Carmex Strawberry Lip Balm SPF 15 Tube

RRP: £2.69/10g

--What does the promo say?--

"A favourite with celebrities and make up artists all over the world, Carmex now comes in a new juicy strawberry flavour! Not only does this fruity balm heal dry, cracked lips, it also acts as a sunscreen with the added protection of SPF 15."

--Packaging--

I can't say I find it especially appealing: while the vintage-style fonts are cute, the fact that the tube is yellow means that it is distinctly reminiscent of a certain well-known superglue brand, and the lid just.would.not.come.off. I tried just using my hands. I tried running the lid under hot water. I tried wrapping an elastic band around the lid for extra grip. Not even my husband could get the lid off unassisted. He ended up getting out a pair of pliers (or some other blokey implement from his toolbox) and literally wrenching off the lid. After that initial breakin, the lid seemed to work fine, but the problem is that the plastic that the tube is made from is too soft, meaning it is quite liable to just bend when you try to turn the lid, rather than working with you. Bad times. The only good part is that the application tip is precise and easy to control by squeezing the tube.

--Application--

Once you've got the accursed thing open, squeeze out a small amount of lip balm and spread evenly over your lips; thankfully, no problems here.

--Appearance--

The balm is a creamy colour that appears transparent on the lips, giving a very natural look overall.

--Scent--

Sorry, I just did not like this. While it did smell strawberryish, it seems that this is only in the most artificial of capacities. This perhaps should have been obvious to me from the outset by the fact that the strawberry scent comes only, according to the ingredients list, from the suitably vague 'Flavour'. The menthol and camphor in the ingredients, however, are also detectable in the smell - this is not unpleasant but sadly it does not compensate for the superficiality of the 'strawberry' scent for me.

--Texture, consistency and sensation--

A very smooth lip balm which is not sticky at all. The menthol and camphor also makes your lips tingle in a really pleasant way which makes you feel like it is really working.

--Effects on the lips--

Makes lips smooth and soft, but not miraculously so. I suppose it comes down to how long you can stick the scent for as to how long you can keep applying it and thus see maximal results.

--Value for money--

I suppose this works well enough, but for me the value for money is diminished by the horrible scent and sheer uselessness of the packaging. For this price range, I would be more inclined to plump instead for Dove, Blistex or Burt's Bees lip balm - but perhaps once I have tried the mint tube my opinion will change.