Eco Lips Energy Lip BAM!

No, the title is not a typo. It's an onomatopoetic Emeril-esque ode to one of the most bad-ass chapsticks I've ever come across. This stick is like the James Dean of lip care- it's sleek, sexy, broody and doesn't care what you think.

I was psyched to get not one but two free samples from Eco Lips after I blogged about it last Wednesday. I received them on Saturday, which is just amazing. Eco Lips employees have their shit together, apparently. They even sent me a free carabiner. $7.23 worth of stuff- and it's even GOOD stuff- for a quick mention on a blog? Awesome. But as you know, on this blog we do not merely mention chapsticks. We talk about them obsessively.

By the way, if you're reading this, Eco Lips, feel free to add Chaptastic to your "Eco Lips Featured In" News & Events section. We'll wait...

Oh, and Spazzstick, you might need to change your "world's only caffeinated lip balm" slogan. We'll wait...

Price: You can get an Energy tube from the Eco Lips website for $2.99. I don't know what they retail for in stores. A little pricey, but I think it's worth it for the promise of caffeine in your pocket. We all pay a little more for an espresso or for a Red Bull. Oh, and it's all natural to boot.

Appearance: As I keep saying, the tube looks awesome. It's all black with snappy sci-fi, bold silver lettering and a sharp, yellow lightning bolt! Yowza! That lighting bolt is what makes Eco Lips Energy look cool when compared to the black Chapstick®, which looks kind of dull.

Glide: Energy has a very easy yet slightly gritty glide. If you look closely, you can see tiny white particles embedded in the tube; they appear to be the caffeine delivery system. The particles disappear upon application, but if you overapply then they can build up on your lips. Despite the caffeine-chunks, it goes on smooth thanks to the organic jojoba oil and beeswax and leaves a healthy shine.

Flavor/Smell: Oh, it smells reeeally good. I like that this is a caffeinated lip balm but it's not coffee flavored. The ingredients include peppermint, spearmint and rosemary, so you can imagine how invigorating the scent is. Kind of like a stick of gum, but it lasts for quite a while. No real taste to speak of except for a vague hint of unsweetened mint and green tea.

Lasting Power: Surprisingly decent for a "specialty" stick. Way more than an hour's worth of caffeine-y goodness and moist lips. The stick warns, "Use in moderation" due to the caffeine content. I wonder just how much caffeine one's lips absorb, and if one could get addicted to it. I also wonder what would happen if I just ate the whole stick.

Product Pluses: Vitamin B12. And CAFFEINE. Need I say more? I certainly do feel peppy after application. In fact, I've managed to stay bushy-tailed and bright-eyed through my post-lunch slump. My lips are pleasantly tingly thanks to the sinus-clearing mint scent and I don't feel a need to reapply even though I first applied more than an hour ago.

Of course, feeling awake could just be a placebo effect: maybe I'm only energized because I think I'm supposed to be. Chaptastic somehow ended up being non-too-peppy at a Gnarls Barkley concert (of all places) a few nights ago despite several applications. But hey- even if you just think you're high, it's still nice to be up there (speaking of which, I'm dying to try the Eco Lips Hemp lip balm).

Also Eco Lips donates 1% of every purchase to...the environment, I guess. As a whole.

This is not an every day tube. This is a don't-want-to-fall-asleep-on-the-
subway-and-get-robbed or a need-a-little-extra-to-finish-that-paper kind of stand-by stick. But for a nifty, fun, well executed idea that's good for the environment and your lips, 4 out of 5 tubes.