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)

Kiss My Face: Sugar & Spice

The holiday season is in full swing and what better way to celebrate than with special edition lip balms! I picked this up at the local Whole Foods for about seven bucks, which I think is a little steep. Even for two. I also have to say that this brand name gets me giggling. How do you say it? Is it playful like "Don't kiss my ___, kiss my face!" Or is it full of attitude like "Kiss my ass"? Either way, here we go.

Look/First Impressions: Sparkle-y packaging with a Christmas theme. The flavors are Vanilla Sugar and Cranberry Spice. There's even a little poem on the back that says "Whether you choose sweet or spice, your lips will feel oh so nice!" Hehe, very cute. Most of the ingredients are also certified organic by Quality Assurance International.

Smell/Taste: The smell is subtle. I was curious what Cranberry Spice would smell like, and I immediately thought of chai tea when I took a whiff. There's some cinnamon in there, too. Vanilla Sugar is what I expected; just like a sugar cookie, with a slight hint of coconut. Combined, these two smell like Christmas at mom's house.

Feel: This is a bees wax based lip balm, so its pretty soft and applies smoothly to the lips without being too thick. That being said, it does absorb quickly into my skin. I needed another round after about an hour. I don't mind re-applying, since it feels so nice.

Rating: The formula is nice and makes my lips soft, but the smell isn't something I'd normally choose for myself. Overall, I'd give this 4.25 out of 5 stars. (website)

W.S. Badger: Cocoa Butter Lip Balm

There's a little health food shop called Rebecca's Natural Foods a few miles from where I live. They stock all sorts of natural and organic products, and have a huge lip balm selection. I've used a few Badger Balms with good results, and figured I'd give their lip balm a try. The flavor I picked was Creamy Cocoa.

Look/First Impressions: The first thing I noticed about this lip balm was the size of the tube. Its a big fat one! (.25 oz) I'm unlikely to misplace something so large, and its easy to tell apart by feel from other tubes when I'm digging in my abyss of a bag. A closer look at the label reveals that the ingredients are Fair Trade and USDA Certified Organic. Now, who can complain about food quality ingredients in their lip balm? With only seven (pronounceable) ingredients, there's nothing suspicious about it, and I feel good buying this one. Also, there is a magical, smiling badger on the front waving a rainbow of little berries out of his wand!

Smell/Taste: The Creamy Cocoa has a subtle smell of chocolate, and a little bit of flavor too.

Feel: Application is smooth and easy. I like to swipe twice for a complete coat. Its not too thick or too thin, and feels great when I press my lips together. I could rub this on my lips all day long, but a good coat in the morning will last me until lunchtime. I'd advise against keeping this one in your pocket though, it can get a little melty.

Rating: Overall, this is the best lip balm I've ever used. 5 out of 5 stars! (website)