Review: 29 by Lydia Mondavi First Crush Lip Scrub

Purchased by Me 

I honestly wasn't even aware that Lydia Mondavi (wife of Robert Mondavi Jr.) had her own beauty line until I spotted the 29 by Lydia Mondavi collection on the Target website. What really caught my eye was this lip scrub, because it's only $10 on the Target website (the exact product retails for $24 on the Birchbox website and the 29 Cosmetics website).

So the idea of getting a luxury lip scrub for less than half the retail price was too much to resist. I ordered one from the Target website a while back, and I thought you might want a review. So here we go!

29 by Lydia Mondavi First Crush Lip Scrub

(retail: $10 at Target, $24 elsewhere; 0.14 oz)

The presentation and packaging feel quite high-end. I love the little embossed silver grapes and grape leaves on the box:

The directions are pretty standard for a lip scrub (above).

I used to live in Sonoma County at one point in my life (for a brief period of time), so it always warms my heart to use anything that comes from Wine Country. Actually, this product is made in Italy, but the offices are in Napa (you get what I mean). 

As for the case, again, it feels more like a luxury brand than a drugstore brand. The metal case is substantial (not too heavy, but it feels good in the hand) and the lid clicks firmly into place. I love the detailing:

Here's what the scrub looks like after several uses:

The biggest question that's probably running through your head is, "How does this compare to the $3 e.l.f. Lip Scrub?" I wish I could tell you in detail, but it's been a while since I used the e.l.f. Lip Scrub. I do remember that I enjoyed the e.l.f. version, but it didn't seem to leave behind much moisturization after I wiped off the remnants--I always had to follow up with a separate lip balm. Also, the ingredients in the e.l.f. scrub are quite different from the 29 by Lydia Mondavi lip scrub (click here to view the e.l.f. ingredients). I like that the first ingredient in the Lydia Mondavi lip scrub (see photo above) is coconut oil, something that my skin seems to love in general. 

Judging this product solely on its own merits, I like the 29 by Lydia Mondavi First Crush Lip Scrub quite a bit. Once you get it going (like most lip scrubs that come in stick form, you have to swipe several times at first before the scrubbies come to the surface), you really don't need much. I can do one quick swipe on each lip and that deposits a generous amount of apricot seed powder (the scrubbies) onto my lips. So one tube should last you for quite a while.

Once the apricot seed powder has been deposited onto my lips, I do find that, for extra "scrubbiness", I like to use my finger to gently rub the apricot seeds against my lips. If you just use your lips (as suggested on the box), it's a more mild exfoliation. Since my lips are chronically chapped, I like a more intense exfoliation and I seem to get that easily if I use my fingers to help the process. After I'm done scrubbing, the residue removes easily with one cotton pad (or a tissue). And when I've removed the residue, there is a light coating left behind that feels like a nice lip balm. It's a tiny bit waxy, but I can also feels the oils (coconut, almond, grape seed and jojoba) and the shea butter. So it's not just wax--there's some creaminess and slip to it, and it stays around for a few hours. I love that, because I really don't feel that I need to follow up with a separate lip balm after I use this scrub. 

Both the flavor and fragrance of this lip scrub are quite mild. The scent is a soft combination of coconut oil, shea butter and maybe a touch of vanilla. The flavor sort of matches the fragrance but again, it's quite mild.

FINAL VERDICT: If the e.l.f. $3 lip scrub is working for you (or if you DIY your own lip scrub), I say stick with that. But if you're looking for something a bit luxurious (in both feel and packaging) and you're OK with spending an additional $7, then this might be just the ticket. The fragrance and flavor are quite mild, and you only need one ore two swipes to deposit enough apricot seed powder onto your lips for some good exfoliation. After you wipe the residue from your lips, I think you'll find that some nice moisturization lingers for a few hours. That's my favorite thing about this product--I don't find myself needing to follow up with an additional lip balm, which makes this a true two-in-one product. I think it's definitely worth the $10 price tag at Target (vs. $24 elsewhere). 

Have you tried anything from the 29 by Lydia Mondavi collection at Target? What's YOUR favorite lip scrub?

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.