I was suffering from extremely dry, peeling lips so I did some research on lip care products, hoping to find a "miracle" product to save my lips. Peeling lips are not cute...

I read articles on lip care products. This item appeared on many top 10 lists. I read some reviews, which were mostly very good, and decided to give it a try. I'm not sure how this balm hasn't come under my radar before; I've been suffering with very dry, problem lips for many years. At times I feel like I've tried every product known to man. Recently, my lips became much, much worse. I attributed it to the dry, cold Alberta winter. Whatever the cause, I had to do something.

I have to admit, the price ($30) floored me a bit. But I was so tired of having flakey, peeling, cracked and painful lips that I didn't care about cost, as long as it worked.

I purchased this very nourishing balm at a local SDM with hope that my lips were on their way to repair.

The package: the cute little jar is packaged in a small box. It is bigger than most pots of lip product (think eye cream) but it's still small enough to stash in your purse or pocket. At least I feel like I'm actually recieving a decent amount of product for the money I spent. Honestly though, I prefer lip products to come in tubes vs. pots so that I can apply directly to my lips and avoid the greasy finger application - but, whatever... Also, tubes seem to be much less likely to become filled with dirt and germs than pots.

The texture: the balm looks waxy but as soon as you dip your finger the balm becomes "melty" with the warmth of your skin and very easily applies to the lips. In fact, it's easy to apply too much at first because you're expecting a waxier, harder substance. I like the texture. It leaves your lips glossy looking but not wet or sticky. I find that it can easily bleed to the skin surrounding your mouth, especially when applying it to the corners. In my case, I had such awful cracks in the corners of my mouth, this was unavoidable in order to treat the problem areas. I had to go in with a clean finger or cotton swab afterwards to clean it up a bit. No biggie.

* I should note, the directions say to use at bedtime (or as needed). I used it all the time because my lips were in such terrible condition that they were bruised blue in spots. This was from me picking off the sheets of peeling skin hanging off my lips. Gross, I know.

The scent: it smells very citrusy to me. Reminiscent of orange rinds or something. And maybe some kind of essential oil. I can't place it. Looking at the ingredients I can see that it contains vitamin E, menthol (it gives a slight cooling sensation) and arnica flower oil among others. Side note: I had no idea what arnica oil was so I looked it up. Apparently it's used in many perfumes & cosmetics. In its pure form (usually diluted with carrier oils) it can act as a pain reliever / anti-inflammatory. Cool.

The verdict: biggest question - did it work? Answer: sort of. It turns out I didn't just have really awful chapped lips; I had an allergic reaction to a medication which resulted in angioedema and severe lip swelling / peeling lips, etc. So, after treatment for the angioedema / allergic reaction, I was in a much better place to test the product and answer this question. 

I found this balm to be very nourishing and hydrating and it did keep my lips from peeling - as long as I kept applying it regularly. When I stopped, the chapped lips returned.

Did it work any better than plain petroleum jelly? I can't really say that it did. But I also can't say that it didn't, because after awhile I went back to using my Glamglow Poutmud. Although Poutmud is also quite pricey, I like it much more than this Eight Hour Lip Cream. It smells better, it feels better and I feel like it works better (for me).

In all honesty, I have to say that no lip product has ever "healed" my cracked & chapped lips.  They all basically keep the lip hydrated until the next use. So really, for me, it all comes down to personal preference.

Will I buy it again? Probably not. I'm going to stick with Glamglow Poutmud.

Do I recommend it? Yes. Although it's pricey and it's not the product for me, I don't feel like there's anything wrong with it and it is very hydrating for dry, chapped lips. Also, it does work rather well as an overnight treatment. I think it will work best for mild to moderate chapped lips.