Lush Lip Candy

The votes are in! And this week's winner is...Lush Lip Candy!

I was on Etsy.com a few weeks ago (what else is new right?) and I happened to stumble upon a company I hadn't yet checked out or heard about, Lush Lip Candy. The flavors and packaging looked incredible and I was so tempted to buy a ton the second I found it. But, of course, there had yet to be very many sales and zero feedback left. I always feel so iffy about buying from shops that have no feedback or very little feedback. I'm not saying it's an awful thing because obviously everyone needs to start from the ground and go up, but it always gives me a little piece of mind to buy from a shop that's got great feedback...I mean, isn't that what it's there for? Anyways, I took a gamble when I went back a couple weeks later and saw that they were having a buy one, get one free for everything in their shop! What better time to buy and try than now right? I decided to pick up a set of 4 which of course meant I got 4 more balms as freebies, awesome!

The cute mesh bags the balms came in, I
really appreciate extra effort into packaging.
It's unfortunate that my cats were able to rip
holes in them and claw the tubes.

Company: Lush Lip Candy

Flavors: Asian Pear & Vanilla, Cherry Vanilla, Strawberry Limeade, Coconut Lemongrass, Coconut Lime Twist, Birthday Cake, Mango Margarita, and Pineapple Tangerine. Let me start off by saying, EVERY flavor is incredible! Almost everything was as it was described. The Asian Pear & Vanilla I knew was going to be interesting, it's got that characteristic pear scent blended with vanilla. I never really find too many balms with this combination of flavors. It's interesting, not sure if it's my absolute favorite of the bunch though. The Cherry Vanilla smells just like black cherries blended with vanilla, creamy and fruity all in one! The Strawberry Limeade, wow...just...wow! The second I put it on all that could come out was "ohhhmyyygosshhh delicioussss yummmm" and I hadn't even finished applying it yet. As I was speaking I kept applying it, my roommate thought this was quite amusing. I always run across Strawberry and Lemon but very rarely come across Strawberry and Lime. It was sweet and tangy and just perfect. Reminds me of summer; it's definitely not a flavor you want to skip out on. My next favorite has got to be Coconut Lemongrass. One whiff of it and my mouth instantly waters, it smells JUST like candy. It's perfect. I didn't know what to expect since I've never had coconut and lemongrass mixed together, but it was awesome. The Coconut Lime Twist was very similar to Bath and Body Work's Coconut Lime Verbena/Coconut Lime Breeze scent. It's a perfect blend of coconut and lime. It's also sweet; all of the balms have added sweetener to them so it makes the balms extra sweet. The Birthday Cake smells like a birthday cake candle of sorts, not 100% Birthday Cake but it does smell like a baked desert. I never really go for non-fruity flavors of lip balm so I knew this was going to be a gamble. I wasn't really a fan but if you like Birthday Cake and more unusual flavors of balm, this may be worth a try! I was kind of put off by the Mango Margarita scent, I don't know if it was because I had just cleaned my cats' litter boxes but one whiff and I thought it was cat pee. I quickly exclaimed, "Oh my gosh what this smells just like cat pee!" My roommate quickly ran over to smell it for herself (why is it that we always want to smell something when someone has JUST said it smells bad?). She said it doesn't smell like cat pee but it smells like something sweet and not entirely mango. I smelled it again the next day and I'll admit it doesn't smell like cat pee but, in my mind it always will. My boyfriend smelled it and said, "Yup, totally cat pee". It does have a fruity note to it but also a little bit of something else. The Pineapple Tangerine is amazing, it is a perfect blend of both flavors...no complaints here. It's almost like I'm drinking a nice cool glass of Pineapple Orange juice.

Wear: The balms when you first open them appear rugged, as if the surface is just a little rough and the balm will be difficult to apply. Don't let that fool you, it goes on incredibly smooth. It does feel a little thin when going on so I find myself going around and around. What I hate most I think, although it makes the balms delicious, is that there's added sweetener. Subconsciously, I lick my lips as soon as the balm is put on until the next time I apply. My lips always feel so much drier obviously because I've been licking them. This also makes them not last as long. I find myself wanting to apply every 30 minutes because it's already off my lips. Such a conundrum, I love the sweetness but hate the dryness. Ugh.

You can see on the red tubes how easily they were scratched.
Normal wear and tear would certainly take a toll on these
gorgeous tubes.

Packaging: Absolutely adorable packaging! They are oval tubes with brightly colored labels matching the flavor. They are so cute. The only thing is the labels are just made of paper with no protective waxy outside which means they will deteriorate with frequent use. The night I received them I opened the package and then let the contents sit in their mesh bags they came in on my bed. During the night, my cats clawed through the bags trying to play with the ribbons and consequently the tubes got scratched and the labels were easily damaged. You can see in some of the pictures the labels aren't perfect because the claws just easily tore from them.

Price: $3.25 for one or 4 for $10. Not too bad for a natural balm, or a balm in general.

Overall:
Pros: over 40 different flavors, smooth application, price, packaging
Cons: added sweetener, not long lasting

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 twists. This shop is great if you want a ton of different flavors and really cute tubes, but with the added sweetener I had to knock it down a peg from 4 because the sweetener just doesn't make the product last any longer. It makes the flavors incredible but, in addition to great flavored balms, I also really look for a balm that can last a while.