Lafe's Bodycare is an award-winning natural personal care brand that's been making healthy, sustainable, and affordable plant-based products for 25 years.  It all started with deodorant, but today the line has expanded to encompass body, baby, and hair care too.  Lafe's is a Certified B Corporation and the company also donates 1% of their profits to support breast cancer prevention and environmental awareness. 

I received an extra generous package from Lafe's last month and, after taking the time to test everything out, I want to talk about my favourite items.  It was a bit of a flash from the past for me as I used to sell Lafe's products back in my health food store retail days, but, while I had a working familiarity with the brand and product line, I had actually tried very few Lafe's products prior to receiving these in the mail.  (I was missing out!)



Let's get right to the products!

I first reviewed Ellovi back in 2016, and I've been a big fan of their butters ever since.  Ellovi embodies simple elegance -- beautifully packaged, sophisticated formulas handmade from just six ethically-sourced natural ingredients.  The company recently did some rejigging of both the butter formulas and their packaging, and sent me a few of the new versions to try out.

Spoiler: they're just as luscious, moisturizing, and creamy as the originals.  Keep reading for all the details!

BR Naturals is an Ontario company that was created to make products that are "100% natural and safe to use but at the same time smell good, feel good, and are good for the body."  Sounds pretty great, right?  The company is passionate about sourcing top quality ingredients and even aims to grow as many of them as possible on their own organic farms in Yobaín, Yucatán México.  

I was sent a generous box of goodies to try and I'm excited to share my thoughts on everything!



Lavender Body Wash
BR Naturals' body washes are castile-based, detergent-free soaps made from coconut, olive, avocado, apricot kernel, sunflower, and sustainable palm oils.  They also contain added vegetable glycerin, a natural humectant that helps drive moisture into the skin.  The consistency is a little thin but it's very workable and lathers nicely on a loofah or sponge.  The Lavender Body Wash has a genuine lavender scent to my nose -- slightly herbal and not overly flowery.  It's gentle and leaves skin feeling very soft.  I like it as a hand wash too! 

Exfoliating Bar Soaps -- Lavender Flowers // Peppermint Leaf
Similar to the body washes, the bar soaps are natural soaps made from just plant oils and essential oils. I've only used the Peppermint Leaf so far -- BR Naturals' most popular cleansing bar -- and I really like. As opposed to something more abrasive, the exfoliating bits in the soap are ground up peppermint leaves -- lavender flowers in the lavender bar -- which provide texture and delicate exfoliation without being harsh or scratchy. The bar smells fresh and minty and with 25% avocado oil, it creates a rich lather that cleanses without stripping the skin.



Lip Balms -- Cucumber // Strawberry
I use lip balm multiple times a day without fail and BR Naturals' vegan balms are lovely. They're creamy and buttery and have been doing a good job keeping my lips moisturized and protected. The Cucumber flavor didn't end up being my cup of tea, but the Strawberry, which reminds me of the old school Lip Smackers I used as a kid, has a nice fruity scent. There are tons of other flavors to choose from too!

Lotion Bars -- Vanilla // Mint Vanilla
Solid lotions have become one of my favorite ways to moisturize recently.  They're ultra nourishing and with minimal ingredients and no added water, there's no need for emulsifiers or preservatives.  However, not all solid lotions are made the same and I find a lot of brands lean too waxy, whereas my preference is for something that's solid in the container, yes, but also very emollient on the skin.  BR Naturals hits that sweet spot dead on.  The Lotion Bars are solid, but they melt with the heat of your skin and turn into almost a creamy oil on contact.  Coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, and sweet almond oil provide a generous dose of moisture and nourishment, and mango seed butter, one of favorite body butter ingredients, helps keep the bar from feeling greasy or sitting too heavy on the skin.  

Again, I've only dug into the Mint Vanilla so far.  It has a sweet, creamy, bakery-type vanilla scent offset with a hint of fresh peppermint to liven things up.  The plain vanilla smells quite similar, just, obviously, minus the mint.  The bars are quite hefty in size, so I've actually been cutting it into smaller chunks, which keeps the unused portion clean, and makes application easier and a little less messy.  



Papaya Seed Oil
Papaya seed oil is unique in that it contains the enzyme papain, a gentle exfoliant that dissolves dead skin cells and excess sebum. It's an ingredient I've used in other products, but never on its own and, as such, I was a little thrown by the oil's strong scent. The aroma is very pungent -- almost fishy smelling -- but completely normal according to BR Naturals. I haven't worked out how to best use the oil yet, but I'll definitely post an update if/when I do.

The Bottom Line
The exfoliating bar soap and lotion bar were my two favorites, but I'm happy to have had the opportunity to try everything out.   I love BR Naturals' emphasis on sourcing top quality ingredients and that they're a Canadian brand too!

Duckish is a Canadian skincare company handcrafting natural and cruelty free bath and body products in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  The company reached out to me over the summer and very kindly sent me their Starter Bundle, a customizable kit containing all five of Duckish's bath and body products in your chosen scents.  I'm eager to share my thoughts on everything!



Shea (Unscented) Body Butter
Let's jump right in with my favorite of the five products!  My soft spot for unscented body moisturizers is no secret, and this rich blend of shea butter, grapeseed, coconut, olive, and jojoba oils is just the ticket for dry or irritated skin.  I have a small self-diagnosed patch of eczema on one foot that doesn't tolerate many products, but I had no problems using the Body Butter on it.  In fact, it even went one step further and worked very well at soothing both the itch and actual sensitivity when it flared up briefly last week.  And, it works great on ordinary dry skin too.  

The Unscented Butter smells faintly of unrefined shea butter, but it's mild and only noticeable as you're first applying it. If you prefer a scent, Duckish's Body Butter is also available in Lavender, Pink Grapefruit, and Tea Tree varieties.

Mint Bath Salts
I'm not the biggest bath person, particularly in the warmer months, so when I noticed Duckish includes the Bath Salts in their DIY Pedicure Kit, I was inspired to use them as a foot soak instead.  Made from a mix of four different salts -- sea salt, dead sea salt, pink Himalayan salt and epsom salt -- as well as almond and coconut oils, the bath salts dissolve easily and add a light dose of softening moisture to your water.  The Mint scent is a blend of peppermint and eucalyptus -- two of my favorites -- and it smells wonderfully invigorating.  Just sniffing the package completely clears my sinuses, so I bet it will be a fantastic one to have on hand once cold and flu season hits!

Lavender Bath Bombs
With little lavender petals on top, these were so cute I hesitated to actually use them!  Again, I'm no bath expert, but the bath bombs fizzed nicely and made the water soft and a little milky.  They smelled more fresh and herbacious than heavily flowery -- my preference for lavender scents -- and I enjoyed using them.  I don't think you can purchase the bath bombs individually right now, but they come in a few of Duckish's different bundles and sets. 



Lavender Mini Lotion Stick
A lot of solid lotions rely heavily on waxes, but Duckish's Lotion Stick feels more like an oil in solid form.  Solid in the tube, it melts into the skin immediately on contact and, although it contains beeswax, leaves behind no waxy coating or heavy residue, just soft, silky smooth skin.  I especially love using it on my legs, and it's also wonderful for spreading on the backs of your hands when you need moisture without greasy fingertips.  Like the bath bombs, the lavender scent is very fresh and I can also smell a little bit of the olive oil coming through.  The purse-friendly mini size is great too -- perfect for carrying with you on the go!

Grapefruit Lip Balm
The Bottom Line
The Starter Bundle is a great way to get a feel for Duckish's line and to try a number of products at a small discount.  The Lotion Stick and Body Butter were my favorite discoveries and are the two items I'd put my money towards first, but there really wasn't a dud in the bunch.  The Bath Salts were a close third, and I think, along with the bath bombs, they'd be a big hit with bath lovers.  The lip balm is also great and is something I expect I'll get a lot of good use out of come winter.

Who says you need a long and complicated ingredient list to make a gorgeous product?  Certainly not Ellovi, a brand that embodies simple elegance with body and lip butters made of just six ethically sourced and wild harvested ingredients.  Ellovi products are vegan and cruelty-free, made in California, and free of water, preservatives, and fillers.

Ellovi's butters aren't new to me, but I've been trying out two new-to-me varieties:  the Blossom Butter* and Mint Chocolate Lip Butter*.  Keep reading for more on these two, plus stay tuned till the end to enter for a chance to try them yourself!  



Chamomile Blossom Butter
Chamomile and citrus are two of my favorite scents, so picking this butter was a no-brainer.  Delicately scented with mandarin and Italian chamomile essential oils, it's a beautiful floral and fruity mix that's perfect for this time of year.  There's also an underlying sweetness that comes through from the coconut oil.

The other three ingredients (in case you were keeping count!) are mango seed oil, shea butter, and non-GMO corn starch.  All this goodness blends together to create a rich body butter that's extremely nourishing to the skin, but not greasy.  Mango seed oil often gives products an amazing dry oil feel and I do find Blossom absorbs a little better and leaves a slightly drier finish on the skin compared to Ellovi's Original Butter - without mango seed oil - which I've used previously.  It's no less hydrating than the original, but, because it absorbs so well, it's a product I'm happy to slather all over my body, whereas I often find myself reserving richer butters like this for just extra dry spots like feet and elbows.  

The butter is beautifully packaged in a heavy glass jar and, because it's so rich and concentrated, a little bit really does go a long way.  

Mint Chocolate Lip Butter
With similar ingredients, it should come as no surprise that Ellovi's lip butters are just as fabulous as the body butters!  The Mint Chocolate, specifically, is a blend of mango seed oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, cocoa oil, and peppermint.  Without any waxes, it's a little softer than many other lip balm formulas, but extremely smooth and buttery.  

The Mint Chocolate scent, reminiscent of mint chocolate chip ice cream and After Eight bars, is just delicious.   It's sweet and yummy, but in a very "real" way -- not at all fake or candy-like.  The mint gives just the slightest tingle to the lips when first applied, and the balm does a great job keeping my lips feeling soft and smooth all day long. 

Giveaway
Ellovi is generously offering up this same pair for one of you to try!  Follow the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

According to the US Department of Agriculture, bees pollinate 80% of the world's flowering plants, which accounts for about one third of our food supply.  Factor in the number of bee colonies dying off in the last several years, and these statistics become pretty worrisome.  There's still no consensus on the cause of this colony collapse, but one thing everyone does seem to agree on is that supporting sustainable beekeeping practices is one of the best things we can do.  One way to do that?  Buying honey and other bee products from local bee keepers.

Brad and Anika, Portland Bee Balm's creators, have been hobby beekeepers in Portland, Oregon for years and this love of honey bees was the true genesis for starting Portland Bee Balm.  The two set out to create a high quality product that reflected the environmental values they hold true and Portland Bee Balm was born. 

Photo Credit

The lip balm is made of just four high quality ingredients, all of which come from sustainable and/or local sources: certified organic extra virgin coconut and olive oils, Oregon beeswax, and organic Oregon peppermint essential oil.  It doesn't end at ingredients either.  Rather than using paper, labels are made of non-pulped wood, which requires fewer chemicals and less energy to manufacture, and the ink used to print the labels is soy-based, reducing our use of non-renewable fossil fuels.  Both the labels and handmade displays are made locally in Portland, Oregon.  

Setting aside the environmental aspect for a minute, the actual lip balm is excellent as well.  It's pretty solid in the tube, but a couple passes over your lips will warm it up and give it just enough slip.  My favorite is the Oregon Mint, which has a great fresh peppermint scent, but the Unscented, which smells just like sweet beeswax, is lovely as well.  Both scents are very natural and not overpowering in the least.  The balms leaves my lips feeling soft and the beeswax feels very protective on the lips, which I think will be especially great once the colder months roll in.  I'm pretty sure this is going to be my go to lip balm this winter! 
  

Photo Credit

The best part?  Portland Bee Balm has offered one of you the chance to try the balms for yourself!  The giveaway is going to be US only, but fear not, I've got more great giveaways coming soon that will be open internationally.  Fill in the Rafflecopter widget (below) to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I really don't notice a significant difference between the three formulas.  If I had to differentiate, the Hemp has a little more slip to it than the other two, while the More Moisture is a bit more substantial and buttery on the lips.  The Vegan is a little more solid in the tube initially, but it applies great once it's warmed up on your lips.    All three are excellent.

Victoria says...
There's no contest: The Epic Blend flavours Caitie gave me to try are my new favourite lip balms.

I was pretty thrilled with the flavours I scored: The ones Caitie didn't really want were exactly the ones I wanted to try. After a long and very scientific (ahem) trial process, my favourite wound up being Hemp Vanilla, which has an unexpected chocolate note thanks to the combination of vanilla and cocoa butter. Vegan Wild Berry is a close second, with a rich and fruity scent. I also love More Moisture Cherry and More Moisture Green Apple, which smell exactly like the fruits they're named after without any artificial tang--just scrumptiousness. Last but not least, Hemp Coconut is the one that has made its way into my work bag, since it's a neutral but still aromatic flavour.

I had a scare about a month into using Epic Blend, when the weather changed and I discovered that my lips were chapping and peeling. I stopped using anything but Epic Blend for a couple of weeks to give them a fair shot, and the problem went away--which is when I threw out most of my other lip balms. Good riddance!

The Bottom Line
Epic Blend has pretty well hit it out of the park for both of us!  Epic indeed.  I love that the company is Canadian, that the ingredients are predominantly organic, and that the balms really work.  I highly recommend checking these out!

We've also got two balms to give away to one of you: More Moisture Grape and Garnet Star Tinted Lip Balm.  The giveaway will run for a week and is open to anyone, anywhere.  Fill in the Rafflecopter widget (below) to enter.

Towards the beginning of the summer, I was contacted by Scentuals Bodycare and sent a box of goodies to try out.  Scentuals is a natural bath and body care company that handmakes all its products in British Columbia, Canada.   Like many other natural companies, the line was created by Mai Mowrey, after a family illness spurred her on to research and learn about the toxic impact of conventional personal care products.  Scentuals sources pure, natural ingredients and aims to provide great quality bath and body care at an affordable price point.

The company has an extensive product line up and was generous enough to send me several things to try, so I'm going to review everything in two parts.  Today I want to talk about all things lips.

100% Natural Lip Conditioners
If you like your lip balms thick and buttery, these are worth checking out.  Made with shea and cocoa butters and coconut, jojoba, castor seed, and hemp oils, they're some of the richest, creamiest lip balms I've used.  They're pretty well matte on the lips and make a great base for lipstick, and they also smell divine.  The Vanilla Citrus smells just like a creamsicle, while the Chocolate Mousse scent reminds me of chocolate ice cream.


100% Natural Tinted Lip Moisturizers 
With a similar formula to the lip conditioners, these tinted balms combine moisture and color.  They're not your run of the mill, barely there tinted lip balms either.  Three of the four shades actually pack a serious punch of color.


Sultry - "a sexy shimmery bronze with a cinnamon flavour."  Sultry is the most shimmery of the bunch and also one of the more pigmented.  The cinnamon scent is pretty light.

Bombshell - "a classic merlot red with cherry flavour."  My favorite of the four, Bombshell is a deeper red with some berry tones.  It has no noticeable shimmer and is basically as pigmented as a lipstick.

Passion - "a sophisticated dark pink with citrus flavour."  Passion also has visible shimmer, but not nearly as much as Sultry.  I like the citrus scent and the color is probably the most natural of the bunch.  It makes a good, everyday lip.

Flirt - "an innocent, shimmery pink with wild rose flavour."  I can see the shimmer in the tube and in the swatch, but I really don't notice it on the lips.  Flirt is the most sheer of the four, giving the lips just a hint of pink.  It's a pretty color, but the rose scent is not my cup of tea.


The Bottom Line
With the exception of Flirt - which is really just a scent preference - I'm pretty smitten with all of these.  The colors are beautiful and both the untinted lip conditioners and the tinted lip moisturizers do a good job protecting and hydrating your lips.  I expect they'll be great in the colder months as well.

I've got lots more Scentuals products to talk about, so keep an eye out for Part II.  In the meantime, Scentuals has offered a 20% discount for my readers with the code caitie_20.  If you're in Canada, the company also offers free shipping on orders of $75+.

You can also follow Scentuals on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.  Watch for sales + giveaways - they're very generous on social media!

Photo by David Zimand

Like a lot of natural formulators, Ora Assayag started making natural products for her family.  When her youngest daughter developed severe eczema and was prescribed steroids and antibiotics, Ora was confident there had to be a more natural, holistic route they could take and began researching alternatives.  In addition to diet, she looked to herbal medicine and developed a healing herbal blend to use in a salve.  After the first batch, she quickly learned that the salve worked not only on her daughter's eczema, but also on dry skin, cuts and scratches, and small kitchen burns.  One thing led to another and developed into Ora's Amazing Herbal, a family business that now sells salves, lip balms, and body powders.  Everything is 100% natural, made with only organic and fair trade herbs, and the business is committed to being run ethically and with social responsibility.  

I was happy to be sent a few products from the line to try out.  Keep reading for what I thought of everything...


All Purpose Salve
Since salves are what started it all for this company, I was most excited to see what this little  glass jar could offer.  It contains a powerful blend of herbs - organic calendula, comfrey, plaintain, chickweed, St. John's wort, burdock and thyme - infused in non-GMO grapeseed oil and blended with organic coconut oil, beeswax, vitamin E, and essential oils of rosemary, thuja, and tea tree.  

The very top layer was a little more firm, but once you break through that, it's the creamiest, butteriest salve I've had the pleasure of using.  It's also suprisingly non-greasy - unless you use a ton - and sinks in really easily.  And, it works super well too!  Dry, chapped hands were no match for the salve and itchy skin quickly fled as well.  It smells great too - fresh and herbal, but also a little sweet - and in a pinch, it even works as a lip balm.

Basically, just a good, all-around functional product to keep on hand!  The smaller, one ounce jar is the perfect purse size to carry with you too.



Ingredients: Grapeseed Oil (non-GMO) Infused With Organic Calendula, Organic Comfrey, Organic Plantain, Organic Chickweed, Organic St. John’s Wort, Organic Burdock And Organic Thyme, Organic Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Vitamin E And Essential Oils Of Rosemary, Thuja, And Tea Tree.

Chai Spice Lip Balm
I can't imagine a better fall/winter lip balm flavor than this Chai Spice, which is a yummy blend of cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and ginger.  The lip balm formula is ideal for winter too, as it's a thicker balm that does a great job protecting your lips against the elements.   And, if your lips are already chapped, it's a good choice too.  It contains the same herbal infusion as the salve and I've noticed it really speeds up the healing process, leaving my lips feeling soft and supple.  I will say that, personal preference, I wish the balm had a little more slip to it.  On the flip side, the thicker, waxier consistency is what helps it last so well on your lips, and it also means it's completely matte and shine-free, which will certainly appeal to some.  

Ora's Amazing Herbal's body powders leave out talc (which can be contaminated with asbestos), grains and corn starch (which have been shown to exacerbate some skin problems) and any synthetics.  Instead, they contain a gentle blend of kaolin clay, baking soda, arrowroot, and plaintain leaf powder.   The Vanilla one that I received also contains vanilla bean powder.  

One of the last "dirty" products I held on to was a vanilla body powder from The Body Shop, so I was extra excited to receive the vanilla-scented option here.  Perhaps because I had TBS one in the back of my mind, I was a little gutted to discover how lightly scented Ora's version is.  The vanilla really is barely detectable here. 

Scent aside, it's a great silky soft, finely milled powder with a multitude of uses.  I've enjoyed dusting it on top of other deodorants and I've used it as a dry shampoo too.  I imagine it would also work well for diapering, chafing, and anything else you'd use conventional baby and dusting powders for.

Ingredients: Kaolin Clay Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Maranta arundinacea (Arrowroot) Powder, Plantago major (Plantain) leaf Powder, Organic Raw Vanilla planifolia (Vanilla) Bean Powder. 

The Bottom Line
Ora's Amazing Herbal uses high quality, natural ingredients and sustainable, ethical business practices and is a company I'd feel confident recommending.  The salve was the star of the show for me, but I've enjoyed using the lip balm and body powder as well.   I do wish the powder had a bit more scent to it, but it isn't anything that will stop me from enjoying the product as is.  

The price point, across the entire line, is also very reasonable, with lip balms ringing in at $3.99, powders at $10.99, and salves at $8.99 (1 oz.) and $18.99 (4 oz.)



Disclosure: Product provided for my honest review.  I was under no obligation to write a positive review in return for free product, nor was I compensated for this post.  All opinions are my own. 

I already covered Frangipani's cleansers and serums in Part #1, and today I want to introduce you to a few of the moisturizers and balms in their lineup.  



Shea Butter Softening Lotion
Particularly in the colder months, there's very little that hydrates and seals in moisture as well as shea butter.  Frangipani's Shea Butter Softening Lotion is a fairly lightweight whipped shea butter that melts into the skin beautifully and is great for both face and body.  A thin layer is all I need for any dry patches on the face and a more liberal application does wonders for dry feet or elbows.  It hydrates well with jojoba oil, but it's not greasy.  To me, it smells strongly of geranium, although there are also lighter notes of lavender and neroli. 

Ingredients: butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, tocopherol (Vitamin E), zea mays (corn) starch, citrus aurantium (neroli) oil, pelargonium graveolens (geranium) flower oil, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil
Almond oil, rose water, rosehip fruit oil, and beeswax combine together to create a soft balm or salve-textured cream that's recommended for mature or extra dry skin.  It's a little too heavy for my skin for daily use, but I enjoy using it as an occasional intensive moisture boost.  I also really like it on my hands before bed.  It takes a few extra minutes to absorb fully, but nothing crazy.  

Ingredients: prunus amygdalus (almond sweet) oil, rosa damascena (rose) flower water, rosa canina (rosehip) fruit oil, beeswax, gluconolactone (and) sodium benzoate (natural preservative), lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil, citrus aurantium (neroli) oil, cananga odorata macrophylla (ylang ylang) flower oil, tocopherol (Vitamin E)



Jasmine Mint Lip Balm
If you've read much of the blog, you'll likely remember that some florals, like jasmine, just aren't my cup of tea, so it was with some trepidation that I first sniffed this lip balm.  Happily, the combination of jasmine and mint is another story altogether!  Spearmint and menthol tone down the sweetness of the jasmine and what you're left with is a refreshing, light, minty floral scent.  Beyond the smell, the actual balm is lovely as well - thick and creamy from a combination of shea butter and jojoba and coconut oils, with just a hint of a minty tingle from the menthol.  

Ingredients: simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), beeswax, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, jasminum sambac (jasmine) oil, mentha viridis (spearmint) leaf oil, mentha arvensis (menthol) leaf oil, tocopherol (Vitamin E)

The Bottom Line
Frangipani has a great lineup, with products targeted at several different skin types. The scents all lean towards the floral side of things, but they aren't overpowering or perfumy.  The products are well-formulated and effective and also very reasonably priced.  Another great thing: there are lots of different trial sets available, which are a great way to sample the line.  These aren't minis that'll get you just one or two uses either - speaking from experience, even the trial sizes will last you a good while!



Disclosure: Product provided for review.  I was under no obligation to write a positive review in return for free product, nor was I compensated for this post.  All opinions are my own.

My lips always seem to suffer the most during the transition into cold, winter weather, so I can't think of a better time to talk about the lip balms that have been doing an excellent job keeping my lips soft and hydrated this fall.



Hurraw! balms are completely non-toxic, vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO.  The base oils - almond, coconut, jojoba, castor, and olive - are all cold-pressed and processed below 188°F, so they're still packed with all the nutrients and goodness to best nourish your lips.  The balms are also made with cocoa butter, cadelilla wax, essential oils, herbs, and organic flavours. 

In terms of feel, the first thing you'll notice is that Hurraw!'s balms are incredibly smooth and not at all waxy.  They do a great job nourishing your lips, but they sink in pretty quickly and don't leave much of a protective coating, so I find I prefer to use them when I know I'll be staying indoors.  If I'm heading outside in the dead of winter, I still reach for my Badger Creamy Cocoa Cocoa Butter Lip Balm.   

Here's a quick rundown of the five flavours I've tried:

Coffee Bean: I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do enjoy the smell of coffee, and this balm totally does it for me.  Smells more like a sweet mochaccino than straight up coffee beans.

Cinnamon: If you're a fan of cinnamon hearts, you'll love this one!  It smells exactly like the candy and gives a sheer tint to your lips, like you just ate a red popsicle.  I do find this flavour to be slightly less hydrating than its untinted counterparts, and if your lips are already chapped, I'd recommend steering clear of it - the cinnamon can feel a little irritating and burny on already sore lips.

Grapefruit: Zesty and refreshing, like a glass of fresh grapefruit juice.

Vanilla Bean: Probably my least favorite of the bunch.  It's a very sweet vanilla scent that, to me, smells a lot more like honey or animal crackers than actual vanilla.   

Mint: One of my favorites.  This isn't a soft, meek mint, but it's incredibly fresh and leaves your lips with a nice pepperminty tingle.  It may even freshen your breath a little!


The Bottom Line
With tinted options and a multitude of flavours, I kind of think of Hurraw! balms as the Lip Smackers of the green beauty world.  With so many choices, there should be one to suit anyone!  I also love the packaging - the cheery oval tubes are not only fun, they also make for greater precision when you're applying the balm.  

Where to Buy: $3.37 to $3.82 from iherb, $3.79 to $4.29 from Hurraw!


Have you tried Hurraw! balms?  What are your favorite flavours? 




Disclosure: Contains affiliate links to iherb.