(The new update is below the original post!)
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Hey!
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Hey!
If you're not into lip balms, well...sorry... But you should be, just saying. Unless you never get dry lips...lucky!
It's important to use lip balm in my opinion - it keeps lips soft and hydrated. My personal favourite lip balm is actually Vaseline, though I only use it before bed and when I'm having an emergency dry lips period of time. Normally, I would just use Carmex or Burt's Bees.
But...
Carmex vs. Burt's Bees. It's a difficult question...
Let me get this straight - I'm not here to tell you everything's that's good or bad about these, I'm here to point out differences. Some are good, some are bad. I'm obviously going to ignore points which refer to both of them, or which refer to all lip balms in general. Also, there are different types of Carmex and Burt's Bees. The Carmex balms I'm talking about are the twisty ones, specifically the lime twist and the pomegranate twist. The Burt's bees I'm talking about are also twisty and non-tinted, specifically the pomegranate one. I have to say, I've finished my pomegranate Carmex and nearly finished my lime one, so I know my Carmex fairly well you could say. However the Burt's Bees, I've only just started using the pomegranate one, but I'm going to use all my knowledge of both to compile this list for y'all.
Carmex
- Really squishy, especially at the end - it gets everywhere if you poke it...don't ask :/
- Thick oily spread - doesn't sound good, though it kinda works like lip gloss in a way
- Tingles, of course, the classic Carmex tingles
- Tastes nice - though lime one tastes like lime jelly. I'll let you decide whether you would like that or not...
- Taste disappears quickly
- Colourful packaging - bright and bold
- Clear balm
- Makes a loud clicking sound when you twist it - I quite like the sound, but it annoys some people
- SPF 15
- Cheaper, especially if you know where to look *cough cough* Savers *cough cough*. I bought it for less than half the price of my Burt's Bees.
- Has random chemicals
- Available everywhere and always
Burt's Bees
- Kinda hard (not squishy like Carmex) so have to apply it for ages
- Thin, non-oily spread
- No tingles
- Tastes nice, mainly like honey
- Taste stays for a long time
- Kinda boring packaging - not really fun
- The pomegranate one has a red balm but doesn't tint. From what I know, none of Burt's Bees balms are clear, the actual balms are all coloured, but don't tint unless you buy the tinted types.
- No sound when twisted
- No SPF
- More expensive, £3.69 at Boots
- Apparently '100% natural'
- Only available in larger stores (I think) and a lot of the times not in stock - on the high street I could only find it in Boots, not Superdrug. And it wasn't in stock for quite a long time.
Take note that the above list doesn't apply to all Carmex lip balms, and it also doesn't apply to all Burt's Bees lip balms. Just the twisty ones.
The reason for this post is that for a long time I was literally in turmoil over which one to buy. I only wanted one, and in the end, went for Carmex (pomegranate). I was quite pleased with it, and that's why I bought another one. When I got to the end of it, it started getting softer and softer, and in the end, it was really messy. So recently I decided to get a Burt's Bees. I haven't used it for too long, but I am extremely happy with it.
Anyways, when I wanted to purchase one, there was no clear list of pros and cons. There was no list like this to help me with making my decision, and I feel it would have benefited me greatly to have one.
So...if you want something done, do it yourself. That's the motto of the day :)
I hope my list helps, even if it's just one of you.
I love y'all, and goodbye xx
-------------------- UPDATE & CONCLUSION 2017 --------------------
Since naive, baby me first published this post on the 7th October 2014, it's had a lot of views! I have no idea why, because re-reading it now more than two years later, I can see absolutely nothing of any particular greatness (except the coloured writing, that's pretty cool, I guess). And for any data/observations to amount to anything, extensive research should be done, something I definitely didn't do!
So now, I'd like to include some more opinions of mine, as well as debunk my own previous words of 'wisdom'. At the time of writing the original post, I'd only tried the two Carmex twist sticks and a Burt's Bees pomegranate one. Since then, I've also used:
Carmex cherry tube
Carmex original tube
Burt's Bees mango butter
Burt's Bees beeswax (original)
Burt's Bees vanilla bean
Firstly, I'd like to say that as well as being cheaper, the Carmex tube lip balms contain much more product than Burt's Bees sticks - the tubes contain roughly 10g of product whereas sticks contain 4.25g of product. I have yet to finish my tube of cherry lip balm, and neither has my friend finished her original one (I like to borrow it at times, so for the sake of this review I'll say I've used it). I find that I've become a little bored of the scent of it, so I use it much less now.
In regards to the 'squishiness' of Carmex, it does melt very easily and is very soft. I used to prefer the more shiny, glossy lip balms (think Vaseline), and this is definitely one of them. However, as trends come and go, one of the main reasons why I have now changed my mind about that is the hoard of matte lipsticks in my drawer... There's no point putting on an oily lip balm if a matte lip is the look you want to achieve!
Carmex for me was all about the fun and fruity smells, coupled with the exciting tingling sensation after applying it. These are still, 2 years on, what I think makes Carmex so popular and why I was so drawn to it in the beginning.
Now that I've put the discussion on Carmex to rest, as you can guess from what I've written above, I'm now (in this time of my life, at least) in favour of Burt's Bees lip balms.
From the end of 2014 until now, the start of 2017, I have used up three Burt's Bees lip balms, and have two I'm currently using at the same time. I finished my first pomegranate lip balm, so bought a mango one, which I absolutely loved. That went down quickly, and then I was given another pomegranate stick as a present, which I've also used until its death. Finally, now I've got the vanilla bean and classic beeswax lip balms to choose from - whichever I fancy.
Now time for some debunking - the most obvious mistake I made that I am banging my head about is the colour of the balm (not that it matters!). The pomegranate is the only 'non-tinted' lip balm in the line, from what I can tell, that has a distinctive colour to its balm. As this was the only one I'd tried at the time of writing, I just assumed all the others were coloured too. Bad Jasmin, don't jump to conclusions!
The first point I made about Burt's Bees being hard and taking a long time to apply is true in only some cases. Each of their lip balms has a different formula, with some being waxier than others, and some more buttery. Out of the ones I have tried and tested, the original beeswax is the waxiest (no surprise there!), with pomegranate following behind in a close second. Mango was a good in between, whilst vanilla is the most heavenly buttery lip balm of them all.
Note that there's also a difference between what I like to describe as 'oily' and 'buttery'. Although buttery lip balms are soft and glide smoothly on like, well, butter, it is not like the thicker and stickier consistency of substances such as petrolatum (in Vaseline and Carmex).
Another point which I would also like to prove incorrect is the fact that Burt's Bees don't cause your lips to tingle. Well, if you've ever tried the beeswax lip balm with peppermint oil! The classic, original Burt's Bees lip balm packs an amazingly good tingle, it's just perfect. For fans of refreshing tingling balms, this is for you!
Conclusion:
And now, for those who couldn't be bothered to read all of that (*a few tears run down my cheek*), here's a summary of my thoughts:
Carmex was a fun and great product that I loved when I was exploring the many lip balm brands out there, particularly because of the signature tingling sensation and fruity flavours. At a cheaper price for more product (with the tubes) than Burt's Bees, it's a fantastic alternative.
However, I have come to love Burt's Bees more due to their formula, not only 100% natural, but also waxy and buttery (rather than oily). They're great lip balms that aren't as shiny and thick as most others, making it perfect for wear under any lipstick. Each lip balm also has a different formula, so there's at least one you're bound to like!
My 'USP's of each Burt's Bees lip balm that I have tried:
Pomegranate - Very slightly tinted, leaves even-toned lips
Mango Butter - Smells/tastes absolutely delightful, like orange-flavoured Capri-Sun. Can taste sugar on your lips when you lick them, which I was addicted to doing...
Original Beeswax - Tingling sensation, the best I've ever felt
Vanilla Bean - Smooth and buttery as heaven. The scent reminds me of buttercream, which sort of is my own idea of heaven.
To finish this update off, I'll reiterate the ending of my original post. The sole purpose of this is to inform and present my opinions to you, so that you may make a (hopefully) better-informed choice if you're ever in a situation such as myself two years ago. I'm no expert on the topic of lip care, far from it actually! I just love my lip balms and wish to share this love with others. I have not been sponsored or asked in any way to say any of the above (only in my dreams), and all opinions are my own.
Thank you so much for reading this, I really appreciate it, I truly do.
♥
I love you
xxx
-------------------- UPDATE & CONCLUSION 2017 --------------------
Since naive, baby me first published this post on the 7th October 2014, it's had a lot of views! I have no idea why, because re-reading it now more than two years later, I can see absolutely nothing of any particular greatness (except the coloured writing, that's pretty cool, I guess). And for any data/observations to amount to anything, extensive research should be done, something I definitely didn't do!
So now, I'd like to include some more opinions of mine, as well as debunk my own previous words of 'wisdom'. At the time of writing the original post, I'd only tried the two Carmex twist sticks and a Burt's Bees pomegranate one. Since then, I've also used:
Carmex cherry tube
Carmex original tube
Burt's Bees mango butter
Burt's Bees beeswax (original)
Burt's Bees vanilla bean
Firstly, I'd like to say that as well as being cheaper, the Carmex tube lip balms contain much more product than Burt's Bees sticks - the tubes contain roughly 10g of product whereas sticks contain 4.25g of product. I have yet to finish my tube of cherry lip balm, and neither has my friend finished her original one (I like to borrow it at times, so for the sake of this review I'll say I've used it). I find that I've become a little bored of the scent of it, so I use it much less now.
In regards to the 'squishiness' of Carmex, it does melt very easily and is very soft. I used to prefer the more shiny, glossy lip balms (think Vaseline), and this is definitely one of them. However, as trends come and go, one of the main reasons why I have now changed my mind about that is the hoard of matte lipsticks in my drawer... There's no point putting on an oily lip balm if a matte lip is the look you want to achieve!
Carmex for me was all about the fun and fruity smells, coupled with the exciting tingling sensation after applying it. These are still, 2 years on, what I think makes Carmex so popular and why I was so drawn to it in the beginning.
Now that I've put the discussion on Carmex to rest, as you can guess from what I've written above, I'm now (in this time of my life, at least) in favour of Burt's Bees lip balms.
From the end of 2014 until now, the start of 2017, I have used up three Burt's Bees lip balms, and have two I'm currently using at the same time. I finished my first pomegranate lip balm, so bought a mango one, which I absolutely loved. That went down quickly, and then I was given another pomegranate stick as a present, which I've also used until its death. Finally, now I've got the vanilla bean and classic beeswax lip balms to choose from - whichever I fancy.
Now time for some debunking - the most obvious mistake I made that I am banging my head about is the colour of the balm (not that it matters!). The pomegranate is the only 'non-tinted' lip balm in the line, from what I can tell, that has a distinctive colour to its balm. As this was the only one I'd tried at the time of writing, I just assumed all the others were coloured too. Bad Jasmin, don't jump to conclusions!
The first point I made about Burt's Bees being hard and taking a long time to apply is true in only some cases. Each of their lip balms has a different formula, with some being waxier than others, and some more buttery. Out of the ones I have tried and tested, the original beeswax is the waxiest (no surprise there!), with pomegranate following behind in a close second. Mango was a good in between, whilst vanilla is the most heavenly buttery lip balm of them all.
Note that there's also a difference between what I like to describe as 'oily' and 'buttery'. Although buttery lip balms are soft and glide smoothly on like, well, butter, it is not like the thicker and stickier consistency of substances such as petrolatum (in Vaseline and Carmex).
Another point which I would also like to prove incorrect is the fact that Burt's Bees don't cause your lips to tingle. Well, if you've ever tried the beeswax lip balm with peppermint oil! The classic, original Burt's Bees lip balm packs an amazingly good tingle, it's just perfect. For fans of refreshing tingling balms, this is for you!
Conclusion:
And now, for those who couldn't be bothered to read all of that (*a few tears run down my cheek*), here's a summary of my thoughts:
Carmex was a fun and great product that I loved when I was exploring the many lip balm brands out there, particularly because of the signature tingling sensation and fruity flavours. At a cheaper price for more product (with the tubes) than Burt's Bees, it's a fantastic alternative.
However, I have come to love Burt's Bees more due to their formula, not only 100% natural, but also waxy and buttery (rather than oily). They're great lip balms that aren't as shiny and thick as most others, making it perfect for wear under any lipstick. Each lip balm also has a different formula, so there's at least one you're bound to like!
My 'USP's of each Burt's Bees lip balm that I have tried:
Pomegranate - Very slightly tinted, leaves even-toned lips
Mango Butter - Smells/tastes absolutely delightful, like orange-flavoured Capri-Sun. Can taste sugar on your lips when you lick them, which I was addicted to doing...
Original Beeswax - Tingling sensation, the best I've ever felt
Vanilla Bean - Smooth and buttery as heaven. The scent reminds me of buttercream, which sort of is my own idea of heaven.
To finish this update off, I'll reiterate the ending of my original post. The sole purpose of this is to inform and present my opinions to you, so that you may make a (hopefully) better-informed choice if you're ever in a situation such as myself two years ago. I'm no expert on the topic of lip care, far from it actually! I just love my lip balms and wish to share this love with others. I have not been sponsored or asked in any way to say any of the above (only in my dreams), and all opinions are my own.
Thank you so much for reading this, I really appreciate it, I truly do.
♥
I love you
xxx
