Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Ask Chaptastic: Something For the Fellas

Hey ladies,

I'm having my first chapped lips of the fall season and I tend to buy one thing of lip balm a year, so I'm asking for a recommendation from the experts. Here are some things that you should know:

- I ride my bicycle a lot, so I get a lot of sun and wind on the lips.
- I drink a lot of beer, and am frequently dehydrated.
- I don't really like flavors in a lip balm.
- I am a male.

Last year I bought this chapstick that was exclusively for men, or was some sort of "men's formula". I honestly didn't really care for it, and it kind of tasted like lavender, but I dutifully used it the whole winter because a) I'd already bought it, and b) I took great joy from refusing to let my girlfriend use it..."It says right here: MEN'S FORMULA. DUDES ONLY!"

I'm thinking of going back to the Kiehl's non-flavorful stuff, but wanted to check with you before I got some so I won't spend my winter regretting what could have been.

Thanks in advance!

John Mark


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Dear John Mark,

Chaptastic's gut reaction was to get you some Gator Gubba. It's high quality and we've found it to perform well on long bike rides, no melting and SPF. This one does come in a myriad of smells; however, there's no real taste, and the smell fades pretty quickly once it's on your lips.

So we next looked into the so-called odorless lip balm genre. We're fond of Sarah's Garden natural. Yet, this stick has a highly feminine quality to it, including its name and its dainty, pastel-colored label.

The epitome of a manly no-smell stick can be found in the absolutely classic Chapstick. This stick is my back up. We carry it in every backpack, just in case. It's never let us down. There are many varieties, but go for the blue stick, which comes with a great moisturizer and SPF 15. Aveeno's Oatmeal stick is also a great hydrator with SPF, but if you're looking to go organic then pick up any one of the many great Eco Lips sticks.

But, as a beer drinker, you may be interested in checking out the Sunshine Wheat Lip Balm produced by the New Belgium Brewery. Chaptastic has never tried this one, so we can't endorse, but it's now high on our list to review.

To conclude, you've got some good options. Choose wisely- it's going to be a long, cold winter.

Yours truly,

Chaptastic

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hope it's okay for me to stick in my opinion, just thought more options wouldn't hurt :)

IMO Kiehl's lip balms are REALLY good. I'm also someone who has to try every lip balm in creation and over the years I maintain that Kiehl's is in my top 5. Though, if you're looking for something cheap & easy I hightly recommend Softlips. It's my go-to balm for when my lips get severely chapped. They come in long skinny white tubes, have SPF, many different formulas, & non-obtrusive flavors. Of course my favorite balms out there are made by My Lip Stuff (mylipstuff.com). They make unscented sticks for men, as well as in any flavor ever imaginable. Plus the owner is a complete sweetheart. If you order a "sample" tube it'll run you all of $3. Check it out, you won't regret it!

12:09 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

P.S. The sample tubes I mentioned are just the regular tubes with reduced shipping for a small order.

12:10 AM  
Blogger JavaJive said...

It's always okay to stick in your opinion! We love hearing from y'all. Especially when you have such great things to add.

10:47 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A few weeks ago I got really chapped lips that my regular balms couldn't handle, and I found that my tube of Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream did the job. I don't know about its effectiveness for bike riding beer drinkers, but it's unscented, untinted, very unisex.

3:22 PM  
Blogger boleroid said...

thanks ladies, that was fast... i just ordered some of the sunshine wheat lip balm from new belgium, even though the contents listed neither wheat nor sunshine. i'll give the others a chance, too. thanks!

12:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I found a Men's lip balm last week when I went to New York City. I bought one, just couldn't help it, and it's actually not bad. Its called Chapfix, I got it at some running company in this mall. I tried to find some when I got back home and no stores around me carry it. Anyone heard of it before? I tried to look them up, but the only thing I could find was their website chapfix.com. If anyone knows anything about this let me know. I want to get some more.

5:52 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi, there!

I know that stuff you are talking about... CHAPFIX+. I found it at The Running Company in NYC, too, but I just heard that Walgreens is going to start carrying it, too.

It's GREAT stuff. My husband has been using it and LOVES it. I actually bought a bunch of them to stick in Christmas stockings for all of the guys in our family!

They have a Facebook page with all kinds of info there:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/CHAPFIX/251436420331?v=info&ref=ts

Here is some info from their page:
With so many lip balms targeted towards women, it is hard to find the right product that fits a Man's need. Almost every lip balm that is advertised “for men” is just a sheep in wolf's clothing.

You may be wondering what makes CHAPFIX+ for men. Take a look at every lip balm in the market that is either unisex or targeted towards men, they ALL look the same. These typical balms are either in a generic cylindrical component, a tin, or a tube. The last two are the most annoying because you have to apply them with your fingers! Who wants their fingers covered in lip balm...?

If you took those same lip balms, removed the labels and placed them next to women’s lip balm, would you be able to tell which one was for men? NO!

CHAPFIX+ was engineered specifically for men. Whether you’re the average guy, the athletic type, or the CEO of a major company, CHAPFIX+ will fulfill your needs.

The matte black component was engineered specifically for men. It was designed to be compact so that it is easily concealed and stored. CHAPFIX+ lays flat in your pocket so there is no bulge. It fits in those tight places, like the tiny pocket in your jeans, MP3 pockets in athletic apparel, or tucked into your sports uniform like baseball socks or running tights.

With an angular cap, you can easily tuck it away without it getting caught. The textured grip on the sides was designed so that no matter what you are doing, CHAPFIX+ will not slip out of your hands. Whether your hands are covered in sweat from working out, grease from working on your car, or wearing gloves while snowboarding, you can get a grip.

Most brands market natural and beneficial ingredients only for their specialty lines, however CHAPFIX+ is always made with a natural base including Beeswax, Mineral Oil, Coconut Oil, Aloe Vera, and Vitamin E. Another standard ingredient is SPF15 with UVA/UVB protection, and it’s PABA free.

Men’s lip care is overlooked because it can be seen as girly. Who wants to be seen using a product that looks exactly like their girlfriend’s lip-gloss?

It’s time to stop using your girlfriends' lip balm and give yourself a CHAPFIX+. You don’t have to be afraid to balm in public anymore!

www.chapfix.com

Hope that was helpful!
:0) heather

2:07 PM  

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