Lip Service Lip Balm

Lip Service
Aloe Butter Lip Balm
$1.75 each (+ $1.52 S&H)

[Beeswax, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter (Cocoa Butter), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract (Aloe Butter), Ricinus Communis Seed Oil (Castor Oil), Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil (Sunflower Oil), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Flavor Oil]

Every now and then, Lip Service offers 2 balms for $3. I just wanted to point this out to those of you who are all about the bargains.

Many of these balms you can choose your own flavor. received the "tax balm" in grape and the "sweet dreams" balm in cheesecake.

The Tax Balm has a green wrapper, a dollar sign and a quote about how much the government loves to screw you over (it is true). The scent/flavor is grape. As an avid grape lover, this flavor meets my high standard of great grapeness.

The Sweet Dreams balm is scented/flavored is Cheesecake. At first I was a little skeptical with this flavor but oh gees, am I super glad I got it. It smells like a rich New York style cheesecake, plain, but soooo yummy. I think if you requested a hint of strawberry mixed with it, you may never have to actually eat cheesecake again. (But really, no.... everyone needs cheesecake, unless you're lactose intolerant.)

I digress...

These balms go on very nice. It glides on smoothly, however it is a bit soft, so I recommend you do not push down super hard when applying it. At first there is a slightly greasy feeling, but when you rub your lips together, it goes away. This balm absorbs very nicely, and leaves a light sheen on your lips.

They last a little less than the average lip balm. I would say you can get a solid hour to two hours with this balm. The yummy flavors, however, make reapplying not so much of a chore. They do not stand up against eating or drinking.

Overall, I am very impressed with the quality of this balm versus how inexpensive it is. This is about what you would pay for a typical Chapstick brand (Boo Chapstick!) but it is cheaper than Burt's beeswax. This is a great quality balm with some cute wrappers (they have a ferret one which is too precious!) and great flavors. I expect to see some even greater flavors to come shortly!

Also check out Lip Serivce's Blog and Myspace!

Rating: 4 outta 5

[That fury creature is the Fire Salamander from the Kreepy Doll Factory. Check out their one of a kind and original Plushes and dolls]

SDavisOriginal

SDavisOriginal Lip Balm pots
$6.00 for 2 (+ $1.85 S&H)

[shea butter, beeswax, aloe, vitamin e, soy oil, sweet almond oil, essential oils]

I ordered Lilac and Eucalyptus/Lavender as my flavors


The Lilac lip balm smells just like a fresh cut from the bush in my back yard. It doesn't taste awesome, but it smells great! I have found that this works as a great solid perfume. It is very powerful but not overwhelming.

The Eucalyptus/Lavender is a wonderfully calming scent. It tastes like lavender but I don't recommend licking it.

Both go on nicely. It is a pot so you have to use your fingers and the opening is small, so if you have big fingers, be warned. You can really feel a lot of shea butter in this lip balm. It is very soothing and thick. If you do not like thick lip balm I do not recommend this balm. It begins to melt into your lips and feels divine, yet it is thick when you first put it on.

These balms last for about two to three hours and your lips feel lush and silky smooth. I cannot attest to their ability to withstand heat, but from the contents of these balms and the texture, I think it would stand up pretty well. The pot makes it too hard to carry it around in your pocket, but these would go well in any purse.

Overall, these balms are a slight step above your average lip balm. The Shea butter makes it have a wonderful texture which truly nourishes your lips.

Rating: 3.5 outta 5

Pink Quartz Mineral Custom Slim Stick Lip Balm

Pink Quartz Mineral Slim Stick Lip Balm
$4.50 (+ $2.25 S&H)

[castor oil, palm kernel oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, aloe extract, carnuba wax, candelilla wax, minerals, stevia, flavor]

These slim sticks (pots are available, and reviewed on a while ago) are 100% customizable, up to the flavor, sweetening, and color. Perfect for that someone that knows EXACTLY what they want but can't seem to find it.

I purchased four and here is the run down... (note, all of mine are sweetened)

Flavor: Mango Pomegranate
Color: Rose Ice

This has a super sweet and candy-like scent. The color is a nice shimmery rose. It goes on nicely but because it is highly pigmented, it feels grainy. At first this is was awkward, but then you get used to it. The color of this balm is flattering with metallics and pink make up.

Flavor: Coffee Brownie
Color: Bamboo

Yes... I went a bit over the top with this flavor... I wanted it all! The cool thing is, it smells like Spot Coffee's Cincoshake. YUMMMY!! The color is similar to the neutral lip glass in MAC's Heatherette collection. It is less grainy than the first balm, and the color is intense. I don't recommend this color on super pale skin unless you are going for that look.

Flavor: Peach Fruit Punch
Color: Golden Green

This flavor sounded like a great combination....sadly it is not. It smells like super sweet perfume and tastes like soap. Very icky. However, the color is great. It is like Spring Bean by MAC. It is grainy, like the first balm, and the flavor really is blah. It lingers and just wont go away. Bad call on my part....learn from this mistake.

Flavor: Marshmallow
Color: Chameleon

It doesn't smell like a marshmallow but when you put it on it does taste like a nice burnt marshmallow, with a nutty kick to it. I enjoy the taste. The color is a nice neutral shimmer. It is a slight bronze/brown but the shimmer in picks up greens and blues. This is a lib balm I have enjoyed wearing with my neon green and blue eye shadow. It compliments bright colors if you want to high light your eyes and not your lips. It is about the same grainy composition as the first as well.

These balms all last about 2 hours, if you don't lick your lips. Yet the hint of color will stay longer, which I find nice.

A major bonus of these balms is that they VEGAN!!! This is a great thing. Especially if you are a super picky vegan.

The slim stick is also convenient, however the price is a bit much. If you are super picky and you like what you see here, then the price may be right.

Overall: 3.8 outta 5

Karmic Klutter Castile (olive) Soap

Karmic Klutter natural and organic Castile Soap
From Karmic Klutter site

$3.75 - $7.98 (+ S&H this depends on your order)

[Saponified oil (extra virgin olive oil, palm, and coconut), castor oil, safflower oil, glycerin, purified water, sorbitol (a humectant derived from berries), sorbitan oleate (an emulsifier derived from sorbitol, see above), soy bean protein, vanilla bean specks, titanium dioxide (a natural mineral whitener), natural mica colorant, and fragrance]


This soap review must start off with the awesome factoid... natural and organic! Yeah!

The first bar I tried was the slate colored one, Blackberry Cybilla. It's scent is sophisticated but lacking on the berry front. As you can sort of tell from that photo, it is a great gray slate color which would match most bathroom decor and or kitchen areas. The lather is also commendable. In both hot and cold water, the lather is quick, foamy, and full. It provides nice coverage also. Afterwards it has that dry sticky clean feeling. Its not bad. Your skin does feel cleansed but a bit stiff. It goes away within 30 seconds or so, and then you skin feels soft and moist.You skin, afterwards boasts a mildly subdue fresh scent. The blackberry is still not overpowering, really it is barely there.

The next bar was CocoMango. This is a fun mango colored bar, with a nice mild mango scent before washing. It has the same nice lather as the Blackberry Cybilla. It also gives that same sticky clean feeling. However when you use it, the lather is very coco-ish. Your skin smells like a lighty naturally fruit. It has hints of mango, but there is an undertone of something citrusy that blends in nicely.

Overall, these sample bars are splendid. I wish I had more of them! They are .5 oz which is really a great size for a quest bathroom, or for traveling with. I wish the scents were a bit stronger thought. Yet another positive is the fact you can customize you bars scent and color. Neato!

Rating: 4 outta 5

Pink Quartz Mineral Sparkle Shimmer Lip Balm

Pink Quartz Mineral Sparkle Shimmer Lip Balm
(100% Customizable)
From Pink Quartz Mineral Etsy
$3.50 (+ S&H) for 5 gram sample pot
(Bigger sizes are available)

[castor oil, palm kernel oil, avocado oil, cocnut oil, aloe extract, carnauba wax, candelilla wax, minerals, stevia, flavor]

First, these balms are 100% customizable, which is something I love. This make up shop offers dozens of natural, mineral colorings to add to your balm as well as at least a hundred available flavors ranging from alcoholic beverages, fruit, coffee, and food. You can even combine the flavors, have your balm sweetened or left natural. Amazing options from Pink Quartz Minerals!!

I opted for a strange, but pleasantly surprising, combo.... Mango Loganberry. (I call this MangLo) I also got a iridescent coloring added it for more shimmer. It smells DIVINE!!! Just like candy. I can adequately equate it to the scent and taste of one of those unicorn horn candy suckers you'd get at a fair. SUPER YUMMY!!!

The pot is really small, but it is a sample and it is also deep. I'd advise you to use a brush because if you have big fingers it's a bit tricky. As you can tell, my pot was even made especially for me. My name is on the label! Yeah! It easily glides on and your lips feel silky smooth. Right after you put it on there is a bit of stickiness, but I do put a lot on...I just can't help it...the flavor is intoxicating. It absorbs nicely into your lips and you really can tell after just one use that it is effective in moisturizing.

The shimmer is just the perfect amount. This is a true balm, not a gloss, even though there is castor oil. I love how the mineral shimmer reflects the eye make up I am wearing too. This balm would be even better is it were in a tube. It would be any Vegan's first choice compared to a lipstick. I would highly recommend if you are a Veg looking for a nice lip color that isn't chalky and wears for a great while to check out the vast options you have through Pink Quartz.

In the picture above the balm is much yellower than it actually is. The hue of the color changes depending on what surface it is near. I chose my desk because it was the closes thing that showed the real color of the balm.

Oh, and you also get a nice little velvet pouch to carry your balm in. Not that you may use it, but it is a very nice presentational touch, just like the personalized label.

Overall, this balm is the bomb. I am so glad I can across this company. First, their options are endless which gives you almost a creative control of what you are putting on your lips. Second, their colors are fantastic because vegan lip stick is hard to come by. Third, it is just delicious and nutritious for your lips!!

Rating: 4.9 outta 5
(It really needs to be in a tube!)