"My Lip Stuff" Lip Balms

I have to say this for the folks over at My Lip Stuff- they have got the market on lip balm flavors covered. Seriously. They make over 400 flavors of natural lip balm and gloss. That's insane...ly awesome. That means you can find something you'll like no matter what your tastes are. There are whole LiveJournal communities dedicated to trying and discussing all the options. My Lip Stuff also sells body products and DIY lip balm kits and has a Lip Balm of the Month club.

The incredible variety makes up in no small way for the circa 1997, Pepto pink, virtually un-navigable website. Come on, people. If you're gonna go big product-wise (ex., if Jennifer Garner mentions you in a Glamour), then go big with a kick-ass website. You've got maybe two photos on the whole thing (taken by the first digital camera ever, apparently). Online purchasing is a lot like adoption: if I can't see what I'm buying before I pay, then I don't want it. I know that kitsch sells, but there's a thin line between tacky kitsch and ironic kitsch. Take some of that sweet lip balm profit and hire a web designer already!

But I digress...

Price: $2.00 (sticks) to $3.00 (pots) a pop. All the better to encourage you to buy dozens upon dozens of flavors.

Glide: Weeeee! That's the emotion I feel when I'm applying- like I'm on the fastest Slip 'N' Slide ever. It goes on very quickly and slickly (a poet, I am!) so a little goes a long way.

Appearance: Hands down the most awesomely tacky, homemade labels I've ever seen. The font is like Comic Sans on Ritalin. And yet it's endearing in a way, kind of like your little sister made a popsicle stick picture frame just for you. If you're a looks and label person, you might want to keep these out of view.

The balms come either in standard white twist tubes or pots. As I said, there are hundreds of flavors. Some sticks, like the seasonal All Hallows Eve or Pumpkin Nog and the quirky fUndies line of flavors, have their own special labels featuring colorful monsters or underwear (I do not want to know what Loin Cloth or Granny Panty lip balm tastes like). You can also personalize a label (great way to propose) or a flavor.

Flavor/Smell: Of the hundreds, I tried Monkey Farts (there's a whole line of "fill-in-the-blank" Farts flavors), All Hallows Eve and Snickerdoodle. In hindsight, I should definitely have gone for the Booze Balms, but maybe I shouldn't mix addictions.

Whoever mixes these flavors (why is there no "about us" section on the site?) knows what they're doing. The Snickerdoodle really smells and tastes like a snickerdoodle cookie and the Monkey Farts smells and tastes like...banana. All Hallows Eve, kind of a maple and cinnamon blend (I'm guessing because it doesn't say on the stick) is like fall in a tube. The flavors are fun and the scents are strong from the stick but not overwhelming once on your lips. There's also a nice sweetness to each flavor, which is surprising in its subtleness because the flavors are a bit candy-like. Kudos to the mixologists and the ridiculous range of fun flavors. Delicious and spot on.

Lasting Power: Pretty great. Moisturizes well, lasts a few hours.

Product Plusses: All natural ingredients- each stick has the same basic ingredients: a mix of beeswax & natural oils. The real plus here is the incredible range of flavors and the option to personalize your lip balm experience.

Summary judgment: Despite the unwieldy website* and slightly childish labels, this is a pretty excellent product. It takes a lot of trial and error to find a flavor you'll really love, but once you do you may want to buy in bulk.

4 out of 5 tubes.

*Update: I criticize because I love, people. I know that it's what's inside that counts. Lip balm, much like beauty, is only skin deep. Really what I'd love to see is MLS get more attention and more customers, and since looks matter in any sales industry then it's an important aspect to think about.