ForGoodnessGrape Halloween Coupon!

Hi all!

One extra coupon that was just posted from ForGoodnessGrape! I didn't want to just add it to the other list in case you guys have already read that post. From now until October 14th, you can save 20% on your order from ForGoodnessGrape using the code: HALLOWEEN20. This coupon code does not apply to bundled packages. You can find her shop here and here. Make sure to follow Lisa on Facebook to keep up with all her coupon codes and sales!

Happy Shopping!!

--Christina

Balms of the Week 9.16.12

This week has been crazy busy for me: I started nannying again, started tutoring, got crazy sick towards the end of the week, and had to fly back to San Francisco. Throughout it all, I still managed to keep these balms by my side:

Epically Epic Soap Co.'s Cardamom Vanilla

I was really shocked to realize that this was like my favorite of the balms I received from Epically Epic. I'm so glad Allison included it in my order, otherwise I probably would never have tried it and would have missed out on something great!

ForGoodnessGrape's Lemon Sorbet 

This is such a delicious lemon balm, just like candy!

Blue Q Lip Shit's Raspberry Lemongrass

(review)

I'm surprised I'm still using this, I don't really like lip balm that comes in tins but this one has me coming back for more!

What have you been using this week? Have you picked up anything new?

--Christina

ForGoodnessGrape

I've finally gotten around to reviewing ForGoodnessGrape's myself. Last month when I posted about ForGoodnessGrape having a sale, I wasn't too sure if I'd be purchasing from her yet or not. Lisa, the owner of ForGoodnessGrape, was gracious enough to send me a sample of one of her lip balms and one of her lip scrubs for me to try out. Of course, it was so hard to pick out one flavor out of her 180+ flavor options to choose from so as soon as I picked out flavors for my samples, I purchased two more lip balms for comparison.

Sugary Lip Scrub on left, Strawberry Tangerine
Lip Candy on right.

Company: ForGoodnessGrape

Flavors: Strawberry Tangerine, Mango, and Coconut Lemongrass for the lip balms and Queen of Hearts Strawberry for the lip scrub. The Strawberry Tangerine smells like a perfect blend of citrus and sweet strawberries. It's very lightly scented. I have to take a pretty good whiff of it to smell it. The Mango is very interesting, I don't know if it's really mango but it is really delicious! It smells just like candy and it's sweet and fruity, but I don't think it's exactly representative of the fruit. the Coconut Lemongrass is PHENOMENAL! I can't stop using it! It's dead on and just all around wonderful. It's very sweet like candy. I picked the Queen of Hearts Strawberry sugary lip scrub because I thought I'd pick a pretty safe flavor in case I didn't like it, you never know how certain companies flavors are going to turn out. To me it smells like Strawberry Pez, you know, the candy that comes in a dispenser where the candy pops out of the neck of the character? I personally like Pez so I loved the smell of this. It's very strawberry like.

Mango and Coconut Lemongrass Lip Candy

Wear: These balms go on pretty smooth and cover pretty well. It's not too thick and not too thin, it's just about right. What kind of stinks is that the balm only lasts about 45 minutes before I'm reapplying. It may be because there's sweetener in the balm which causes me to lick my lips. Also because of the sweetener and the licking, my lips are a lot drier so I have to reapply frequently. I don't really mind it so much because I really love the balms, but sometimes it drives me a little nuts. At first, I wasn't sure about how to apply the lip scrub properly, I'm now used to the scrubs that come in a pot that I apply with my finger so when my sister and I went to try this we used two different approaches. I used the tube to apply a little on my lips and then rub my lips together to exfoliate. My sister just used the scrub right out of the tube and moved it in circular motions to exfoliate her lips. I tried this method as well, it was much different from using a scrub in a pot. My lips were much softer afterwards though.

Sugary Lip Scrub

Packaging: The lip balms come in your average sized lip balm tube. The tubes are clear so you can see how much product is in there and the labels have colored bands that match the flavor.The flavor of the balm is in large letters on the front of the tube. The lip scrub comes in an oval tube that contains the same amount of product as your average sized lip balm tube. The tube is also clear with a similar label.

Price: The lip balms are $4 a piece and the lip scrubs are $7.75 a piece, the lip balms are a bit out of my price range and the lip scrubs are definitely out of my price range. Perhaps if I really wanted to try one of her flavors and it was a special treat for myself, I'd splurge on another lip scrub.

Overall:
Pros: Variety of flavors, smooth application, eye pleasing packaging
Cons: Price, Sweetener, not as long lasting

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 twists, if these balms fell more into the normal $3 to $3.50 price range and the lip scrub was in the $4 to $5 range I'd be a bit happier, but overall not too shabby. I was very pleased with each flavor! I'd definitely encourage you to try at least one flavor.

Ingredients: 
Lip Balms: Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Beeswax, Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Vitamin E, Fragrance. 

Sugary Lip Scrub: Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Beeswax, Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Vitamin E, Sugar, Fragrance.

Have you tried For Goodness Grape products before? What did you think of them?

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Thank you SO much, Lisa, for sending me the Strawberry Tangerine lip balm and the Queen of Hearts Strawberry sugary lip scrub to try!
--------------------------
The Strawberry Tangerine lip balm and Queen of Hearts Strawberry Sugary lip scrub were sent to me complimentary of For Goodness Grape, but this review is based on my honest opinion on her products.

Wrangler's Monthly Wrap Up: August 2012

This month has flown by so quickly! So much has happened in this quick last month of summer; I ended summer school, settled into my new apartment in San Francisco, returned to Chicago to start my last semester of undergrad, and just flew back to San Francisco (2 days after being gone) for Labor Day weekend. My life basically consists of lip balm, flying, and school. As another month winds down, I like to reflect back on my reviews and pick the ones that really stuck out to me. This month my favorites have been:

Candle Lynn 

(review can be found here)

These balms were so surprisingly awesome. They were cheap, moisturizing, creamy and dead on in scents. One of the absolute best coconut lip balms I've ever used!

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lip Butters

(review can be found here)

These lip butters were just absolutely delicious! It was so exciting to finally find these two in store.

Orange Thyme

(review can be found here)

Orange Thyme balms are always a winner in my book! I can't stop raving about these balms, they're just wonderful! 

Softlips

(review can be found here)

These are glosses I actually use repeatedly, I normally don't use lip glosses but I really love the Coral one.

This month was also a big step for my blog, I got my first sponsor! For Goodness Grape sponsored the blog this month. To save 15% on your order at her shop, use code: LIPBALMWRANGLER

What balms have been your favorite this month? Have you tried any new shops this month that you absolutely loved?

--The Lip Balm Wrangler

Sponsor Shout Out: ForGoodnessGrape

Hi all!

I'm sure you guys have noticed that I got my first sponsor this month (if you haven't, check out the ad on my right sidebar). I thought you would like to read and know more about my lovely sponsor, so I had Lisa, owner of ForGoodnessGrape, write up a little about herself and then we had a little Q&A so you could all get to know her and her shop a little better! Here goes!

"Hi, I’m Lisa, the owner/artisan of ForGoodnessGrape. I have always loved lip balm and perfume for as long as I can remember. Always been a crafter and entrepreneur at heart and have always loved handmade. I decided I wanted to make excellent products using premium ingredients, offer them at reasonable prices and share the thought that feeling beautiful should be fun. I think I’ve accomplished this.

I love the indie artisan way of life and the creativity it allows me. I am passionate about natural ingredients and found a way to utilize nature to bring beauty to others. Being absorbed in natural and handmade products really opens your eyes and you end up knowing that natural and handmade are what’s best for your body and for our world. As an indie business, ForGoodnessGrape is very earth friendly and I try to give back to my community and to share the rewards of this wonderful life.

I have been on Etsy exclusively since my opening in April 2010. To date, I’ve sold over 5,500 items thanks to all of my wonderful and loyal customers! I wanted to be able to share my passion with more people so in April 2012 (on my 2 year anniversary) I launched my own website - www.ForGoodnessGrape.com. No…I'm not going to leave Etsy. Who would have known I could have made so many friends through Etsy. It is a GRAPE place to shop.

Oh and you may wonder how ForGoodnessGrape got its name. Well…I’ll share that too. I was making a grape flavored lip balm one day. When it came time to name it, guess what popped into my head? You guessed it! ForGoodnessGrape. I know sometimes my names may seem a little silly but hey, like I said, you've just gotta have some fun! And there you have it.

My direct shop is located at:
www.ForGoodnessGrape.com

And of course my Etsy shop at:
www.ForGoodnessGrape.Etsy.com "

I created some questions that I thought you all may want to know the answers to, I hope you enjoy!

Lip Balm Wrangler: What got you into making handmade/homemade bath products?
Lisa: Well, I have always been a total lip balm addict for as long as I can remember and like you, and many of my customers, I've tried them all. Once I tried all natural and handmade bath and body products I was hooked and the idea of making them myself was very intriguing and seemed like a "natural" fit.

So I bought all the books I could get my hands on, searched the internet up and down and read even more. Asked other artisans and family for feedback. Lots of recipes and tons of practice later I opened my first Etsy shop called My Spa Secrets. I loved making pretty soaps but something was missing...my first love...Lip Balm.

Lip Balm Wrangler: What is your personal favorite bath & body product?
Lisa: I would have to say a cold processed soap made with lots of skin loving butters and oils. Once I tried one I was hooked.

Lip Balm Wrangler: What is your favorite lip balm flavor of the balms available in your shop?
Lisa: How did I know you'd ask that? Well I do have a couple of favorites that I can't live without. First is Earl Grey Tea. I keep this one in my kitchen in a very handy spot and use it numerous times throughout the day. Second is Vanilla Rose. I keep this one in my makeup cabinet and it's the first one I put on after brushing my teeth in the morning. A few that are in my purse now that I really love are Real Rose Lip Essentials, Orange Hibiscus, Huckleberry Honey Lip Candy Lip Balms.

Lip Balm Wrangler: Where do you get your biggest inspirations from for your lip balm flavors?
Lisa: Most of them just pop into my head. I keep a running list in a notepad app on my phone so that as I think of them I can jot them down. Also I'd say baked goods and drinks are my biggest sources of inspiration. I'm always thinking about lip balms.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and getting to know Lisa a little better. Also to save 15% on your purchase you can use the code LIPBALMWRANGLER.

Thank you again, Lisa, for sponsoring me!

--Christina

For Goodness Grape Guest Review

Hi all!

Today I have a very special review for you, written by Sara Hanna owner of Sara Hanna Originals. I also plan to review For Goodness Grape in the future, but I thought it may be nice to get another perspective on her products. Also, Lisa’s perfume stix will also be covered in this review. Enjoy!

-------------------------------------------------------
Many of you don’t know me; the ones who do, know that I’m extremely picky when it comes to lip balms. I’ve probably tried hundreds (thousands?) of different flavours, brands, types, etc. I’m always eager and excited to open the mail and discover my new little gems, though often times am disappointed with the quality or taste. But not with my For Goodness Grape items! No sir, these are by far some of the best balms I’ve ever tried!

Company: For Goodness Grape

Flavours: Wild Blueberry Sugary Lip Scrub, Lemon Cupcake Lip Candy, Blueberry Lemonade Lip Candy, Breathless (Lip Tintx), Sophia (Lip Tintx), Dark Cherry (Lip Tintx), Cotton Candy (Shimmer Styx), Bordeaux (Shimmer Stix), Better Than Sex Cake (Solid Perfume Stix), and Hello Sugar! (Solid Perfume Styx).

When I placed my order with Lisa, she was very sweet and helpful in answering all of my questions. I had never tried a lip scrub before, but I was intrigued with her flavours, incredibly detailed photos, and the idea of licking sugar off my lips. True to the description, the Wild Blueberry Sugary Lip Scrub was delicious and tastes EXACTLY like fresh blueberries! The blueberry infused sugar lends to the effect. I had to scrape some of the sugar off the top before I used it, as she likes to pack a whole lot on to look pretty. At first, I found it a little difficult to use; it seemed too solid and felt like I wasn’t getting enough of the balm from it. After using it a few times, I’ve come to find that it does actually spread fairly well, and it’s a lot of fun to lick the sugar off instead of wiping it off!

Lemon Cupcake tastes exactly as it says, and it makes my mouth water every time I use it! Blueberry Lemonade is not my favourite of the bunch, but blueberry and lemons are definitely noticeable in the balm. Maybe I’m just not a fan of the flavor combo, I’m not sure.

All of the lip tints have just a slight amount of colour in them, and glide on super smooth! I’ve never been a huge fan of lip tints, but if you are into them, I think you’d love these. The shimmer sticks have the same texture as the lip tints, but with a hint of shimmer. The only thing that’s missing from these is flavor. I don’t tend to wear colours on my lips, but I especially dislike the taste of plain balm (and HATE the taste of lipstick!). These have a taste similar to lipstick, in my opinion, so I likely won’t use them.

As for the perfume sticks, all I have to say is WOW! They look just like a lip balm, they smell delicious, and I love the funny looks people give me when they think I’m spreading lip balm on my wrists and neck. The Better Than Sex Cake smells absolutely AMAZING in the tube; the product description says, “Can there really be a cake this good? German chocolate cake is blended with semi-sweet chocolate chips and laced with crunchy toffee bits in this decadent treat. Vanilla creme and butterscotch syrup create a luscious undertone, while hints of almond and coconut complete the yummy blend.” I’m not sure I can smell each of these elements, but it does smell divine! Unfortunately, I don’t know if it’s my body chemistry or what, but within minutes of applying this perfume, the scent changes and makes me feel sick to my stomach and gives me a headache. I’ve always been extremely sensitive to scents, which is why I almost never wear any sort of perfume (aside from Vanilla Body Spray from the Body Shoppe). I’ve tried wearing it a few times, but I get the same reaction every time. I even had to go to the bathroom at work and wash my wrists and neck to try to get it off! However, the Hello Sugar! Perfume is perfection in a tube! The description says, “Fun, flirty tart lemon sugar scent. A note of crust mixed in with the lemon - a yummy perfection and spot-on to the real deal!” It smells delicious in the tube, but smells EVEN BETTER on me! I can’t quite describe the scent, but it definitely smells like a wonderful blend of vanilla and lemons; a combo I wouldn’t have thought would be so lovely!

Wear: The lip balms go on super smooth, and I love that they’re not “wet” feeling, or too waxy. There is definitely a tiny bit of waxy feeling, but it still feels amazing on your lips. The lip tints are even smoother than the lip balms, and are almost wet feeling, but not in a bad way. I think I’d even like that texture better as a lip balm, if that were possible! The lip scrub kinda feels a little funny when you’re applying it, especially if you’ve never used one before. It’s a bit scratchy, but pleasant feeling. My lips are never chapped really these days, but in the winter I can see how this would be awesome to slough off the dead skin we all occasionally get!

I’ve not kept the lip tints on long enough to get an idea of how long they’d last, so I can’t comment on that. The lip balms do tend to stay on for about 1-2 hours, depending on how often you lick your lips! Even the flavour tends to stick around for quite a while! The solid perfume, however, doesn’t seem to last very long on me at all. Usually within half an hour, I can’t smell it anymore, unless I sniff my wrist. After an hour, the scent is gone completely. Lisa (the shop owner) did explain to me that varying body chemicals can change how long a scent will last, or how it will smell, on every person. So maybe that’s it, I don’t know. But I do tend to reapply it a LOT just because I love the scent!

Packaging: The lip balms come in standard little clear tubes, with super cute labels! She uses a little plastic cellophane wrapper around the labels so that they don’t get scratched; however, I didn’t realize I was supposed to keep them on when I got my package, so most of my labels are pretty badly scratched up now. The solid perfumes also come in little black tubes that look exactly like the lip balm tubes, so make sure you remember which is which when you reach into your purse to apply one or the other! The thing I loved the most was the oval shaped lip scrub tube! I love that design so much, and had never seen them before this! Lisa was kind enough to agree to put my new lip balms that I’ve ordered recently into the little oval tubes, because she knows how much I adore them!

Price: The lip balms are $4 each, lip scrubs are $7.75, lip tints are $6.75, and solid perfume sticks are $6.25 (she also sells .10oz and .5oz roll on perfumes). They are definitely a little on the pricey side, especially the lip scrubs, compared to most of their competition. Honestly, they are the only company I’ve tried so far in the handmade category, so I have nothing to compare them to, price vs quality-wise. However, I was definitely NOT disappointed in my purchases, so I would consider them totally worth it. I have got some orders in with a few other companies, so I will be able to compare them later on. The thing I adore is her perfumes; even if I end up buying balms from other companies as well, the perfumes are what gets me. Also her lip scrub flavours are beyond any of the competition so far! I’ve seen a couple of other companies with a fairly large variety of flavours for their scrubs, but For Goodness Grape seems to have the flavor types to suit my tastes.

Overall

Pros: Flavours, taste, texture, cute packaging, natural.

Cons: Price.

Rating: 4 out of 5 twists. These lip balms aren’t quite competitively priced, and that’s really the only thing that is costing a point here. The perfumes seem to be on par to her competition, but the lip scrubs seem far more pricey than other shops. Maybe it’s the fact that she’s using the oval tubes? I’m not sure. But otherwise, For Goodness Grape is absolutely fantastic, and Lisa is an absolute gem and a pleasure to work with. She offers customized labels for weddings, showers, etc, and is always happy to work with you on customized flavours too! Do yourself a favour and try at least one of every type of product she offers! I’m totally sure you’ll love them.

Sara Hanna
Owner, Sara Hanna Originals
www.facebook.com/SaraHannaOriginals
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If you would like to do a guest review, please send your review to lipbalmwrangler@gmail.com, if I like your review, I’ll post it!

Balms I've got my eye on 7.17.12

Here's what's tempting me this week:

 For Goodness Grape's Mango

(taken from here)

I've always wanted to try these balms but they're $4 a piece which is a little out of my price range, but they do have a TON of flavors. She has a sale going on right now, you can save 10-15% in her Etsy shop until the 22nd! There's no coupon needed!

Fable Naturals's Lemon Coconut

(taken from here)

I love lemon and coconut and would LOVE to try this balm but it's $6 a tube and $6 shipping since it's coming from Canada to the US. $12 for a tube of lip balm just won't cut it for me, unfortunately. I am really interested in these squeeze tubes!

Dress Green's New Flavor: Peach Lime

(taken from here)

Yet another Dress Green balm that is tempting me, I'm thinking I really need to purchase from here soon!

Epically Epic Soap Co.'s Bullfrog Cherry-Peach

(taken from here)

I love Epically Epic balms and I love that she flavors her lip tints as well. This one just sounds so crazy delicious, I'm mad I haven't purchased it before!

Have you tried any of these balms before? Or companies? I'd love to know what you think about them!

--The Lip Balm Wrangler

For Goodness Grape is Having a Big Sale!

Hey all!

Last week I posted about For Goodness Grape having a Christmas in July sale, well this week is a continuation of that sale! This week you can save 10-15% store wide! There is no coupon needed! This sale is from July 12th to July 22nd. To shop their Etsy shop just click here.

Also, if you're a fan of For Goodness Grape on Facebook, you can save 15% off your purchase TODAY and TOMORROW only! You can do this by using the code: MAKEMESMILE15. Make sure you follow them on their Facebook page which can be found here.

There are tons of flavors and products to choose from! Let me know what you decide to buy or what your favorite products are!

Happy shopping!

--The Lip Balm Wrangler

For Goodness Grape is Having a Sale!

Hey all!

I try to inform you all about any and all sales on lip balm I hear about. I have yet to purchase from this company but am considering it since they are having a sale. This company has crazy amounts of flavors to offer, but their prices are a little steeper than most companies I've reviewed (shipping wise and product wise). But maybe it's because they're totally super awesome? I have no idea, but I want to find out. Anyways, here's the information for this "Christmas in July" sale on their Etsy page:

From 7/3 to 7/7 you can save 20% on your order (excluding bundles and discounted balms) with this code: CIJSNEAKPEAK20 

From 7/13/12 to 7/22/12 you can save 15% on your order (excluding bundles and discounted balms), but I don't think the code has been put up yet or if it is the same code. But, if you miss out on the 20% you can check their Etsy page here to follow up on a coupon code (and I'll try my best to update on the sale).

If any of you decide to try these balms, let me know what you think of them! I am still deciding on whether or not I will try them, so I suppose you can stay tuned to find out if I do!

--The Lip Balm Wrangler