Wild Rose Herbs Lip Balms {review}

Remember when I was having crazy blackberry cravings? Oh, and just bringing that up reminds me of my summer in Oregon and all those deliciously addictive blackberries, mmmmm...

Ahem. Anyway. During that time, I stumbled upon Wild Rose Herbs and their Oregon Blackberry lip balm. I was intrigued by their use of natural flavorings for all of their lip balms. To me, that makes me feel like a shop is doing all they can to provide products of the highest quality. And knowing me, when I want something and find something that sounds so good, I simply cannot resist!

I ordered several lip balms and lip tints from Wild Rose Herbs. (The lip tints shall be reviewed at a later date). The shop also offers other skincare items and beard creams and conditioners that seem to be wildly popular. I have only tried the lip products, but I do keep going back for more!

{the balm}

The texture of this lip balm is fantastic. It is so very smooth and creamy. It glides on easily and has that kind of wet and glossy feel but with enough substance to not feel greasy. The texture reminds me of Ella Dean's lip conditioners, but with a slightly thicker consistency. I admit that I do put a lot of it on because it just feels so good I can't help but layer and smack my lips. However, if you're not crazy like me, just a few swipes should be fine. It offers nice coverage without feeling too heavy.

The wear is about average. It lasts for about two hours and leaves your lips feeling soft and moisturized. However, I will say they are not intensely moisturizing as they are fairly light balms. But as the warmer months are coming around, these balms are perfect.

There is one small complaint I have about these balms. During packaging, the tops of the balms form sharp-ish ridges from how it settles around the cap in the tube. I'm sure there is a better way for me to say that, but I hope that makes sense. But upon first application, the ridges crumble off and are a bit annoying and slightly messy. Now I usually just use my finger and take off those parts and try to smooth the edges before applying.

But anyway, that does not deter me from these balms. They are truly wonderful and are quickly becoming some of my favorite balms!

{the flavors}

I can't get enough of these! Ordered these flavors over 3 separate orders. And more to come!

Oregon Blackberry - This has a lightly sweet berry flavor with a bit of tartness. I'm not instantly thinking of juicy blackberries but it is still quite pleasant. It does have a bit of juiciness of its own.

Hot Cocoa - This is the best chocolate lip balm I have ever found! It is so very chocolatey, it does remind me of a cup of hot cocoa. An extra chocolatey cup of hot cocoa! A very true to name scent. I accidentally sent this one through the wash (forgot in my secret pocket!), but I loved it so much I had to repurchase! If you're a fan of chocolate balms, this is THE ONE!

Jasmine Tea - I wasn't sure about jasmine in a lip balm but I thought I'd give this a chance. And I am so glad I did! This is probably my favorite balm flavor from this shop, and pretty high up there on my list of favorite flavors of any balms. It is so soft and feminine and oh so very relaxing. It makes me want cuddles. I use this every night before bed.

Pear Blossom - This is a combination of pear and violet. It is mostly floral smelling to me though. A light floral with a hint of sweetness. It is another feminine scent that has more of a clean scent to it. It's very pretty!

Strawberry - This one is a sweet strawberry scent. It doesn't smell exactly like strawberries to me. It has a bit of powderiness ot it. Kind of like powdered strawberry candy. It's also kind of tangy. It's not my favorite, but I do really like it.

One more note on the flavors. I've never been a fan of anything too floral. Especially in lip balms. But I have been branching out and trying new things. And I have surprisingly fallen in love with the floral balms from this shop! I am kind of wishing there were more! But if you're hesitant like me about florals, I would say it is definitely worth the risk!

{the ingredients}

Ingredients include coconut oil, beeswax, mango seed butter, rosehip seed oil, gotu kola, paprika, vitamin e, and natural extracts. Some flavors may also include green tea.

{final thoughts}

I would most definitely recommend trying out Wild Rose Herbs. The balms are amazing with wonderful, natural flavors. They are truly high quality lip balms! And even better, there is a sale going on right now! Use MAYDAY2014 for 20% off through May 4th. You should take advantage! I am tempted to order a few more flavors myself! Ah, so much love!

Darling Clandestine Bifrost Lip Balm {review}

Darling Clandestine is one of my newest favorite shops. Evonne's perfume are unique and beautiful. BUT, she also makes lip balms and you know me - I love me some lip balm! And while I don't usually spend this much on lip balm (a single tin is $8-$9), the tins are huge and I have faith in Evonne's products so of course I had to try!

{the balm}

The balm comes in a sliding tin. I'm not exactly sure how much balm these tins hold, but they are huge! I mean, look at that!

The one thing I don't like about this balm is it is a bit too soft. Applying with my finger, there is more balm left on my finger than I would like. But I figured out a solution to this problem so it doesn't bother me as much any more. I rub the excess on the back of my neck! I don't know why I chose that spot, but it works. And I'm sure my neck smells delightful!

The softness may just be in this batch/flavor though. I have noticed that about lip balms from other shops. Some flavors have a softer texture than other flavors in the shop. Maybe it's just that batch or maybe it's the flavor. Although, I think the softness plays a part in the other things I like in this balm. 

I really do love the texture of this balm once it is applied. It is super smooth and silky. It is also very glossy, but not in a greasy sort of way. It almost has the "wet" sort of feeling which I really like. The wear isn't super long. Actually, it wears off very quickly. BUT, my lips are left super soft that I don't even feel the need to put any more balm on for a long time afterwards. Seriously, this might be one of the best lip softening balms I have ever tried.

And just a little note, this balm is perfect for kissing a certain someone who doesn't like to get lip balm on his lips after every kiss. I still get to use my balm, it wears off quickly, and my lips are soft and kissable!

Despite the huge size of this tin, I have already used up a surprisingly large amount. I've used up almost half of it! The balm really is quite fantastic.

{the flavor}

The flavor of this balm is called Bifrost. I love that this flavor is based off of Thor's story. The Bifrost Bridge is the rainbow bridge in Asgard (does this remind anyone else of Rainbow Road in MarioKart?). I haven't seen all of the Avenger movies (I know, I know - don't disown me!) but I have seen all of the Thor movies and love them! Mmm Thor...

Anyway, the flavor is a combination of coconut and peppermint. I thought this blend was quite a brilliant idea and one that I hadn't seen before. The flavors work very well together - the coconut adds a sweet, tropical twist to the peppermint. It also warms it up a bit so it doesn't seem too icy. The peppermint is strongest at first and then the coconut comes out, ending on that sweet coconut-y note. Also, while the peppermint scent is stronger, it is not too tingly once it is applied. I always appreciate this in balms with peppermint because I don't really like the tingle. The tingle in this is mellow and barely noticeable.

My mom also really liked this flavor. She tried this balm and said: "You always have the coolest things!"

{the ingredients}

Ingredients include shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, vitamin e, and peppermint essential oil.

{final thoughts}

I definitely recommend Darling Clandestine lip balms! The balm is smooth and silky and makes my lips super soft! Sometimes I just have to feel my lips because I am amazed by how soft they are after using this balm. The flavor is delightful and I can't wait to try more! The Violet Pear lip balm is quite intriguing. But yeah, ANYTHING from Darling Clandestine earns high recommendation from me!

And Evonne is always having awesome sales! Go 'like' her page on Facebook to find out about her sales! And jump - yes, really jump! - at the chance to order!

Favorites Friday

I know, I was supposed to post some reviews this week. I will get a few up soon, I promise! And now that I am back home, I have more variety in the products I've been using. Still, it might be a short list of favorites this week. But yes, onto those...

1. Mocha Marshmallow lip balm from For Goodness Grape. I'm not a fan of coffee, I never drink it. But I like the way it smells and the light coffee scent mixed with the sweetness of the marshmallow is delicious! Plus, I am really enjoying the creaminess that For Goodness Grape balms have.  
2. Splash in the Sun soap from Elegant Rose Boutique. I recently ordered some soap samples from this shop and this is the first one I've been trying out. I'm usually not one to go for citrus-y scents. Well, they don't usually appeal when I'm thinking about them but once I get them under my nose, I always like them. Weird, I know. But anyway, the scent of this is completely delightful. It is bright and refreshing from the citrus and mint. I might have to get a full-size bar. And the lather is heavenly!
3. Neem Tea Tree & Rosemary shampoo bar from Fresh as a Daisy Soaps. It's been awhile since I've used shampoo bars. With all the traveling, it's difficult to use them because I can't carry around apple cider vinegar for rinses afterwards. But now that I am home, it is back to testing out different shampoo bars. And I have really been enjoying this one. The light tea tree & rosemary scent is lovely and there is a surprising amount of lather, which is always nice for shampoo bars! And my hair has been clean, soft, and shiny. So much better than the roughness it had when traveling!
4. Lavender essential oil from NOW Foods on Amazon. I am still very much in love with the scent of lavender! I have been putting this in the ACV rinses and mixing with coconut oil that I use on the ends of my hair. I probably use more than I need to, but it makes my hair smell like lavender all day! 

And let's see, what non-product favorites do I have this week...

•  Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind. I am enjoying having time to read for pleasure before school starts up again next week! This is the third book in the Sword of Truth series. If you are a fan of epic fantasy series, this is an awesome one. There is even a show based off of the first two books, called Legend of the Seeker. Great show! 
• My bed! I've been traveling so much it is always good to come home to my own bed in my own room with my millions of pillows! After sleeping on a couch for over two weeks, my bed feels completely amazing and I have been sleeping way too much lately!

That's it for my favorites this week! What have yours been? Or maybe you shouldn't tell me, because I have an ever-growing list of things I want to try! ;)

Hope you have a magical weekend!

<3 Alyssa

Queen Bee Productions Lip Balm {review}

I received two of these Queen Bee Productions lip balms for Christmas from one of my cousins. She knows me too well! The company is located in Hawaii, using local ingredients, like Maui honey and beeswax. I had never heard of Queen Bee Productions before so I am glad my awesome cousin found this shop and gave me a chance to try these lip balms!

{the balm}

The balm goes on smooth and creamy. It has a bit of a thick consistency, but just enough to give it a delightful creaminess without making it too heavy or lip suffocating. It also has that firmness so it doesn't get all melty in your pocket!

The wear is also long lasting, good for a few hours at least! When I put it on before bed, there is still a bit of balm on my lips in the morning when I wake up. I am quite enjoying this balm! There is even a bit of gloss to it.

{the flavors}

There are four flavors offered on the site. I have two of them:

Plain Jane - This one is unflavored, but you can smell the ingredients used in the balm. I smell raw honey with a hint of cocoa butter. I kind of love it. A million times better than balms with honey flavor oil! The real thing is much better!

Tangerine Dream - I'm not usually a fan of orange-y, citrus-y scents but I like this one. It smells lightly of tangerine with cocoa butter. I appreciate the light scent, otherwise I probably wouldn't like it as much.

{the ingredients}

Ingredients include sunflower oil, sweet almond oil, organic shea butter, organic cocoa butter wafers, Maui beeswax, vitamin e, and flavor.

{final thoughts}

I am so happy that I have been introduced to Queen Bee Productions. The balms are delightfully creamy and the Plain Jane might just have to be my new go-to balm when I'm needing something unflavored. Honestly, as much as I love all the fun lip balm flavors out there, sometimes my lips get overly sensitive and I need something without the flavor. I definitely recommend Queen Bee Productions for some simply flavored balms with damn near perfect consistency!

Ripe Shop Lip Balm {review}

I almost forgot that I had planned to post a review by today! And that is why it's so late. As I am in Alaska it is still Thursday but I know it is already into Friday for most of you! But continuing on...

Since lip balm reviews are one of the easiest, let's go with one of those! I've been trying out a few new lip balms lately, which has been fun since it's been awhile since I've tried new balms. Usually I get stuck ordering different flavors from the same shops. But anyway, up for review today is a Ripe Shop lip balm!

{the balm}

This balm has a really nice texture. It glides on smoothly with just a touch of creaminess. It also has a sort of solid feel in the tube, like it won't get too melty in your pocket and you won't accidentally smush too much onto your lips. Although, I am left wishing the texture was a bit more creamy. It feels slightly greasy to me. But it's not in a terribly annoying way that would make me wipe it off my lips or stop using it. There's just a bit of greasiness to it. Makes it glossy!

{the flavor}

I ordered this in Mexican Horchata. I have only had the actual drink once and it was quite delicious. This really does remind me of it. It is like sweet creamy milk with a bit of cinnamon. It is a perfect flavor for this cold weather - it is warm and cozy but the spice level isn't too intense or overwhelming. I am usually turned off from balms with spices in them because I always find it to be a bit much. But it is done perfectly in this balm!

{ingredients}

Ingredients include avocado, coconut, jojoba & sweet almond oils, beeswax, cocoa & shea butters, and flavor.

{final thoughts}

Although I found myself wishing for a slightly different formula, the balm was still quite pleasant. And I really love the flavor of this. I have found myself reaching for this balm often. I would definitely consider ordering more balms from Ripe Shop! And that's a recommendation from me!

Long Winter Farm Lip Balms {more flavors}

 
Here's another flavor update post for you all! Today on the list is Long Winter Farm lip balms. You can check out my full review here. I have been loving  LWF balms for this fall time weather. They're ultra creamy and perfect for keeping my lips moisturized with the changing weather! And I have been digging these new flavors I've recently received.

Peppermint Hot Cocoa - This is a perfect blend of peppermint and chocolate. It reminds me of these delicious mint chip brownies my roommate made recently! The chocolate scent is a true chocolately scent that isn't overly sweet. And what I like best about this lip balm is the invigorating minty scent that doesn't make my lips tingle or get irritated. That's what I dislike most about peppermint balms - I love love love peppermint, but when it's on my lips, it's usually too irritating. But not in this case so I am super happy to have a minty balm that I can use as often as I like!

Sea Sprite - The scent of this lip balm is ABSOLUTELY DIVINE! I am 100% completely in love with this! It is a blend of coconut cream and lavender. They meld together perfectly to create a sweet and delicious and pretty scent. It also has a bit of fizziness to the scent that makes it a bit refreshing. It is an intoxicating scent and I hope to see this in a perfume oil! I cannot get enough of this!

White Almond - This scent is a blend of almond and white chocolate. Almond scents can sometimes be super sweet, as almond tends to do. And white chocolate is a decadent scent. I was a bit worried that this balm would be too much with the sweet and decadent combination, but the blend is well balanced. Yes, it is sweetly decadent but not over-the-top. The almond is stronger in the balm, as almond tends to do! It is a delicious balm that reminds me of an almond cake I made once. I kind of want to eat this balm.

I think this is my favorite order of Long Winter Farm lip balms so far! And there's still a few more flavors I want to try. And I hope that Sea Sprite becomes a perfume oil! What I'm saying here is: I need to place another order!

Beautiful Twists Lip Conditioners {more flavors}

I've already done a review of Ella Dean's lip conditioners here, oozing with much love! I am still very much a big fan of these wonderful lip conditioners. They're super smooth and glossy and make my lips all happy-like. And I am always a fan of the flavor combinations Ella comes up with. So, I thought I'd do a quick post of my most recent flavors from Beautiful Twists.

Comfort (blend of vanilla, lavender, and carrot cake) (link) - The scent is definitely very comforting and soothing. The lavender is strongest in the conditioner, but it is sweetened and mellowed out by the vanilla and carrot cake. This is the first lavender balm I've purchased and I don't usually associate lavender with lip products, but I thought I'd give this a chance. I'm really glad I did. The scent is wonderful and pretty and I pretty much love it! I've also been a huge lavender kick lately and this has been one of the balms I've been using constantly.

Forest Berry Jam Root Beer (link) - I got this one as a freebie in my order (because Ella is so awesome with freebies!) and I'm really glad I got to try this flavor. In her description Ella says: "it will make you want to take a stroll through the forest". And I'm surprised it actually does make me think of the forest and outside world. The root beer mixed with the berry jam makes the scent very refreshing - you can really smell the fizziness of the root beer in this! The scent is also sweet and warm. Very interesting flavor and I've really been enjoying it!

Rotten Pistachio Pudding and Bubblegum off the Sidewalk (link) - Ella is always so creative with her descriptions. This one is for a flavor for the character Gloria the Garbage Lady. And just so you know, it doesn't really smell rotten! The scent is amazing! I can definitely smell the bubblegum and it has an interesting nutty element to it. The flavor is definitely sweet, but not over-the-top despite being a bubblegum flavor. The combination is so wonderful, this is one of my new favorites! And the label has gotten a bit beaten up by now (as you might be able to see in the photo) because of all the use it's been getting from me. I always have this one around!

Spearmint Vanilla Candy Ice Cream (link) - I love using this flavor before bed because of the spearmint. It has a really sweet spearmint and vanilla scent. It reminds me of the spearmint gum, but a little bit sweeter than that. It has a mild minty scent that is also creamy and just plain lovely. I fall in love with it all over again every time I open it! The scent is warm and soothing.

Ella Dean has such great flavor ideas! I am definitely going to go back and order some more sometime soon. Every lip conditioner I get from her gets a turn at being one of my favorites. Sometimes I'll get ones that I'm not too sure about at first, but a week later will be completely addicted to the flavor. Ella Dean is a flavor genius!

What are some of your favorite flavors from Beautiful Twists?

For Goodness Grape Lip Balms {review}

I've been buying lip balms from For Goodness Grape for quite awhile now. And I think it's prime time for a lip balm review! I also reviewed her lip tints here - and you should be expecting another one of those reviews soon because I just ordered some more!

{the balm}

The balms have that lovely texture - the kind you'd keep going back for! It goes on smooth and has quite a bit of creaminess. It is a bit on the thicker side of things, but it's not too heavy on the lips. The wear isn't the greatest. Sometimes I feel the need to reapply after an hour or so. But there's so many fun flavors I don't mind doing so. Also, it leaves my lips moisturized enough sometimes I don't even realize all my lip balm has worn off. I love it when balms are able to achieve that!

I've also tried one of the Baby Moose Lips balms which have different formulas than the regular lip balms. They are formulated to be gentle and moisturizing to give you "baby soft lips". The balm feels thinner than the regular balms with a hint more gloss. It feels really nice going on because it's soft and smooth. There's a bit of creaminess as well, but not as much as the regular balms. Overall, great balm and I'd definitely try more flavors but my preference is for the regular balms.

{flavors + ingredients}

For Goodness Grape has a TON of flavors! I bet she has enough flavors for every day of the year. Here are the ones I've tried:

• Apple Crisp - Smells just like the delicious dessert! It's all warm and sweet with the brown sugar and cinnamon combined with the tartness of the apples. I was surprised by how this actually smells like the real thing!
• Banana Colada - Pina Colada with extra banana! It reminds me of being in Hawaii with a sweet, tropical drink. Great for summer!
• Cherry Cola - I love a good cherry cola, and this doesn't disappoint. It's sweet and refreshing and fizzy.
• Chocolate Bailey's - This is a creamy chocolatey scent warmed up by the Irish cream. It's a nice mellow chocolate scent that I enjoy when I'm going through a chocolate phase, which was the case when I purchased this!
• Chocolate Coconut - Every time I open this balm I want to eat it! It is a sweet and delicious chocolatey scent. It reminds me of those Almond Joy candy bars, minus the almonds.
• Cookie Dough - This one doesn't exactly remind me of cookie dough. There is definitely some chocolate in there, but it also smells very boozy. And it's quite potent. Not my favorite.
• Hot Chocolate w/ Marshmallow - This balm is a two-layer. I haven't made it to the hot chocolate part yet, but the marshmallow is a great sweet mallow!
• Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - Minty, sweet, and chocolatey. Definitely reminds me of mint chip ice cream! And it has a pleasant tingle from the peppermint. (This is the Baby Moose Lips flavor I have.)
• Mocha Marshmallow - I'm not a fan of coffee, but I like the way it smells and I love marshmallow. This balm reminds me of coffee ice cream, but slightly sweeter because of the mallow. It's delicious!
• Spumoni Ice Cream - This is probably one of my favorite FGG flavors. I don't know how quite to describe it and I've never tried the ice cream, but it's supposed to be a combination of chocolate, pistachio, and cherry. I can't pick out any of these scents in the balm, but rather they combine to create a delicious and unique flavor!
• White Chocolate Wonderful - I love peanut butter scents and I love white chocolate, so I just had to try this one! It does not disappoint. It is ultra sweet and nutty and chocolatey wonderfulness! Might be a new favorite flavor!

Ingredients (for the regular balms) include shea butter, mango butter, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, beeswax, jojoba oil, coconut oil, castor oil, vitamin e, and flavor oils.

Ingredients (for the Baby Moose Lips balms) include sweet almond oil, chamomile butter, kokum butter, cocoa butter, candelilla wax, apricot kernel oil, macadamia oil, castor oil, rosehip oil, calendula extract, vitamin e, essential and flavor oils.

{conclusion}

I love For Goodness Grape lip balms. There's a ton of flavors to pick from and the formula is smooth and creamy. Perfect combination to feed my lip balm addiction! The only complaint I have about the shop is that shipping costs are high for lip balms - they charge several dollars more than other shops to ship the same amount of lip balms. However, the balms are so great and there's always new and delicious flavors popping up, I have still placed quite a few orders with For Goodness Grape and will continue to do so! I would definitely recommend these balms to anyone!

Victoria Naturals Lip Balm & Tint {review}

You know, I've been into lip tints quite a bit lately. With this new obsession, of course I've been scouring Etsy for lovely lip tints. And as luck would have it, the owner from Victoria Naturals offered to send me a lip balm and lip tint to review. I had stumbled upon the shop a few times myself, so of course I had to say yes!

{the balm}

This is one of those balms that just feels great to apply. It feels solid and comforting as you're putting it on. In the tube, the texture is slightly grainy but I like that - it's soothing. On the lips, the texture is smooth and creamy. The balm has that "just right" feeling. It's not too slick or greasy and it doesn't feel like it'll be gone in less than half an hour. The balm offers good protection and lasts for about two hours and leaves behind soft lips!

The flavor I was sent is Spearmint. I love minty scents so this is great - offers that sweet minty scent of spearmint. It doesn't have the harsh tingle that peppermint can sometimes have. In my opinion, spearmint is the best flavor for a minty balm!

The ingredients include beeswax, cocoa butter, shea butter, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, castor oil, vitamin e, and essential oil.

{the tint}

I was sent the Bubblegum Pink lip tint. The tint is a very pretty color. It is a nice light pink with some shimmer. On my lips, it adds a hint of color with a good amount of gloss. It is a very natural and flattering color. And like the balm, the lip tint has that delightful smooth and creamy texture with long lasting wear.

Here's a few photos (taken in natural lighting) to show how the lip tint looks on me:

Before, without lip tint

After, with Bubblegum Pink lip tint

The flavor for this is interesting. I can't quite put my finger on what it is. It does smell a bit like bubblegum, but nothing overly sweet. And I can almost detect something slightly minty. I don't know how to accurately describe it, but it is very pleasant!

The ingredients include beeswax, cocoa butter, shea butter, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, castor oil, vitamin e, and FDA approved mica.

{conclusion}

I am quite happy with these lip products from Victoria Naturals. The balm and tint both have wonderful consistency that make my lips feel great. I also love that there are no artificial flavorings which can sometimes irritate my lips. And the lip tint makes a great addition to my collection for when I want a lovely hint of color on my lips! I definitely recommend Victoria Naturals lip products!

Giveaway! Anita's La La Land Lip Butters

Everyone ready for a giveaway? This time around I am giving away two lip butters from Anita's La La Land in Chocolate Candy and Key Lime. Both balms are unopened and shrink-wrapped. These are some of my favorite balms (read review here) and I am excited to share the love! 

TO ENTER you must be a follower of this blog. Just leave a comment with your email address. For an additional entry, you can tweet about this giveaway. Leave an additional comment telling me your twitter username.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm PST on February 28th. Only open to U.S. residents. Winner will be announced March 1st.

Good luck! :)

Anita's La La Land Lip Butters {review}

When I stumbled upon Anita's La La Land, I was drawn in by the pictures. The balms looked like perfection. And with free shipping offered for sets, how could I resist?

{the balm}

The balms are just as good as they look. They are indeed proper "lip butters". The balm goes on all creamy and buttery. The texture is a marvelous silkiness that I'm quite addicted to. My lips are left soft and moisturized and with a gentle gloss. This may be one of my favorite lip balm formulas.

My only small complaint about the balm would be the labels. I like the clear balm tubes - that makes it easy to see how much of a balm you've used up. But the labels have a weird texture and easily get sticky. They're easy to peel off though - you just have to remember which balm it is!

{flavors + ingredients}

All of the flavors are made using natural flavorings instead of flavor oils. There's also a bit of sweetener added to all of the flavors. That bit of sweetness makes these great kissing balms! ;)

Chocolate Candy - Super chocolatey goodness! My favorite!
Iced Peppermint - Lightly minty without being overpowering. Slight tingly, but not irritatingly so!
Key Lime - This one is lightly scented. I smell the citrus right away but it takes a bit longer to pick up the distinct lime scent.
Sunshine Orange - Smells just like orange peels! I wasn't sure if I'd like this one (not too into orange scents) but it's quite lovely!
Vitamin E - Unscented! And if you're looking for a good unscented balm where you can't pick up too much of the natural scent of oils and butters, this one's great. And it's still sweetened.

Ingredients include shea butter, soya butter, olive oil, coconut oil, beeswax, stevia leaf extract, vitamin e, and essential oils.

{conclusion}

I truly love these balms from Anita's La La Land. They are creamy goodness with sweet and natural flavorings. I don't usually buy repeats of balms, but I am well stocked up on these balms. That is how much I love them! I highly recommend the lip butters from Anita's La La Land!

Long Winter Farm Lip Balms {review}

I'm sure you have all heard of Long Winter Farm. The shop is quite popular, especially in the lip balm world! Amanda, the owner, has even started a bit of a fart craze! Want to know more? Read on…

{the balm}

These lip balms have excellent consistency. They are nice and firm but still glide on smoothly with no tug. There is a lovely creaminess about them too. The kind of creamy that you just can't get enough of and might end up applying frequently and smacking your lips a little too often.

The balms leave a gentle and natural looking gloss on the lips. The wear is about two hours and it leaves my lips feeling soft and moisturized, as any good balm does. I am really in love with how these balms feel. To say it again, they really do have the perfect consistency!

{flavors + ingredients}

Here's the list of flavors I've tried out (so far!):

Black Currant Walnut - This is a good combo of nutty with fruity and sweet. It's a unique balm flavor that kind of reminds me of cookies with dried fruit in them.

Chai - I can't really detect the chai in this balm. It smells like almond and cocoa to me. Still pleasant though!

Cherry Almond - I love this one! You know those cherry chip box cake mixes? This smells like cherry chip cake! So yummy!

Pistachio Chip - This one is sweet and nutty with a hint of cocoa. The milky sweetness is the strongest scent note. I kind of want to eat it!

Rosemary Litsea - This one has an herbal lemony scent. It's very soothing as it has essential oils rather than flavor oils.

Unicorn Farts - Ah, the ever popular Unicorn Farts! The scent is a combination of spearmint and cotton candy. It's kind of like an ultra sweet version of mint chip ice cream.

Ingredients include natural beeswax, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, unrefined cocoa butter, unrefined shea butter, vitamin e, flavor and/or essential oils.

{conclusion}

Long Winter Farm makes some pretty darn fantastic lip balms which I see myself purchasing many more in the future! The creaminess of the balms is among the best in the balmy world. The flavors are unique and delicious. And you know, they're popular for a reason. Go check out Long Winter Farm!

More Epically Epic Lip Balms!

(I know, I said I was going to post a review by now... but I have the BEST reason for my further delay! It was sunny and HOT here for 3 days straight! I live in a temperate rainforest, so it's pretty much rainy here all the time. But it has been especially rainy here these past few months - something like 60 days of rain out of the past 65 days. So, when the clouds went away and the sun showed its pretty face, I took full advantage! Swimming, boat rides, kiddie pools, and smoothies. Ah, summah time!)

But yes, now that I'm back to the world of rain and mist, I can get back to my goal of keeping up with my blogging duties! And today, I am going to be talking about Epically Epic lip balm flavors. I'm not going to review the balms, as I've already done so here. However, I do feel that I need to update the list of balm flavors I have because the balms are just so amazing they need some more recognition on this blog! :)

Here are the flavors I've added to my collection (I have tried more, but will only be discussing flavors that are still being sold by Epically Epic Soap Co.):

Chocolate Malt: This is a deliciously creamy, mild chocolate-y scent. To be honest, I have no idea what a malt smells/tastes like, but I can tell that this is not just a plain ol' chocolate scent. It has a sweetness to it. It's kind of like a dessert for your lips!

Mango Lassi: The scent is a mixture of mango and cardamom. I find it to be fruity and surprisingly refreshing. It kind of reminds me of a cough drop. It's not my favorite, but still pleasant enough.

Mango Lychee: This one is a boldly fruity scent that is heavy on the mango. I like to wear it on rainy days when I need some cheering up from the dreary weather.

Peanut Butter & Jelly: Peanut butter is oddly enough one of my favorite scents and I was thrilled when this lip balm came out! It smells almost just like a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. I say almost because the jelly is blueberry-acai jelly - not my regular jelly! But I greatly enjoy the extra fruity twist it gives the balm. Definitely a successful peanut butter balm.

P.O.G (Passionfruit Orange Guava): I was a little hesitant about this one - feedback said it was floral. And I don't like floral. And it does smell a bit floral, but only in the tube. Once it's on my lips, it turns into a true tropical scent, being delightfully fruity without being over the top. It's perfect for summer!

Sleepy Time: This balm is meant to help you relax with the scents of spearmint and chamomile. I can't speak to the effects of that since I have a hard time falling asleep no matter what! But I love to use it after brushing my teeth - it's fitting with the flavor of my toothpaste. It's mildly minty, in a soft and sweet sort of way. Totally not overpowering at all, which I can appreciate in a minty balm.

Vanilla Bean: I've spoken of this one before, but should mention again! This happens to be one of my favorite EE balm flavors! It's a fantastic vanilla scent, which you may know can be hard to find. It's a straight-up vanilla that is perfectly creamy and sweet. And delicious!

Vanilla Coke: This balm is another one of my favorites! It smells just like a sweet cola. I love to use it when I have the flavor of food in my mouth and using some fruity balm just doesn't seem fitting. Is that odd?

I am hoping to add more flavors to my collection. I am patiently awaiting the day when new summer balm flavors are released! What flavors have you tried? Or want to try?

A wee giveaway for your LIPS! {ended}

I'm doing a giveaway! Woo!

Okay, I might be more excited about this than you will be. It's not the biggest giveaway ever, or big in any way, but it's a good one! And just to note, this is sort of my "get out of jail free" blog post for the week! I'm super busy with finals and whatnot, but will try to start posting more reviews soon - and on a more regular basis! But yes, the wee giveaway...

For your winning pleasure, I am offering up a lip balm from my favorites stash...

Epically Epic Soap Co. Lip Balm in Vanilla Bean! 

Allison over at Epically Epic Soap Co. makes some of the best lip balms in the whole entire world! They are smooth and super creamy and just all around delightful. I think I have about 20 of them... heh.

And Vanilla Bean just happens to be one of my favorite Epically Epic lip balms. It is the best vanilla balm I have tried yet. It's a straight up sweet and creamy vanilla without being buttery. I LOVE IT!

And I happen to have an extra Vanilla Bean lip balm that is waiting to be used, sooo... I thought I'd share the love with you guys! :)

To enter, leave a comment telling me what your favorite lip balm is! And don't forget to leave your email address, otherwise I won't have a way to contact you if you win! You have until Friday, April 27th to enter!

My First Ever {haul} Post!

I thought it might be fun to do a little haul post of all the stuff I bought and received today... :)

Today was a pleasant day, a nice change from the usual routine. I went to work as usual, but afterwards my favoritest cousin in the whole wide world (who just started a blog!) picked me up and we went out to lunch at the best place for lunch EVER! And then we wandered from store to store, browsing mostly, and buying a few delightful goodies. 

Here is what I bought today:

First up are my thrift store finds! I spent a whole one dollar on these two items: the cute cup and the fabric it was photographed atop! I absolutely love floral patterns and I have quite the collection of cups with different floral designs on them. It will be amazing when I have my own home and can bring out my eclectic, sometimes tacky (I have a great love for tacky things - I even own a duck lamp!), collection of household items! As for the fabric, I think I'm going to give to my mom for the quilt she's been promising to make for me for the past... 5 years! One day, one day... 

But yes, onto the next item!

As funny as they may seem, Turbie Twists are amazing! My Gram would always give me some of these because she loved them so much she was always well stocked up. I remember she would use these all the time, even just to put her hair up while she was in the kitchen. My Gram was amazing! And now I love to use Turbie Twists myself, although just after a shower! This one was on sale and I bought with a rebate card - no money spent! SCORE!

And my final purchase for the day...

SOAP! Could I do a haul post and not talk about soap?! We ended up going to the shop that carries Homesteaders Cache soaps (read my review here) and we both bought a sampler soap stack. This one has a ton of mini soap slices! This one had the list of all the soaps it contained, and I got: Grandma's Garden, Plain & Simple, Little House Lemon, Oatmeal Milk & Honey, and Honey Almond. They are all classic and simple soapy scents! Ahhh... such lovely soap! 

And finally, here is what I received in the mail today:

I placed a small order with Sweet Creek Herbal Care recently and ordered a facial butter bar and two lip balms. Kathleen has a special going on this month - spend $10 in her shop and you can request a lip tint, a new item she's added to the line. I requested the Cherry Red with maraschino cherry flavoring and it's a very lovely shade of red. 

I also had to buy another maraschino cherry lip balm since I completely used up my last one! I have previously reviewed Sweet Creek lip balms (read here) - the formula for the maraschino cherry (and I believe the formula varies for different flavors) is smooth, glossy, and buttery. And I just looove the scent which always reminds me of cherry Fun Dip! I also ordered the Acai Honey which has an interesting scent, sweet and mild with a lightly floral background. It has a different formula, but it's still smooth and creamy. I feel I am going to get a fair bit of enjoyment out of this balm!

But I mainly placed this order because I was curious about the facial butter bar. It has three ingredients: cocoa butter, emu oil, and castor oil. I thought it might be similar to the oil cleansing method, which is another thing I've been curious about. Also, I love shopping with Sweet Creek Herbal Care - this order is my ninth! So, I thought I'd give it a shot! I'll let you all know how it goes, so be expecting a review!

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this haul post and hopefully I'll be able to post a few more soon!

Ophelia's Apothecary Lip Balm {review}

The products at Ophelia's Apothecary are just hard to resist. You've heard of this shop, right? And if you haven't, go check out their shop and you'll see what I mean!  The photographs totally sell the product and I love it when a shop takes the time to make their stuff look so good! I mean, as online shoppers, we need that right?!

{the balm}

The formula for this balm is a bit on the heavy side. It's also a hard balm, but it goes on smooth with little tug. The texture is very creamy and I really enjoy that part.  However,  it's a bit thick and leaves behind a thick layer of balm. I'm not sure that I'm a big fan of how heavy this balm is. I do usually enjoy thick balms, but I feel that this one may offer a bit too much "protection" for my liking. I would prefer if the balm sunk in a bit more and be a bit more breathable instead of just sitting on my lips. It might make a good outdoor balm for blustery windy days though.

{flavor + ingredients}

I currently have one flavor (I did have more, but I gave them away). The flavor I have is Peach Belini,  which has a soft and sweet scent of peaches. It is a very light scent, which I appreciate - peach scents can sometimes be overwhelming.

Ingredients include shea butter, candelilla wax, olive oil, and flavor oils.

{conclusion}

Would I purchase these balms again? Yes, for gifts. I have given a few of these away already and everyone seems to like them. They may not be totally for me, but they will make great stocking stuffers! And hey, they may be for you too, so go check out Ophelia's Apothecary!

Candle Lynn Lip Balm {review}

You know, I own a LOT of lip balms. I have quite a few that I haven't even tried yet. And there's even more that I've only tried once. However, the balms I have from Candle Lynn truly get a lot of use from me!  These just may be my favorite balms ever, seriously. I can use nothing but these balms for days and be completely happy.

{the balm}

The glide is fantastic and the texture is phenomenal! It leaves a layer of silky, creamy goodness behind! And, really, I mean it is GOOD! The silkiness is unbelievable, it's like... pudding. There we go, it has the texture of pudding (dontcha just love my descriptions?). And I can't get enough of it. I'll put it on and just rub my lips together because it just feels that good. It is love.

And I really should mention the prices. Because they're sort of unbelievable for balms this good. Balms are priced at $2.49 each, or $11.95 for a pack of 5 with free shipping! (There's also some extra good deals going on now!) Doesn't that just blow your mind?! I kind of can't get over it. Uh-mazing!

{flavors + ingredients}

I have a few of these...

• Bubble Gum: Yummy pink bubble gum scent!
• Very Cherry: This is a very good cherry scent that reminds me of cherry Chapstick. Classic scent!
• Cocoa: My favorite! Light cocoa scent with a hint of sweetness.
• Cotton Candy: Sugary goodness! Really does smell like cotton candy!
• Creme Brulee: This one is like dessert for the lips! It smells like vanilla ice cream topped with warm butterscotch and toasted coconut. Seriously.
• Orange Squeeze: Nice light orange juice flavor.
• Strawberry Smoothie: Sweet milky strawberry scent. It also has a sort of "powdery" scent, because it reminds me of strawberry Nesquik!

As for the ingredients, the balms are made with: coconut oil, beeswax, organic shea butter, organic cocoa butter, vitamin e, flavor oil.

{conclusion}

Would I buy from again? Most definitely yes! The balms are some of the best I've ever tried! They feel perfectly delightful, there's a good amount of lovely flavors, and the prices are awesome! In fact, I'm purchasing some right now (good 4 for $4 deal going on)! I think you all should head on over to Candle Lynn and check it out!

Ella Dean's Beautiful Twists Lip Conditioners {review}

WARNING: There may be a lot of gushing over the awesomeness of Ella Dean and her wonderful lip conditioners! I strongly urge you to continue reading...

You have all probably heard of her, but I though I'd add my review to the huge pile of well deserved reviews for Ella Dean! Ella Dean is one of the sweetest sellers on Etsy! The BEST customer service and one of my favorite shops, for her lip conditioners are FANTASTIC! Please, visit her various shops: Beautiful Twists, and Groovy Spookieville, and Ella Dean's Natural Products.

{the balm}

The glide on these lip conditioners are absolutely, positively, never been anything like it AMAZING! Seriously, I don't think I've ever felt anything better smoothly gliding across my lips! The balms are so silky soft and melt onto the lips in a buttery fashion. I just can't get over how good it feels. I'm pretty sure my eyes almost popped outta my head the first time I tried one! Besides the stellar gliding powers, the conditioners are quite moisturizing and lip quenching. They leave behind happy, soft, and good looking glossy lips! It is pure love. Seriously.

Did I mention how glossy they are? You have to check out how glossy they look just in the tubes!

Apart from the amazing and flavorful balms, Ella has taken it a step further by creating unique labels and stories for her balms! All of the balms feature different women (and some men and animals) with their own little stories that coincide with the unique flavors. I'm currently holding Pistachio Pudding in my hand right now, and here is what the label tells me:

There once was a girl named Pistachio (nickname Sweet P) who was born with beautiful pistachio colored hair. She loved watching the lightning bugs, winking & wearing flowers in her beautiful hair.

How creative and fun is that?! Ella even sends cute cards featuring the balm's character:

It just blows my mind when I think about how much love and effort Ella puts into every single one of her balms! She is simply amazing!

{flavors + ingredients} 

Ella Dean has an astonishing amount of unique flavors! Here's the (quite long) list of what I have:

• Apple Juice: It's a fruity, almost floral, apple flavor... if that makes sense.
• Assorted Roasted Nuts: This one has a salty, nutty scent with a bit of sweetness.
• Black Cherry Milkshake: Beautiful black cherry scent mixed with a creamy vanilla! It's softly sweet!
• Burnt Sugar Cherry Blossoms & Seaweed: THIS IS THE ONE! By far my favorite, the sweet burnt sugar scent really stands out in this balm with a hint of floral sweetness. And the seaweed powder makes it extra smoooth and creamy!
• Fresh Cream: Smells like sweet, creamy vanilla!
• Grapefruit Juice & Unicorn Kisses: Just like tart grapefruit juice.
• Hawaiian Banana Coconut Smoothie: It's sweet banana coconuty goodness. It reminds me of something that I can't quite place a finger on. Either way, every time I smell this one I have to stop, close my eyes, and sigh. It's that good.
• Marshmallow Grape Bubble Gum: A deliciously sticky sweet grapey scent!
• Modest Peaches & Cream: This is one of the truest peaches & cream scents I've ever had the pleasure to sniff. No too sweet artificial peach-ish scent here. It's da real deal!
• Pistachio Pudding: A bit nutty and sweet with a hint of spice. Yum! I wish I bought the body spray now!
• Plum Ice Cream: Reminds me of sweet berry juice!
• Raspberry Almond Cake: I didn't expect this to be very cake-y, but it totally is. It's like almond cake topped with raspberries
• Seductive Cinnamon Rolls: Seriously smells like cinnamon rolls. I want to eat it!

As for the ingredients, Ella's lip conditioners are vegan! Made with candelilla wax, sweet almond oil, olive oil, aloe vera oil, olive butter, safflower oil, vitamin e, fda color, essential oils, flavor oils, and love (and lots of it, folks!). A few of the balms also have seaweed powder, which is pretty gosh durn amazing! 

{conclusion}

Would I buy this product again? Um, YES! Most definitely, absolutely, positively, YES! I've already made several purchases from Ella. Her balms are AMAZING! The flavors are so unique and presented in a fun, playful way! The customer service is excellent and Ella is super sweet! This is one of my all-time favorite shops and I think you should leave this blog RIGHT NOW and go check out Beautiful Twists! I promise you'll find something to drool over!

Country Blossom Lip Balm {review}

I've been kind of addicted to these balms! In fact, I've made several purchases from Country Blossom! And, I think I have most of the flavors...

WHERE TO FIND:

Check out Country Blossom on Etsy and find some great lip balms, candles, and body scrubs!

PRICE:

The prices are fantabulous! Each balm is $2.50, or you can buy a set of 3 for $6.75. Isn't that a great deal?!?!

SHIPPING & PACKAGING:

Shipping costs are quite reasonable. Every item (even a set) is $2 for shipping, and $0.25 for every item after that. And, I received my items in a timely manner!

APPEARANCE:

The balms come in the standard .15oz clear tube. All of the labels have the Country Blossom image and logo and flavor name. They're quite cute!

INGREDIENTS:

Beeswax, olive oil, coconut oil, vitamin E, and flavor oil.

TEXTURE & GLIDE:

These balms take a little extra push to get 'em going, but it's totally worth it! They're almost the perfect consistency between light and heavy. The balm feels so creamy and smooth on the lips with light gloss! I love it!

MOISTURIZING ABILITIES:

The balm leaves behind noticeable softness!

WEAR:

The wear is about average. I'd say around 1.5 to 2 hours.

SCENT & FLAVOR:

I, um, ordered several flavors...

• Blueberry Pomegranate: Can definitely smell the blueberries in this one! It's like sweet, sugary blueberries with a hint of pomegranate!
• Caramel Apple: This is a scent that has never really appealed to me, but I thought I'd give it a shot. It's actually not too bad. It's caramel-y, but not as sweet as I was afraid of. The apples come out after applied.
• Creme Brulee: This one is one of my favorites! I've never had creme brulee before, so I don't know what it actually smells like. But this balm is fantastic! It has a lightly sweet, custard scent with a faint wisp of something burnt. It's a very creamy scent, and utterly fantastic!
• Coconut Peach: This scent surprised me. I thought it'd be sweet and peachy, but it's not. It's like coconut milk with peaches. Actually, I think that's how it's described, but I didn't expect it to actually smell like that! Anyway, it's a very good coconut and peaches scent that isn't nauseatingly sweet. Score!
• French Vanilla: I'm addicted to vanilla scents and this one is one of the best I've tried! It's like vanilla ice cream! Yumm!
• Green Tea & Honey: I'd have to say this one is my least favorite. But that's because I convinced myself that I like green tea scents and I actually don't. So, if you like green tea scents, you might like this one. But it's not for me... I think it smells kind of floral.
• Mint Chocolate Chip: It's like chocolaty, minty goodness. I wish it had more of a vanilla scent, so it'd be more like the ice cream. But, it's still a lovely scent, and another one of my favorites!
• Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly: You can definitely smell the strawberries in this one! The peanut butter doesn't come out until after you put it on. So it's not overwhelmingly nutty, which is probably more "user friendly". However, I wish it had more peanut butter scent. I'm weird though -- I crave nutty scented lip balms. Ha. I still enjoy the scent though. :)
• Pomegranate: This one is a nice lightly fruity, pomegranate scent. It's a nice, as expected, scent.
• Strawberry Lemonade: This is a sweet and tart scent, that kind of sparkles your senses! You can definitely smell the strawberries and lemons. It's quite a refreshing scent!

BUY AGAIN?:

I would definitely buy from Country Blossom again! Actually, I've already visited this shop 3 times, and I don't expect it to be my last! The balms are fantastic and creamy, and may be on the list of my all time favorite lip balms! There's a lot of flavors with a few unique ones! And, the prices are absolutely fantastic! I would HIGHLY recommend these balms, so go check out Country Blossom right now!

MY RATING: 5 OUT OF 5

DECA Candle Lip Balms & Mini-Giveaway! {ended}

I'm a bit in love with these balms! They are fantastic! And guess what?! I have one extra, so I'm having a mini-giveaway! Instructions at end of post! :)