Fresh and Natural Co. Reopening Today!

Hi all!

I just wanted to share that Fresh and Natural Co. is supposed to re-open today after the major computer crash Jocelyne had. I really hope she's able to open today, I'm eager to purchase from her again! I'll be keeping an eye out today for when/if her sites are accessible today. You'll be able to access her shop here and here. If you haven't tried Fresh and Natural Co. before, you can find my reviews of her products here (when the shop was still called Lush Lip Candy), here, and here. To stay up-to-date with Fresh and Natural Co., follow the shop's Facebook page here.

Keep an eye out and happy shopping!

--Christina

Fresh and Natural Co. is Having a Sale!!

Hi all!

I hope you're not too bothered by how much I'm posting about sales, I just want to make sure you know all about all of them! I just found out Fresh & Natural Co. is having a SIZZLING SUMMER SALE this Saturday and Sunday! You can save 35% on everything in the whole store using the code SIZZLINGSUMMER. You can find their shop at www.freshnaturalco.com.

I hope to take advantage of this sale since I just LOVE Fresh and Natural Co. so so so much!

In case you've missed my previous reviews of these balms, you can find them here (when it was called Lush Lip Candy) and here. You can also find my review of her FABULOUS lip scrubs here.

Happy shopping everyone!

Please let me know if you try any products during this sale, I always love to know what you're all using!

--The Lip Balm Wrangler

Fresh and Natural Co. (Lush Lip Candy) Lip Scrubs!

One of my readers, after trying Lush Lip Candy (now Fresh and Natural Co), told me to try their lip scrubs. I had never used a lip scrub before (I know it's crazy), and was kinda unsure about them. I was interested in them because I love using bath scrubs and how well they exfoliate my skin and thought something similar for my lips would be great! I looked at one other company but they didn't have too much and I usually don't find lip scrubs from lip balm companies. I'm glad I was pushed to try one of Fresh and Natural Co.'s lip scrubs, my lips feel fabulous!

Company: Fresh and Natural Co. (previously Lush Lip Candy)

I'm still obsessed with the packaging these scrubs (and lip
balms from last week) came in. So cute!

Flavors: Coconut Lemongrass and Mango & Papaya. The Coconut Lemongrass is phenomenal! It smells just like candy! It's so sweet and delicious, just like the balm (if you haven't tried it yet, get to it!). The Mango & Papaya is also so fruity and delicious, if you like tropical fruits this is definitely a flavor to try (if you're not into lip scrubs, perhaps try it in a lip balm). All of the flavors on their website can be done for balms or scrubs, you can get matching ones or try out a combination of two different ones!


Wear: Instead of doing my usual "wear" section, this will be more like how I applied it (I don't really know if it's correct or not because I've never used a lip scrub before, so bear with me and correct me if I'm doing something wrong!) First, I wet my lips a little, I had a little bit of lip balm left on my lips and wanted a clean surface. Then, I took a little bit of product and applied it to my bottom lip. I worked the scrub in small, gentle circular motions across my bottom lip and then my top lip. I was looking pretty ridiculous with all this sugar across my lips and trying not to eat it because it smelled so delicious! Once I thought I had exfoliated my lips enough, I rinsed them off with water. I then dried my lips and applied a lip balm. Remember to apply a lip balm right after so you're lips are extra smooth! I can't believe how soft my lips feel after using that balm. I regret not trying a lip scrub sooner! I think what would make this lip scrub even better is if it came with a tiny spatula to apply scrub to your lips. This is absolutely not a huge issue but since I have nails that are a bit on the long side, it isn't that easy to get scrub out without getting it underneath my nail.

Packaging: These scrubs come in tiny pots similar to lip balm pots. They're clear pots with black lids and a super cute label on top with the flavor on it. I can't get over how adorable these pots look! I definitely think these two pots will last me a while with how little product I use each time. I almost wish lip balm came in these pots, that's how cute they are! (For those of you who haven't been following along entirely, I am not a huge fan of lip balm pots.)

Price: One pot is $4 and if you do a lip balm and lip scrub set it is $6. $2 more for an extra lip balm? That's quite a deal! Everything is all natural too, this is a win in my book!

Overall:
Pros: Flavor, Application, Packaging, Price, Variety of flavors, softness of lips
Cons:

Rating: 5 out of 5 twists. These lip scrubs are AMAZING. If you're in the market for a lip scrub, do not hesitate to try these! I absolutely loved them! I may be biased because I've never tried another kind before (and I am more than willing to try any suggestion for other lip scrubs) but, these were just fabulous.

Ingredients: Pure Cane Sugar, Sweet Almond Oil, Beeswax, Avocado Butter, Cocoa Butter, Mango Butter, Chamomile Extract, Orchid Extract, Vitamin E, Flavor Oil and Natural Sweetener.
Have you tried these lip scrubs before? If not, what kind of lip scrub do you use, if you use one?

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?

Lush Lip Candy (Fresh and Natural Co)

I placed this order a while ago and am so excited it came today! I hope you guys have tried Lush Lip Candy/Fresh and Natural Co already but if you haven't, get to it! I ordered a lip balm and lip scrub combo and since it was a buy one get one free deal, I received two lip balms and two lip scrubs..or I thought that's what I'd receive at least. The lip scrubs will be reviewed in the near future when I've got a real opportunity to use them. I've never used a lip scrub before so it'll be quite the adventure! Also, I apologize for the crazy amount of pictures, I was really obsessed with the packaging and taking pictures outdoors. Without further adieu....

Seriously, look at how cute the packaging is on these!
This is definitely different from before and I LOVE it!

Company: Lush Lip Candy (now Fresh and Natural Co)

Flavors: Blueberry Lemonade, Acai Peach & Papaya, Glamour Girl, and Blushing Apricot. Glamour Girl and Blushing Apricot are lip tints that I received as freebies; I was very surprised when I opened the package and found four tubes instead of two. Although I'm not a huge lip tint fan (I prefer colorless, deliciously scented balms) I will write about what I think of them. The Blueberry Lemonade is a PERFECT blend of Blueberries and sweet, tangy lemonade. I say this one is up near my Lemon and Blueberry from C.O. Bigelow (reviewed here) and the Blueberry Lemon from Orange Thyme (reviewed here). I just love this combination of two of my favorite things! I had no idea what to expect from the Acai Peach & Papaya balm; it is such a crazy blend of different complementary flavors. It smells so sweet, like candy. I can't really describe what it's like but it is fruity and pleasant. I don't think I'm that big of an Acai berry fan but I didn't mind it in this balm. The Glamour Girl has no scent really, I thought it was a little minty at first but it's pretty unscented. Blushing Apricot was the same way.

Blushing Apricot is on the
left and Glamour girl is on
the right.

Wear: True to the previous balms I've purchased, these balms go on SO smooth! There is no fight in these balms, they just melt on your lips and go on so easily. There's great coverage too! I love oval shaped tubes, I just feel that they contour to your lips better than circular tubes. Glamour girl is a light red color, it doesn't show up on my skin and doesn't show up really on my lips. The Blushing Apricot makes my lips look a little bronze and I think that's the color it was going for.

Packaging: Like I said, these balms are kept in oval tubes and have very cute labels! The labels match the flavor and there is a big section dedicated to the balms flavor. These balms are just adorable. Also, she changed the material the labels are made out of! They are no longer just paper, they are waxy which is great to prevent fading of the label over time. Yay!

Price: A lip balm and scrub set costs $6. I think that's quite a deal! A lip balm alone is $3.25 and a lip tint is $5.50. A scrub alone is $4. I always think these balms are worth it and the prices are always crazy reasonable.

Overall:
Pros: Flavors, packaging, price, wear, natural
Cons: Nothing

Rating: 4 out of 5 twists. Do yourself a favor and try these balms! There are TONS of flavors and flavor combinations, you will definitely find something that fits your tastes.

Ingredients:
For Balms: Sweet Almond Oil, Beeswax, Avocado Butter, Cocoa Butter, Mango Butter, Chamomile Extract, Orchid Extract, Vitamin E, Natural Flavor Oils and Natural Sweetener.

For Lip Tints: Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil, Beeswax, Cocoa Butter, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E, Chamomile Extract, Orchid Extract, Flavor Oil, Natural Sweetener, (May contain Mica, FD&C Color, Carmine, Iron Oxide and Titanium Dioxide).

Have you tried these balms yet? Which flavors do you have your eyes on?

A sale, a sale!

Hey ya'll!

I apologize for the delay this week with reviews but I've just been so darn busy! I've started an MCAT class that needs all my attention for the next month or so, until I take the exam. My boyfriend and I and one of our best friends decided we all really needed a vacation to get over school and all the hectic-ness that is our lives. So write now I am writing this from the sunshine state and I will hopefully be able to write up a little review while we are here.

This post, however, is not a review. I just wanted to post and let you all know that Lush Lip Candy (the review for which can be found here), is having a sale this Memorial Day weekend starting tomorrow! The sale is a buy one, get one free sale from May 26th-May 28th. If you have yet to try these absolutely delectable balms, now is your chance to do so! Everything is buy one, get one free including the two and four pack of balms.

I thought you'd all like to know about it and I wanted to make sure you didn't miss this! Also, be sure to follow Lush Lip Candy on Facebook to stay up to date with future sales.

Also, L told me today she found me Softlips Watermelon while shopping around downtown and picked me up a pack. I'm SUPER excited to give it a try! When I get back hopefully I'll try it and be able to let you know what I think about it!

Have any of you picked up the new Watermelon flavor yet? I'd love to hear what you think!

Thanks for being patient and, of course, for reading!

--The Chapstick Wrangler

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.