Review: CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Tints in Plum Mint, Ginger Mint and Violet Mint

CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Tints are a favorite of many of us when it comes to glosses you can find at Bath & Body Works. Recently I was sent three flavors for review, and I'm hoping this post might help those of you just can't seem to make up your minds. Personally, when I see these at Bath & Body Works I always feel like a deer caught in headlights: I imagine them all working well for me, so I can never decide which one's going to go home with me on a given shopping trip.

CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Tints in Plum Mint, Ginger Mint and Violet Mint

(retail: $7.50 each, 0.5 oz)

Of the three glosses, Ginger Mint contains the most sparkle. Second would be Plum Mint, followed by Violet Mint which just has a hint of sparkle to it (which is actually even less visible on the lips).

All three of these glosses are actually quite sheer. Ginger Mint shows up the best on my lips, but only because it contains so much glitter. But in terms of actual pigmentation, I'd say you really don't need to be terribly concerned with picking out the perfect color for you: they are all sheer and would probably work well on every skintone, providing just a tiny hint of sheer color to the lips.

So really, what it boils down to is, do you want a lot of sparkle, a medium amount, or barely any at all?

Since pigmentation really isn't an issue, given that these are so sheer, I wanted to give you a good idea of the sparkle, which is why I'm only showing you swatches on my hand (the pics I took of my lips really didn't show the sparkle accurately).

I think in the above photo, you can really see the differences in the sparkle. Ginger has the most, followed by Plum, and then Violet with barely any at all.

And here's an intentionally blurry photo that better captures the gold glitter in Ginger Mint is--it looks like sparkly golden honey on the lips. So pretty.

So let's get to everyone's favorite thing about Mentha Lip Tints: the flavor! I was actually hoping that the Plum and Violet glosses would have a hint of plum and violet flavor to them, but really I just get the trademark peppermint flavor. Ginger Mint, on the other hand...WOW. This gloss not only smells distinctly different (like gingerbread!), it also tastes much different. It has a wonderful ginger flavor, with an underlying peppermint note. To me, it tastes like a gingerbread cookie that's been frosted with peppermint icing. It's delicious!

Texture and staying power: I find all three of these glosses on par with the other Mentha Lip Shine/Tints I've owned in the past. They feel great on the lips (not too sticky or heavy) and my lips feel quite moisturized when I wear them. They also seem to have good staying power for me (about two hours) considering that I literally eat these glosses when they're on my lips. And of course they all have that trademark peppermint "tingle".

FINAL VERDICT: If you're already a fan of CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Shines or Lip Tints, then I don't think you'll be disappointed by these--unless of course you're expecting bold, intense color. All three of these glosses are very sheer so, in terms of color, they'd work for just about anyone. Your only real decision here is whether you want a lot of sparkle (get Ginger Mint), a medium amount (get Plum Mint) or just a hint (get Violet Mint). But if the only things you really care about are fragrance and flavor, well then I'd seriously consider Ginger Mint if you like gingerbread cookies (topped with peppermint frosting).

UPDATE:  after writing this post, I went to the Bath & Body Works website and noticed that only Plum Shine and Violet Shine are currently available for purchase. If you'd like to purchase Ginger Mint, you may be able to still find it in-store. Otherwise, you'll have to order it directly from the CO Bigelow website.

Do you own any CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Tints or Shines? What are some of your favorites?

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.