**Warning: if you are looking for non-scented products, none of these are unfortunately for you :(
Dry, chapped, peeling lips have always been a persistent issue in my life. However, I strayed away from using chapsticks and lip balms for the longest time because I saw some of my friends around me that could never stop using them. Indeed, there are some lip balms and chapsticks out there with unhealthy ingredients that make your lips actually drier and so you just keep applying it for the temporary moisturized feeling. But I always wondered and longed for the smooth, moisturized lips that many Asian bloggers and Youtubers had.
My first try at lip balms was the Nivea lip butter (in vanilla). It worked, but the results were never the bouncy, soft, plush lips that I dreamed to achieve. Then, I strolled across this lip balm by Aritaum: the Ginger Sugar Overnight Lip Mask. After using that for a while, I decided to give the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask and Fresh's Advanced Therapy a try.
First off, the Aritaum Ginger Sugar Overnight Lip Mask:
This lip mask is meant to be worn overnight.
Texture: Its texture is very tacky and sticky, so I really cannot imagine wearing it during the daytime (some people have mentioned wearing it during daytime as a lip balm, though). If you need a easily accessible, drugstore comparison for its texture, the Nivea Lip Butter is quite similar. However, the it's even thicker than the Nivea one.
Effects: I absolutely abhor wearing thick, sticky, and heavy lip products. To the point that even lip glosses are a no-go for me. However, I am willing to bear my discomfort because this lip mask repairs the lip and fully hydrates it by the next morning (also because I am going to sleep, so it's bearable under those conditions). This lip mask even has an exfoliation effect. The next morning, you will still find your lips sticky and you need to wash this off (just water is fine). When rubbing the product off your lips, it takes off any dead and peeling skin. This truly helped contribute to helping me achieve smooth lips that can handle matte lipsticks.
Scent: For scent-sensitive people, this product has an orange scent to it. It's very light and refreshing, and definitely won't tempt you to want to lick it off. Personally, I do not find it bothersome at all and even rather enjoy having this scent on my lips. It's a lot lighter than Nivea's lip butter, for reference.
Price: Currently $10.18 on Jolse.
Texture: The texture of this lip product is most likely the most soothing and comfortable one. You use the included pink spatula to spread some of the balm onto your lips, and it melts into a borderline light-oily consistency.
Effects: One may ask, if Aritaum's Ginger Sugar lip mask was so great, why did I even think about trying another lip product? Well, the exfoliation feel to Aritaum's lip mask may be great at first--but when I used this nearly every night for a month, I couldn't help but worry if I was doing too much damage to my lips. This is where Laneige comes in. It won't exfoliate nor will it smooth out your peeling lips, but it is great for daily use when your lips are in either a good condition or a terrible condition. By terrible condition, I mean when your lips are no longer fit for any exfoliation because of all the dryness and damage. It's a good "healing" product.
Scent: The scent is also light, just like Aritaum's--except it's a milky strawberry flavor. I also love this scent, but it is definitely more delicious and tempting than Aritaum's.
Price: $17.41 on Amazon.
Finally, Fresh's Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment:
Texture: It's somewhere in between Laneige's and Aritaum's. Laneige's is so light that it almost is oily, and Aritaum's is definitely a lot heavier than Fresh's. It feels very moisturizing, and it's not the horribly sticky texture I can't stand. I have yet to find a product on market that mimics its texture. I assure you it's very comfortable, and I use it as a daytime lip balm (which is saying something).
Effects: It also doesn't exfoliate, but it's the only lip balm where I can feel the moisture slowly being sucked by my lips. The other two seem to hydrate just as well but I do not feel or recall my lips feeling like they are taking in any moisture. It truly is a lip therapy, but its effects are not as long-lasting as Aritaum's or Laneige's.
Scent: It's literally "fresh", no pun intended. It smells like lime and is fresh but not "delicious". It's a little stronger than Laneige's, but I can't imagine it bothering anyone unless you A) hate limes or B) hate any scent at all.
Price: $26 in Sephora, Nordstrom, fresh website
****************Express Review:
Texture: 1. Fresh, 2. Laneige, 3. Aritaum
Moisturizing effects: 1. Laneige, 2. Fresh, 3. Aritaum
Exfoliation: 1. Aritaum, 2 and 3. Laneige, Fresh
Summary: Laneige is the winner in moisture, but its packaging makes it difficult for daytime use.
Even though Aritaum ranked in third, I still highly recommend because it works better than any other lip scrubs I have used (they have all scratched and damaged my poor lips). Fresh is very suitable for daytime use and possibly a night-time treatment (not as potent as the other, if I say).
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