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.

One year!

Man, it's hard to believe it's been a year since I completely quit using lip balms with beeswax and switched to hypo-allergenic/vegan balms. What's sad is that I still miss those balms... especially the strawberry ones.

The damage wrought to my skin for almost a year prior to switching to vegan balms took several months to fade, but it is gone now. I am truly thankful there are people out there creating products I can use and that I can afford to be picky because there are choices.

Review: Hurraw! (Lemon, Grapefruit, Mint, Black Cherry Tinted)

Hey, it's 2014! What's up??

A while ago (like... months!) I got this fistful of beauts from Hurraw! Their packaging is lovely and they have a nice variety of flavors, mostly for $3.79 (a few are $4.29). Some of the products themselves are colored -- i.e., the grapefruit wax is the color pink! This is pretty unusual, as far as I've seen in the world of vegan lip balms! I hate to be so shallow, but the fact that their balms have color really excited me!

I wish I could review each of these scents in depth, standing on their own, but truthfully, I just haven't been using any of them. Because they're so cute, with their bright colored labels and nice design, I wish I liked them a whole lot more! They're... okay...

Sometimes I think whether something like a balm or a gloss is good or not is purely personal preference, both scent and texture-wise! These just unfortunately don't work for me. They are very thin-feeling on the lips. They go on exceedingly slick and slippery. If you like a thinner, lighter, very slick balm, these might be for you! They are very buttery-smooth and silky-soft when you're applying! By far the softest I've tried! Actually too soft, for me. I don't feel like I can use much pressure or I might crush the product, and I don't like the feeling that the product is slipping off my lips. That's how thin it feels to me... like it doesn't have much cling.

This is entirely just personal preference as to what I like to feel on my lips and what I don't. Everyone's different! And since lip balms are the only lip products I use, I am a bit picky.

The lemon scent uses lemongrass, which I suspect is why it is too sharp-smelling -- like a lemon-scented cleaning product -- for me. It's less citrus juice-y and more grassy and green, or something. The smell really icks me. I would just throw this away if I didn't want to keep looking for a lemon balm that I like and use this as a comparison point!

I'll probably use the grapefruit one, since that's one of my favorite flavors for vegan balms. It's okay! But I don't like it was well as Hugo Naturals grapefruit balm. (Crazy Rumors are also just "okay.") If you're going grapefruit, get the Hugo, is all I'm saying. It's worth it.

The black cherry flavor has a tint. I'm not a tinted lip anything girl, but this is not a red tint. It's hardly even a pink tint! I think I'll use this one, too, since on my lips (which have all the color I want naturally) it's not very noticeable.

I haven't used the mint enough to gain any appreciation for it since I have spearmint and peppermint from The Gnarly Whale in rotation, but mint is such a basic scent for lip balm, I'm sure I'll get use out of it eventually. Scent-wise, it's more on the peppermint side.

Similarly, I can't comment as to the staying power of these. I haven't worn any of them enough to notice them either needing constant reapplication or hanging around on me.

It's just hard to imagine getting to like any one of these in particular, since I don't reach for any of them. Sorry, Hurraw! I like your style, I am really excited by the simple fact that your balms have colored wax, and I appreciate your range of scents. I just don't think you're for me. I wish I loved you!! But I'm going to use this grapefruit balm for sure.

TL;DR: If you like very slick formulations, you might like these! These aren't my favorite, but they're usable.