie, why would I pay rip off prices to get these again? So yeah, never mind that, please settle with this stock picture. Sorry...

***Picture from DermStore.

Badger Healing Balm

A short (kind of, not really) post for a straightforward product here - the Badger Healing Balm. I like it and have been using it for the past couple of years now, ever since discovering the Sleep Balm back in late 2009.

The cold weather right now means my ragged cuticles have an excuse to frequently going on a rampage. Plus I'm a clean freak and I wash my hands more often than not, if not too often, so that probably doesn't help. But I will have you know that I'm not an antibacterial freak and I do understand that some bacterias are indeed good for the body. So the only place with antibacterial soap in my house is the kitchen (handling raw meat and fish!). The rest are just plain soaps. But I digress.

Badger Foot Balm

I love this Badger Foot Balm, and I keep the tin right next to my bed on my nightstand right next to its sister Sleep Balm. It is a thin balm and looks and feels like a balm, but it's pure magic, as in it heals my chapped and cracked heels in just a few nights' application. I also use it on my dry knees and elbows and after just 2 nights, they're smooth and soft again!

The balm is not greasy at all. I rub it on well and forget about it, and I really like its soothing scent that's a bit different than your usual peppermint, eucalyptus, or tea tree foot balms. It has all three ingredients in it, plus another that stands out significantly in terms of fragrant - cardamom. I do realize the cardamom can be a bit too spice-y for some people, but to me it's a lovely touch that gives the balm more of herbal-y vibe. I will probably grab a few more tins to give as gifts the next time I'm back in the states.

Lip Balms Part III

Even more lip balms ^.^

Canmake

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

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.

Juicy Couture

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.

Rose & Co Apothecary

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

Strawberry Crush Glossy Lip Balm

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.

Lavender Balm

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.

Rosebud Perfume Company

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.

Menthol and Eucalyptus Balm

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

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

Beauty Rush Minty Lip Shines

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

Cinnamint

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.

See my previous posts...
- Lip Balms
- Lip Balms Part II

Badger Sleep Balm

I've been curious about this Badger Sleep Balm for a while now but really had no reason to try it. I'm a pretty heavy sleeper and have no trouble falling asleep like a log, well, there are times when it can be a bit hard, but only because I was hungry and a glass of milk usually puts me out cold. And then a while back my friend complained about not being able to sleep well and had to resort to popping pills to get some z's. That stuff scares the daylights out of me, so I gave this to her to see if it would help. She says it really it did help, so that tipped the scale and I bought one for myself too :D



The balm's texture is on the hard side, but a few rubs and you'll have a thin but slightly oily layer to rub onto your temples (I usually put some above my upper lip too). Its texture is similar to Tiger Balm, may be just a tad harder, but very similar. It has this spicy (not hot spicy, but spice-y) herbal scent with just a slight hint of lavender. It's nice and relaxing, but to be honest, I really don't know if it works or not. Like I said, it's usually because I'm hungry that I can't fall asleep quickly and a glass of milk does the job, so...LOL sorry if this review is not very helpful... :D

See my previous Badger SPF 30 post.

Naturally by Victoria's Secret Blackberry & Tonka Bean All-over Moisture Salve

Yes...more Victoria's Secret. I didn't started this, promise! Out of the blue, my lovely friend Carla gave me this Naturally by Victoria's Secret Blackberry & Tonka Bean All-over Moisture Salve (talk about a mouthful, sheesh!). I didn't know what to think of it at first, I mean, "natural"? Victoria's Secret? Ha! Don't make me laugh.



The salve comes in a pretty lilac metallic tin pot with twist off cap, and boy, it is freakin' huge! It holds a whopping 1.7 oz (50 g!) of product, a bit more than twice as much as your [above] average lip balms or salve in a tin pot! When will I ever finish using this giant thing?!? Of course, it also comes with a semi-big price tag - $10, but given the other balms/salves cost $6-8 with only half the amount of product, the $10 price isn't that bad. There are always on-going promotions, coupons, and deals too.



The salve smells good, discernible scent of berries though, only a very subtle sweet bean paste scent with a touch of vanilla and...petrolatum :D The main ingredient is petrolatum, after all. I can see why someone would think this stuff is nothing more than dressed up Vaseline, but then again Vaseline doesn't have other ingredients like blackberry extract, apricot kernel oil, cotton seed oil, and shea butter, so I would say it's more of a salve than just straight up Vaseline. Most other salve uses petrolatum as the main ingredient anyway, just saying.



I need to thank Carla for turning me to this stuff - it's became another one of my favorite balm now! In fact, I like it so much I bought some for my mum and sister, and they like it too! My sister told she had dry and itchy eye lids (allergies) and it went away with just a tiny dab of this stuff! The texture is not unlike the popular Smith's Rosebud Salve, only it's more buttery and less sticky. The staying power is better than the Rosebud Salve.

Lip Balms Part II

ChapSticks
The original ChapStick goes back in the days with me, as in, like, elementary school days. I'm sure it has been there for everyone else as well. I still have memories of looking out of the school bus's window while fiddling with my Cherry ChapStick! I honestly prefer these to the Bonne Belle Lip Smackers and Soft Lips. My favorite would have to be the Cherry, because it had a slight pink tint to it, it was only lightly scented and it just worked best for me. The Original flavor smelled kind of sickening, I dislike the Spearmint flavor (in general), and Strawberry smelled kind of fake to me. I stuck with the Cherry ChapStick for the longest time, all the way to college until I found the Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Soothing Lip Balm that quickly replaced it. Blame Victoria's Secret, but they've converted me into a fan of oil-based lip balms and since then I have fallen out of love with ChapSticks because they are now way too waxy for my taste.

***Picture from Chapstick.com.

Softlips Lip Conditioners
Okay, I probably have tried every single Soft Lips lip balms out there, both regular and limited edition flavors. They were all the rage when I was in high school, leading me to stray from my ChapStick. In the end though, they couldn't keep me. They feel nice and not as waxy, but they also last for a whole 15 minutes! Plus the tube was so tiny, cost twice as much as the ChapStick, and I kept having to reapply them so often, I'd go through a tube in a couple of weeks! But every now and then they would come out with these new or limited edition flavors and tricked me into trying them again! I have used Cherry, Strawberry, Vanilla, and Raspberry on and off when I needed something quick and too lazy to reach for my gazillion other lip balms. Most recently, I tried the limited edition Sugar Cookie, which was only okay because I still prefer the regular flavors. And the Tinted Lip Conditioner in Pearl, oh man, it was a BIG mistake to try this one. It turned my lips white with frosty and opaque wax! Yuck!

***Picture from Softlips.com.

C.O. Bigelow
The folks behind the well known Mentha Lip Shines. They're not my favorite, but they're not bad. I've tried a few things from them.

Mentha Lip Shine-Breath Freshener
The original lip shine and breath freshener in one. I tried these as soon as Bath & Body Works introduced them, thinking they would be similar to the VS Soothing Lip Balm. I thought it was going to be my favorite lip balm in a tube, so why not, right? Well, not to be mean, but who the heck's idea was it to combine lip balm and breath freshener? I really liked the strong mint flavor, and I really appreciated that it was an oil-based lip balm, but did it have to taste like I've slathered toothpaste all over my lips? Worse, it was sugary sweet, for poop's sake! This very product was what started my loathing for candy-wannabe lip products, not to mention whatever they used to sweetened the thing with irritated the hell out of my skin - it was so thin and runny it bled beyond my lip line! I tossed it ASAP. Garr...

***Picture from C.O. Bigelow.

Mentha Lip Shine Soda Fountain Collection
Yes, I know what I said about the Mentha Lip Shine. Did I mention I have a weakness for sales? Bath & Body Works had a sale for the Soda Fountain Collection, ok? I couldn't help it. I reviewed both the Butterscotch Vanilla Sundae and Strawberry Sundae just a few days ago, so I won't repeat myself here.
Butterscotch Vanilla Sundae


Strawberry Sundae


Rose Salve
I never saw this at Bath & Body Works before, so I wonder if it's new? Anyways, when I did see in the store, I grabbed 3 :D And I was happy I did. It's a milkier version of the salmony pink Smith's Rosebud Salve, only with Smith's Minted Rose Lip Balm's texture, which I like a lot! In fact, I prefer this C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve over the Smith's Rosebud Salve. It could be because the C.O. Bigelow version doesn't go all "rosy" on me. It smells like rose-flavored Carmex :D And while I don't particularly like the smell of Carmex because it's a bit strong, the hints of rose actually softens it! Basically, it's not too strong one way or another, and that's a hit with me. Minus the minty factor, it's basically identical Smith's Minted Rose. I love it and am considering restocking already (along with some more Smith's Minted Rose, of course) :D


B&C Laboratories
I think the single factor that sold me on these Lip and Moist Creams was their packaging. However, that's not to say the products are less than stellar - they are all marvelous! I keep all the lip creams at my end table, where I usually lounge and all the moist creams at my nightstand. I get kind of fickle and pick out my flavor depending on my mood :D

I have already reviewed these, so you can see my previous posts on them below:
- B&C Lab Lip & Moist Creams
- B&C Lab Lip & Moist Creams Part II

Because this post is on lip balms, I'm posting only the pictures of the lip creams :D

Apuru chan


Kumomo chan


Mikan chan


La France


Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Minty Lip Shine
Yep, more Victoria's Secret. I swear they must have made thousands off of me. I kept telling myself I'd never fall for their tricks again, only to trip all over the place every time. Damn! This Minty Lip Shine runs pretty darn close to the Mentha Lip Shine, only it's a bit thicker (and doesn't smear as much) and lasts longer, so it was spared my wrath. While it is sugary sweet, which I very much dislike, I've warmed up to it quite a bit and reach for it more often than not. You can see my previous post on it below:
- Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Minty Lip Shine



See my previous Lip Balms post.