Review: Maybelline Baby Lips (Blush Burst)

Hello again!

So, to my knowledge, the Maybelline Baby Lips line of tinted lip balms are not vegan. In fact, I hear Maybelline tests on animals. I haven't researched this, but I keep coming across people claiming so. It's definitely something to keep in mind if you are vegan and/or against animal cruelty.

That's not to say that I'm not against animal testing -- I am.

However, these are very popular, and this is one of the only non-beeswax lip balms you can find in the drug store. I think it's worth looking at as a beeswax-free option for those of us in dire need of them, especially since they are easy to find. I got mine, in the color Blush Burst, at CVS as an impulse buy when I was picking up my medications. Here's a picture of the back of my packaging (highlighting mine).

Boy, once you start using lip balms with only five to eight ingredients total, you really start wondering what some of these other ingredients are even for... Naturally, I recognize petrolatum and shea butter, and I see honey in there also. (I don't think I'm allergic to honey, but because I don't consume it normally as a condiment or flavoring, I don't actually know that for a fact. Gonna find out, I guess!!)

So, yes, this is scented -- it smells like SweeTarts, or another fruity candy, like perhaps Pixy Stix. My delight is palapable!!

It is not really what I would consider flavored, although in comparison to a completely unflavored option like Blistex Simple and Sensitive, this is notably more pleasant if I lick my lips a little.

Blush Burst is a Limited Edition as part of their "Pink'ed" collection.

The wax is peachy-pink, but as for leaving any tint of color on the lips, I don't see any at all. This would be my preference, anyway! I blotted my lips on a tissue and there was no transfer of color to the white Kleenex, though, so I'm inclined to think it's little more than a clear balm. I understand some of the other colors have some payoff, though, if you're into that.

The formula feels pleasantly silky, if a little thin, and not too slippery.

I'm not wild for it. Honestly, it feels very similar to other candelilla-based lip balms in my collection. But to be honest, I don't find any vegan lip balm I've tried to feel incredibly moisturizing and hydrating. It seems like they're either on the dry side or on the wetter side of being so slippery they apply very thin and don't last very long. It's just nice to have a protective and comfortable coating sometimes, especially overnight. For me, it's often more about the comfort and pleasure the scent brings me combined with the staying power, and I do like the scent of this.

I do not know that the entire Baby Lips line is beeswax-free, especially since there's lots of variations, like the line that is medicated. I would definitely check the label on any of them before purchasing any.

On a more shallow note, the packaging is fun. It's a bit bigger than a standard circular ChapStick or Lip Smackers tube, but holds the exact same amount of product (.15 FL oz). It feels durable. The cap is more reminiscent of a lipstick tube than a lip balm tube because it's long and goes over the tube with a nice click, whereas most lip balm tubes have a small cap that just goes over the very top. Some may find the design or colors childish, but the part of me that misses LipSmackers appreciates this...

I got mine for $4.59 at CVS.  With sales tax, that was basically $5 -- $1.50 more than most other lip vegan balms. I've heard they're a dollar cheaper at Target and Walmart, which puts them at about the same price as most of the others I've tried. However, since I didn't have to buy it online in bulk and pay for shipping, as I do with nearly every vegan balm on the market, paying a bit more to have it immediately was fine with me.

TL:DR; While not really vegan or hypoallergenic, the Maybelline Baby Lips in Blush Burst is beeswax-free, smells like candy, and is available in more stores than most vegan balms. For some, it may be an acceptable option.

Review: The Gnarly Whale (Peppermint and Spearmint)

When I was choosing balms from The Gnarly Whale, I found a coupon for a free peppermint balm on top of the three I was ordering. Honestly, I'm not the world's hugest peppermint person, but I was so into their strawberry balm, I really wanted to try the most flavors I could, so I went for it!

Peppermint: This smells just like candy canes. That's all you need! (Since the first lip balm I ever used was Bonne Bell peppermint that I got in my stocking for Christmas, I have a strong association with the classic red and white packaging of it, but I probably haven't used peppermint lip balm since.) This is a really strong scent that lingers. Mint can be a scent you associate with everything from ice cream and candy to toothpaste, and in my opinion this is very strong like fresh mint, but has a candy-esque note to it after the initial strong mint smell hits you. Peppermint's not my fave, but I would definitely put this in any candy cane lover's stocking. It is like a candy cane in balm form.

Spearmint: Yum. Like the peppermint, this scent is perfectly present and identifiable. To me, spearmint smells softer than peppermint, and because I prefer spearmint to peppermint in general, I prefer this balm to the peppermint one! They're both exactly what you would want them to be, though. This spearmint balm reminds me of any number of spearmint chewing gums (like Wrigley's), and I find it really great to put on right after I brush my teeth, especially before bed. It makes everything feel so fresh and clean.

Lip balm-wise, I've always loved the more green mint/spearmint flavors. I used up many Blistex Medicated Mint and EOS Sweet Mint balms. Finding a great replacement for them is invaluable to me.

Both of these balms are perfectly smooth in texture and have nice staying power. I use the spearmint one pretty much every night (it's the balm I keep on my bedside bookshelf currently) and I have yet to run into any graininess in the tube. Smooth, minty sailing.

The Gnarly Whale's balms go for $3.50 each, but if you Google, you might have luck finding a coupon, like I did. I'm very pleased with 3 out of the 4 balms I've tried from The Gnarly Whale. More on that fourth one later!

TL;DR: The Gnarly Whale is great and their mint scents are spot-on! Spearmint's my jam, but the peppermint seems perfect too, if that's your jam!

Review: Hugo Naturals Lip Balm (Grapefruit) and Bee Friendly Citrus Natural Lip Balm

I decided to lump these into one post because they were the only two beeswax-free lip balms I could find at my local Whole Foods. I really pined for scented balms and these were the only scented balms I could find that I didn't need to order off the internet. Therefore they were the first scented beeswax-free lip balms I tried.

(Like before, I bought these, but came home and Googled to make sure they were beeswax-free. The Bee Friendly says so right on the label, but you know!)

It's unfair to compare these two things; it's unfair to compare any two lip balms, I think, as everyone has their own preferences for how slick or thick they like 'em, what is unpleasant versus pleasant in a scent, et cetera. But these are my thoughts. One does the job, and one doesn't.

Bee Friendly Citrus smells lovely, lemony and fresh. It is not flavored. It's a very, very thin balm. Possibly the thinnest I've ever tried! It doesn't seem very buildable. To my dismay, this disappears off my lips in about two minutes, if that. I don't know where it goes so unbelievably fast, since I'm not licking my lips. Does it just evaporate?? What a mystery. This is something I won't repurchase. I keep it in my purse, along with one of the Blistex Simple and Sensitives and another balm that rotates around. I can use this until it's gone, but it does nothing for me except provide momentary relief. For me it comes down to whether I want something that will stick or if I don't mind an extremely temporary touch-up. I believe this was $3.

Hugo Naturals Lip Balm in Grapefruit is the balm that became my go-to in the first several months I was beeswax-free, and is one I still enjoy even though I have many others to choose from now. Its smell is very sharp -- very grapefruit! If you're like me and you're accustomed to the fakey (yet delicious) scents of Bonne Bell products, the scent of this might stun you at first or come across as sour. But if you like the smell of grapefruit, this pulls no punches and doesn't sugar that sour scent up at all. Now that I'm used to it, I love the strong, real grapefruit smell.

This is a balm that is thicker and more like what I'm accustomed to in a more ordinary lip balm. In the tube, it can sometimes be grainy (I've discovered this of many balms that use candelilla wax), but I find that I don't mind this and in fact would prefer it to a slick, smooth balm that doesn't last at all. This one lasts on me, and that matters. It's buildable, too. I've used it up almost entirely; I would have by now if I hadn't been actively seeking out more balms to try. At about $3.50, the price is comparable to most any other lip balm, so I would definitely repurchase it.

I would love it if Hugo's range had more flavors. The only other ones I see on the site are Pineapple & Coconut and Vanilla & Sweet Orange, and none of these are flavors that I like!

TL;DR: Bee Friendly Citrus evaporates shockingly quickly; it's not worth buying, in my opinion. Hugo Naturals Lip Balm in Grapefruit smells strong, but sticks around effectively. If you're like me and want to pick up a lip balm at the grocery store, this is one I would recommend.