Review: New EOS Lemon Drop and Tangerine Lip Balms

I want to thank my longtime reader Tiffanie because, without her, I wouldn't be bringing you this review today. You see, Tiffanie knew that I was having a difficult time finding EOS Lemon Drop in my area (all my local drugstores either don't yet carry it, or are always sold out) so what did she do? She sent me one! How sweet was that? Thank you so very much, Tiffanie, for your kindness and generosity! Oh, and be sure to check out Tiffanie's fab blog here. She blogs about lots of drugstore products and other goodies!

As for the new Tangerine Medicated Lip Balm, I didn't even know this existed until I saw it at my local Rite Aid the other day, so of course I had to pick it up! And Rite Aid just so happens to have an EOS Single Check Rebate for $2 this month, so if you live near a Rite Aid, you can have this, or any other flavor, for just a buck! Just be sure to get it before the end of October to qualify for the rebate.

EOS Lemon Drop Lip Balm SPF 15 (retail: around $3)

EOS Tangerine Medicated Lip Balm (retail: around $3)

Packed with lots of natural and organic ingredients, not tested on animals and gluten-free, I think there are lots of reasons to love EOS lip balms. But of course everyone's favorite thing about these products is their shape. I don't think a person reading this can help but be drawn to these little globes. They are just too cute, aren't they?

For a more detailed review of my thoughts about the packaging and functionality of these balms, you can read my original review of the Summer Fruit flavor here. Today I'm just going to be talking about these particular flavors and how they feel on my lips.

The biggest difference between these two balms is clearly the ingredients. Lemon Drop contains UVA/UVB protection, while Tangerine does not contain SPF but is medicated with phenol (an external analgesic). So, in other words, one "protects" while the other "heals".

So how do I like each one? First let's start with Lemon Drop. To me, the fragrance of this balm is light and subtle. It's not a mouth-puckering lemon, but more of a lemon-sugar type fragrance and flavor. It feels very smooth on my lips, and I really can't detect a big difference in texture when compared to Summer Fruit. If you already own one of the original EOS flavors, then you probably will enjoy this one as well (if you like lemon, of course). I think this is a wonderful addition to the core collection and now I can understand its popularity. Who doesn't love sweet lemon flavors and fragrances, right?

Now on to Medicated Tangerine. I have to tell you that this one takes a tiny bit of patience. On first whiff, I was little put off by the fragrance of this balm. But please, do not let that stop you! At first the "medicated" part of this balm shines through, and I smelled that all-too-familiar medicinal scent that medicated lip balms tend to have. But then when I applied it, that medicinal scent all but disappeared and the lovely tangerine scent really came through. To my nose, this doesn't smell like straight tangerine, but more like a blend of tangerine with just a hint of another tropical fruit (mango, maybe). And surprisingly, unlike other medicated lip balms, the flavor is predominantly tangerine and I don't really taste the "medicine" part of the balm at all once it's on my lips.

Medicated Tangerine is lacking hemp seed oil and some of the natural extracts that Lemon Drop contains, but it makes up for it with the addition of shea butter, acai and ginger root (as well as phenol and a few other ingredients). Put it this way: both balms are packed full of terrific ingredients, so it's really just a matter of what type of balm you need.

Oh, and I do want to add that Medicated Tangerine feels a bit creamier on my lips than Lemon Drop, which has a little bit of a thinner consistency on my lips. I'm assuming this has to do with the addition of shea butter. Also, even though this is a medicated balm, I don't have that "tingly" feeling when I wear this. I do detect a very, very slight cooling effect, but it's a barely-there cooling effect for me, and nowhere near the level of other mediated balms.

So, there you have it. That's my take on these two new addictions to the EOS lip balm family. I really love both of them, and I think that, depending on your particular needs, either one would be a great choice. Plus, who can resist that packaging??

Do you own any EOS lip balms? What flavors do you like? Do you think you'll be picking up either one of these new offerings? I'd love to hear from you!