Plum Pure: Soothing Vanilla

I stopped in Harris Teeter (not my usual grocery store) last week to pick up some pumpkin bread ingredients for Thanksgiving and couldn't resist a stroll through the oral care aisle. Surprisingly, I found a lip balm I'd never heard of before, Plum Pure!

Look/First Impressions: So, I was in the aisle debating on which flavor I should choose; Soothing Vanilla or Vitalizing Peppermint? (why not plum?) Well, my boyfriend hates mint, so vanilla won out. I figured if I liked it, I could come back later for Peppermint. The balm was packaged in a paper hanging box, which I must admit I am no fan of, but I do understand that some retailers will not purchase products if they are not packaged according to a certain standard. The balm is in a creme-colored tube with cute, purple plums and a juicy looking font which seems to call out "Try me, and I'll make your lips incredible". There's also one of those twist off safety seals, which takes me about 10 minutes of wrestling to finally get the darn thing open! Delay of lip balm sampling is never a good thing. Soothing Vanilla is already not living up to its name.

Smell/Taste: After getting the cap off, I take a whiff. There's a subtle smell I can't quite make out, so I inhale a little deeper. It doesn't really smell like vanilla, but more like cardboard. Disappointing to say the least, and leaves me wondering if the mint would have been a better choice after all. There is no taste to this balm.

Feel: I never put a brand new lip balm right onto my lips, because I detest that little divot in the top that makes "sharp" edges on the surface of the balm. I always wear it down first on the back of my hand, to make the balm smooth and round before applying it to my lips. Even with a warm up, this balm is difficult to apply. Its very solid feeling, and I've got to press it hard against my lips and make about seven swipes before I feel satisfied. When I press my lips together, it feels thick and waxy. Almost like I'm kneading dough. The consistency is not improved after being warmed up to body temperature. In fact, I think it actually gets thicker! I'm assuming this is because the oils are being absorbed into my skin, and the wax is remaining on the surface. I find my self constantly pressing my lips together in an effort to redistribute the balm. You will probably end up wiping this off before it wears off. I think because of the thickness it will make a good night time, or extreme cold weather balm. I'd also recommend it as a regular skin moisturizer, because the backs of my hands do feel very soft.

Overall: I was really hoping to like this product, especially after reading their philosophy on ingredient integrity. And plum! Very unique, but the formula needs work and I think the flavor choices are somewhat odd. Where is the plum flavored one? A+ for effort, but I don't think I will buy this brand again. 2 out of 5 stars. (website)