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

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.

So delayed!

I have had a whirl wind of a week! I have not been able to sit down and rest, which means I haven't been able to write up a review either. Visiting my boyfriend's parents always means running around from the moment we wake up until the moment we go to sleep, including the days we say we'll take it easy and do nothing (which often means we'll go for a run, then a four hour walk, then play 9 holes of golf...oy). But, on this trip I was able to pick up about seven or ten balms; they're all scattered about our luggage so I'm not quite sure how many I have right now. In addition to my new balms I also found about seven new pairs of sunglasses all for about $0.99 a piece! Yay!

I should let you guys know that I have FINALLY acquired the limited spring flavors from Chapstick, Orange Cream Burst and Chocolate Rush! I didn't think I'd ever find them since I was unable to find the limited edition Candy Cane flavor from this past winter =(. I almost cried when I saw them in their so very cute packaging. A lot of high fives and celebration were had between my boyfriend and I. I will try to get that review up ASAP.

I will also try to write up a review in just a moment but I am exhausted since we just got in about three hours ago and ran out to get dinner and just finished up eating about 30 minutes ago.

I appreciate your patience with this whirlwind of a week!
--The Chapstick Wrangler

Coming up this week!

I'm headed to Los Angeles tomorrow afternoon so next week I'll be on vacation, but I'm definitely going to try to post on my usual Thursday night if not earlier. I'll try to bring a whole stash of balms with me so I'll have some options on what to show you guys. But here's some brands that may show up next week:

Plum Valley Notions

eco lips

Yes To Carrots

Pucker Ups from Sally Beauty Supply

Aubrey Organics

I could also throw a curve ball and write about something completely different, but I'll try not to do that =). Also, since I'll be on vacation there is a likelihood that I'll pick up some new balms which would mean I'd write about something not pictured here.

--The Chapstick Wrangler

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.