Carmex Blog Squad: Carmex Healing & Hydrating

It's been a stressful month, dear readers. My computer had to be fixed after a melt down, winter lasted longer than usual and my work hours have been cut. On top of that, my skin dries out whenever I am this stressed. The bright note, though, is that I received a package from the Carmex Blog Squad. In the box was a beautiful, comfy yellow Carmex jacket and two full sized Carmex tubes.

Some of you may remember a previous post where I reviewed Carmex's healing cream and healing lotion. Both products now feature new packing and contain more lanolin (which is key to healing dry skin). Let's take a look at some of the other changes, too.

Carmex healing cream
- Then: Had a vanilla frosting scent that morphed into vanilla plus lemon or lime.
- Now: The new scent initially reminded me of vanilla (but not vanilla frosting)  and sunscreen. The smell changed to lemon, vanilla and sunscreen when placed on the skin.
- Then: Healing cream dried quickly. Hands became soft and smooth.
- Now: Healing cream dries quickly, but not as as fast as the healing lotion. Hands became even more soft and smooth.
- Then: Not greasy. Great on dry, rough skin
- Now: Still not greasy. Is concentrated and can be used in small amounts.

Carmex healing lotion
- Then: Smelled like honey and vanilla
- Now: A lighter lemon and sunscreen scent
- Then: Had a thick and waxy feeling, more so than the healing cream
- Now: No thick or waxy texture. Is much closer to a creamy texture
- Then: Dries quickly
- Now: Dries even faster
- Then: Contains aloe and vitamin E. Can be used daily
- Now: Has aloe and vitamin E, plus a patent pending new solution that  "delivers healing and moisturization without a greasy feel."

I feel that Carmex's healing lotion and cream have changed in positive ways. Both formulas helped bring my skin from stressed, dry and patchy back to nourished, healthy, hydrated and lovely. I also received repeated requests in the AMW house for "Can I borrow your new Carmex ? It works so good on me!" And with Mother's Day coming up, Carmex healing lotion and healing cream would be perfect in a gift basket for the ladies in your life.

Speaking of lucky ladies (or gentlemen. We're equally opportunity when it comes to skin care!): One AMW reader will receive a set of Carmex cream and lotion. Leave a comment below with your name, email address and what your Mother's Day plans are. One reader will be chose in a random drawing. Carmex will directly mail the prize to the winner. One entry per person, please. The contest will run from 11:30 PM EST on April 8, 2013 and end on April 18, 2013 at noon EST.

Carmex Everyday Lip Conditioner

The past three weeks were not been good lip weeks for me. The weather has been very chilly in the morning, too hot for a jacket in the afternoon and in the twenties at night. My lips were cracked and dry. And it was embarrassing. I took some chapstick with me to work every day, but that was no help. I was just constantly alternating between dry lips and gooey, wax glazed but still cracked lips all day. My lips needed moisture and soothing.  

Relief came in the form of a package from the Carmex Blog Squad. They sent me two mini tubes of Carmex Everyday Lip Conditioner in orange. Carmex calls it "lotion for your lips." That is definitely accurate. You just unscrew the cap and squeeze gently until a dab of lotion comes through the hole in the contoured tube lip. Press the contour to your lip to evenly distribute the lotion. It dries quickly, but still leaves your lips feeling soft and lightly moist. Genius! The flavor of Carmex Everyday Lip Conditioner is amazing, too. It's that delicious scent of fresh oranges simmering on the stove at Christmas, to make the house smell good.  

I'll let you in on the secret of Carmex Everyday Lip Conditioner: It has lanolin, a matte finish and thirteen moisturizers. Which means softer lips and  you can wear your lip lotion with lipstick! I had been avoiding lipstick for the past couple weeks, knowing that gooey chapstick + lipstick would fail to hide or fix my chapped lips.  But now my lips are smoother and softened by Carmex Everyday Lip Conditioner; so my lipstick has made a comeback.  

If you're dying to try Carmex Everyday Lip Conditioner ASAP, I have good news. The Carmex Blog Squad gave me two tubes. So I will send the second tube to one lucky AMW reader. Just post a a picture or a link to your favorite recipe that uses oranges. AMW will randomly draw one winner on Monday, December 2, 2012 at noon EST. Contest runs from Thursday, November 29, 2012 at 4:10 PM EST to Monday, December 2, 2012 at 11:30 AM EST. One entry per person. I will email the winner for their address; if I can't contact you, the runner up will receive the prize. 

*Update: Congrats to Candace J! Please email me by 8 PM EST tomorrow (Tuesday December 3) with your address so I can ship out your prize. 

Carmex Blog Squad: NEW Pomegranate Flavor

August in Florida is something you have to experience to believe. The weather is alternating between afternoon thunderstorms (which leave the air muggy and humid) and tropical, sunny beach weather. The bank signs list the temperature at 95 degrees and climbing. This is the time of year where skipping skincare and lip protection leads to everyone at the office asking "Whoa, you are sunburned and your lips are chapped. Why didn't you slap on some SPF ?" Not a great way to end a fun in the sun weekend. That is why I wear sunblock, stay hydrated and protect my lips with Carmex lip balm. The Carmex Blog Squad sent me a fabulous summer lip care package that you guys will flip for.



I received a beautiful yellow Carmex beach tote with sailor rope handles. Very chic! It even has a zippered pouch for storing Carmex lip balms. Bonus points for the pouch being tethered to the inside of the tote. You'll know where your lip balm, car keys and cash are at all times. This is great for forgetful people like me, who find themselves doing the "Oh no, where's my wallet / or phone" pat down after a purchase and hustling back to a store to ask if someone turned in my belongings.



Inside the tethered pouch were six Carmex SPF 15 water resistant sunscreen lip balms. The first balm is Cherry Everyday Protecting Lip Balm. Quite honestly, I am just not a strawberry person in any form. I have made someone get rid of their strawberry car air freshener in the past. I always pass on strawberry flavored sweets. There's definitely not anything off about the flavor and scent of the strawberry Carmex, it's just my tastebuds. The lip balm stayed on a long time and kept my lips very moist, though. I can tell that my sister, who loves everything strawberry, would like it. My previous review of Carmex Ultra Moisturizing Vanilla Stick and Carmex Ultra Moisturizing Lime Twist Stick can be read here.



These are the other three Carmex SPF 15 water resistant sunscreen lip balms. They are Cherry Moisturizing Lip Balm, Pomegranate Everyday Ultra Smooth Lip Balm and Original Moisturizing Lip Balm. The cherry balm glided on smoothly, had a light, fresh cherry scent and left my lips baby soft. The original moisturizing balm was a little bit gooey, but not messy or sticky. It did dry quickly, though. The original balm smelled like sunscreen, which is a scent I am nuts about! I think it would be great for summer party favors. Fill a cellophane bag with Carmex Original Moisturizing Lip Balm, a few pieces of tropical flavored candy and a beach themed keychain. Tie it with a ribbon and you're done. So easy and elegant to put together!



The newest flavor is Carmex Pomegranate Everyday Ultra Smooth Lip Balm. Like the other Carmex balms, it has "broad spectrum SPF 15" and is "sunscreen / water resistant (80 minutes)." Which is perfect for me, because I tend to spend one or two hours sunning on the beach, followed by reapplying sunscreen and lip balm and rehydrating at the cool, shady snack bar. I have bought fresh pomegranates at the grocery store. So I know how fresh poms should taste and smell. If you haven't tried one, pomegranates taste like blueberries mixed with floral and cranberry notes. Carmex Pomegranate tastes like I just drank fresh pomegranate juice. Yum! I've been wearing it while running errands and sitting in scorching hot traffic. Never a moment of trouble. My lips felt cool, refreshed and juicy. Plus there's something fun about whipping out a compact while traffic has been stalled, casually reapplying lip balm and nodding to the cute driver in the next car.

I am very impressed with Carmex Sticks and Carmex's new Pomegranate Ultra Smooth Lip Balm. Each variety was long lasting, mess free, had a great scent and had the added protection of SPF 15. What more could a happy, beach bound girl ask for ? Carmex has a list of stores that carry the balms on their website.

As a special bonus, Carmex is offering one lucky AMW reader a gift pack. Just like the one I received. You'll be the most stylish girl (or guy) on the sand. All you need to do is a leave your name, email address and a comment below; tell us which Carmex flavor you want to try most + one item you would take along if you were stranded on a desert island. One entry per person, please. Contest runs from Tuesday, August 14 at 4 PM EST and ends on Thursday, August 16 at 8 PM EST. I will pass the winner's address along to Carmex and they will personally mail out the prize. Good luck, everyone. And take care of your lips!

*Update: Congrats to Alice! You are the contest winner. Email me your full name and home address by 8 PM EST on August 16th. Otherwise a runner up will be chosen instead.

Carmex Blog Squad: Healing Lotion & Cream

Where I live in Florida, the winters are a bit odd. We have sunny, humid weather in the daytime and cooler, windy weather at night. Weeks of both extremes wreak havoc on my skin. This kind of weather requires something different than simply a sunscreen or the usual nightly face cream. The Carmex Blog Squad sent me a product that fits the bill, just in time for Florida's whacky winter weather.

My package from The Carmex Blog Squad contained Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream. The distinct red and yellow squeezable tubes were in a mesh gift bag, tied with a ribbon. Too cute!




5.5 oz Carmex Healing Lotion
4 oz Carmex Healing Cream
1 oz Carmex Healing Lotion
.75 oz Carmex Healing Cream


5.5 oz Carmex Healing Lotion
4 oz Carmex Healing Cream
1 oz Carmex Healing Lotion


1 oz Carmex Healing Lotion
.75 oz Carmex Healing Cream

You're probably wondering how Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream compare to each other. Take a walk down the virtual beauty aisle with me:

Carmex Healing Cream (purple label)
"Use to help repair your driest rough skin"
"Non greasy pleasant scent"
"9 Healing ingredients"

- Carmex Healing Cream smells like vanilla frosting when you open the tube.
- When you squeeze a dab on your skin, the scent changes to vanilla mixed with either lemon or lime (lemon and lime are not on the ingredient list). I am a sucker for vanilla mixed with citrus, however they managed to make that scent happen *happy sigh*
- Some of the ingredients include lanolin, bees wax, cocoa seed butter, mineral oil, vanillin. That explains the vanilla scent!
- Carmex Healing lotion is not sticky or waxy when applied to skin. It dried fast on my arms, hands, legs and elbows. My skin became noticably softer within a few minutes. Many other creams take a large glob of cream or long amount of time to notice a difference. I know some of you wear gloves or socks to bed to make your lotion work, ala Miranda Hobbes from Sex and The City. Let's do away with that routine. Treat yourself to a tube of Carmex Healing Cream instead.
- The handwashing test: The true test of skin care is washing your hands. There's nothing more gross than washing your hands and having a gluey wave of skin care product slide right off. And then your hands are suddenly not soft again. It's one of my pet peeves. Carmex Healing Cream did not glop off when I washed my hands. My hands are still velvety smooth, too. Yay!

Carmex Healing Lotion (teal label)
"Use daily to soothe and protect dry skin"
"Non greasy pleasant scent"
"Aloe and vitaman E"

-Carmex Healing Lotion has a scent of honey and vanilla. The lotion takes on a light sunscreen-ish fragrance when it comes in contact with skin.(I do not know if Carmex Healing Lotion has any ingredients in common with suncreen) The smell is fainter than that of the Carmex Healing Cream (purple label); but neither product has an overpowering aroma
-A few ingredients in Carmex Healing Lotion: vitamin E linoleate, aloe leaf juice, beeswax, cocoa seed butter, mineral oil, camphor, menthol and vanillin
- The lotion feels thicker and waxier than the cream when it touches your skin. The only thing I disliked was that initial texture; it gave me the impression Carmex Healing Lotion was going to stay sticky, which fortunately was incorrect. It does dry fairly quickly. The healing lotion also made my hands as equally soft as the healing cream.
- The healing lotion passed the handwashing test, too

I was left with a very positive impression of both the Carmex Healing Lotion and the Carmex Healing Cream. The purple label Healing Cream is fantastic for repairing dry skin, especially in harsh winter weather. The teal label Healing Lotion is a must have for daily skin protection. And with a variety of package sizes to choose from, you can pick up a full size tube for your beside table and some mini tubes for stocking stuffers, holiday travel and your purse. Carmex Healing Lotion and the Carmex Healing Cream will make people take notice of your fabulous skin!

The Carmex Blog Squad will send one lucky duck AMW reader a kit like the one I received. The contest rules are simple: post who you will be gifting Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream to this holiday season. The contest begins on November 30, 2011 at 2:50 PM EST. One name will be chosen at random on December 6, 2011 at 8 PM EST. The winner's prize will be shipped by the Carmex Blog Squad. One entry per person and per household, please.

*Update 1: Congrats to T! You are the winner. Email me by 8 PM on December 7th with your address. Otherwise the prize goes to the runner up.

Carmex: Ultra Moisturizing & Moisture Plus

How I love September! It's a mix of back to school shopping, elegant fall weddings and getting in those last beach days before the weather changes. All three events are very different, but they have one thing in common that makes of all them a hit: Carmex Lip Balms. The Carmex Blog Squad sent AMW a fabulous package that proves autumn + Carmex = a great way to kick off the season.


Carmex Moisture Plus Satin Gloss Finish, Carmex Ultra Moisurizing Vanilla Stick, Carmex Ultra Moisturizing Lime Twist Stick, Carmex picnic blanket



Carmex Vanilla Stick



Carmex Lime Twist Stick
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The first two products I tested were the Carmex Vanilla Stick and the Carmex Lime Twist Stick.

- Ingredients (partial list): Cocoa seed butter, meadowfoam, camphor and beeswax. The camphor adds a nice cooling sensation to the lip balm

- Ease of use: Simply twist the round bottom of the tube to raise the lip balm. The down side is that the twisting mechanism is super loud. It's like winding a noisy watch. I'm one of those women who likes to discretely add a little lip balm on the go (and not have 10 people stare), so hopefully the twisting piece can be made less noisy in the future.

- Scent: I honestly couldn't detect a vanilla scent with the Carmex Vanilla Stick. What I smelled was a pleasant lemon aroma. However, other people told me "Smells like vanilla to me...What scent is it ?...I thought it was vanilla." The Carmex Lime Twist Stick, however, had a beautiful, tropical lime scent.

- Taste: Carmex Vanilla Stick tasted like a lemon lollipop. Not vanilla to my lips, but delicious none the less. Who doesn't love lemon lollipops ?
Carmex Lime Twist Stick brought to mind lime lollipops. Definitely a craveable flavor!

- The water bottle test: I applied the Carmex Vanilla Stick. I then drank from a water bottle several times, over an extended period of time. Not once did I need to reapply my lip balm or wipe off the top of the water bottle (although the package does say to reapply after swimming). Carmex Lime Twist Stick held up equally well.

- Bonus points: For being SPF 15, availability at three well known stores (Walgreens, Walmart and CVS) and having three extra moisturizers. Also of note is the safety seal on the tube. Obviously the outer package is sealed; but it is comforting to know there's a second safety barrier between my cosmetics purchase and the outside world.

___________________

The third product I tested was the Carmex Moisture Plus Satin Gloss Finish

- Ingredients (partial list): Vitamin E, aloe butter, beeswax, shea butter fruit, camphor and avocado butter. It's like treating yourself to a day of pampering at the spa!

- Ease of use: Twist the top of the tube to extend or retract the lip balm. Carmex Moisture Plus Satin Gloss Finish can be used, according to the package, "under or over lipstick" or by itself. You know how I've often griped about putting sticky lip balm on over lipstick ? No more, my friends.

- Scent: Random lime scent (lime isn't listed on the package). Lightly sweet but not cloying or overpowering

- Taste: A cooling and soothing lime taste. Definitely not sticky or gloppy, as many lip balms tend to be.

- The water bottle test: Passed with flying colors. Carmex Satin Gloss smoothly rolls onto your lips smoothly and stays put for a long time.

- Bonus points: Containing sunscreen / SPF 15, having a thin slanted tip, not falling apart or melting after a few uses and not being tested on animals
___________________

I loved the Carmex Moisture Plus Satin Gloss Finish, Carmex Vanilla Stick and the Carmex Lime Twist Stick. Each lip balm is long lasting, smells divine and is a must have for fashionable women this fall. This trio of lip balms makes a great bridesmaid gift for fall weddings. Especially since bridal party pictures are taken outdoors for at least an hour every time, in sun, wind or cold. Carmex is also perfect to send to the busy college girl in your life. College students need that Carmex lip care for their 24/7, always on the go life. But don't forget about pampering yourself. Pack Carmex lip balms for your Labor Day beach trip. Your lips will thank you!

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I have a surprise for all of you. The Carmex Blog Squad will provide one lucky AMW reader with the same kit I received (the lip balms + the cozy blanket pictured below). The Carmex blanket is reversible, with fleece on one side and a smooth, flat surface on the other. It has a handle and a velcro strip to hold the folded blanket. There's also a cute pouch attached to the blanket. Carmex lip balms can be tucked into the pouch for beach outings.

To enter the contest, post which flavor of the twist sticks you want to try. Be sure to include your name and email in your post. If you aren't comfortable posting your email address, please email AMW and let me know which entry belongs to you. One entry per person, please. The contest will run from 9:30 PM EST on 9/4/2011 and ends at 4 PM EST on 9/5/2011. The winner will be randomly chosen on 9/4/2011 at 4:10 PM EST. Carmex will mail the prize kit to the winner. Good luck, everyone!





*Update #1: Congrats to L.K. You are the winner of a Carmex kit. Please email me your address by 8 PM tonight. Otherwise the prize will go to the runner up.
*Update #2: Thank you, L.K. Expect your prize from Carmex in a few weeks.

Carmex Moisture Plus: Orange Lip Balm

Living in Florida, you know I love oranges. But it's definitely a challenge finding orange flavored lip balms out here that aren't waxy, glitter coated or aimed at the 12 and under crowd. The Carmex Blog Squad has a great solution, though. They sent me a tube of Carmex Moisture Plus lip balm in orange flavor. And it rocks!

Orange Carmex Moisture Plus comes in a cute, retractable tube. It fits perfectly in a purse or a beach tote. And trust me, ladies, you'll be glad you've brought orange Carmex Moisture Plus to the beach. Protecting your lips with orange Carmex Moisture Plus' SPF 15, aloe and vitamin E is just good sense. A day in the sun and surf can leave your lips in need of TLC if you don't take preventive action.

Orange Carmex Moisture Plus has a light, heavenly taste of homemade orange creamsicles. I also detected yummy notes of lime in the lip balm for some reason. Even better, orange Carmex Moisture Plus glides on smooth and doesn't have an artificial taste or leave your lips waxy, sticky or glitter covered. Yep, we have found lip balm with a great taste and no glitter. Can I get an amen ?

I can't wait till the orange flavor of Carmex Moisture Plus hits the stores. It'll make a great Mother's Day present!

Side note: Other Carmex Mositure Plus Lip Balms are available exclusively at Walgreens and Walgreens.com

Carmex Blog Squad: Moisture Plus Tint Lip Balms

The most important items in my makeup case are lip balms. I can skip putting on nail polish, for example, but lip balm ? No way. Soft lips are a must! Just one catch, though: To get soft lips and wear lipstick, I usually resort to putting on either a lip balm or chapstick, followed by a layer of lipstick. Yuck!

Happily, I have found a solution. The Carmex Blog Squad sent me samples of Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Pink and Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Peach Tinted Lip Balms. Each tube gives you a perfect combination of lip balm and lip color.

I tested each balm for 40 minutes. Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Pink was the first sample. Shea butter is one of the ingredients, and there is a light shea butter taste. Sheer Pink left my lips moist, but not sticky as many lip balms do. The pink color was flattering against my fair colored skin, too.





Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Peach worked equally well as far as moisturizing. Sheer Peach was darker than Sheer Pink. I assumed this meant the color would therefore be too dark on me. But Sheer Peach was actually a slightly lighter shade on my lips than I expected. The second surprise was the subtle pineapple taste I picked up (pineapple is not on the ingredient list).





Both the Sheer Pink and the Sheer Peach have "vitamin E + aloe moisturizing protection", sunscreen (spf 15) and a slanted tip. Those of us in Florida really value having sunscreen in a beauty product! The slanted tip was helpful, too. It made putting on the lip balm quick and simple.

Carmex Moisture Plus Tint Lip Balms are also portable. You can easily stash one in a purse and have it handy to prevent dry winter lips. They also make super cute stocking stuffers or Secret Santa gifts.

Carmex Moisture Plus Tint Lip Balms are must have beauty products this winter. I highly recommend them. Look for Carmex Mositure Plus Tint Lip Balms exclusively at Walgreens and Walgreens.com

The Carmex Blog Squad has sent samples for one lucky AMW reader, too. The prize will be one Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Pink and one Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Peach Tinted Lip Balms.To enter the drawing, check out Carmex on Walgreens.com, then share on AMW which Carmex product is your favorite. One winner will be drawn at random on Monday, December 13, 2010 at noon EST. Entry limit is one per person and per household.

*Update #1: The winner of a Carmex pack is Ashley! Congrats! Ashley, please email your name and address to me by Friday December 17 at noon EST. Otherwise the prize goes to the runner up.
*Update #2: Ashley, your prize has shipped out.