Hope you all had an amazing holiday break! Getting plenty of rest, eating good food, and spending time with friends and family, or your patients =)
Today I am reviewing and later comparing 2 lip care/moisturizing products!
I had an embarrassing moment at school before winter break. Someone was waving at me, and I started to wave and smile back, but my lips were so dry and tight, that I knew that if I tried to smile any further, I'd split my skin and bleed, so it looked like an awkward half-smile, and I felt bad.....and awkward, and well, realized that dry skin and lips during the winter on the East Coast is no joke and so I decided to try a couple lip care products!
L'Occitane 10% Shea Butter Lip Balm
What do I think of this product?
This is a squeeze tube that dispenses product onto the finger which you rub onto the lips. This doesn't bother me but it might bother some people. Especially if you don't like your fingers getting lip balm or any product with glycerin and/or wax on them.
This product has shea butter but also castor seed oil, vegetable oil and wax as the main ingredients. It has a higher amount of wax than other products which creates a good seal against dry air and wind but it also means that you need to heat it up and rub your lips more (with fingers or your own lips) in order to soften the product and apply it smoothly. Especially as the weather gets colder this product becomes more solid and less creamy.
It will also leave a residue when you drink from a cup or something, that is something that does bother me since I use thermoses in the winter and I don't like lip balm, lip color, residues on the rim of the cup, looks dirty to me.
However, it is decently long lasting and good on windy days. I don't reapply too often and it creates a good seal on my lips and helps prevent them from cracking and drying out.
When I brought this to CA, it was obviously warmer than the east coast, by 20-30 degrees and in the 60Fs and 70Fs, the overall climate is warm enough to soften this product so that it applies very easily.
"fresh" Sugar Lip Treatment Advanced Therapy SPF 15
What do I think of this product?
So, I know I'm really behind on this "fresh" or "sugar" thing. I have heard many many people and read many reviews on how amazing this product is. I just didn't like the price. =P
Like, this stick can feed me for 3 meals...XD
But I tried this on in Sephora and almost instantly loved it. I thought about it for a bit and then decided to get it.
So this product smells like sugar and tastes like sugar (but don't eat it haha). I don't mind the fragrance I guess, my lips don't smell like sugar, but it makes me a little worried during the summer. I feel that it would attract insects and cockroaches, especially since it's made from sugar (Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, listed in the ingredients, it is an altered form of sugar derived from sucrose as the main structure).
It's main ingredients are beeswax, jojoba oil, olive oil, castor oil, grape seed oil, and palm glycerides.
This product is very very easy to apply, it glides and applies on very easily and quickly. It is also long lasting but because it's more of a smoother and softer product it won't last as long (for me) and I reapply after I eat and whenever I need to, but I find myself reapplying this more often. It also leaves a residue on cups, which I guess is something I just have to live with.
It has SPF which is great, I guess, haha. I don't usually care much about SPF in lip care, I know friends who have sensitive skin or pale skin and get sunburned lips but I'm Asian, so, I guess that's less of a problem for me. =P
Also, I do really like the packaging, clean, sturdy, with a twist to take off the cap. It is pretty compact and sturdy. Not sure if it is drop proof, have not had that happen to me yet, and I'm not interested in trying.
I have been told by a friend who uses "fresh" lip treatments very often, to only buy this during the winter and not during the summer because then it melts. I can agree with that. The ones at the Sephora store in CA look pretty messed up and malformed (unless someone is really bad at applying lip balm).
Comparison and Recommendations
None of these products irritated or reddened my lips or the sensitive skin around my mouth. I like both and use both.
To be honest, I like the "fresh" one better. I am a busy person who needs to do a lot of things with a limited amount of time so I like convenience. I am willing to pay for convenience if it saves me a significant amount of time because time is the most important thing for me.
"fresh's" lip treatment lets me apply product quickly and then I'm good to go. I don't have to work the product in, warm it up and spread it around and check in my mirror to make sure I don't have any balm residue chunks remaining.
I will still use the L'Occitane one. I leave it in the bathroom and right after I take a shower (which steams up and warms up the bathroom which helps to warm up and soften the lip balm), I put on lip balm so my lips don't dry out. But I don't think I will be repurchasing it.
I'm not sure if I will re-buy the "fresh" lip treatment, it is pricey and I will just have to see if it is is worth it for the rest of this winter. =P
I think that both of these lip care products work well in terms of providing good moisturization to my lips, preventing my lips from cracking, drying, getting chapped and peeling skin.
Of the 2, if I had to chose one, I would recommend the "fresh" one. However, it is double the price and if working in the product during application isn't a big deal for you then I think the L'Occitane one is a very good one to try out. =) If you have skin that is sensitive to the sun, of course, "fresh" would probably be a better choice. =P
So I hope this review and comparison were helpful to you! Let me know if you have any questions or comments in the comment box below. Thank you for reading! Continue enjoying the holiday mood and Happy Early New Year!
I will be flying back to the East Coast tomorrow to get back into study mode so I don't get screwed over when classes start on the 5th. XP But once I'm back, it's just me, myself, and I so I will have time to write more reviews before classes start again!
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