The Good: Tastes great, Offers some lip protection
The Bad: Does not revitalized dry skin on lips, Expensive
The Basics: A lot of fun, but still rather expensive, Tootsie Roll lip balm tastes exactly like Tootsie Roll candies and protects lips, even if it doesn't regenerate damaged lips.
One of the things I absolutely love about having a wife who takes care of herself is enjoying the benefits of that. My wife takes care of her hair, skin, lips and feet in ways that sometimes I figure she has to be absolutely ashamed to be seen with a casual person like me. She always looks immaculate and, frankly, I'd rather apply my efforts to my work and I am almost always in a rush when it comes to cleaning up and getting out the door. On the other hand, the level of care she has for herself does give me access to all sorts of great products to review, as well as twice as much experience with them (as she slowly encourages me to take better care of myself). One of the first products of hers that I made off with was her Tootsie Roll lip balm.
Yes, I've taken to stealing her lip balm. My wife goes off to work each morning and I am left at home writing and, sad but true, I miss her. From our very first meeting, though, she was using Tootsie Roll lip balm. That being the case, I have strong associations with her and the taste of Tootsie Rolls. So rather than getting fat by consuming about a million Tootsie Rolls while she is gone, I've simply taken to using her lip balm and enjoying the taste and protective benefits on my lips!
Tootsie Roll flavor lip balm comes in the standard .15 oz. tube. It is a discreet plastic tube measuring two and a half inches long by 3/8" in diameter. The lip balm it dispensed by simply removing the brown cap (it pulls off easily enough) and twisting a dial on the bottom to push the remaining product up. The lip balm itself is a waxy brown colored tube that is rubbed onto the lips and it offers a physical barrier to water and other damaging elements that could crack lips in winter and sunlight which could damage lips in the summer (or winter, whatwith the brightness of sunglare on snow). The product does not leave any coloring on one's lips, which is a plus. However, it does leave the sensation of the barrier that it is and the waxy feel is a definite downside.
The sunscreen properties of this Tootsie Roll lip balm are more alleged than actual; I found no SPF rating on the container. Still, the lip balm worked better than some - like Chapstick - at protecting my lips. I've been using my partner's lip balm since late winter as well as at the beach and it has prevented my lips from getting dried out in both conditions. Tested in the rough Upstate New York and Michigan winters, this lip balm does adequately protect against chapped lips by forming a physical barrier that helps to retain moisture within the lips without exposing lips to freezing conditions (my partner's lips were so soft from this when we first met!). Similarly, it does a great job maintaining itself as one gets in and out of natural water in the summer. The past few weeks, my partner and I have gone swimming (with a lot of diving!) and I have only had to apply the Tootsie Roll lip balm once before going into the water. After swimming for about an hour, I need to reapply, but in general, it maintains the barrier needed to keep my lips from chapping or burning.
What the product does not do is restore damaged skin. Before she moved in, I let my lips get a little chapped and broken with her not around (if I wasn't kissing her, I didn't care, was my logic). When I started using the Tootsie Roll lip balm, it prevented further damage, but it did not promote healing in any noticeable way. Instead, it just kept my lips from getting worse. This is not a lip balm that does a lot to moisturize lips, just protect them. After my lips healed on their own, the Tootsie Roll lip balm has prevented them from getting damaged from the elements again.
As well, this product is remarkably easy to apply. It glides on easy and creates a barrier needed to resist the elements. Unfortunately, in this regard comes one of the two biggest drawbacks to the product. This lip balm has a very waxy feel to it. When it is on my lips, I am very aware of its presence. Of all of the lip balms for lips that I have tried since I started kissing anyone again, this is the most waxy feeling, even more so than the Chapstick product. It goes on feeling waxy and it feels waxy when it is on. As a result, it is easy to feel when this product has been wiped thoroughly off one's lips as well.
Tootsie Roll leaves no significant color on the lips when it is applied. It may feel omnipresent and thick when it is on, but it does not look pink on one's lips.
On the taste front, this is wonderful. The lip balm has a Tootsie Roll's waxy chocolate scent to it and it tastes exactly like a Tootsie Roll, though maybe a little sweeter. This has a slightly dry, chocolate taste that spreads over the lips and then tastes warm and sweetly chocolate, just like a Tootsie Roll. After the first few seconds, the taste fades a little, but for as long as I am able to feel the lip balm on my lips, I am able to taste Tootsie Roll. This waxy coating tastes exactly like Tootsie Rolls and the taste holds up for hours!
The Tootsie Roll lip balm has ingredients on the tube, so be sure to check the package before purchasing for any allergies you might have. But the primary ingredients are: oleyl alcohol, petrolatum and microcrystaline wax. This is more tasty than it sounds, but it is worth looking into one's food or chemical allergies before purchasing. It is noted that it is not intended for human consumption, so don't look to this for nutrition!
It is also worth noting that this might be fun and I might have a lot of good memories for this lip balm - primarily because they cause me to reminisce about the beginnings of my relationship with the woman I love - but that this is a strangely expensive lip balm. A stick costs almost five dollars and for a lip balm that does not moisturize, that makes it a tough sell for most. But if one has the money and is looking for something fun and playful to entice a partner with, Tootsie Roll is a hard taste to beat as far as lip balms go!
For other lip products, please check out my reviews of:
Burt's Bees Medicated Lip Balm
Blistex Herbal Answer
Extreme Pink Lemonade Blowpop Lip Balm
5.5/10
For other health and beauty product reviews, please click here to visit my index page on the subject!
© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |
No comments:
Post a Comment