little white truths

To me, this is a hoh-hum lip balm dressed up in fancy packaging and with a fancy price tag to boot.

It's a thin, slippery balm that slides off my lips in a heartbeat and feels rather oily/slimy to wear. For this reason I prefer using it at night, because if I used it in the day I'd be reapplying it every time I breathed. I've seen a few people comment on this aspect, so do be aware of it.

The balm does have a very slight scent but it's not strong so you might be ok with it if you don't like scented products. I smell citrus (in particular lime) and it's a scent I'm ok with, plus it doesn't linger so I imagine that it wouldn't bother most people.

The first thing I noticed about the product other than the texture (and its inability to adhere well to the lips) was that it's not hydrating at all. As mentioned above, my lips always need nourishment and this product doesn't give me that. On me, it acts more as a barrier product and doesn't feel like it's sinking in and delivering the moisture my lips need.

Again, I've seen a lot of people comment on this product's inability to moisturise the lips, so it's not just me and this seems to be a common issue people have with the product. I've also seen people say that it does nothing towards chapped lips, and while I can't confirm this because my lips haven't been chapped for ages (I use hydrating products too much!), I'm prepared to believe it after discovering that I can't rely on the product to keep my lips feeling nourished and comfortable.

One final thing to note is that I've looked this product up on Paula's Choice, which is something I often do if I come across a product that's really good or really disappointing, as this one is. I do this to see what the skincare experts say, since I'm not an expert myself - just someone who knows a lot about beauty products because I love them.

Apparently this balm does indeed include lime oil (hence the smell), and Paula's Choice notes that this ingredient 'contains a potent allergen (limonene) and can cause a phototoxic reaction when skin is exposed to the sun'. I wanted to mention this so you know as much about the product as I do and can make a more informed decision when it comes to making or not making a purchase.