The Lip Balm Junkie

Confession: I’m lip balm dependent. I’ve never used lipstick without first applying a layer of balm underneath. That’s why I’ve never experienced the effects of a drying lipstick or gloss. As a pre-teener, my first ever cosmetic product was a tube of (strawberry? bubblegum?) lip gloss from Sasa. Originally, I was looking to get lip balm, but being the makeup newbie that I was all those years back and because of the language barrier between me and the Cantonese sales woman, I mistakenly asked for lip gloss instead. Confusing, I know, but that’s the start of my balm obsession story.

In my conservative high school, makeup was a big no-no, so I had to make do with Chapstick and Johnson’s white face powder for dry lips and oily face, respectively. Girls will be girls, so lip balm became a hot accessory we could tote around without getting reprimanded. Before all the sheer variety of imported products started coming in droves, we had a select staple like Bonne Bell Lip Smackers and The Body Shop Born Lippy.

Born Lippy and Lip Smackers were all the rage

Despite the fact that most girls of my generation have owned and applied those brands of lip balm, the truth is they tasted terrible. The tantalizing smell of the testers were always what drew you in at first. Then there was the collect ’em all mentality. But they all tasted as fake as can be. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s not even like the artificial flavorings in candy. In fact, I would have preferred a pleasant scent and no whatsoever flavor. These days, I’m not certain if those brands have improved the flavor element of their cosmetics, but I haven’t gotten any of those recently.

Sweet lip balms are no good either. They make me nervous as they might have sugar content that’ll mess up clean teeth, especially when applied before bed.

Thank goodness for new formulations! I’m in love with Bloom’s Aromatherapy Vanilla Lip Balm. It has the most endearing yet subtle vanilla smell but is flavorless. Perfect for bed time lip treatment. The only con is the packaging. Pots are cute, but when you’re out of the house and you’re not sure how sanitized your hands are, you’d think twice before applying with fingers. I have to bring a lip brush, which now makes it a small hassle.

What I’m using now: Bloom, Urban Rituelle, EOS, and Human Nature

Another one of my faves is Human Nature lip balm (both tinted and non-tinted varieties), as mentioned in my BGC post. It’s insanely inexpensive, especially for a natural-ingredients product (PHP 65). The scent of Tutti Frutti is okay, but I’d go for Chocolate Fudge next time. Oh, and how I wish they had vanilla.

My newest addition to the balmy collection is the much talked-about EOS (PHP 250 from online sellers in Manila). It’s notorious for melting like crazy in summer weather, which means I have to pop it into the fridge until I’m ready to use it.

So that’s basically it. If I’d been asked what 5 cosmetic items I must bring to a desert island, lip balm would certainly make the cut. What can I say? I’m a lip balm girl.

*Photos are all from the products’ official sites.