So, it hit me today – aside from September’s Black Honey feature, we haven’t reviewed a lip product in… god, forever. August 9th, to be precise – Ellis L108.
What even happened?! I mean, I still have lips. I still wear lipstick. But for whatever reason, I just haven’t fallen head over heels for anything! (Clearly, the solution is that I need to acquire new lip- what? Don’t look at me like that. Of course I need new lipstick.)
Anyhow. I don’t have any recent lip loves, and I’m at a loss for lipstick photos (or the sunlight with which to acquire them in), so:
The product: Anatomicals Never Lose Your Cherry lip balm + SPF 15
The packaging: Let’s start with the good stuff, shall we? Like all Anatomicals products, this balm comes in a brightly coloured, extremely cheeky tube. It’s simple, lightweight, great to throw in your bag – but unlike a lot of cheap products, it’s still well-made. The applicator tip is fairly unique; it’s a slanted tip (which is quite common) but it’s not quite the same shape as what we’re used to seeing, and it’s rather comfortable to use.
The finish: See? I told you we’d start with all the good stuff. Never Lose Your Cherry goes on sheer and glossy – think of it like a gloss and balm in one, I suppose, but minus the typical sticky feeling of a cheap gloss. You can definitely feel that you’re wearing something on your lips, but it’s neither gloopy nor gooey.
The SPF 15 is the cherry on top (har har, see what I did there?) but overall, this balm isn’t moisturizing enough for my super-dry lips.
(Honestly, though, very few products are.)
The scent: Aaaand this is where things go downhill. Points for no sunscreen smell and no taste (always nice to have!) but the cherry fragrance? Way too agressive. I quite literally have to store this wrapped up in tissue and in a bag if I don’t want it to fragrance the entire drawer, and it really hangs around!
That said, though, the scent itself hits the nail on the head. You know those sour cherry candies that you ate as a child? This is a dead ringer for them, and I love it! I just… don’t love it so much that I want my entire makeup stash to smell like it.
The verdict?
For £2.99 (or $4.61 CAD, on Asos), I’d say it’s a good buy – but only for a very specific consumer. If you like fun, kitschy balms (think chocolate-bar tubes of Chapstick) and you don’t have super dry lips, give it a go. Cherries! SPF! Nonsticky glossiness! It’s all lovely.
But if not? Eeeh, save your five bucks and treat yourself to a latté instead :P
Skin swatch of Anatomicals Never Lose Your Cherry SPF 15 lip balm
Anatomicals Never Lose Your Cherry ingredients (red box)
