A Tale of Three Lip Balms: ChapStick, Aveeno & Blistex

Lately I've really been obessed with my local Vons grocery store. Apologies if you don't have a Vons in your area, but man do they put beauty products on clearance! Every time I visit my local Vons, there are a ton of new skincare, bodycare, haircare and makeup products with little signs next to them that say "Reduced for Quick Sale". Most of the time these products are 50-75% off, and the best thing about Vons is that they double coupons (the coupons have to be under $1, and Vons will only double the amount UP to $1, but still!).

But even if you don't have a Vons in your area, pay attention to the beauty aisle at your local grocery store because you never know what you might find on clearance. In general, I've found that grocery stores tend to quickly get rid of products that aren't selling, which means major savings for us!

Within the last few weeks, I've been able to snag these three lip balms for about $1.25 a piece or less because they've been "Reduced for Quick Sale" at my local Vons. As you know, all three of these products generally retail for $3.00-$3.50 at most places, so that's a great savings. Also, this particular Blistex package had a "save $0.55 right now" coupon attached to it, which means I saved $1 on this product, making my final price just $0.25!

It's been a VERY long time since I've used a ChapStick product, so let's start with this one:

ChapStick Fresh Effects Invigorating Green Tea Mint Lip Balm (retail: around $3)

Talk about a pleasant surprise. It's been years since I've used ChapStick because, honestly, my memories of ChapStick are filled with waxy balms that feel heavy on the lips and taste like medicine. But using Fresh Effects was such a pleasant experience that I find myself reaching for this whenever I'm sitting at my desk lately. I adore green tea and mint, so I'm a little sad that I get much more mint in the flavor and fragrance of this balm than I do green tea. In fact, I don't really detect the green tea at all. Also, I wish this had SPF, but for an indoor or nighttime balm, I don't have any complaints about it. It applies so smoothly and it feels slick (but not too slick) on the lips and it also feels light (unlike the heavy ChapSticks of yesteryear). Plus, the packaging is cute (little stars and flowers are never bad, are they?). And true to the packaging, this balm give me "a creamy feeling with a cooling sensation". Love that.

Aveeno Essential Moisture Lip Conditioner with SPF 15 (retail: around $3)

I don't really think of oatmeal when I think of lip balm ingredients, but leave it to Aveeno to make me absolutely mesmerized with the idea of applying colloidal oatmeal to my lips. Hey, if it works so well in body washes, lotions and creams, why not, right? This balm smells just like many of the unscented Aveeno body products I've used in the past. It's a very comforting oatmeal-ish scent that is not too strong or overpowering. There is very little flavor to this balm, and even though it might not be as creamy as Fresh Effects, it applies very smoothly and feels nice on the lips. The staying power isn't as long as other balms I've used, but I do think it's a nice option for a balm with SPF, especially if you tend to gravitate toward balms that are unflavored and low on fragrance.

Blistex Lip Massage SPF 15 (retail: around $3)

I've been intrigued with this product every since I first saw it, and I still can't get over that I got it for just a quarter! If you haven't experienced this balm first-hand, it's got a plastic applicator tip (actually, to the touch, it feels like it's a soft, rubberized material but I do not know if it's actually made of rubber or plastic) that has little raised grooves on it to give your lips a little massage. When I touch the applicator tip, it's not super soft and squishy, meaning it's not going to bend when you push it against your lips. To me, it feels sort of like the tip of a Sanrio pencil eraser. You know how those erasers are more firm than traditional #2 pencil erasers, which are more soft and squishy? So yeah, that's my best description! Anyway, when you turn the bottom of the tube to dispense the product, it comes out of the little hole at the top of the applicator and the consistency of the balm reminds me a lot of petroleum jelly (same color and consistency) but it's not as greasy as petroleum jelly. The scent is sort of a generic, fruity fragrance, and the flavor is quite sweet with just a little bit of a mint undertone. Not my favorite flavor of lip balm, but it's tolerable. I don't know why I was thinking that the applicator tip would help buff away dead skin, because nowhere on this product does it say that it will do this. So if you're expecting or hoping it will, it doesn't. It's purely for massage. It's a nice, smooth balm and I love the SPF, but as with other formulas of this nature, it doesn't tend to last as long on my lips as traditional stick balms. But it's fun nonetheless, and I'm glad I tried it. I just don't know how often my lips crave a massage. Haha.

So that's my tale of three lip balms. My favorite of the moment? Believe it or not, it's actually ChapStick Fresh Effects! I just really like the creaminess of it and, if it had SPF, I think I'd be reaching for it around the clock.

Do you own any of these products? How do you like them? I'd love to hear fro you!