I have more than 25 lip balms — maybe 30. I have at least one balm in each purse. I have a lip balm in my coat pocket. I have four on the table beside my couch. I have four on the table with my laptop.
My name is Janine Falcon and I am LBD. Lip balm dependent. I think.
Sounds worse than it is. Sure, I panic when I’ve somehow managed to leave home without one — it happens, usually when I have a sudden yen to use a specific balm and forget to put it back where I’d had it. But my lips don’t actually require balm to feel comfortable. Sometimes they need it (they’ve met winter), but in general I just like the feel of the stuff and the sheen it delivers.
All my favourites contain ingredients such as shea butter, Vitamin E, aloe vera, beeswax, and olive, sweet almond, jojoba and sunflower oils. They make lips feel supple, smooth and comfortable without becoming a gummy layer as time passes. Some current faves are in the image above: Canadian Vasanti Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm ($15); Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 in scents such as mango and pear ($11 CAN/$8.50 US); Canadian Green Beaver’s Aprés Ski 100% Natural Winter Lip Balm ($3.99 CAN/$3.82 US); paraben and petro-chem-free Korres Lip Butter ($11 CAN/$9 US) which I had to get my hands on after hearing beauty-obsessed friends Lesa and Katherine rave on; Yes to Carrots Lip Butter ($4.99 at Shoppers Drug Mart), a 95-per-cent-organic stick more emollient than most; and paraben-free Canadian Cake Beauty Cake Kiss Lip Butter($10).
I have many other lip balm loves (DuWop IcedTeas Lip Treatments make me swoony), but I couldn’t fit them all into the image. Besides, I didn’t want to make it look like I have a lip balm problem.
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*raising hand* My name is Stephanie, and I’m LBD. They discontinued my favourite lip balm (http://www.mentholatum.ca/products.html#) in Canada, so the next time I saw it, I bought about 20 tubes. If I find it again, I am fully prepared to buy 20 more. It’s mentholated so feels all nice and tingly. Burt’s Bees lip balm is an ok substitute, but I only have it in the tin and that isn’t so nice to apply in this H1N1 day and age!
Whoops – scroll down to “Natural Ice” in the link I provided.
I’ve never tried that one, Stephanie, but I can understand the mentholatum addiction. Feels so good! And despite all my loves above, I’m in mourning for a discontinued favourite, too! I loved the Sally Hansen Chapped Lip Repair, but it is no more. Pooh.
No love for Nuxe Rêve de Miel or Smith’s Rosebud Salve? Or the first, the best…Carmex! (Carmex before it went from the classic, white glass jar to the sad, plastic container.)
I think I’m just cranky because you listed a clutch of balms that I have not tried (Korres, Cake, Vasanti) and now I have to get them. Crank crank crank. (At least I have Caudalie as a new one. That should hold me.)
Oh, and the new Lancome L’ABSOLU ROUGE LA BASE Revitalizing Lip Treatment is great. Moisturizing with a hint of shimmer.
That is all.
Okay Crankypants, confession: I didn’t love Rêve de Miel. Not as immediately emmolient as the stuff I prefer. I have a Smith’s archived — haven’t actually tried it yet! As for Carmex, that one has always eluded me! I’ve heard lots about it, but always went/go for a more gelee-like balm when I’m buying. Cake and Korres were lucky samples! I better go find the Lancôme lip treatment — sounds right up my lip-balm alley — and check out Caudalie’s. Work, work, work. Sheesh.
Korres is great, but my go-to, basic, non-irritating balm for my crazy dry lips (especially in winter) is M.A.C. L’Occitane pure shea butter is good too if you’re not sensitive to tree nuts.
M.A.C Lip Conditioner in the plain tube is one of my all-time faves too, Kat! I tell so many people about that one — thought I’d give it a rest today because someone was sure to mention it. *grin*
I’m adding L’Occitane’s shea butter to my list. You enabler, you.
OK. the Nuxe may not be emollient, but the taste…divine. And the jar is glass (I know. Heavy to carry around, but nice on the nightstand.)
Oh, and how could we forget — Burt’s Bees in the classic yellow tin. Of course, it too is more waxy than emollient. It all comes down to what consistency you prefer.
Good point about the L’Occitane, Kat. And it’s good for cuticles too…
Good point about the textures, Liza. Clearly I’m on the super-emollient side. Could be my lips are drier? So many people love, love, love the Burts Bees, J.R. Watkins, Labello, Chapstick types. Me, not so much. Evah.
I do like a couple of stick types, namely Yes to Carrots and The Body Shop Stop the Violence shea-butter balm stick. I recently had a crush on another super-emollient stick type (the most emollient ever, maybe): The Wowee lip balm contains a high percentage of natural essential oils, a recipe original to the BeautyMark.ca folks. I loved that it just melted beautifully over and into lips. Made ‘em real soft and smooth and hydrated. Had to apply it often, though.
I’m a LBD too: http://littlethoughts.twelve45.org/2009/03/lip_candy.html
I have to agree with Stephanie on Natural Ice. I loved, loved, loved that stuff, specifically the plain menthol one. Kiehl’s is a new growing favourite though.
Why yes, you are, Yulanda! I like the C.O. Bigelow stuff, too, but with their high shine and level of stickiness, they’re glosses to me, not balms. But wow, the tastiest peppermint glossy EVER.
I wonder if Green Beaver might make a peppermint version of their Aprés Ski Winter Lip Balm — it’s really my favourite unflavoured; I’d be happy to enjoy a flavoured version provided it didn’t compromise its effectiveness… hmmm.
Oh yes, that Korres one is DA BOMB. The plum shade rocks my world. I still use Kiehl’s at bedtime in spite of its parabens. Hoping one day they’ll phase them out.
That is Lesa love!
Janine! This may not be the area to post this in, but I wanted to share with you my new discovery. I think you should try out liplabz.com and you’ll understand why I’m addicted. These guys had a store in my area mall last year but moved to another mall so I’m now buying online. This one might even be worth a review. =)