Original

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm ($18.00 for 0.15 oz.) is supposed to be a hydrating, restorative lip balm that comes in a twist-up tube. The texture was firmer in the tube, and there was some tugging until the balm started to melt against my lips. I also went through a tube in three weeks–an entire tube!–as it seemed to wear down quickly. The original Lip Mask lasts all night for me, but the Lip Balm only stayed on for two hours, tops. It felt more like a film of product on the lips than something imparting real moisture or nourishment to my lips.

While I’m a huge fan of the brand’s original Agave Lip Mask, this fell short for me. It just did not seem to keep my lips hydrated or restored; my lips felt dry and never seemed in good condition during the three weeks I used this for. As soon as I stopped using it, within a few days of going back to my normal routine (Jack Black Lip Balm during the day, Clarins Lip Balm at night unless it was a lip-swatching-bonanza kind of day, then Bite’s Agave Lip Mask), and my lips felt and looked so much better.

Bite Beauty Sugar Lip Scrub ($18.00 for 0.26 oz.) is supposed to use a mix of “raw brown sugar, pineapple enzymes and exotic oils” to “clean, exfoliate, and condition lips.” It was esay to apply to the lips, as I just took a bit on a clean spatula and patted it onto lips, added water (which made it milky and thinned out the consistency), and it removed fairly easily.

The sugar granules were large, and they did not seem particularly plentiful–I felt like there was more of the thicker, syrupy base. I didn’t feel like it exfoliated well, and since the oils and the like are only on for a minute or so, they didn’t leave my lips feeling hydrated either. There was also some bitter taste afterward that was unpleasant (though it smelled like sugar and vanilla in the pot). I would always have to go back to actually exfoliate my lips, either with another lip scrub or even just using a hand towel. It was more effective to rub the excess skin off my lips with my fingertip than it was using this scrub.

Bite Beauty Original Agave Lip Balm

Bite Beauty Original Agave Lip Balm

Bite Beauty Original Agave Lip Balm

Bite Beauty Original Agave Lip Balm

Bite Beauty Agave Agave Sugar Lip Scrub

Bite Beauty Agave Agave Sugar Lip Scrub

Bite Beauty Agave Agave Sugar Lip Scrub

Bite Beauty Agave Agave Sugar Lip Scrub

Bite Beauty Agave Agave Sugar Lip Scrub

Bite Beauty Original Agave Lip Balm

Bite Beauty Original Agave Lip Balm

Bite Beauty Original Agave Lip Balm

Bite Beauty Original Agave Lip Balm

Bite Beauty Agave Agave Sugar Lip Scrub

Bite Beauty Agave Agave Sugar Lip Scrub

Bite Beauty Agave Agave Sugar Lip Scrub

Bite Beauty Agave Agave Sugar Lip Scrub

Bite Beauty Agave Agave Sugar Lip Scrub

Purr Lemonade Lip Scrub ($5.00) tastes like sweet lemonade as the sugar granules gently exfoliate away any dead skin from the lips. It works, and it smells and tastes delicious, but the consistency is on the looser side, so I find that is very, very easily spreads so that it doesn’t seem as effective exfoliating as thicker lip scrubs. The sugars just disperse and run a bit across the mouth and just outside of it. To that end, it is gentler as there are less sugar granules in motion at once.

As a quick note, I’m not entirely sure how much product my jar contains, as it doesn’t say on my jar. The listing I purchased it from said it was 1 oz., but it was also supposed to be contained in a glass jar. As far as I can tell, my jar is plastic and a white plastic cap (not a brassy metal one), and the labeling is on the top of the lid (not around the jar). The ingredients listed on my label are as follows: “sugar, hemp butter, sunflower oil, essential oil.” The listing also included olive oil, avocado oil, and beeswax, none of which are listed on my label, under materials.

Puur Pumpkin Spice Body Butter ($7.00 for 4 oz.) is an extremely thick, not-quite-solid body butter used to provide intense hydration to the skin. It’s supposed to smell like a “maple bar and brown sugar, with hints of pumpkin spice.” In the jar, there are bits of pumpkin spice and brown sugar, but there’s a very noticeable waxy/plastic-y note in it, and on, it smells like an old lipstick–I don’t get any of the sweetness or pumpkin spice after a half hour.  The consistency is just very lightly whipped but more solid (more like butter!).  It was also a little stringy (maybe

This also took forever to absorb! I would take a shower, apply this, and sit in shorts–two to three hours later, it would still feel oily and have a faint sheen. I tried using less and less as I continued to test it, and using as little as possible, it seemed to mostly absorb after an hour.  Ultimately, though it certain seems like it should be hydrating, I felt like a lot of the product was never absorbed and ended up on my bedding or clothing, so I did not feel like my skin looked or felt moisturized after using this.

Again, there was a packaging discrepancy, as it was pictured and described as being in an amber glass jar, and mine is just a glass jar. I really don’t have an issue with how either product arrived to me, but I don’t like that they aren’t as pictured. There were no ingredients listed on my jar, but the listing has these under materials: “raw ivory shea butter, olive oil, soy wax, arrowroot powder, fragrance.”

I might be the odd one out, as this is an Etsy shop with over 4,000 reviews.  If you’ve tried Puur, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Puur Lemonade Lip Scrub

Puur Lemonade Lip Scrub

Puur Lemonade Lip Scrub

Puur Pumpkin Spice Body Butter

Puur Pumpkin Spice Body Butter

Puur Pumpkin Spice Body Butter

Aubrey Elizabeth Apothecary Lemon Lip Scrub ($7.75 for 1 oz.) might just be my new go-to lip scrub. I’m really loving the smaller granules of sugar in this one, as well as the thicker base. It contains sucrose (brown sugar), shea butter, jojoba seed oil, lemon peel essential oil, and vitamin E. The jar says you can lick the remaining granules if you so desire…. you might want to, if you happen to love lemonade! It tastes like sweet, lemony goodness, though I prefer to wipe it away as it leaves more of the base behind and acts as a lightweight lip balm. You need a pea-size amount or less, then lightly work the sugar against the lip with a fingertip, and once finished, wipe away with a tissue. I ordered on October 30th, received it on November 4th, I believe–it was really, really quick to ship and actually arrive. It’s also available in Grapefruit, Blood Orange, Chocolate Orange, and Lime.

This is one of three lip scrubs I picked up from three different Etsy shops, and of the two I’ve tried so far, I’ve been wanting a lip scrub recently (all my previous ones were old enough to be recycled), and I caught myself about to buy one from Sephora, but I could hear my readers’ voices in my head–“just use sugar and oil!” Oh, so very true! Except I’m really not much of a DIY person and would rather have it ready to go. Instead, I turned to Etsy, which has plenty of bath and body shops and sure enough, I found a few lip scrubs to try. Perfect solution, because they’re not too expensive, come in fun flavors, and I get to support an indie business!

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Aubrey Elizabeth Apothecary Lemon Lip Scrub

Aubrey Elizabeth Apothecary Lemon Lip Scrub

Aubrey Elizabeth Apothecary Lemon Lip Scrub

Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatment ($18.50 for 0.20 fl. oz.) is a clear gloss with a very, very fine shimmer. The shimmer wasn’t visible on the lips, though, and what was visible was a glossy shine (medium in shine; not ultra, ulta glossy but definitely shiny). It has the same lemon-y scent as the original balm. It’s supposed to deliver high-shine will still giving lips hydration and “preserving moisture for up to six hours.”

While Fresh’s original Sugar Lip Treatments are not my personal go-to, they were moisturizing and hydrating when I tried it (my major issue was they didn’t last very long on lips and required frequent reapplication to maintain hydration), but the claim of “up to six hours” made me curious about this one. The consistency is thin, lightly tacky, and fairly smooth initially, but it does get increasingly tacky as it wears on the lips. Reapplying over the tackiness does mean the next application isn’t as smooth on.

I was able to get about two and a half hours of wear, which is decent (particularly for a virtually clear gloss). I can’t say that my lips feel nicely hydrated even after this is gone; even after wearing it back-to-back over an entire day, if I don’t reapply within an hour or so of it fading away, my lips feel a little dry. I think the original lip balm is more effective and much more comfortable to wear, too.

The packaging/applicator could be slightly improved, as unless you have thinner lips, you’ll need three or so pulls of the gloss to get enough for coverage. Every time I pulled the wand out, there was hardly any product on the doe-foot applicator! I doubt this is going to be a deal-breaker for anyone, but it was enough that it was something that I actually noticed while using this for the past few weeks.

All in all, this just felt like a regular, somewhat hydrating lipgloss. The price tag isn’t as killer as some of the higher-end, hydrating glosses on the market, but I’d probably stick with the lip balm for your hydration needs if you’re a big fan of Fresh.

Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatment

Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatment

Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatment

Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatment

Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatment

Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil ($42.00 for 0.25 oz.) is supposed to help lips look better both in the short-term as well as over the long-term by conditioning, hydrating, and relieving dry and chapped lips. The applicator is a “24-karat gold-plated, anti-bacterial palladium,” slanted and slightly curved tip. You lightly press to dispense the product to apply.

This lip treatment is a follow-up to Hourglass’ No. 28 Primer Serum, and it contains 14 essential oils, as well as vitamins A, B5, C, and E. It also includes Saliporine 8, which Hourglass says, in clinical studies, has shown to “reinforce the natural moisturizing factor of the skin and boost moisture levels,” Volulip, which in clincal studies has shown to “provide improvement in the appearance of lip shape, softness, volume, hydration, and youth for at least 69% of volunteers.” The third ingredient is K3 Viamerine, which Hourglass said in clinical studies was shown to “deliver deep hydration and reduce the appearance of depth in wrinkles.”

I’ve been using this for several weeks now, and I think this is the type of product that will work best (and will be most “worth it”) for someone who finds most products don’t work for them; for someone who suffers from dry, chapped, cracked, or peeling lips and truly needs a treatment.  If your lips are fairly smooth with whatever lip care you’re using, this is going to feel lovely, but I don’t know if you’ll see dramatic improvement or truly feel it.

I deliberately wore some of the more drying lipstick formulas I’m aware of to essentially roughen up my lips so they would be cracked and peeling (I don’t recommend that, and I don’t think I’d go that far again), and then I tried this.  I routinely reached for this over my regular lip balm (Jack Black) after a particularly long “lip swatching” session.  I also used it when my lips felt and looked normal (soft, smooth, no cracking/peeling).  Hourglass’ Lip Treatment Oil seemed to soothe, relieve, and repair my lips faster than my normal lip balms would when my lips were in a really rough state.

It always felt lovely on; slightly thick, somewhat creamy but not wet, with medium-weight.  It had a very light tack to it, more from its thickness than anything else.  It has a lemony, herbal scent and slightly herbal taste–it wasn’t a taste I was fond of but didn’t notice after a few regular uses.  When I first started using this, I applied it in the morning and before bed (I usually am testing gloss/lipstick during the day).  My lips were normal, and I really didn’t feel like it was doing anything more than what normal lip balm does for me.  I didn’t like using it during the day as much, because I felt like it wasn’t very long-lasting and would disappear after two hours or so.  Obviously, at this price point, frequent reapplication isn’t something the wallet wants to here.

That’s why I decided to give it more of a challenge, and then maybe, I’d see more of the restorative effects of the product–and I did.  The wear time didn’t improve, but I noticed improvement within a few hours (especially in terms of making my lips feel more soothed and less discomfort) and saw more dramatic improvement after three to four days of using this three to four times a day.  It also seems to relieve my lips when they’re normal but rubbed raw from swatching slightly faster than my normal lip balm (within two hours, as compared to three).

Based on my experience, it’s a product I’d recommend considering if you have lips in need of serious treatment, not simply routine care.  It is absolutely hydrating and soothing even when lips feel good to start, but the efficacy was not much more (if at all) than I’ve experienced with other lip balms at varying price points.  It’s also a product that can work well for anyone who has moderate lip concerns as a night-time treatment to help maintain good lip care.  Now, if you ordinarily splash out for your lip balm, then it might just replace your current go-to.  For reference:  Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment is $150/oz., Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil is $168/oz., Dior Creme de Rose is $108/oz., and La Mer’s Lip Balm is $156/oz.

Ingredients

Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Octyldodecanol, Amyris (Amyris Balsamifera) Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Benzoin Siam Absolute, Bois De Rose (Aniba Rosaeodora) Oil, Borage (Borago Officinalis) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cedar (Thuja Occidentalis) Leef Oil, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Cherry (Prunus Avium) Pit Oil, Clove (Eugenia Caryophyllus) Oil, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Geranium (Geranium Maculatum) Oil, Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis) Oil, Hazelnut (Corylus Americana) Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis) Oil, Kukui (Aleurites Moluccana) Nut Oil, Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) Oil, Lemon (Citrus Medica Limonum) Peel Oil, Lithospermum Officinale Root Extract, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Olive(Olea Europaea) Oil, Orange (Citrus Aurantium Dulcis) Peel Oil, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Panthenyl Triacetate, Petitgrain (Citrus Reticulata) Oil, Portulaca Pilosa Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Rose Geranium (Pelargonium Roseum) Oil, Rose Hips Seed Oil, Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Leaf Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sucrose Cocoate, Sweet Almond (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis) Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Linoleate, Vanilla (Vanilla Planifolia) Oil, Ylang Ylang (Cananga Odorata) Oil.

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Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil

Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil

Still Lovin’ Ya: Sara Happ The Lip Scrub

Sara Happ Almond Creme Lip Scrub ($24.00 for 1.0 oz.) is an excellent way to keep lips soft and supple for those of us who like a little convenience in our lives.   This particular one has a nutty vanilla scent, sweet like dessert, but not cloying nor does it linger, since you don’t keep it on your lips.  Sara Happ’s scrub is very basic but effective; the granules are large enough to do the job but not too coarse that they feel rough against the lips.  The oils and petroleum base make it solid enough that it keeps the scrub on your lips and not all over your face (or sink).  If you wipe away with a tissue, then some of the oils and petroleum are left over and lock in moisture.

For me, if I have to DIY something, I just know that I won’t make it part of my routine, because I’m too lazy busy and can’t be bothered.  It’s one of those things that I remember to do when I see the tub of Lip Scrub in my drawer, and I go, “OH! Should do that…”  If left to my own devices to concoct it myself, I don’t see myself doing it often, if ever.  That’s just me.  Some of us are born to be product developers, others of us are born to be product testers.  I am the latter!

I actually still have my original pot of Lip Scrub, which I’ll be tossing (I think that sucker is three or four years old), and I never even got halfway through it.   I love the little brown box and white ribbon it comes in, but the tub itself is pretty basic–could be a little more luxe for the price tag.  The fact that it’ll be difficult to get through a tub of this quickly saves the value grade, though.

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• Product: 29/30
• Value: 7/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: This is one of my favorite lip scrubs, because the sugary bits actually stay on my lips while I massage the granules on my lips, and then they rinse (or wipe) off pretty easily.  There’s just enough residual base left to give a bit of moisture, too.  For those who are less apt to splurge on a lip scrub, check out the ingredient list (in the photo) to DIY.

AVAILABILITY: Kiss and Makeup

Sara Happ Almond Creme Lip Scrub

Sara Happ Almond Creme Lip Scrub

Sara Happ Almond Creme Lip Scrub

Sara Happ Almond Creme Lip Scrub

For Convenience: Lip Scrubs

LUSH Sweet Lips Lip Scrub ($8.95 for 0.8 oz.) is a very basic lip scrub that uses castor sugar as its exfoliant. This is a product for those who want convenience, because it feels and works similarly to mixing a little sugar and olive oil–but it comes pre-mixed, conveniently stored, and tastes a bit better than the quickie DIY mix. I do find this to be too dry; the sugar tends to get everywhere and doesn’t adhere very well when I apply it to lips. I expect more of the jojoba oil would likely bind it together better. Since it doesn’t stay together well, I felt like more sugar went straight into the sink than on my lips.

It’s one of the more affordable lip scrubs (other than DIY, of course!) on the market, and you get enough to last you several months. Mine was made in May 2010 and expires in July 2011–good shelf life given the nature of LUSH products, too.

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• Product: 25/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: If shelling out $20+ for a lip scrub rubs you the wrong way, but you’re not really into doing it yourself, LUSH might be that happy medium you’re looking for.

AVAILABILITY: LUSH

LUSH Sweet Lips Lip Scrub

LUSH Sweet Lips Lip Scrub

LUSH Sweet Lips Lip Scrub

LUSH Sweet Lips Lip Scrub

LUSH Sweet Lips Lip Scrub

Gentle Lip Exfoliator:  Philosophy Kiss Me

Philosophy Kiss Me Exfoliating Lip Scrub ($15.00 for 0.5 oz.) is a very thin, sugar-based scrub with a strong peppermint scent (and the tingle that comes from it).

This works when it works, but it needs to be stored with the cap facing upwards, and you might have to squeeze the tube around. The oils separate quite a bit from the rest of the product, which means you’ll end up squeezing out mostly oil and very little sugar–rendering it way less effective as a scrub. The sugar crystals are incredibly fine, so if you have sensitive lips, this might be an option for a lip exfoliator as compared to more traditional sugar scrubs, which definitely have thicker, grittier crystals.

The peppermint oil in it is the most noticeable scent of the product, and it also makes lips tingle–but it’s not a painful tingle, just a sort of minty-fresh tingle. I find that it doesn’t taste so hot, and I think it might be due to the peppermint oil (I’ve never found any lip product that has peppermint oil in it to taste good!), so I usually rinse it off rather than simply blot with a tissue or paper towel (as recommended).

I think this product needs a better delivery system, because the existing packaging is too finicky and prone to providing less-than-stellar results. I can imagine people purchasing this, squeezing out a bunch of oil, and being utterly confused as to why this is called a lip exfoliator. Even though the packaging disappoints, the product is decent and the price tag makes it affordable.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

• Product: 25/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 2/5

Recommendation: If you’re willing to work with the squeeze tube a bit, you might get a nice, gentle exfoliator out of this product. It’s particularly nice for those who find traditional sugar scrubs too thick/gritty for their lips.

Availability: Sephora