Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm vs. Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm: Lip Balm Smackdown

Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm

Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm ($17.10 for 0.5 fl. oz. on Amazon) is an intense lip balm from Nuxe Paris. I first heard about it around a year ago and after reading a lot of rave reviews, particularly the one from Essie Button I tracked down a seller and ordered it. 

The packaging of it is everything I imagined something from a French pharmacy product to look like. The small jar is made of thick, frosted glass and a screw on plastic lid. The product itself is really thick and smells like honey and citrus. When you put it on it feels somewhat waxy and grainy initially but after your lips warm it up that goes away pretty quickly. It leaves your lips looking almost matte and I've actually used it over hi-shine lipsticks to tone the glossiness down. It lasts 1-2 hours when I'm awake and all night when I'm asleep. I noticed a small difference in my lips even when I wasn't wearing it after a few uses, which was pretty huge for me.  I’ll happily use up the jar but my love for this product was somewhat  fleeting.

Ingredients in Rêve de Miel: Honey, Plant Oils, Shea Butter, Grapefruit Essence

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm with SPF 25

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm with SPF 25 ($7.50 for 0.25 fl. oz. at Ulta and Sephora): This was definitely an impulse buy that sucked me in while I was waiting in the checkout line. I'd recently tried (and hated) the Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream and had taken a stab at Dr. Lipp's Nipple Balm (which only went on my lips) but I hadn't given up on lip products with lanolin. I got it in Shea Butter & Vitamin E which has a warm, sweet, vanilla-like scent. It also comes in Original (Natural Mint & Shea Butter), Lemon & Camomile, Grapefruit & Ginger, and Vanilla & Lavendar. The Jack Black brand is definitely marketed towards men, although I'm not sure how many guys would reach for the Vanilla & Lavender flavor (at least in public).

The ingredients are simple and free of artificial flavors or dyes. The product itself feels and looks like a thicker version of Vaseline but lasts for hours (there is petrolatum in the product). It has a much glossier finish, feels smoother on the lips, and lasts longer than Reve de Miel. As is the case with both products, if I put it on before bed, it's still on my lips when I wake up. If you're concerned about parabens then definitely read the ingredients as this contains three.

Ingredients in Jack Black Lip Balm in Shea Butter & Vitamin E: Octinoxate 7.5%, Avobenzone 3.0%, Lanolin 13.5%, Petrolatum 40.2%, Cocoa Seed Butter, Beeswax, Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Tocopeheryl Acetate (vitamin E), Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Cyclopentasiloxane, Microcrystalline Wax, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cyclohexasiloxane

After changing to Jack Black's Lip Balm I noticed that my lips were a lot more hydrated and smooth than they had ever been with any other product and that's really all the reason I needed to make the switch.

However, being quite flitty-- I'm hoping to check out the Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil next.