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Saturday Question: What Do You Think Of Perfume Balms?

When it comes to perfume, we’re used to a few familiar formats: sprays or dabs for alcohol-based perfumes, oils and solids. Hair perfumes came in later and earned their place in many brands’ line-up. Perfume balm, however, is a relatively new format, at least to me.

 

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

 

Saturday Question #304:

What Do You Think Of Perfume Balms?

Have you tried any? Do you consider wearing perfumes in this format? On its own or as a layering base?

My Answer

As I mentioned, perfume balms are a relatively new discovery for me. Last year, at Sephora, I noticed a perfume display for Rare Beauty‘s new perfume, Rare. I hadn’t tried their original perfume, Rare Beginnings, and wouldn’t have tried this one either, but four small tubes captured my attention. They were introduced as a new Fragrance Layering Balm. Four initially released scents were AMBER (vanilla), FLORAL (peony blossom), FRESH (bergamot) and WOODY (oak).

It wasn’t just a curiosity for a new format. Rare Beauty products hold a special place in my beauty universe because of Selena Gomez, whom I like because of Only Murders in the Building (I can’t wait to watch season six!).

Don’t ask me how it happened that until then (hmm… since then as well) I had ignored her perfumes. I will give them some skin time the next time I visit Sephora. But in general, when it comes to most perfumes one can find at my local Sephora stores, I stopped expecting much a long time ago, and I usually skip trying them. But the combination of the brand, a new medium and layering (yeah, one more aspect that has theoretically attracted me for the last 20 years) was irresistible. So, all four balms immediately went on different sections of my wrists. By the time I got home, I liked them all – some more, some less, but none of them was unpleasant. But.

First, I couldn’t remember which one I applied where. Second, even at $19 per tube (currently $20), I couldn’t justify buying all four of them, especially knowing myself: I wouldn’t be doing any “layering.” And finally, after the launch, these were so popular that both the brand’s site and Sephora were sold out.

After a while, new batches were produced. I tried all of them at a store again and decided to buy the one I wouldn’t have guessed to be my favorite if I were going by the name alone – FRESH. It’s lovely. It’s bright, uplifting and extremely long-lasting on my skin – though quite intimate, without strong projection. I think it will make a nice new plane scent for my future trips.

Also, I wouldn’t mind having a couple of my favorite perfumes in that format.

Sephora Display for Rare Beauty Perfume Balms

How about you?

 

What Do You Think Of Perfume Balms?

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Sunday Self-care, Episode 6: Read My Lip… Care Choices

Three years ago, I shared with my readers the greatest discovery I made for my lip care.

I loved Agave Lip Balm and Agave Lip Mask from Bite Beauty and used them for a couple of years… until the brand decided to join the holier-than-thou crowd and went vegan. No. Same as fat-free or sugar-free foods are not identical to their less healthy predecessors (you might like them or prefer for health reasons or even for their taste, just don’t try to persuade me that they taste the same), lanolin-free Agave Lip Balm wasn’t as moisturizing as the one that I fell in love with. I found and bought a couple of old formula products postponing inevitable, but at some point, I had to accept that my favorite product was gone.

As I was on my last tube thinking of what to do next, I got an amazing tip from one of the YouTube videos. If you haven’t heard this yet, don’t laugh, but Lansinoh Lanolin Nipple Cream for Breastfeeding is just amazing for keeping your lips moist all night. It’s not expensive, and it comes in small inconspicuous tubes (in case you want to have some in your purse).

I was completely satisfied with my discovery and would have stuck to using it for years to come, but in my Sephora Birthday Gift, I got a sample of Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. It was love from the first use! The one I got was the original (Berry scent), and not only it keeps my lips perfectly moisturized through the night, but it also has a very enjoyable light scent and texture.

You would think I’d stop there: I found two great products. But finding that Laneige mask made me think that I was so stuck on the loss of my favorite Agave Lip Balm that I didn’t even think to look for anything else. So, I just couldn’t resist when I saw on Sephora’s site a Give Me Some Lip Balm Set.

Lip Masks

It was quite educational to try 5 more products. I tried them without reading anything about them. While all of them are fine and quite… usable, none of them was love for me.

Sephora Coconut Lip Balm & Scrub – a strange combination, in my opinion: who on earth has come up with the idea that these two purposes can be served by the same product? I would have probably liked it more had it a more pronounced coconut smell/taste. I might finish it eventually, but it’s not something I will ever consider purchasing.

Tarte SEA Jelly Glaze Anytime Lip Mask in Strawberry Jelly has a light tint and some scent… The tint reminds me of a strawberry more than the scent. It is fine, and I use it at my work desk when I’m not wearing lipstick for a Zoom meeting. Since during the day I periodically eat or drink something, I’m not sure how well it hydrates – I re-apply it from time to time, which is fine with me. But once it’s gone – it’s gone.

Rose Petal-Soft Deep Hydration Lip Balm by fresh has a noticeable rose scent. It smells very pleasant until I apply it. Surprisingly, I discovered that I don’t like a rose in my lip products: it feels as if I had not fully washed off rose soap from my lips. I can’t complain about its moisturizing qualities, but I won’t use it if I have a choice.

Lip Fetish Divinyl Lip Shine in Nude Venus from Pat McGrath Labs is exactly what it promises to be – a lip shine with just the slightest hue. It’s not something to use at night, but during the day it has its uses – as a part of the discounted $21 5-product set. But I would have never paid its full price of $36. Almost all lipsticks, lip balms, etc. that I own are at least as nice as this Lip Shine, if not better. And most of them are less expensive.

Ilia Lip Wrap Treatment Mask is fine doing the job, but it is completely scentless and tasteless… For $26 it costs, I can buy more than a year supply of that Lanolin Nipple Cream.

My experiment has shown that with skincare I follow the same pattern as I noticed with perfumes and food: I do not like “all-natural,” “fat/sugar-free” or “clean” products (in the Sephora set all but Pat McGrath’s products were marked as “clean at Sephora”). In my book, all those properties are secondary to a good product. Quite rarely do I find something that I like among those that proudly announce their “virtues.”

I plan to keep taking advantage of the off-label use of the Lansinoh’s lanolin cream. And once I finish my small jar of Laneige, I’m going to buy the full version. Eventually, I might try their other scents: grapefruit and apricot smell nice. But initially, I’ll continue with the original berry scent, hoping that they won’t mess with a good thing that works. It is such a pleasure to use that product!

Do you have any favorite lip moisturizers?

 

Image: my own