Crazy Rumors: A La Mode

I was browsing the Internet one night while I was in Los Angeles a few weeks ago and stumbled upon a lip balm company that I had never heard of before. I was amazed by how attractive and well done their website was from their "mascot" to the different names for their different lines of lip balm. I then noticed their very unique and unusual flavors and could not decide on just a select few to try; this was definitely not your ordinary lip balm company. I was so engulfed by their website and overwhelmed by the variety of flavors that I ended up buying three complete lines of their lip balms and a handful of single lip balms from a mixture of their other lines. For now, I'll start with just one of their branches of flavors: A La Mode.

Company: Crazy Rumors

Flavors: Orange Creamsicle, Raspberry Sherbet, Mint Chocolate, and Banana Split. I CANNOT describe how delicious all of these flavors smell! The Raspberry Sherbet was so crisp and fruity, it was as if I had just opened up a pint of the actual thing. Also, I've tried other Banana Split lip balms since discovering my banana flavored balm and this one definitely takes the cake! I can smell the hot fudge, nuts, and banana; I was practically drooling when I took just a small whiff of it. The Mint Chocolate was also the perfect mash up of mint and chocolate, with neither being too overwhelming or stronger than the other. I found that the Orange Creamsicle was more citrus-y and orange than it had creamy vanilla, but it was still quite enjoyable.

Wear: As I always say, it's hard to find a natural balm that glides on beautifully and man I have never had one go on as smooth as these ones! As soon as you try to apply it, it's soft and goes on wonderfully. You get full coverage and my lips definitely feel softer. It feels thinner than most other balms when it goes on, but definitely doesn't feel like you need more to get the job done. It also lasted more than an hour, which was fabulous!

Packaging: The size of these balms are your average lip balm size, but have really cool labels attached to them. Each label has a classic old-fashioned feel to them (and I truly mean that in the best way possible) and have a banner that is color coded to match the flavor that states the flavor of the balm. They have clear caps which are pretty unusual but definitely compliment the look of the balm.

Price: $3.49 plus shipping, this is a pretty good price for a 100% natural, vegan, and cruelty-free balm.

Overall:
Pros: Flavors, flavors, flavors! Price, Packaging, Application
Cons: Nothing that I can see

Rating: 5 out of 5 twists, I highly recommend trying this brand!

Softlips: "Best of" Classics 5-pack + Raspberry

It seems just about time to do another post about one of my favorite lip balm brands, Softlips! I've decided to break up the sections according to their "Best of" packs on their website and then do their other special balms that don't fit into those categories in their own post. Of course I will also have to do a separate post on the Canadian flavors and lines of lip balm that I've got mixed into my collection. It's probably a little unhealthy to have as many Softlips tubes as I do, but I can't help it! With so many flavors and options, it's hard not to acquire so many! I suppose we should get right to it:

Company:Softlips

Flavors: Cherry, Mint with a Hint of Vanilla, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Wildberry. True to the majority of their flavors, these balms smell absolutely delicious! My personal favorite from this bunch is Mint with a Hint of Vanilla, it's a pleasant mint (by now you should all know I love mint balms) with a refreshing splash of Vanilla. It is such a lovely and interesting combination, perfect for any day. Next would probably be Strawberry, it's got a great scent and has a little different spin on Strawberry. It feels a little tingly on my lips after application but I like it. The Vanilla (another one of my favorite flavors) is also a light vanilla flavor and scent and great on it's own or mixed with another flavor. Wildberry I feel like has the best scent out of any of the others in this 5-pack, it smells just like fresh berries! The Cherry is probably my least favorite just because I am not a huge fan of Cherry flavored lip balms, but I've had many friends who actually think of it as their favorite. Another flavor I'm going to include in here, although it's not part of the "Best of" Classics 5-pack, is Raspberry with Green Tea Extract because I feel like it's another one of those "everyday" flavors that they carry. This one is probably the second best smelling out of the six flavors listed here and it is definitely my boyfriend's favorite Softlips flavor. All in all, every balm listed here is a winner. You can't really go wrong with any of these.

Wear: Like every tube of Softlips, every one glides on with ease right from the start. The smaller diameter allows for precise application onto your lips without fear that it will spread over around your mouth (unless that's how you want to put it on, by all means, please go ahead). The smaller diameter does mean that extra swipes are necessary to get full coverage but the scents are so delightful and they go on so smoothly, I doubt anyone would truly consider this a downfall to the application. Each tube also has an SPF of 20 which is always a fabulous bonus.

Packaging: Thin, long white tubes with colors of the company name and flavor matching the flavor of the balm. The tubes look very pleasant and are cute to carry around.

Price: Around $3 for a pack of two which is great for getting two balms, sometimes you can also find packs with two different flavors. However the tubes are about half the size of a usual tube so in comparison you're paying about the same amount for two tubes of Softlips as you pay for one tube of your average lip balm. I don't see any downside to this since I'm not paying any more money for them than I usually would.

Overall:
Pros: Flavors, Price, Packaging, Smooth Application
Cons:More swipes for proper coverage(?)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 twists

Green by Nature

One day while in a Target I happened to be doing my usual perusing the cold and flu isle for lip balm and stumbled upon this neat pack containing three lip balms that I had not owned yet. I saw that it was a natural and organic and contained a new flavor I hadn't owned yet, Banana! I had to give it a shot!

Company: green by nature

Flavors: Banana, Beeswax, and Coconut. The Banana is dead on! It's fragrant of sweet banana, it's quite pleasant. Coconut of course is also dead on, very wonderful. I've never been a fan of beeswax lip balms so I'm sure that one is good as well. They definitely know what they're doing in the flavor department. Banana is definitely a very unique flavor and you can't usually find it in stores.

Wear: It goes on SO smooth from the start! Its a little slick but not too terrible and you never have to fight with it. It covers great and a little goes a long way. It's great to find those balms that are organic and natural and go on so great. They also last a good amount of time but sometimes I find myself licking my lips which means I have to reapply but still, it's such a pleasant experience I don't mind doing so. My lips definitely feel moisturized after I put this on.

Packaging: It is a standard lip balm tube that is white with a picture of the fruit that the balm is flavored after and a small green banner with the company's name. It's a pretty simple enough tube and it's got its own edge to it since it uses a font that usually isn't found much on the labels of lip balms. Also the three pack came in a neat box that allowed me to view the three balms through it. Overall, great packaging.

Price: $9.99 from Target, this isn't so bad since you get three balms and they're natural and organic. They're just a little bit above my usual $3 average price but definitely worth it!

Overall:
Pros:Price, wear, flavors, packaging
Cons:Not enough flavors in store, usually out of stock online

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 twists, I really love this balm but I wish I could find more flavors in store and for some reason they don't really have a company website so the only place you can really buy them is from other stores online. I once saw a list of their flavors and they had a ton but now I can't find any of them.

eos (Evolution of Smooth)

If you've ever stood in line at a Walmart check out you've probably noticed these brightly colored spheres next to the lip balms in the impulse section. I had always noticed them and never knew what they were, simply passed them by every time I saw them. One day I decided to pick one up and realized it was a lip balm! As soon as I picked up one flavor, a friend suggested two other flavors which of course I picked up as well and before you knew it I was completely hooked on these cute little spheres! I now have basically every flavor (including their stick options). It took me a long while and a trip to San Francisco but I have successfully acquired all of the spheres (including some limited edition ones). 

Company: eos (Evolution of Smooth) 

Flavors: Lemon Drop (SPF 15), Summer Fruit, Honeysuckle Honeydew, Sweet Mint, Tangerine (Medicated), Strawberry Sorbet, and Passion fruit. The Lemon Drop flavor is my absolute favorite, I've never had a lemon lip balm before this one and I absolutely loved the flavor and scent. My friends saw me constantly putting it on (the sphere on the inside is no longer a sphere, it was almost completely flat by the end of the first two weeks of owning it). Its sweet and fresh. The Tangerine is my next favorite, you can't really tell that it's Tangerine but there's something about it that I just love. Sweet mint is in 3rd place, I love anything mint so this was definitely going to make my top three. It's a subtle mint and not at all overbearing. The scents on all of these balms are light and fragrant and not at all obnoxious. The rest of the flavors are good as well, not my favorites but still pretty good. Passion fruit and Strawberry Sorbet were the limited edition flavors last summer and I was really excited to find them finally in store in San Francisco but was disappointed that past a nice, light scent there was no flavor and no real "oomph" or anything spectacular about it. They also carry Vanilla Bean, Pomegranate Raspberry, and Sweet Mint in their tube forms. I was not a fan at all of the Vanilla Bean but I didn't mind the Pomegranate Raspberry. It may have been the sticks I received but the scents/flavors didn't compare to the spheres. I'll try them again but for now, I'm sticking to the spheres.

Wear: The sphere takes a second to get warmed up and quickly does and goes on great. It's not a slick application, it's always a little stiff but if it weren't the sphere would most likely not hold its shape at all. The coverage is great, using the sphere is much different from the usual lip balms you find in stores. The round shape of the sphere allows you to place balm where you want it, but once you get to a flat state like mine, balm can stray off the lips but that's only if you decide to forgo maintaining the spherical shape of the balm. My lips always feel really smooth after application and it usually lasts at least an hour.

Packaging: The balms come in cute colorful spheres, each color coded to match their flavor. Very original packaging, not your usual drugstore tube. It definitely makes you stand out but the sphere is harder to carry around than your usual tube if you're trying to fit it into your jeans pocket. What else is there to say, the packaging is awesome and unique!

Price: The price varies depending on where you buy. You can get them at Walmart for about $2.96 which is a great price for what you get, but if you buy from other places you may pay anywhere from $3.25-$4. You also get 0.25oz for around the same price as an average tube of lip balm which is only 0.15oz, which means this balm lasts you longer than your normal lip balm for about the same price. Wonderful!

Overall:
Pros: Packaging, Price, Variety in Flavors, Wear, Long Lasting, Most Organic
Cons: Only one flavor has SPF, Can't fit in jean pocket


Rating: 5 out of 5 twists, there isn't enough good stuff I can say about this balm. If you haven't tried them yet, you are definitely missing out!

Here's what's coming up soon!

I thought I'd go ahead and give you all a sneak peak at what's to come:

My Lip Stuff

Crazy Rumors

eos (Evolution of Smooth)

Mountain Sky Love thy Lips

green by nature

As well as everything else in here:

New Reviews in a Few Days!

I realize I haven't done a review in a couple days and I apologize for that. I've been working on taking pictures of all the next balms I'll be reviewing and keeping tallies on my collection. I also just picked up two packages last night which totaled about 40 tubes of balm from two companies, so I'll need some time to gather my thoughts on these. 


Hopefully by the weekend I will have another review or two for you!


-The Chapstick Wrangler

Desert Essence Lip Rescue

I picked up this balm while looking for balms in a chain of grocery stores in California that we don't have in Illinois. I was intrigued by its packaging which pushed me to get it, I'm someone who definitely judges books by their covers and usually it works out for me. 

Company: Desert Essence

Flavors: Lip Rescue Moisturizing, Lip Rescue Therapeutic, and Lip Rescue Ultra Hydrating. They also carry a line of tinted lip gloss. I ended up with Lip Rescue Moisturizing. It has no labeled flavor or scent so there is no smell to it. But when I put it on it reminded me of my clarinet playing days when I had to wet the reeds in my mouth. It tasted just like those wooden reeds so it's got a woody taste which to me isn't so pleasant because it just reminds me of those reeds. To others it probably won't be such a big deal. I'm not sure how the other flavors would measure up to this one. 

Wear: It seemed to be really stiff when I first applied it so I tried to continuously apply it and it never seemed to soften up. And although I kept applying it, it never felt like I was getting full coverage. It feels too thin and a little grainy and my lips don't feel as moisturized as they should with how much I put on. Maybe its just me because I like to actually feel the product on my lips (or maybe I'm just used to that). So no smooth application and not good coverage, those are major drawbacks for any lip balm. Maybe for this balm a little goes a long way, which I can see with how long its been lasting (over an hour). My lips do feel a little softer but I can still feel how chapped my lips are. 

Packaging: Standard lip balm tube with a brown label that has one end that is pink. The label is made of a matte label which is different from the majority of other labels, it's soft and not waxy. The tube looks more sophisticated, if you will, than other lip balm tubes. 

Price: $2.49 for a standard tube, which is a pretty good price. It's not too expensive but not too cheap (sometimes cheap correlates with quality).

Overall:
Pros: Price, packaging, long lasting
Cons: Application, Flavor

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 twists, I just couldn't get over the flavor and the trouble I had with the application.There wasn't anything truly spectacular about this balm, it was just average. It could be the flavor that I chose, but I don't know when I'll be trying the others.

Sugar Factory: Piña Colada Lollipop

Last night we were running into the Mirage to escape the cold and saw the Sugar Factory store right by the entrance. We ran in for just a second to see if they carried lip balm and I quickly spotted it by checking one of the best places to look for them, near the register! Always check near the register for more unusual stores; for your normal grocery or convenience store check in the pharmacy section near cold and flu. 

Company: Sugar Factory

Flavors: Piña colada lollipop, green apple lollipop, natural, cherry lollipop. Today I only picked up the Pina Colada Lollipop since the balms were a little too much for me to splurge and buy all of them. It smells delicious and very much like the cocktail (almost too much for me after having many today in the casinos) but quite pleasant for the sober mind. Perfect mesh of coconut and pineapple, I usually find balms that are too much coconut or too much pineapple. 

Wear: Stiff, not a smooth glide but not super hard and not grainy. It has a good coverage but it feels as if the product is just sitting on my lips versus really penetrating them. It also feels a little thick when going on. It also has SPF 15 which is great for the Las Vegas sun (I'll test it tomorrow while running around). It did last over an hour, it would have lasted longer but I had about three cups of water while wearing it. 

Packaging: Cute packaging, standard tube with white label on it, Sugar in large letters and factory in smaller letters in rainbow color. Reminiscent of a candy store and childhood, yellow rubber ducky included.

Price: $5, a splurge but I fell for the packaging. It was so cute! Definitely don't see these in normal stores.

Overall:
Pros: SPF, flavors, packaging, long lasting
Cons: Price, Feels thick, not the smoothest application 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 twists, I would like a smoother application and better wear and don't think $5 is worth it for this balm but Sugar Factory is known for its "couture lollipops" so perhaps for that type of audience, it isn't that much.

e.l.f. Therapeutic Conditioning Balm

Last night we made a run to Target, I needed a new foundation brush and some other make up tools and love using e.l.f. products, so I was surprised to finally find one of their balms in store. I've seen them online but never in store so I figured, why not give this one a try since I like so many of their other products. 

Company: eyes lips face

Flavors: Strawberry Creme, Blackberry Creme, Vanilla Creme, and Orange Creme. The flavor I picked up last night was strawberry creme. It has a light but fruity scent, it smells delicious. It doesn't really have a taste which is good, but I am also compelled to not lick my lips because of how greasy it feels on my lips.

Wear: It went on smooth right from the get go, being a "therapeutic" conditioning balm I would expect a quick and easy application. It provided proper coverage with a few swipes. It does feel really greasy on my lips, I may have applied too much but I don't think so. Also, I happened to take a deep breath through my mouth and felt like the product had coated the roof of my mouth and made my lips feel very strange. It may just have been me, but nonetheless it was a very unpleasant feeling. There is also no SPF in the product. But it does last about an hour which is pretty good.

Packaging: It has a simple packaging similar to all e.l.f. products. The balm is kept in a thin, white tube with just the product's name on it. It is smaller in diameter than your standard lip balm tube, but the same size as a tube of Softlips. The packaging is very clean and simple. Easy to carry.

Price: $1, I suppose you get what you pay for. It's quite the bargain and much cheaper than your usual lip balms. 

Overall: 
Pros: simple packaging, price, scent, smooth application, lasts at least an hour 
Cons: greasy, no SPF, 

Rating: 1 out of 5 twists, I really didn't enjoy how greasy it felt and how it made my lips feel. I'll reconsider later, maybe it was just this flavor but I wasn't at all impressed by this product. I'd rather spend the extra buck or two and get a better balm. I did see that the product received a 4 out of 5 stars on the website so I may try to give it another shot in the future. 

J.R. Watkins

While on this trip in Los Angeles, I happened to find a J.R. Watkins store which got me really excited since I found a J.R. Watkins lip balm in a Walgreens not too long ago and looked them up online and realized they carried two other flavors. I had never heard of the brand before then and love to try any and all (within my price range) new lip balms I come across. Since we only had about 25 minutes until our movie started and the store was all the way on the other side of the mall, it was crunch time to make it to the store and back in time to watch the previews for the movie. My boyfriend had to make a pit stop so I took off with his mom (my other partner-in-lip-balm-discovering-crime). We made it to the store very quickly, much quicker than anticipated, and I found the lip balms almost immediately and was checking out within two minutes of entering the store (I work really well under pressure, otherwise I would have been looking at all their other products as well). Needless to say, we made it back to the movie theater with tons of time to spare and with wonderful new lip balms in my possession.

Company: J.R. Watkins

Flavors: Peppermint, Medicated, and Raspberry. I've never been a huge, huge fan of medicated lip balms but I do enjoy them occasionally and this one is not so bad. It of course smells similar to Vicks Vapor Rub but more pleasant. I really adore the peppermint flavor of this balm, I tend to pick up tons of peppermint balms (and coconut, and vanilla, and strawberry...perhaps I just pick up tons of balms period). This one in particular is very fragrant of peppermint but very light at the same time. You can clearly tell it is peppermint but it is very pleasant. Similar to the peppermint found in the center of Junior Mint candy. I also really like the raspberry flavor of this balm. I'm not the biggest fan of raspberry balms, they're always okay but I really enjoy this one. It's lightly scented, it reminds me of raspberry sherbert or strawberry ice cream. But regardless it smells delicious. There's no taste to any of the balms so I don't find myself licking it off which is of course a huge plus in my book. They also carry tinted balms, but I'm not a huge fan of those.

Wear: Wonderfully smooth application. I couldn't help but continuously apply it because of how smooth it went on and how great it felt on my lips. It makes my lips feel very smooth and soft. It seems to last about an hour or more, but I enjoy putting it on so much I usually put more on even before it's necessary. The product is 100% natural (no petroleum here) and has no SPF.

Packaging: Standard lip balm tubes, the medicated with a green label on it, the peppermint with a yellow label on it, and the raspberry with a pink label on it. Each label has an old style of front on it, makes it appear that the product has been around for a long time (which it has, as stated on their website) and kind of vintage yet elegant. It receives my approval.

Price: Around $3.50, which is more than worth it for this balm.

Overall:
Pros: Price, Packaging, Application, Scent, Flavors, Long Lasting, Natural
Cons: No SPF

Rating: 5 out of 5 twists

Twist & Pout

As I said in my last post, I'll be writing about the second balm I picked up while over at Balboa Island today. I was reaching the end of my walk up and down the main street and losing hope that I would find another balm today. I walked into one store and saw these interesting looking lip balms. They were spheres, much more round than those in my lovely eos collection at home. But when I found out the price, $10, for such a small sphere I had to draw the line. 

I decided to try one more store before giving up and when I walked in, I found the same balm once again. The lady in the store was very convincing that I must try the balm because she said it was just amazing. She told me she was selling them for $7.50 and that the six I was admiring were the last ones she had in store. Figuring it was cheaper than the other store (and with some encouragement from my boyfriend) I decided to splurge a little and go for it. I now have the tiny sphere in my possession.

Company: Twist & Pout

Flavor: At first I was expecting Vanilla because the woman behind the counter kept on insisting that the flavor was Vanilla and that they only made the balm in Vanilla. Imagine my surprise when I open the sphere and find that there was no familiar Vanilla smell waiting to greet me. I love Vanilla anything so that was a bit of a disappointment. I couldn't quite put my finger on the exact scent I was smelling since it was quite faint but upon application I figured it was some sort of citrus-y flavor. It reminds me of the Pink Lemonade Lip Smackers I had as a kid. It is a pleasant taste, I feel like they put sugar in it or something because I can't stop licking my lips! It's like candy to me. The sphere I have is a clear balm but they carry a shimmery balm as well. They may also have some other flavors for a different type of balm they carry, it comes in a cute hat-box shaped container which holds the balm instead of a sphere. I've done some looking online so it's possible there's other flavors for that line.


Wear: I wasn't warned beforehand that this balm was similar to a pot of balm which I usually do not like at all. I'm a bit of a germaphobe which automatically means I have no desire to stick unwashed hands over and over into a pot to retrieve my balm nor do I desire to wash my hands every single time I need some lip balm. I also have semi-long nails which makes using these pots highly difficult. However, once I got over the fact that I had to stick my finger in my lip balm, the balm went on smoothly and felt pretty moisturizing once on. It did feel a little grainy which is why I feel like there's sugar or something in it. There is also SPF 20 in it which is always great. It only lasted about 15-30 minutes before I had licked most of it off, but I hadn't applied that much because of how hard it was to put my finger in it. I did find the desire to put it on again as soon as it was gone. 

Packaging: A small sphere, fits in the palm of your hand. The balm is contained in the sphere and acts as a pot of balm. I thought that the balm was going to appear more like my eos balms which was a bit of a let down for me. But the sphere is small and most of them come with a handy clip that could connect to a purse, key ring, etc. I didn't receive a clip with mine however which is a bit disappointing because it's a bit of a hassle to carry a sphere versus a stick with me. I could see the advantages of traveling with it. There's tons of different designs for the spheres that hold the balm which is kind of cool. In my opinion this is more of a gimmicky type of balm. It's supposed to be "fashionable" but if you're like me, you care more about other aspects of the product versus the balm itself looking good. 

Price: I paid $7.50, but found them online with clip for $11.95 from Amazon. So anywhere from $7.50-$11.95. This is pretty steep if you ask me. I like to stick to my usually $3-4, if it's any higher than that I expect much more from the product.

Overall:
Pros: Light scent, good taste, good for travel, has SPF, easy application
Cons: Packaging, price, not long lasting, pot

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 twists.

The Naked Bee: Orange Blossom Honey

Today I decided to return to Balboa Island to continue my chapstick safari since I was able to find lip balms I didn't already own. I went up and down one street making sure to pop into every store that seemed like it would carry some exotic lip balm (i.e. something I haven't found in Chicago, yet). Just when I was going to skip over a random books, toys, and gifts store I felt compelled to enter thinking it may just be the place I need to check out to find a new hidden gem. Low and behold, I found a new lip balm (I actually found two during this trip today, the review for the second will follow shortly). 

I read the flavor, Orange Blossom Honey, and I had to rethink my decision on whether to buy or not. You see, I'm not a fan of floral and also not a fan of honey. I've tried two other honey flavored balms and couldn't wait to get them off my lips. I saw that this brand, The Naked Bee, also carried lotion in the same scent so I tried that first to see if I liked the smell (the lotion made my hands super, super soft which was great because I also have a large collection of lotion). To my surprise, I really enjoyed the scent and was pleased with what the lotion did to my hands so I figured why not give the balm a shot.

Company: The Naked Bee

Flavor: Orange Blossom Honey; the balm is lightly scented, smells like honey with something slightly different in it. I don't like honey so was surprised I liked this scent. There's no flavor which keeps me from licking it off my lips.

Wear: It should be known that after I bought this, I gave it to my boyfriend to hold in his pocket since I was still seeing how long a different balm would last. So after walking around for another hour the balm was soft and had an absolutely perfect first application. I plan on letting the balm sit out for a bit before I try again, but the glide was incredible. I could see this balm being a little stiff if not warmed in a pocket since I've seen that trend with natural lip balms. The balm makes my lips super soft and moist. It lasts at least an hour, so not bad. And although it has organic ingredients, it still has an SPF of 15 which was great for my hike back from Balboa Island.

Packaging: Standard lip balm tube, 0.15oz (4g). It has a black cap and yellow label with a cute logo on it and their slogan "All of the good stuff, none of the bad stuff" on it. Pretty simple.

Price: $2.99, great price for this product. The creators try to keep the prices low so every body can afford their products. 

Overall:
Pros:Good application, long lasting, price, packaging, SPF, pleasant scent, natural
Cons: No other flavors, can't purchase online 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 twists

Chicken Poop Lip Junk

I've been having this running joke about the lip balm Chicken Poop with my boyfriend these last few weeks ever since I stumbled upon the product online. I've never seen the products in store so imagine my surprise when I was continuing my chapstick safari (my hunt for lip balm) at Balboa Island yesterday and walked into a small local pharmacy and stumbled upon the mythical Chicken Poop!

Of course, I had to pick up a tube of it to add to my collection. Upon checking out, the lady behind the register nodded in approval as she said, "ah, yes the old chicken poop joke." I'm not sure if she realizes that there is quite the buzz about this product online and that it is not just for jokes.

*Be advised, I am in no way a fan of floral scented lip balm.

Company: Simone Chickenbone

Flavor: Chicken Poop Lip Junk (original), they also carry a  new Chicken Poop Outdoors. The Chicken Poop Lip Junk (original) has a distinct scent of lavender, which by now you should know I was not going to be a fan. I knew this going in but still had to try it for those of you out there who enjoy floral balms. The scent is not overbearing, evident since I proceeded to apply it to my lips.

Wear: It needed a second to warm up, but quickly got soft and was able to be applied. Not the greatest or smoothest application, but not completely awful it may have been that the scent and knowing I'd have to once again place a floral balm on my lips caused such a disliking of how the balm went on. It did however last about an hour and a half before I applied a different lip balm. Being in the California sun yesterday, I really appreciated how long the product lasted. Unfortunately, since the product is 100% natural, there was no SPF.

Packaging: Standard lip balm tube, it's white with black writing (Chicken Poop Outdoors is the opposite) and clearly states there is no actual chicken poop in the product, for those who need clarification. The tube looks clearly original and definitely stands out amongst other tubes.

Price: $3-4 for a standard 0.15 oz (4g) tube depending on where you buy. The price is still around the usual price I'd pay for lip balm.

Overall:
Pros: long lasting, price, natural
Cons: no SPF, floral scent*, no variety in flavors

Rating: 3 out of 5 twists, if there had been other scents/flavors that were more appealing to me the rating may have been higher due to how long it lasted. But once again if you enjoy floral, you should definitely give this balm a try!

Softlips: "Best of" Beach Pack

Today I was surprised with a belated Christmas gift, a "Best of" Softlips Beach 
pack containing five tubes of lip balm! The boyfriend definitely always knows 
just what to get me. 

Softlips has always been one of my favorite brands, mostly because they have 
tons and tons of flavors and have cute, thin tubes for their chapstick. I 
believe I have almost every flavor available in the US except one and almost 
every Softlips flavor available in Canada as well (one of my closest friends 
also knows what to get me every time she visits there). 

Rather than bogging down one entry with a single review for every single flavor, 
I'll break up my collection into parts. I haven't quite yet decided how to do 
it, so we'll just play it by ear. 

I should start with the pack I received today. This pack contained a stick of 
Passion Fruit, a stick of Coconut Cream, a stick of Peach Mango, a stick of the 
lip tint Rose, and a stick of the lip tint Pearl. I was really excited about 
this specific five pack because Passion Fruit can only be found online and it was 
one of the last flavors I needed to complete my softlips collection (Sugar and 
Spice is the last). The "Best of" packs can be bought online from Softlips.

Company: Softlips 

Flavors: Passion Fruit, Coconut Cream, Peach Mango, Rose tint, and Pearl tint. 

Passion Fruit-very fruity scent, sweet, no actual flavor 

Coconut Cream-delicious scent! I love coconut so this flavor was bound to win 
my affection

Peach Mango-very fruity scent, love it, sweet but not overbearing, slight taste 
(found myself licking my lips, but could definitely be just because it smells 
incredible)

Rose-pleasant scent, lightly scented

Pearl-lightly scented and pleasant, lighter color than Rose

Wear: Very smooth, it goes on easy right from the beginning. The sticks are 
thinner than your average lip balm tube, so a few swipes is necessary for full 
coverage which isn't awful since all of the flavors are wonderful. some may find 
that annoying, but the sticks are so smooth it really doesn't take that much 
time. Most sticks have an SPF of at least 15 which is great for that added 
protection from the sun.

Packaging: Thin, longer tubes, very cute. They are white with their company's 
name in a cute font and colored fonts different for each flavor.

Price: Around $3 for a pack of two. The price isn't bad, it's around the usual 
price for a good lip balm but the sticks are 0.7oz (2g) which is half the weight 
of a standard tube of lip balm.

Overall:
Pros: Cute, tons of flavors, SPF, price, smooth application
Cons: Smaller tubes, more swipes for proper coverage 

Rating: 4 out of 5 twists

Nivea: A Kiss of Smoothness

I couldn't write this blog without a review on my favorite, must always have on me, always kept in surplus lip balm: Nivea A Kiss of Smoothness Hydrating Lipcare SPF 10.

I absolutely love, love, love this balm. My boyfriend (he'll be pretty consistent in my entries since he's my partner in crime so to say, he always runs with me to find chapstick, and my enabler, he feeds my addiction of needing to try every balm out there) refers to this balm as the one I would put everywhere if I could. I really enjoy all of the Nivea products.

Company: Nivea

Flavors: A Kiss of Smoothness, A Kiss of Moisture, A Kiss of Mint and Minerals, A Kiss of Shimmer, A Kiss of Strawberry, A Kiss of Berry Swirl, A Kiss of Cherry, A Kiss of Recovery Medicated, A Kiss of Milk and Honey, and A Kiss of Protection. This specific balm has no flavor or smell which I actually find desirable with how moisturizing it is. The flavored ones also have tints to them and slight scents.

Wear: Smooooooottthhhh! Great coverage, I sometimes go overload on putting it on so it goes a little off my lips but I don't mind. This product lasts a long time and is super moisturizing. The stick is never stiff; it is always soft from beginning to end. Also, this specific flavor has SPF 10 which is always an added bonus.

Packaging: A tube slightly larger than the standard chapstick tube, but still small enough for a pocket. The tube has a large, light blue cap that covers the whole tube to the base, not your usual small cap which is handy for clumsier people, it's harder to drop and lose the cap to the tube! I really enjoy this packaging.

Price: $2-4 for a 0.17 oz (4.8g) tube, some stores really jack up the prices but usually it's around $2-3. Also I occasionally find it in a two pack for around $3 which is a hell of a deal seeing as I go through these tubes very quickly.

Overall
Pros: price, super moisturizing, packaging, coverage, lots of options flavor wise (each with the same great moisturizing capabilities), SPF
Cons: None that I can see, maybe that it's not natural?

Rating: 5 out of 5 twists

elizabethW

I figured I'd write the first review on a balm I picked up just last night. I was desperately looking for a bathroom while at ghiradelli square when I walked past a store that sold handmade goods. Of course my boyfriend knew as soon as I laid my eyes on that store I was goin on a mission to find new lip balm. Just when I was getting my hopes up I glanced at the register and found the lip balm!

The store I walked into was called elizabethW and the lady behind the counter informed me that all the products were local and handmade. They carry other goods in addition to their lip balms. Their products can  be purchased online.

Company: elizabethW

Flavor(s): Mandarin and Peppermint, the mandarin smell is light but still there and pretty refreshing. Not much taste but that's good so you won't be licking it off as soon as you apply it. Peppermint of course has the distinct scent of peppermint but not at all overbearing. They also carry geranium and lavender but I've never been a big fan of floral lip balm, but if that's your thing, you're in luck!

Wear: At first the balm was stiff but quickly softened up and went on smoothly with great coverage, and lasts a decent amount of time. I didn't have to reapply immediately but I also put on lip balm pretty frequently. The next day (today) the balm continued to go on smooth.

Packaging: standard lip balm tube, white with a simple label depicting mandarin slices/mint leaves and the company name. Simple and to the point. Pleasant to look at.

Price: $4 for a 0.15 oz (4g) tube, a bit pricey for those of us on a budget but still not too bad for a local, natural, and handmade product.

Overall
Pros: good coverage, pleasant scent, nice packaging, can purchase online
Cons: a bit pricey, more flavors would be nice, no SPF

I give this balm: 4 out of 5 twists

Introduction

Welcome to Chapstick Wrangler! I have loved lip balms for my entire life starting with the lip smackers that every little girl and I'm sure some little boys enjoyed way back when. I know there are others out there like myself who appreciate a smooth glide of balm and have a tube for every bag, pocket, or drawer. I wanted to share my love with the world, with you guys, by going out into the wilderness and giving all of those weird sounding or never heard of brands a try. Afterwords, I'll let you know what I think!  This way you won't ever have to get stuck with a bad balm again.

-The Chapstick Wrangler