little white truths

This lip balm was included as a freebie in one of my Beautyheaven Beautorium hauls. I used to use Blistex a lot when I was in school and it was my favourite brand for lip treatment products, so I was happy to see this show up: it's been a while since I've used anything from them.

Worth noting is that I would have been happier with a plain old tube because I find these 'egg' balms rather chunky, gimmicky and annoying. More on that below.

Blistex claims/product details:

• Flip open lid to discover the pearl - a premium dome of moisturising lip balm
• Delicious plum-vanilla flavour
• A satiny blend packed with silk extracts and conditioners 
• For super smooth lips with a hint of shine
• Breakthrough packaging: unique flip-under cap opens and stays attached
• RRP $5.95 AUD for 7g, but do shop around

There's nothing wrong with the packaging and I suppose it's a bit nifty, the way it flips back to reveal the balm. 

When I've finished the product I'll likely wash out the packaging and give it to my toddler to play with: it's the kind of thing she would love fiddling with.

Probably the main thing I don't like about the packaging is the shape of the balm itself. I don't want a round balm: I want a normal tube product that's small and easy to apply to the lips.

After a month of use my balm is no longer round - it has now formed a 'peak' in the middle because my lips have worn down the sides and caused more of a slope. And of course, the more you use it, the wider it gets as you move further down the dome.

Verdict

This product is fine but it's not one I would buy. I'll certainly use mine while I have it, but it's not the best lip balm I've tried (including from Blistex itself) and the packaging just isn't for me.

It's quite a hard balm and it's a little too waxy for my personal tastes but it's certainly not the most waxy balm I've ever used.

It has a faint, plum-vanilla scent and I do enjoy the fragrance: I also like that it's not too strong because I don't like it when my lip products smell so much that I'm aware of them all the time.

The problem I find with waxy balms is that they're not as hydrating as they should be because they don't sink in as well and nourish the lips, but instead sit on top and slide around. While I do find that this hydrates at least a little, it doesn't leave my lips feeling that comfortable so it's not a balm I would buy if you need a treatment product.

The good news, though, is that it does adhere to the lips well so I don't find that I need to keep reapplying this all the time. Yes it comes off when you eat or drink, but it does hang around longer than other balms.

Also, the packaging is a bit annoying to me. This isn't the kind of balm that you can throw in any old jacket pocket or small handbag because it takes up too much real estate. I don't want something this chunky: I want something small that I can slip anywhere without second thought.

For this reason there's only one spot I have for this product: it's my bedside table balm, but I don't wake up with super nourished and soft lips - I wake up and they feel ok but a little dry and rather coated.

All in all, this isn't a terrible product but it's not for me and I think you can find more hydrating lip balms that aren't this chunky. Sure it's nice to play around with different packaging now and then, but the simplest is often the best.

Ok.