Product Review: C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Buffer Gentle Formula

C.O. Bigelow’s Mentha Lip Shine (found at Bath & Bodyworks) is a well-loved product, so I was eager to try out the lip buffer from this line. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed.

Usage: This product is meant to exfoliate your lips using sugar crystals suspended in a peppermint lip balm
Comparables: Other popular lip exfoliating products include Fresh Sugar Lip Scrub and LUSH Lip Scrubs – I’ve read good reviews of both but haven’t tried them yet.
Price: $7.50 USD at Bathandbodyworks.com
My experience: My lips tend to get a bit flaky in the winter time – nothing too extreme, as my Burts Bees Honey Lip balm works pretty well. Still – I need to exfoliate before I apply lip colour and gloss – and I was hoping that this would be a quick and easy way to get my lips moisturised and smooth.
I squeezed some product onto my lips, and used my fingers to spread it in small circular motions. I did this carefully and with a good amount of pressure. I then used a washcloth to remove the product. I looked at my lips – and the flakes were still there! I repeated the whole process, hoping for better results – but no dice. In the end, I used a soft toothbrush, and gently scrubbed my lips – the flakes were gone…but this was no surprise – as this is my usual lip exfoliation procedure (Vaseline and a baby soft toothbrush reserved just for my lips).
All in all this product was a complete waste of money. I have kept using this (with my toothbrush) – just to finish it, but it irks me to know that plain old Vaseline would do the job better, and I wouldn’t need to wipe the sugar crystals off with a washcloth. My sister purchased this product at the same time, and was equally disappointed.
Would I buy it again: Definitely not, although I may still try out their famous Mentha Lip Shine.
Disclaimer: I purchased this product myself, and was not paid to review it.

4 Comments

  1. Fashion Meets Food
    February 23, 2010 / 5:39 pm

    Just found your blog! Love it! Great review! I was going to purchase this product, and now I won't. Thanks for the heads up!!!www.fashionmeetsfood.com

  2. Ella Pretty
    February 23, 2010 / 6:38 pm

    Glad to have helped you 🙂 I've bookmarked your blog – I love reading about healthy eating and recipes!

  3. lovinmhesilly
    January 17, 2011 / 2:49 am

    im 15 and it works for me very well but i leave it on for a few min and thn wipe it off and my lips are soft and my breath is minty fresh and i dont even eat it of or whtev. but i do agree that all it is is vaseline and suger thats mint flavor. i think that lush mint jumps lip scrub works alot better and its hand made organic ingredients. all it is is sugar and you take a little and rub on your lips for like a min and then lick it off b/c you can eat it b/c all it is is sugar organic jojoba oil vanilla extract peppermint oil. so you know theres like 3 kinds theres mint, choc. vanilla -thats good- and the other kind i dont know what it is b/c i have not tryed that kind

  4. lovinmhesilly
    January 17, 2011 / 2:50 am

    p.s. it says who its made by like what person made it b/c its hand made

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