Yes To Carrots

Based on the votes from this week--I wanted to try the polling thing to give you guys an option for what you'd like to see--Yes To Carrots was the most popular.

Over the summer, Yes To Carrots had coupon for $3.00 off a Yes To Carrots product at Walmart. Since at Walmart the Yes To Carrots lip balms cost less than $3 or very close to it, the balm ended up being free! I, of course, bought a few other flavors as comparisons--just in case I didn't like the first flavor.

Company: Yes To Carrots

Flavors: Sweet Fig, Pomegranate, Berry, and Melon. None of the flavors seemed to stick out from the rest. They all seemed to be the same exact flavor. I may have gotten all bad balms, but I find that highly unlikely since I purchased from two different stores--Walmart and Target. I think the Pomegranate has the least pleasant scent, it smells very tart and bitter, but I have found that many of my pomegranate balms are tart and bitter--I just don't like this one. The Berry has a very slight berry scent, there seems to be a slight hint of strawberry. The Melon also has a very light scent, similar to the cantaloupe smell in a cucumber and melon combination but much milder. I'm not quite sure how to describe the Sweet Fig, seeing as I've never eaten a fig in real life I have nothing really compare it to; I just thought this would be an interesting flavor to try out. It's not my favorite scent either, it's very plain and you can't really smell anything.

The Sweet Fig Balm.

Wear: It goes on pretty good, smooth-wise. It's definitely not like my handmade balms from smaller companies, but it's not too shabby. However, it feels like I need a lot in order to get great coverage. It goes on very thin.

Packaging: One of the tubes was from the older design that I picked up in the fall before the new design came out. It was pretty simple and to the point; it said what it needed to say: company name, flavor, description of product that seemed a little lengthy for a tube of lip balm. It was a good design. I LOVE the newer design. Each tube has a label, colored to match the flavor that the balm is. It says the company's name in big letters and then a small band around the top that says the flavor. It's much simpler and better looking without the long description of the product.

Price: Between $3.00 and $3.50 which isn't too bad since it is 100% natural.

Overall:
Pros: Price, Natural, Packaging, Application
Cons: Flavors were all the same

Rating: 3 out of 5 twists. If you want a product based on flavors, this is not the product for you. If you want a balm that goes on nicely and is all natural, this may be worth a shot. I had high hopes for this product since I loved the packaging and always saw it everywhere in stores, but personally I'd rather spend my money on some handmade balms from Etsy.com.

Lemon Citrus--Additional Balms

I wrote a review last week on balms by Lemon Citrus and felt pretty iffy about the balms I picked up. They were good but there was something about them that just didn't make them perfect to me. The seller did have a mini sale on her products shortly after I purchased the other balms so I picked up a couple I hadn't purchased yet, the packaging is so cute I just couldn't help myself! I was so glad to purchase again from her, this just goes to show that things may be worth a second try.

Super cute packaging as always <3. 

Company: Lemon Citrus

Flavors: Lemon Sugar, Blood Orange, and Black Cherry. I had picked Lemon Sugar and Blood Orange and was pleasantly surprised to see Black Cherry included as a freebie! Usually I'm so iffy about trying cherry balms (even though I LOVE cherries) and am so glad I got to try it. The Black Cherry is super fragrant and not too sweet. Smells just like delicious cherries. I was very pleasantly surprised by it. The Lemon Sugar is great as well, very soft and delicate sugary lemon scent--just like lemonade. It's also very pleasant. The Blood Orange was a bit of a disappointment, I'm used to their super fragrant scents and this one I could hardly smell the scent that is characteristic of a blood orange--citrus sweetness with a bit of an edge. There is a very, VERY light scent of orange. But not just orange, it smells a little different but not like blood orange. I don't know how to describe it. But it's very light so if you don't like super fragrant balms, this may be one to try.

Wear: Of course the application is very smooth, don't have to push it. Smooth from the get-go. Lasted about 1.5-2 hours, of course I always end up eating or drinking so they could last longer.

Packaging: As you've seen before there are delightful labels on average sized lip balm tubes. The labels are color coded to match the flavor. I just love the way the flavor is in a curly cute script. The packaging was the first thing that I noticed and really pushed me to purchase these.

Price: $3.50 plus shipping, not too bad for a natural lip balm.

Overall:
Pros: Flavors, packaging, wear, price
Cons: None with this batch, only the blood orange wasn't as expected but not a total deal breaker

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 twists, perhaps it was the flavors I picked last time that made me not like them so much. But these ones were great.

Olimax Soap

I am SO sorry I've been late on my posts lately, I've been super busy and have barely had time to sleep let alone write up some reviews. Next week I'll try to make sure I post on Thursday like I usually do. My Etsy.com obsession is just going to keep continuing. I just love the variety of flavors I can find online.

I love when sellers put effort into their packaging.

Company: Olimax Soap

Flavors: Banana Coconut, Orange Creamsicle, and Lemonade. I'm obsessed with lemon anything so beware that there may be an influx of balms containing lemon in the next few weeks. Back to these flavors...all of them have this subtle perfumey, soapy smell lingering over the scent of the balm. I haven't yet decided if that is a good thing or a bad thing yet. I don't usually like really perfumey balms and prefer just scented lip balms that smell like the flavor they are supposed to. The Banana Coconut is very much banana, I have yet to find the coconut part to it. I was really hoping to find an awesome banana coconut blend since I haven't come across that before but this was pretty much just banana. The Lemonade isn't like lemonade, I only sense the perfume-y scent and when applied it doesn't really have a noticeable scent to it. It's a little disappointing since I love lemon and lemonade lip balms. For the Creamsicle flavor, it's a very subtle orange scent and a little hint of cream. I think this is the best flavor out of the three I picked out.

Wear: They go on super smooth and it doesn't take much to get full coverage. I did notice that some went around the outside of my lips, but it also could be how I apply it because I tend to be a little over zealous with putting on lip balm. Pretty decent though. It lasts about 2 hours.

Packaging: Very simple and plain labels on average size lip balm tubes. There are white labels with color bands around the top and bottom of the tube to match the indicated flavor. The company name and a pink flower are also included on the tube. It is the paper kind of label though, no waxy covering so I could see the ink wearing away with frequent use.

Price: I bought 3 for $7.50 which is a heck of a deal, for 1 it's $3 which is not too bad for a natural, vegan lip balm.

Overall:
Pros: Wear, Price, simple label
Cons: Flavors weren't as expected

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 twists, I wasn't too impressed with these balms. The price is phenomenal for three tubes. The wear is great also if you're looking for a spare balm or to try a new balm that isn't too costly.

Hugo Naturals

As you've probably read before in some of my posts, I have a good friend who often surprises me with lip balm on random occasions. About a month and a half ago she kept telling me she picked up some lip balms she wanted me to try. Today, I'll review one of the brands from that day. I also went out and purchased the other flavors to give a comparison on flavor and wear.

I know it's so surprising for me to post during the week versus at the end of the week, but I figured I've got an influx of new lip balms coming my way so I better start reviewing!

Company: Hugo Naturals

Flavors: Grapefruit, Vanilla and Sweet Orange, and Pineapple & Coconut. The flavor my friend picked up for me was grapefruit. It has a very, very, very subtle scent which is not surprising since grapefruits are such delicate fruits. It's not a plain balm but definitely not a strong scented balm. The Pineapple & Coconut balm didn't have a scent at all like Pineapple or Coconut, I was really disappointed in this. I love Pineapple and Coconut and was really hoping that this balm would be awesome. The best flavor out of these three was definitely Vanilla and Sweet Orange, you can definitely tell there's a scent of orange in there and a light hint of vanilla. Neither scent is over bearing or stronger than the other, it was a perfect blend.

Wear: Each balm had a different consistency and application which I was also disappointed in and confused about because I figured the balms would all go on in the same manner. The grapefruit one was stiff at first and then went on with only minimal difficulty, it softened up just a little during application. This balm however lasted OVER THREE HOURS, it even lasted through a shower! I was AMAZED. That is the longest I've ever had a balm last before, which is why I had to absolutely purchase the other flavors. Unfortunately, the pineapple & coconut continued to disappoint me. It was absolutely the stiffest balm I've ever tried to use. The balm never softened up and it just felt like I was trying to force a balm on lips, my lips were dragging with it! It felt uncomfortable on my lips and I just had to rub it off. I don't know what was wrong with this particular balm I picked up but it was just dreadful, other tubes may be better I don't know if I just had bad luck with this one or not. The Vanilla and Sweet Orange went on so smooth! It was just a little stiff in the beginning and very quickly softened up. It went on great and lasted very close to 3 hours, my unfortunate habit of eating constantly tends to interrupt how long a balm lasts. I'm really confused as to why three different flavors of balm made by the same company could all be so different when it comes to application and consistency, I had hoped that each product would maintain at least some sort of consistency.

Packaging: I love the packaging on these balms! They look so sophisticated, they're your average size tube of balm but clear with a brown label with a colored band that matches the flavor. You definitely get a natural feel from this balm. I really enjoy the packaging.

Price: About $3.39. A pretty good price, I wished there had been more consistency in the quality of the product however.

Overall:
Pros: Packaging, price, variety of flavors, natural, lasts FOREVER
Cons: Lack of consistency, one balm was awful in comparison to the rest

Rating: 3.5 out of 5, if I was rating just the Vanilla and Sweet Orange I'd say 4.25 out of 5. If you were to go out and buy this balm I'd most definitely recommend the Vanilla and Sweet Orange flavor.