Hi everyone, this time of the year it is (in most parts of the world) very cold and windy, especially here in Holland. This nasty weather is not only unpleasant, but also very bad for your lips. Many people suffer from dry lips in the winter, including yours truly. Therefore, I will be reviewing 4 different types of lip balms, because in case you didn’t notice, there’s a jungle of lip products out there and they all have shifting quality.
The types that I will review today are Labello Pure&Natural, Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1, and two different balms from Burt’s Bees. Let’s begin with the well-known Keihl’s Lip Balm #1.
Keihl’s is an American brand which started out as a pharmacy, and have since went on to producing skincare and such. The Lip Balm #1 is probably one of their best known products, and is really a top seller. Many people praise this balm, and I have tried it out to see if it lives up to the hype. Retail price here in the Netherlands is around €10.
On the tube it says: “Temporarily protects and helps soothe dry lips. Helps shield lips from the drying effects of wind and cold weather. Apply liberally, and allow an excess of the balm to be absorbed”. After trying out this balm for over a month, in the rainiest and coldest country there is, I can honestly say that I’m disappointed. Maybe I had too high expectations, but I simply feel that it just isn’t moisturizing my lips at all. However, I did feel sometimes that it was protecting my lips from the cold weather, so they didn’t get more dry then they already were.
There are many things I don’t like about this product. Firstly, the consistency is sticky and because of the tube you simply have to apply it with your fingers. Secondly, the smell is quite strong and not very pleasant. Think Vaseline. Thirdly, it doesn’t get absorbed at all. I felt like I was just transferring it all to my boyfriend when I kissed him.
Next to another hyped classic: the Beeswax Lip Balm from Burt’s Bees. This is the original lip balm and has, like the Keihl’s one, been praised on various blogs. The retail price is around €4-€5 at Sephora. Its main ingredients are beeswax, coconut oil, sunflower oil and peppermint oil. This is a very big difference from the Keihl’s lip balm, which mainly contains Petrolatum, Squalane, Lanolin and Wheat Gum Oil.
Burt’s Bees is a brand which emphasizes its natural ingredients, and you have to just love it. The Beeswax Lip Balm is easy to apply thanks to its stick shape. It smells like menthol and even gives you a cooling and tingling feeling on your lips, which I really like. So does it work? YES. It is the most amazing lip balm ever, and I can literally feel how my lips are getting moisturized and healed. I’ve bought it three times now, and I will keep repurchasing it. It’s just that good.
While on the Burt’s Bees topic, I have another version of the original lip balm. It is essentially the same but tinted in several pretty shades. I have the one called “Hibiscus”, which gives a sort of cherry pink tint to your lips. The retail price is around €7. What I just love about it is that, opposite to many tinted lip balms I’ve tried before, this one is actually very pigmented! It’s like wearing a lipstick, but with the benefits of a great lip balm. I bought this not that long ago at Sephora, and I will surely go back and buy some more colors.
The last lip balm I will be reviewing today is the all-time budget classic Labello. I figured that everyone has probably already tried the original one, so I decided to try out the Pure&Natural Camomille & Calendula. This lip balm is very cheap (around €3), sold basically everywhere, and works pretty well. I love the smell; although supposed to smell like Camomille and Calindula, it actually smells like cinnamon. The stick has the same light green color as the packaging, which in my opinion they could have skipped (unnecessary colorants). I found that it works pretty well though; better than the Keihl’s but not as good as the Burt’s Bees original.
I can conclude from this little non-scientific comparison that price isn’t always an indicator of a good product. In my opinion, the Keihl’s lip balm #1 is something that I would never repurchase, while I will stay loyal to Burt’s Bees forever. The Labello is a great budget alternative, which is also a lot easier to get a hold of than Burt’s Bees.
What did you think of this review/comparison? Do you have any favourite lip balm that you want to share?
xoxo, Alice Thorstorp
In South Africa Labello is everywhere, but I prefer Justine’s Ultrasun Lip Shield, because of the SPF25 protection. Especially in the summer, I try to use mine daily to avoid looking all cracked up.
Cool, I’ve never tried Justine. Is that also a budget brand?
No, it’s not. I bought mine at a beauty salon, but there are small Justine shops in South African malls. (It’s not a local brand though.)
My personal favourites are: body shop lip butter in almond, L’Occitane lip balm and an old time favourite Smith’s Rosebud Salve! They are not as cheap as Labello, they sell for around 7-11 euro.
I’ve always wanted to try the Smith’s one, just because they have so nice packaging!