It's been over two weeks since I last posted on the blog and I do apologize for the silence. School is my main priority, so I hope you understand. I'm taking human anatomy, along with two other courses, and it's been kicking my butt. I hope this doesn't come across as bragging, but I've never studied so intensely for any course in my life! The last time I was this studious was for AP U.S. History in high school. So, it's definitely a challenge but I'm enjoying everything so far...let's see how I feel by the end, haha.
Anyhoo, since I start school super early in the mornings, I can only put in minimal effort. On top of that, the past few weeks have been hot and dry. Out of all lip products, lip balms are my favorite because they require little to no effort to apply and don't look horrible if I don't do touch ups. I mean, not much to touch up throughout the day if it's a lip balm? I've been rotating between the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments, Maybelline Baby Lips, the Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm and the ULTA Lip Balm. So let's get into my thoughts on each!
FRESH SUGAR LIP TREATMENT
Fresh are famous for their lip balms and for good reason. Upon first glance, the Sugar Lip Treatments* are exorbitant for a mere lip balm. However, I'd say that these are the best lip balms for those who have chronically dry and chapped lips! I received the Fresh Sugar Rose in a sample bag and was curious to see why they are so pricey. I put it on and I was blown away by how plump and soft my lips looked. Appearances can be deceiving but as the day wore on, I noticed that my lips stayed nice and soft without a hint of dryness. I've even worn it overnight and woke up to the best lips ever! The light pinky tint looks natural on me so I can get away with no other makeup. I loved it so much that I picked up the color Sugar Honey for my mom, who prefers a browny lip. She hasn't touched it so I think I may have to swipe it for myself! Sugar Rose smells sweet but Sugar Honey smells like Vaseline. And the best part? It contains SPF 15! I don't know why more lip products don't contain SPF because the skin on our lips are so thin and can be burned quite easily.
My two gripes about this product is that while the packaging is sturdy, it causes the lip balm to melt in high temperatures. I had one previously and forgot it in the car and when I came back, it was a lovely melted puddle of rose lip balm. I've been more careful with this one but it still melts slightly from being in my jeans pocket! This one is definitely not for those who live in a hot climate unless you're really careful about storage. My second complaint, and the reason why I don't own all of them, is that Fresh is not cruelty free. I'm disappointed at that but at least the two that I have don't seem like they'll be gone anytime soon.
MAYBELLINE BABY LIPS
I remember when I first got into makeup, these were raved about by every Youtuber. I myself have done two reviews on it here on the blog (Electro Baby Lips* / Pink'd Collection*). Needless to say, these are my second all-time favorite lip balms. I've collected my fair share and stopped recently because a girl does not need 10,000 lip balms (I don't actually have that many but it's definitely too many). These are lighter in feel than the Fresh. They are also slicker and shinier, almost lip gloss like. But they aren't gloopy and sticky like a lip gloss. And the best part is that the Baby Lips do not melt! The original line along with the Electro versions are much more pigmented whereas the ones on the Pink'd Collection are sheerer. I went through multiple tubes of Quenched, a simple untinted lip balm. Again, I don't buy more of these because Maybelline isn't cruelty-free. These all smell like fruity candy, tempting me to eat them, haha.
BURT'S BEES REPLENISHING LIP BALM
Burt's Bees* has been the go-to for many a cruelty-free shopper for many years so I'm disappointed about the news that they've started selling in China. Suzi from CrueltyFreeKitty has much more detail on the situation, so head on over to her blog if you're curious.
Moving onto my review of the lip balms...It's a good one but not my favorite. I know that I said that I liked it more than my Baby Lips in my August 2015 Favorites, but over time, my preferences have changed. That's the funny thing about humans, they're fickle creatures that can never make up their mind (or is that just me?). Anyway, I'm quite certain that at this point in time, Baby Lips trump Replenishing Lip Balm.
The texture is waxy and I find that it doesn't do much for my lips. When my lips are doing well, these will be okay. However, a true test is when my lips are in horrible condition and this doesn't cut it. I have to layer it over and over to even soften the flakes enough so that I can apply a different lipstick (if I feel like it; if my lips are that bad, I'll give them a rest). The finish is matte but I prefer a glossy finish because shiny lip products soothe and help my lips go back to a nice, soft state. I have several colors and the one in the photo is Pomegranate, but to be honest, they all look clear on my pigmented lips. This one does have scent that reminds me of Vaseline and sweetness.
ULTA LIP BALM
During the summer, I was looking for a lip balm with sunscreen that I could take outside without fear of melting in my purse. I found this one by ULTA and went a bit crazy and got four. Don't ask me what I was thinking because I question myself too. Anyway, this one is similar to the Burt's Bees in terms of performance and texture but it has a pineapple scent and a sweet taste. I don't recommend licking or eating your lip balm but it's one of the few lip products I have that actually taste like something so I noticed immediately. I prefer it over other lip products, mainly for SPF protection and a bit of added hydration. This one contains SPF 30 so it's a great one for everyday.
MAKE UP FOR EVER ARTIST PLEXI-GLOSS
While not technically a lip balm, I use it as such. I have it in shade 202, Sweet Pink. It has a sheer finish so it looks like a milky baby pink on me, not flattering at all. So I save it for nighttime when no one but family sees me. It's definitely thicker and gloopier than the Tarte LipSurgence Lip Glosses that I like but it does make it stay on the lips better. The applicator is a flat paddle shape with a triangular cut on one side. Not sure what that's all about but I find that it doesn't pick up enough lip gloss and is too large for my lips. Make Up For Ever* isn't a cruelty-free brand so no skin off my back that this was a dud. There are 35 shades in the range with sheer, opaque and shimmer finishes if this is something that appeals to you.
So those are my feelings on the lip balms I've been using currently. I'm sure there are more hiding somewhere in my stash that I forgot to talk about but maybe I'll save that for a part two. Since my two favorites are not cruelty-free, I'll be in the market for one eventually.
Is there any that you'd recommend?
Let me know what your favorites are because as fall and winter arrives,
I'll be on the lip balm train all the way through...
(*) denotes a brand that is not cruelty-free.
(**) denotes a brand whose cruelty-free status is unknown/unverified.
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