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.
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: 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.
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.
Korres Lip Scrub ($19.00) is a solid lip scrub in the shape of a lipstick. It uses rice powder to exfoliate while jojoba oil and beeswax are there to hydrate your lips.
The product has me at odds. I’m not sure if it’s best to remove it, let it sink in for a few minutes, then remove, or not to remove it at all. The rice powder makes for a very, very subtle exfoliator, and it feels more like a polisher than a scrub. I really didn’t feel like it did much in the way of exfoliation, though it did make my lips feel more hydrated–if I didn’t wipe it off, but the grainy bits of rice… you have to wipe it off at some point. Otherwise, it just feels like you have sand on your lips.
The lemon scent is very subtle, too, and I think I smell more of the jojoba oil/beeswax combination than the lemon. This stuff also doesn’t taste good, so those who have the urge to lick their lips while this is on… resist!
While convenient for travel, I don’t personally find it necessary to travel with. A toothbrush or a wash cloth will do in a pinch, and at $19, I’d rather buy another lipstick than a lip scrub that does just a so-so job. Not to mention, I think it’s easy to use up this product, so you won’t get as much usage out of it as you’d like before needing another tube.
philosophy ‘kiss me tonight’ intense lip therapy ($20.00 for 0.3 oz.) is a sheer, lightly glossy lip balm that’s designed to combat dry, chapped lips. It does seem to brighten lips up a little bit, but I don’t feel like it adds much noticeable color. It does, however, work to keep lips soft and supple and extra kissable. It has a jelly texture and smells minty-fresh to me.
I like it because it does soften my lips and keeps them hydrated for several hours at a time. I find I don’t have to reapply lip balm quite as often when I’m using this. It sits well on the lips, as it doesn’t just absorb right away. It’s also non-sticky and doesn’t feel thick like Vaseline either.
Kiss Me Tonight is also very soothing when applied over worried lips–cracked or chapped–without irritating at all. I use this both day and night, but it does make a great overnight lip treatment product (particularly if you’re a bit wary of the price tag). I’ve been using my pot for two weeks now, and it hardly looks used at all, so I think it’s well worth the money.
Product: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 8/10
Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: If you suffer from dry lips, I suggest looking into Kiss Me Tonight as a night time lip treatment product. It’ll keep your lips moisturized and hydrated while you sleep and give you softer, more kissable lips in the morning. If it came in a squeeze-tube or twist-up formulation, it would be tops–so just be sure to use an applicator or very clean fingers!
The Lip Scrub by Sara Happ ($20.00) was one of the first lip exfoliators to really penetrate the beauty realm. Aside from its utterly adorable packaging (comes in this little gift box tied with a ribbon), it is a great exfoliant for your lips. I tried the Vanilla Bean flavor/scent, which definitely has plenty of vanilla flavoring and scent to it, along with the sugar bits.
This differs a lot from my staple Peter Thomas Roth lip exfoliator, which is lemon flavored/scented, and it has gritter crystals. Sara Happ’s Lip Scrub has finer sugar crystals for softer, gentler exfoliation. I think I may prefer the smaller grit to the larger grit when it comes to my lips. I still find these lip exfoliants essential for my beauty routine, because my lips often get itchy/allergenic for one reason or another (seriously, no idea why) at random times. It occurs often enough that Cortisone doesn’t always do the trick. If I exfoliate, it often helps take the edge off of the itch/burn and return my lips to their normalty.
I know some of you will look at the pricetag and go, “What?!” A little goes a long way. You won’t be re-buying this scrub every month. I imagine this 1 oz. pot will last me at least six-months of regular (two to three times weekly) use. I also really like the ingredients that are found in the Lip Scrub, from the petrolatum (yay, my nightly staple) to the Jojoba and Grape Seed oils for added moisture and suppleness.
Plus, these make great gifts. They’re petite, but so utterly cute. They come in six flavors: Almond Creme, brown Sugar, Cinnamon Sugar, Cocoa, Peppermint, and Vanilla Bean.
Treat Beauty was founded by Marnie Massie who found herself having sensitive skin, but couldn’t find the right set of products available to her, so what did she do? Create her own line of natural alternatives to soothe her dry skin! Marnie wanted her products to not only be natural and cruelty-free, but delicious, and she really hit the mark. I recently tested out these two lip products from Treat Beauty: Kiss and Make It Butter lip scrub and Sweet butter Rose Tinted lip balm.
