Another one of my biases: I'm not a lipstick girl. I'm a lip balm girl. I have lip balms (from pricey all-organics to Cherry Chap-Sticks) stashed in my coat pockets, purses, backpacks and drawers. Friends' cars. Under other peoples' sofas. I've gotten pretty picky about flavor and texture as time has gone by. Heavy and waxy: nay. Too sweet or too much flavor: nu-uh. Color: no way. I want something light that'll protect my lips from the sun.
But kids just want to have fun. Blamtastic, a line of lip balms for boys and girls created by a couple of tween entrepreneurs, really are fun for kids -- but I guarantee that you'll want to buy some for yourself. They come in kid-friendly flavors (Mystery Tower of Sour, Orange Soda, Sassafrassy Root Beer), but none of the flavors I've tried are cloying. They're light and slightly sweet, and have a pleasantly light texture that still stays put.
The balms don't contain icky stuff you don't want going into your child -- they're petroleum- and paraben-free and don't contain artificial preservatives. The company doesn't test on animals, and the balms are made in the U.S. (yay jobs). And (this is key, although kids won't necessarily care about it) they contain SPF 15.
My only nitpick is the gender division in the packaging and flavors -- the packaging is hip, but the boys get "Alien Invasion Green Apple" and "Grand Slam Blam Bubblegum," while the girls get "Strawberry Shake" and "Cherry Nilla." They all taste great -- but it's a shame that a Cherry Nilla-loving boy probably won't order that flavor because of its (ostensibly) girly packaging.
But, overall, I like this lip balm a lot, and will be stashing it in my usual spots. Visit the company's website to find out where to buy, or to buy online.
We're giving away a 12-pack of Blamtastic lip balms in 12 different "girl" and "boy" flavors . To enter, leave a comment here by Friday, June 3 at 5 p.m., when we'll choose one winner at random. Like or Tweet this post, or like Blamtastic's Facebook page, for three extra chances to win (leave a comment for each action).
UPDATE: Congratulations to Mo! We sent you an email from giveaway@parentmap.com with details on how to claim your lip-lovin' prize. Thanks to all who entered, tweeted and liked! We didn't hear from Mo, so chose an alternate winner Kim. Kim, we've emailed you from giveaway@parentmap.com with how to claim. Hope to hear back from you soon!
Disclaimer: Although the products were sent to me for review, opinions are my own.
