Review: Lip Smacker Limited Edition Holiday 2015 Lip Balm Collection

Press Sample 

Lip Smacker Limited Edition Holiday 2015 Collection

(retail: $1.95 each, 0.14 oz.)

Back in January of this year when Markwins (owners of Wet n Wild, Physicians Formula, and Black Radiance) purchased Lip Smackers from Bonne Bell, I think we all wondered what would happen to the brand so many of us know and love. Would Markwins continue to give us fun new flavors? Well I have an answer for you, and that answer is YES. Markwins isn't playing around this holiday season. They just released their limited edition flavors for Holiday 2015 and there are ten NEW flavors here (I'll be reviewing all of them, below).

By the way, if you haven't checked out the Lip Smackers website since Markwins took the reigns, definitely give it a look HERE; there's a new Frozen collection and lots of other new goodies to see (and purchase, if you wish; you can purchase on the Lip Smackers site too).

I received the ten new flavors directly from Lip Smackers, but they are now starting to pop up stores. You should be able to find them at Target, CVS, Rite Aid, etc. soon, if you haven't already spotted these out in the wild.

Left to Right:

Pralines & Cream, Buttercream Frosting, Butterscotch, Whipped Egg Nog, Sugar Star Cookie

Left to Right:

Marshmallow Crisp, White Choco Cranberry, Sugar Plum, Holiday Punch, Peppermint Frappe

Made in the USA

Pralines & Cream

If you like pralines & cream ice cream, I'm guessing you'll love this. I get tons of pecan, brown sugar, and vanilla here. A spot-on representation.

Buttercream Frosting (SHIMMER)

I'm pretty sure I've owned a buttercream frosting type lip balm from Lip Smackers in the past, and this one's not quite as buttery as I remember from past variations. To me, this smells and tastes more like a traditional vanilla cake frosting. It's a little light on both flavor and fragrance, but still detectable.

Butterscotch

This one's straight up butterscotch, without a doubt. Lots of brown sugar, butter and vanilla. Very accurate, and yummy.

Whipped Egg Nog

A very nice representation of the popular holiday drink. I get lots of nutmeg, cream, and rum (it's heavy on the nutmeg, which I love because I'm a nutmeg fanatic).

Sugar Star Cookie (SHIMMER)

I get vanilla here, and sugar, and a very recognizable "cookie" note. If you love sugar cookies, I'm guessing this won't disappoint (but if you're like me, it WILL make you hungry).

Buttercream Frosting

I also want to mention that there are three shimmers here (I've noted the shimmers in my flavor descriptions). All of the shimmers have shimmery caps, which makes them easy to identify in-store. Above is the flavor Buttercream Frosting--you can see the fine shimmer running through it and here's a swatch on my hand:

The shimmer is very fine (it's not gritty), and it actually translates to more of a sheen on the lips than a full-on shimmer. I had to layer six or seven swipes above to really get the shimmer to photograph.

Marshmallow Crisp

Smells and tastes just like the popular rice puff cereal, marshmallow, and butter dessert squares. I can smell/taste the marshmallow and the butter. This is a softer scent, but it's definitely noticeable.

White Choco Cranberry (SHIMMER)

Perhaps the most complicated of the fragrances in this holiday collection, this one took a while for me to pick apart. At first, I get lots of cranberry but the more I sniff and taste this, the more the white chocolate note comes out. To me, the overall flavor and fragrance kind of reminds me of a Cherry Tootsie Pop. Which isn't a bad thing (for me, at least!). 

Sugar Plum

Possibly my favorite of the collection, which totally surprised me since I'm generally not a huge fan of sugar plum. To me, this smells and tastes like gum drops (DOTS, to be more precise). I love the scent of gum drops, and this lip balm smells sort of like a combination of all of my favorite flavors--strawberry, cherry, and grape. It's not just fruit--it really does smell and taste like gum drops. 

Holiday Punch

One of my favorites in the collection. I was anticipating a mulled spice type of flavor given the name, but I don't get any spice here. I do get plenty of tart cranberry, and I think I detect some apple and raspberry here too, as well as some citrus fruits (orange, and maybe some lime and lemon). If you like tart, fruity flavors and scents, I think you'll love this one.

Peppermint Frappe

I'm a huge fan of peppermint-spiked coffee drinks, so I was hoping this one wouldn't just be a Thin Mint type of flavor, disguised as a coffee beverage. I'm happy to report that it's not. While I do get peppermint and mocha notes, I also get a bit of a coffee note in the background. I love this one, and also I love that the lip balm itself is pretty much the exact color of a peppermint frappe. 

White Choco Cranberry

I also want to mention that in terms of color, the only flavor in this collection that actually deposits any real color onto the lips is White Choco Cranberry. Lip Smackers are not known for their pigmentation, but it's always an added bonus when you can get a subtle flush of color from them (I'm looking at you, Dr. Pepper). Here's s swatch:

This was after four or five swipes, so don't expect big color payoff here. But it does build to a nice, purple-ish plum wash of color after layering.

I'd also like to add that, in terms of formula, I don't find these to be any different than pre-Markwins Lip Smackers. They still feel nice and smooth on the lips, and deliver some nice, light hydration without feeling heavy, waxy, or greasy.

FINAL VERDICT: A seriously fun collection for my fellow gourmand lip balm lovers. I think there's something here for everyone in terms of yummy holiday-themed flavors, but my personal favorites are Sugar Plum and Holiday Punch (because I love tart, fruity candy/drink flavors). I think Lip Smackers did an excellent job at interpreting all of these flavors, and the only one I would pass on here is Buttercream Frosting, only because I feel like it's more of a straight-up vanilla cake frosting and it lacks that rich buttery note. Other than that, I think these are all hoard-worthy if you gravitate toward sweet, dessert/candy type lip balms.

The Lip Smackers Holiday 2015 Collection is now starting to pop up in stores, so keep an eye out for it at all of the usual retailers (Target, Rite Aid, CVS, etc.).

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. For more information, click here.