Alternative Apparel: The Champ L/S Eco-Fleece Raglan

I bought this because its freakin' cold here, and I wanted a comfy pullover for lounging around in. I've been hearing a lot lately how Alternative Apparel is the hotness, so I decided to check it out for myself.

Look/First Impressions: Alternative Apparel's website is strange to say the least. The models all wear bizarre accessories and look as if they've been rolling around in chalk. The majority of the products have names that start with Eco, Alternative, Organic, Original... they are really pushing the "We're NOT mainstream!" message. I find the website silly, and the pictures not at all helpful in determining what the clothes actually look like. Most of the pictures are of the models looking like homeless crack addicts. However, I was swayed by the amazing milky red, heather-ness of this top. I love shades of red, and love heather even more. When it arrived it was pretty much as expected, but the outside of the fabric looks old. ("knitted on outdated machines for a retro look") When I wore this, my boyfriend asked if I took it out of storage!

Fit: I'm small, but I wanted a baggy fit. The size charts are practically useless, since terms like "perfect" and "relaxed" fit vary with individual interpretation. I ordered a XS and a S, and ended up returning the S. Its unisex, so it runs big anyway. My main complaint is that the sleeves are waaay to short! I wish they were at least 5 inches longer. My wrist bones are left out to get chilly.

Feel: Darn comfy! Super soft on the inside. Feels great against my skin. Outside is kind of pilly, like a sweater you washed too many times, but its still soft.

Overall: This developed a hole after only one day of lounging around the house! I suppose that makes it more alternative and retro, but for 40 USD I expected this sweater to last longer. For being ridiculously overpriced and annoyingly alternative, I give this 3 out of 5 stars. (website)

Edit: I expressed my concerns to the product feedback survey and a friendly employee offered to ship me a replacement for free! While the sweatshirt might not be the best ever, I'm impressed with their customer service and willingness to make things right with their consumers.

Tilvee: Pomegranate Lip Conditioner

This brand was a lucky find! In addition to being a lip balm addict, I'm also a soap junkie. I found Tilvee while I was browsing online for soaps, to my delight, they also make lip balms!

Look/First Impressions: All Tilvee products are wonderfully photographed, and accompanied by fruit. The site is clean, and just makes me want to buy up the whole line, BUT they are expensive! This tube was six bucks. You can't really tell from the photo, but this is a fat stick (.25 oz).

Smell/Taste: Amazing! Smells like raspberry chocolate, and tastes like it too. Makes me want to try all the flavors.

Feel: I'm finding that I'm extremely partial to balms containing cocoa butter. They apply easily, don't feel greasy, and are the perfect consistency.

Overall: I've been carrying this with me since it arrived, and don't plan on rotating it out of my purse stash for a while. I'll definitely buy another when it runs out. 4.9 out of 5 stars! (website)

Burt's Bees: Replenishing Pomegranate

I've been a long time user of Burt's Bees. While I'm not much of a fan of their body care products, they keep feeding my lip balm addiction!

Look/First Impressions: I love the Burt's Bees packaging. The yellow and red color scheme, plus the style of artwork makes the products easily recognizable. Old man Burt makes me feel like I'm using something grandpa formulated especially for me. I was especially lured by the verb "replenishing", since it gives me the impression of soft, full lips.

Smell/Taste: Wow! Its got a strong, tart smell, that reminds me of sour-patch kids. Luckily, it doesn't taste like them or I'd have thrown it out. The balm itself is a deep red color, like the cap, which comes from the addition of carmine.

Feel: After using the very thin Eco Lips for a week, this feels wonderfully thick. I find that Burt's Bees can sometimes be a little hard, and it takes a few swipes for a good coating. Sometimes, I just scrape some off the top with my fingernail (as if it were a tin), and rub it into my lips. This seems to soak in right away and make my lips very soft. I need fewer re-applications to maintain nice feeling lips.

Overall: Keep up the good work, Burt! 4.5 out of 5 Stars. (website)

Eco Lips Beta Balm: Bee Free Pomegranate

I discovered Eco Lips back in the fall. My usual health food spots don't carry this brand, so I ended up placing a large order online, and have almost all their products. You can also get a free sample if you send them two dollars for the shipping. Details here.

Look/First Impressions: This balm isn't much to look at, but there's a reason for that. This is a Beta Balm, which just means the product hasn't become part of their full-time inventory, but is available for consumers to test. So, no effort was put into giving it a fancy label. This is also one of their Vegan Friendly "Bee Free" products, meaning no bees wax was used in the formula. The base contains Candelilla Wax and Cocoa Butter.

Smell/Taste: The smell is light and citrus-y. This smells the most like a pomegranate of all the lip balms I'm reviewing this month. The balm itself is left uncolored, and unflavored.

Feel: This balm is very soft, and easy to over apply. Goes on smooth, but quickly gets too melty while its on my lips and starts feeling greasy. I noticed the skin under my lips was becoming oily, and I even started breaking out. Bad news, indeed! I tried it as a cuticle moisturizer too, and it seems to perform better once its rubbed into the skin.

Overall: Meh, I don't feel strongly about this product either way. It was fun to try, but doubtful I will buy it again. 3 out of 5 Stars. (website)

Softlips: PURE Pomegranate

I have to say, organic is in. Softlips has a new PURE line, with two new flavors; Pomegranate and Honeydew. I scooped this up a few months ago in Target.

Look/First Impressions: The first thing I noticed was the USDA certified organic stamp. I'm impressed with anyone who goes to the trouble to get certified organic, or use certified organic ingredients. Speaking of ingredients, this only contains a few vegetable oils, shea butter, bees wax and vitamin E. I subscribe to the philosophy that simple is better, so I'm on board with this lip balm. Of course it comes in the signature Softlips skinny tube (.07 OZ), which is about half of a regular-sized tube. Unfortuantely its not half the price.

Smell/Taste: This balm doesn't really have a distinct smell. It has a very minimal sweet scent, and no flavor at all.

Feel: As neat as the skinny tube looks, its performance is an utter failure. It takes forever to get my lips coated with this stuff! When I apply this balm, I feel like a little kid with a crayon, "scribbling" on my lips. However, its nice once applied. The formula is a good consistency, not too thick or thin, and feels silky when I press my lips together. Even after the balm begins to soak in, the silky feeling remains. I kinda missed the cool menthol feeling of other Softlips products.

Overall: This was a good buy, and I was happy enough with it to buy the Honeydew Flavor as well. Yet, I really dislike the size of the stick. Its too skinny to be practical, and sometimes the "roll down" feature doesn't work. 4.1 out of 5 Stars. (website)

Pomegranate Seed Oil

After a holiday hiatus, I'm back. I always look forward to the winter. Not only because of the holidays, but also because one of my favorite fruits comes in season; the pomegranate. My sister and I loved to eat them when we were little. Mom always made us stand on chairs and lean over the kitchen sink while we plucked the arils out of the husk, so we wouldn't make too much of a mess. Although, we'd still end up with juice stains on our clothes afterward.

Pomegranates have become quite popular in recent years, likely due to the health benefits associated with their juice. The contain Vitamin A, C, and E, and powerful antioxidants. Oxidants (usually called free radicals) break down healthy cells and may contribute to illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants help reduce free radicals and repair damaged cells. (source)

In addition to pomegranate-based recipes and food items, skin care products containing pomegranate seed oil have become a common sight on store shelves. Without getting too scientific, pomegranate seed oil contains several acids which aid in protecting, moisturizing, and revitalizing the skin. For the month of January, I plan on celebrating the pomegranate by sharing some products made with this amazing fruit. (source)