C.O. Bigelow Orange Mentha Lip Shine

I've had this lip gloss for...just about forever. I think it was one of the first glosses I ever bought while shopping at Bath and Body Works. No it's not another Liplicious gloss (although I do admit, I sometimes really like those), but a C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries gloss! If you didn't know by now, I'm a pretty big fan of C.O. Bigelow. You can find my reviews on other C.O. Bigelow products here and here.

Company: C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries

Flavor: Orange and minty! This gloss is kinda like the best of two of my favorite flavors. It is very citrusy and orange and fresh yet still very minty! I love citrus and I love, love, love mint so this was a win in my book.

Wear: Like most glosses, this is semi liquid-y so how much goes on per swipe is pretty much up to you. It goes on smooth without being sticky and a little goes a long way! It's also most definitely a breath freshener since it contains peppermint oil. I love dual purpose lip glosses/balms! This gloss also goes on clear which is nice; it adds extra shine without any color.

Packaging: Again, like most glosses, these come in squeeze tubes with a slanted tip which comes in very handy for applying product to your lips. The tube is orange to match the flavor of the gloss and has a very old school apothecary font (I'm not sure if that's exactly what I mean, but that's what I get when I look at it!) and a description of the gloss on the front.

Price: $7.50 per tube, which as you know by now, I think is pretty steep for something that I don't wear on a daily basis.

Overall:
Pros: Flavor, Wear, Packaging
Cons: Price

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 squeezes; I like this gloss a lot, but I think I like C.O. Bigelow balms better. Obviously that won't deter me from purchasing more C.O. Bigelow glosses in the future, if they're on sale! I'm not sure if they're still making this gloss as I can't find it on their website or Bath and Body Works' website. But like most discontinued lip products, there's someone out there whose hoarding never opened ones that you can buy!

Ingredients: Polybutene, Petrolatum, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, 100% natural Flavor (Aroma), Peppermint Oil, Octyldodecanol, Quaternium-18 Hectorite, Sodium Saccharin, Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide, Propylene Carbonate, Silica Silylate, Citral, Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool

Have you tried C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries lip glosses before? What did you think of them?

Balms of the Week 7.1.12

Here we are again, this week the balms I'm really into are:

Chamomile Pear by Jadewicks

(review can be found here)

Coconut Lemongrass by Fresh and Natural Co. (previously Lush Lip Candy)

(review can be found here)

Vanilla Mint by C.O. Bigelow

(review can be found here)

This balm is seriously fabulous for chapped lips, instantly moisturized and nourished. This has truly been my fall back lip balm whenever I'm in need of balm.

Creamsicle by Orange Thyme

(review can be found here)

This has been a balm I've been using nightly. It may be because of convenience, it's been the first one on top of my lip balm container by my headboard. But I think it's also great because it's summer.

What balms have you been using lately? Have you tried any of these balms before?

C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries Part II

Hi all!

I can finally let go of some of the stress that's been following me night and day for the last couple of months. Woohoo! Last week my boyfriend and I went to go check out the Bath and Body Works Semi Annual Sale (I can't help but go every time they have one). Most of the stuff I had on my "must-buy" list was not found in the store because they had already sold out (I went on the second day of the sale!). So as I was wandering throughout the store I found where they were getting rid of a ton of Liplicious Lip Glosses, I looked at the lip glosses and didn't really care for them. That's when I realized that they were also getting rid of a ton of lip balm! I never wanted to buy these lip balms before because they were SO expensive for a single tube, but for $3 I couldn't pass them up! I bought two different brands of lip balm, one of which will be in this review for this week.

I apologize for the poor quality in these photos,
the sun is long gone as I am writing this way too
late in the day.

Company: C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries

Flavors: Vanilla Mint and Cinnamint. The Vanilla Mint is an AMAZING blend of vanilla and mint. They're both pretty subtle as flavors but they're definitely there. There's really not much else to say about that one except that if you like mint and vanilla, this is definitely a balm you should try. I didn't know how I would feel about the Cinnamint because I've never had a lip balm that had cinnamon in it. I do like cinnamon though! It was a very light cinnamon scent mixed with mint, I thought it would be a little unusual but I actually find it quite pleasant. Neither flavor is super strong which is great because I couldn't imagine putting a ton of cinnamon on my lips.

Wear: They go on pretty smooth and REALLY thick. You only need about one or one and a half swipes per lip to get good coverage. I think the balm is bigger in diameter than a usual stick of lip balm so it covers really well. Also, I didn't know this until I had gotten home and looked up the lip balm, these balms go on with a matte finish. There's no shine at all! It really blows my mind! I don't know why I think it's so amazing (it's probably because all my balms go on shiny). This would probably be great for any male readers out there! Also, they last about two hours or more even with me biting and licking my lips.

Packaging: The tubes are a little thicker than average balms I think. Also both tubes have black caps and labels that pertain to the flavor of the tube. I think this tubes look a little more classy compared to usual balms. It may be just me but there's something fancy about the packaging of these balms.

Price: These balms are usually $7.50 a piece and there's NO WAY I'd pay that much for a tube of balm. Usually these balms qualify for the buy two get one free lip care at Bath and Body Works. However, since the Semi Annual Sale is underway, you can find these balms for $3 a piece! That is TOTALLY worth it for these balms.

Overall:
Pros: Flavors, Wear, Packaging, Price, Unisex (packaging and matte finish)

These lip balms are even kitty approved!

Cons: Not enough flavors!

Rating: 5 out of 5 twists. These balms are PHENOMENAL. I'd definitely head to a Bath and Body Works near you to grab one of these babies before they're gone.

Ingredients:

For Vanilla Mint: Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beeswax (Cera Alba, Cire d'abeille), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Microcrystalline Wax (Cera Microcristallina, Cire Microcristalline), Polyethylene, Myristyl Myristate, Ozokerite, C18-70 Isoparaffin, Flavor (Aroma), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Sodium Saccharin, Menthyl Lactate. (taken from here)

For Cinnamint: Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beeswax (Cera Alba, Cire d'abeille), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Microcrystalline Wax (Cera Microcristallina, Cire Microcristalline), Polyethylene, Myristyl Myristate, Ozokerite, C18-70 Isoparaffin, Flavor (Aroma), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Leaf Oil, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract, Menthyl Lactate, Sodium Saccharin, Benzyl Benzoate, Cinnamal, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool. (taken from here)

Balms of the Week 6.19.12

The balms I've been using a TON this week are: 

Vanilla Mint by C.O. Bigelow 

(review can be found here)

Mango Lassi by Epically Epic Soap Co.

(review can be found here)

Watermelon by Softlips

(review can be found here)

Also, I just wanted to let you guys know that this Thursday I'm taking the MCAT so my reviews for the week will be posted very late Thursday night or sometime on Friday. When I post the review is dependent on how burnt out I am from the exam (it's six hours!). Thank you for being patient!

Have you guys tried any of these balms? What balms are you really into this week?

Have a great week!

--The Chapstick Wrangler

C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries

I've had these balms in my collection since last summer I believe when I went on a crazy Bath and Body Works binge during their semi annual sale. I try not to use them so much because they are more expensive than almost all of my other lip balms and they're pretty delicate.

Company: C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries

Flavors: Lemon, Lemon and Raspberry, Lemon and Blueberry, Lemon and Black Cherry, and Lemon and Strawberry (tinted lip balm). Obviously after reading those flavors, you've probably guessed that I would love these balms. Seeing as all of them contain lemon and I love lemon, these balms were set to be amazing in my book. The Lemon is a sweet, refreshing scent. As if I had just cut some fresh lemons and sprinkled a little bit of sugar on them. I love it. The Lemon and Raspberry is a perfect blend of refreshing lemon and a tart raspberry, if you're a raspberry fan you'll definitely enjoy this one! The Lemon and Blueberry flavor of course I was going to love since I absolutely love blueberry and lemon mixed together. It smells exactly like fresh blueberries combined with lemon, like a refreshing glass of blueberry lemonade. Yum! The Lemon and Black Cherry is probably the lightest scented of the bunch but still unbelievably delicious smelling. Just like sweet ripe black cherries mixed with sweet lemon. The Lemon and Strawberry is also phenomenal. I sometimes with it didn't have a tint to it so I could wear it whenever I want and apply it however I want without worrying about color spreading around my lips. It smells like a tall, cold glass of strawberry lemonade. It's so delicious! Sweet strawberries mixed with sweet lemon is a win-win for everyone. The color is a light pink/red color. Perfect for every day wear.

Wear: They go on incredibly smooth! It makes my lips feel really nourished. There's really not much else to say about it, it feels absolutely amazing when put on. Sometimes I get a little carried away with putting it on, so for most only one or two swipes will do. When using them though you can't be as rough as you might be with other balms, applying too much pressure can cause the balm to bend within the tube which causes it to scrape against the side when twisting the tube up and down.

Packaging: The tubes are about the size of a tube of Nivea lip balm. It has similar packaging to the Nivea tubes as well, with the over sized caps that cover the entire tube to the base. The balm on the inside, however, is smaller than the width of the balm within the Nivea packaging. It is even smaller than the width of a normal tube of lip balm. The weight of the product is 0.13 oz and3.7g which is smaller than the average 0.15 oz and 4.25g.

Price: $7.50 per tube. This is super pricey for me, especially since the weight of the tubes are just a little smaller than your average sized tube. Sometimes Bath and Body Works has them for buy 2 get 1 free but that's still about $15 plus tax for 3 tubes so about $5 a tube. This is more reasonable but still a lot to spend on a stick of lip balm.

Overall:
Pros: Flavors!, Wear, Packaging
Cons: Price

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 twists, if the price was just half of what it is this balm would get a perfect 5 out of 5.

Comin' up this week from The Chapstick Wrangler

I'm really excited to have a pretty normal week once again, which of course means I get the opportunity to blog as I wish!

This week you can look forward to seeing:

C.O. Bigelow

AND FINALLY

Chapstick Spring Limited Edition Flavors

I am The Chapstick Wrangler after all, it's about time that I write up a review on some good old Chapstick.

I may write up a third review this weekend depending if I can get some down time to do so.

In the not so distant future you can look forward to seeing:

D and R Apothecary

Panama Jack

Yes To Carrots