Crazy Rumors: Perk & Brew

You know when you run into something so delightful and unique that you wonder why no one ever told you about it even though it's been around for a while? That's how I felt when I stumbled across the Crazy Rumors site a few weeks ago. Where had this adorable hamlet of lip balm cuteness been hiding and how had it evaded all my previous Google trollings?!

Crazy Rumors is a Brooklyn based company started in 2002 by Brian Himmel and Edie Sherman, "a creative young couple, and best friends". They make their vegan-friendly balm in twelve coffee and tea inspired flavors like Hazelnut, Mocha, Ginger Peach and Spiced Chai. I got my hands on a few of these excellent balms and haven't let go since. In fact, if I were a US Representative and these lip balms were underage congressional pages, I'd be writing some pretty raunchy IMs to them (I'm here all week, folks).

Price: $4 a pop. But worth it, I think.

Glide: Truly, truly creamy. The glide is thick, silky and luxurious, not unlike an oversized comforter in the middle of winter.

Appearance: I'm sorry to gush, but everything about Crazy Rumors is ADORABLE. The whole package- the site, the tubes, their cards, their brochures- is immaculately executed and full of fun and energy. Their presentation makes me want to cry, it's so good. And each clear tube (you know how I love clear) is marked either "Perk" or "Brew" on the label and has its own coordinated color scheme and wonderful fonts. Simply delightful.

Flavor/Smell: The balms come in twelve varieties. I tried two of the Perk (French Vanilla and Amaretto) and two of the Brew (Peppermint Lemongrass and Orange Bergamot). All were fabulous. Light, refreshing and addictively great smelling. Whether you like coffee or prefer tea, you'll find a flavor that just floors you. For me it's the Peppermint Lemongrass, which is like a tropical vacation with a slight tingle. The balms are naturally flavored and slightly sweet thanks to stevia, a sweet herb. I often dislike sweetness in balms, but here I found the natural sweetner to be subtle and very complimentary to the flavors. In short, yum.

Lasting Power: We recently got a comment about why we "calculate" lasting power. I don't think we calculate so much as guesstimate, and we do so because it's important how long an application lasts. You don't want to be stuck with a stick you have to use every ten minutes. Most sticks do the job well enough, but some are either poor performers or real troopers. These balms are definitely the latter, lasting for hours and retaining their wonderful scents almost as long. I think the only reason I do reapply is because I love the way the smell and taste so much.

Product Plusses: 100% natural vegan-friendly ingredients (shea butter; soy wax; avocado, grape seed, olive and ojoba oils, to name a few), cruelty-free, freakin' cute.

My goal is to buy all twelve flavors and make a special belt so I can wear them around my waist at all times like a holster. Hold on to your hats, people:

5 out of 5 tubes!