Plum Valley Notions

I've realized in this last couple weeks that when I get tired or it's late at night, I tend to turn to the Internet and buy tons of impulsive things. Including clothes I'll never wear and lip balms I haven't thought a lot about. I'm trying to break that habit by buying only balms I've had my eye on for quite a while before purchasing (this of course does not include when I buy balms in person). That being said, here is another brand I chose out of impulse on Etsy.com.

Company: Plum Valley Notions

Flavors: Blueberry Lemonade, Coconut Banana, and Lemon. I always buy something Lemon to use as a flavor comparison, I also really love lemon. The Lemon doesn't smell like just a lemon or even lemon and sugar. It smells like Lemon Cake or Lemon Pound Cake. I am not a fan of this at all. It could be because I was expecting something that was just like lemon and not like a baked good but there's something about the way it smells that I don't particularly enjoy. If you're looking for something that is similar to a lemon cupcake, this may be the balm for you. As for the Coconut Banana, it is once again mostly just banana. I'm not sure if it's because banana as a fruit is extremely strong and fragrant and ends up being too overpowering in lip balms combined with other scents, but I can't seem to find a perfect blend of coconut and banana. It smells like a warm banana, or perhaps just reminds me of a warm banana nut muffin (what is with this baked goods?). The Blueberry Lemonade was also not what I was expecting. Unlike the Blueberry Lemon from Orange Thyme that I mentioned in a previous blog, this one is all blueberry and only a light scent at that. I can't smell any of the lemony goodness that I was expecting =(. It takes a long inhale for me to catch a whiff of anything distinct.

Wear: These balms go on easy enough once you get past the uneven edges (I'm assuming from being hand poured into the tubes?). It's hard to get a good application at first especially since in one swipe you get tons of crumbly pieces from the uneven edges. This was really unpleasant for me as I kept ending up with crumbs of lip balm in my mouth. After I broke away these edges the balm went on pretty smooth. I'm sure many people don't mind these edges but to me it really interferes with a good application and it's a bother to get the balm started.

Packaging: I was somewhat surprised but what I received in the mail after looking at the tubes online. Online the tubes had a nicely printed label on an average sized white tube of lip balm. What I received were tubes with labels that look like they were just printed on address labels and stuck to the tube. The label contains the company name, the flavor, and the ingredients. Since these are just labels stuck onto tubes, I assume that the ink will rub off with frequent use since there is nothing to protect it from wear. I'm sure to some this is not that big of a deal, and it really isn't. But it just wasn't what I was expecting. I am also the type to buy according to the packaging of a tube of lip balm and appreciate a nicely done label. I wasn't too impressed with the packaging on these balms.

Price: I bought 3 for $7.75 which comes out to about $2.58 a piece. A great price for an all natural balm, more so if the product is phenomenal but acceptable for an OK product.

Overall:
Pros: Price, all natural beeswax balm
Cons: Flavors not as indicated, packaging, difficulty starting application

Rating: 2 out of 5 twists, these balms just weren't my cup of tea. I'm sure I'll throw them into a beach bag or in the car as an emergency balm but it's not something I would buy again. I just didn't enjoy them and felt really disappointed with the flavors. This is not to say you won't enjoy them, but I did not. I always hate rating balms low, but alas it is the truth and the truth is what must be written.