Neutrogena Naturals

I've had this balm for a while, I believe I got it the same day I picked up my first tube of Dr. Bronner's (you can find the review here). I've been meaning to write up what I think about it, it's about time I do so...here we go! (I apologize for how short this post is--it's pretty simple and to the point this time.)

Comapny: Neutrogena

Flavors: They only have one flavor, so just look for the one tube! I don't think the flavor even has a name. The first time I used it, it seemed like an unflavored balm. But, the second time I used it, it seemed to have a slightly minty flavor to it. It was quite pleasant. I don't know if it was because I kept it next to a peppermint lip balm but I don't think that's what it was since the third time I used it, it was still minty. Of course, I love mint balms so I was going to like this one.

Wear: It goes on SO smooth! It was great! Good coverage upon application and it felt like it was really moisturizing my lips.

Packaging: It is a semi see-through average sized lip balm tube. It's very plain and I believe it's with a purpose; to appear like a pure, "natural", "clean" balm. It's very simple and I like it. It's got one splash of color, a bright green color bar on the tube.

Price: About $3.00, a great price for a natural balm that moisturizes.

Overall:
Pros: Wear, price, packaging, flavor
Cons: No other flavors

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 twists, there wasn't anything truly spectacular about this balm. It is a good balm though, I would check it out if you are looking for something with only a slight scent to it that is a natural balm.

Gator Gubba

I've been meaning to write about this company for a while--seeing as I purchased them in December--I had heard good things about it so I wanted to give them a try. I didn't receive my package for almost a month and only received it a week and a half after I had emailed complaining I hadn't received it yet. I hate bad customer service. I know I ordered in middle of December which is bad because it's close to Christmas but seriously, not receiving it until beginning to mid January? Preposterous. For that reason, I haven't wanted to use these very much. And also, I received two of them with the safety seals broken and marks on the balm itself which, being a bit of a germaphobe, grossed me out. For this reason, some of the balms I was only able to smell. I would have tried to ask for a refund or a replacement but since it took SO long the first time around, I didn't want to bother with it.

Company: Gator Gubba

Flavors: Watermelon, Orange Vanilla (herbal), Cherry, Bubblegum, and Pineapple Vanilla. Watermelon is the best smelling out of the bunch by far, it smells like the artificial watermelon flavor of candy but it's still the most noticeable and pleasant. The Orange Vanilla was one of two that came with a broken safety seal. To me it smells just like plastic, no sweet or creamy to it. My boyfriend says he smells a slight vanilla but nothing too prominent. The smell could also be lessened because it is an herbal balm. The Bubble Gum also came with a broken safety seal, it smells like a very artificial bubble gum scent and not sweet like one would imagine; if you're looking for something like Hubba Bubba or Bubbalicious, this is not the one for you. The Cherry is the second best smelling. It smells like artificial cherry but it's not too bad. You can definitely tell it is Cherry. I was really excited for the Pineapple Vanilla, I figured it would be something very different from what I have in my collection already. The scent is very light and only the pineapple is detectable. I was disappointed in this, I have tons of Pineapple balms and tons with great pineapple scent but I was looking for something different.

Wear: The ones that I was able to apply go on with very minimal force, so they go on okay--they aren't the smoothest but definitely aren't the hardest to apply. They also go on VERY thick, one or two swipes is more than enough. It kind of feels like the balm is just sitting on my lips however and not really penetrating to get my lips smooth. I guess since this has SPF that may be a good thing so it doesn't wear away so fast? They last about 2 hours which is great, especially if you're out and about in the sun.

Packaging: They non-herbal balms are your average sized tube of lip balm with identical blue labels. The only thing indicating that they are different flavors are the different colored bands on the top of the tube that match the indicated flavor. There isn't anything crazy special about the lip balm but it is waxy so it could stand up to some wear and tear with frequent use. The herbal flavor has a green label that is identical to the blue labels and has a colored band indicating the flavor. Nothing too crazy or flashy from these. I'm truly indifferent to this packaging.

Price: For the non-herbal flavors they are $1.25 a piece and for the herbal flavor it is $2.25. Pretty great price for a decent product. They aren't natural but do have SPF (15 for non-herbal, 30 for herbal).

Overall:
Pros: Variety of flavors, wear, price
Cons: Weak scents, long time for delivery, unsealed balms

Rating: 3 out of 5 twists, they aren't phenomenal and the bad customer service will forever keep me from purchasing from them again. Once I run out of these, I doubt I'll buy any more. For the price, I suppose that it's worth it to purchase one as a spare to throw into an extra bag or in the car.

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.

Simply Lip Balm: Vanilla, Citrus, Iced Pear, Fresh Mint

When I ran to the store to do some last minute Christmas shopping (this was obviously two months ago) for my sister and my mom, my boyfriend and I ran to Walgreen's and I decided to pick up all of the eos lip balms for my sister and turned around to find these hanging in a display. I was intrigued that they were so cheap and had one really interesting flavor. Obviously, I had to pick up them because I'm always eager to try new brands (especially if they're cheap and look decent!).

Company: Simply Lip Balm

Flavors: Vanilla, Citrus, Iced Pear, and Fresh Mint. All of them are just lovely. The flavor I had to pick up because it just drew me in was Iced Pear. I had yet to acquire a Pear flavored balm, which made me question why I've waited so long to get one. I LOVE pears, they're so delicious! It was pretty dead on for the pear scent and flavor, it was a delicate scent but you could definitely tell it was pear. The Citrus was also a light scent and blend of all things citrus-y. Vanilla and Fresh Mint were also as to be expected, pleasant and light with a good scent and taste. I think it's pretty hard to mess up Vanilla and Mint since they're some of the most common lip balm flavors found in stores and online.

Wear: It goes on smooth and has pretty good coverage. It was your average application, nothing made me go "WOW!" like some balms do. It lasted an hour which is good, which means there was no need to reapply continuously.

Packaging: Just like their name implies, the tube has a very, very simple design on it. An average sized lip balm tube that's white with the company's name in big letters and flavors color coded by a segment of color. It's not crazy flashy or anything, very quick and to the point.

Price: About a $1 a piece, I believe I paid $2 for 2 balms. Very cheaply priced for a decent product. It's below my price range which in this case isn't such a bad thing (unlike the e.l.f. balm I reviewed before).

Overall:
Pros: Cheap, simple packaging,flavors, decent lasting power
Cons: Hard to find elsewhere besides Walgreen's, website doesn't offer options to buy online

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 twists, it was your average balm. There wasn't anything crazy fabulous about it, besides the unique Iced Pear which was a surprise. It's good if you're in the market for a cheap, effective balm.