It’s rare to run into a product that is popular, expensive, and also among the worst in its category that you may have encountered.
This lip balm by Paula’s Choice, I’m sorry to say, is one such product for me.
I’ve got oily skin but super dry lips. No matter the season, they are always chapped, parched, thirsty. I run through lip balms pretty quick, and at any given point I have a choice of them available – one in my handbag, one by the bed, one in the bathroom, one on the dressing table, and a couple to spare here and there (not counting the Vaseline petroleum jelly that I often resort to in the night). The lip balm is one product I use a lot, and demand a lot from, too.
I’m also realising that this is one product that may not be easy to formulate. What else can explain the frequent disappointments I face in this regard?
I purchased the Paula’s Choice lip balm on sale for A$16.80 (discounted from A$21, which is a tidy amount to charge for a lip balm even if it did work well). The reviews in particular convinced me to purchase this product, along with the overall credibility of this brand.
Now I’m not saying those people were lying when singing peans to this lip balm as the best ever. This is rather to my general point as to why more of us should be sharing our own experiences with various products since highly-reviewed products may fail to do anything for us. We need to hear the disaster stories, too.
My beef with the Paula’s Choice Lip Balm:
The texture – waxy and unyielding
I was inordinately excited to receive the order; who doesn’t love a new, miraculous, all-healing lip balm? (Note: sarcasm). In all fairness, Paula’s Choice is a highly regarded brand and I respect it. But my heart sank soon as I opened the tub. Inside lay a congealed blob of whatever. You know it’s a bad lip balm when it doesn’t yield much to a gentle finger swipe. Like, not at all.
If you have to rub your finger into the product pretty vigorously, you know it’s not going to do much to soothe your lips. And it didn’t. Whatever little you are able to get on your finger, it barely goes on the lips unless you rub that in too. If you apply this lip balm over any kind of lipstick, the force of doing so will semi-wipe the lipstick off. Well done!
The formula – difficult to apply, no hydration
Putting that initial disappointment aside, even if I do manage to get any product onto my lips – what does it do? Nada, that’s what.
The claim: “…visibly transforms lips with first application,” and isn’t “thick or waxy.”
I must have received a different product then! Sorry to report otherwise, this formula doesn’t hydrate, moisturise, or soothe at all. It takes effort to take it out of the tub and apply to the lips, and then it does nothing at all.
Lip and body treatment, it says on the tin. Does nothing for either.
The verdict on paula’s choice lip balm
Verdict: Save your money and buy Smith’s Rosebud Salve instead. That is truly the best lip balm/ointment I’ve ever tried and cannot recommend it highly enough!
The Paula’s Choice lip balm is up there with the worst I’ve tried, while also being the most expensive one. It’s this combination of being popular, expensive, and ineffective is what actually prompted me to write this review. I want to save you $20 (and also the indescribable heartache of a disappointing lip balm *sad face*).
Peace & Namaste
