Le Couvent des Minimes (a much smaller and lesser-known sister brand of L'Occitane's) revamped its lipbalm range some months back. Oh, wait. That lipbalm range was really just one product - the Le Couvent des Minimes Nutritive Lip Balm.
With the 'revamp', the new range called Smile Lip Balm now consists of four products: three Smile Lip Balms in tubes and one Le Couvent des Minimes Smile Lip Balm Very Rich Formula with Honey Aroma in a glass jar.
I had some issues with the old lipbalm but I was nevertheless curious about this new range. I bought two of the tube Smile Lip Balms and also the one in the glass jar. I will write a separate post on the latter. This post is on the tube lip balms:
• Le Couvent des Minimes Smile Lip Balm Pear Aroma
• Le Couvent des Minimes Smile Lip Balm Orange Blossom Aroma
With the 'revamp', the new range called Smile Lip Balm now consists of four products: three Smile Lip Balms in tubes and one Le Couvent des Minimes Smile Lip Balm Very Rich Formula with Honey Aroma in a glass jar.
I had some issues with the old lipbalm but I was nevertheless curious about this new range. I bought two of the tube Smile Lip Balms and also the one in the glass jar. I will write a separate post on the latter. This post is on the tube lip balms:
• Le Couvent des Minimes Smile Lip Balm Pear Aroma
• Le Couvent des Minimes Smile Lip Balm Orange Blossom Aroma
What Le Couvent des Minimes says (excerpts)
Thanks to its original recipe with a delicious aroma, the Smile Lip Balm:
• softens the lips
• nourishes the lips
• protects the lips
Dermatologist tested. Paraben free. Colorant free. Mineral oil free.
Ingredients
Triisostearin, Trihydroxystearin, Shea butter extract, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Apricot kernel oil, Jojoba seed oil, Aroma, Marshmallow root extract, Saccharin, Propylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Water, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene, Eugenol.
To help you sift through the ingredients list with some complicated-sounding items, Le Couvent des Minimes highlights on the packaging the natural ingredients and their intended function:
• Marshmallow extract : softens
• Shea butter : nourishes
• Apricot seed oil: protects
Thanks to its original recipe with a delicious aroma, the Smile Lip Balm:
• softens the lips
• nourishes the lips
• protects the lips
Dermatologist tested. Paraben free. Colorant free. Mineral oil free.
Ingredients
Triisostearin, Trihydroxystearin, Shea butter extract, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Apricot kernel oil, Jojoba seed oil, Aroma, Marshmallow root extract, Saccharin, Propylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Water, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene, Eugenol.
To help you sift through the ingredients list with some complicated-sounding items, Le Couvent des Minimes highlights on the packaging the natural ingredients and their intended function:
• Marshmallow extract : softens
• Shea butter : nourishes
• Apricot seed oil: protects
My Thoughts
Application
The plastic tube has a slant-tip opening which is handy if you wish to apply directly on the lips with the tube. I like to keep the tip and the screw-on cap clean, so I prefer to squeeze the contents on my finger and then apply.
Scent
The scent is very present in the first couple of minutes of application and yeah, the aromas are dead-on. I especially like the pear variant as it's really like taking a bite of a very juicy, ripe green pear. Despite the saccharin, the Smile Lip Balm is tasteless.
Application
The plastic tube has a slant-tip opening which is handy if you wish to apply directly on the lips with the tube. I like to keep the tip and the screw-on cap clean, so I prefer to squeeze the contents on my finger and then apply.
Scent
The scent is very present in the first couple of minutes of application and yeah, the aromas are dead-on. I especially like the pear variant as it's really like taking a bite of a very juicy, ripe green pear. Despite the saccharin, the Smile Lip Balm is tasteless.
Texture
This Smile Lip Balm isn't a balm in the true sense of the word. It doesn't contain any waxes - no beeswax, no candelilla wax, no carnauba wax. In fact, the 'balm' looks like a gel, like a colourless lipgloss - viscous and murky translucent - but unlike lipgloss, it has a non-sticky formula, which is great! The lips are left with a mildly glossy finish, which is why I tend not to use it at bedtime.
The gel spreads smoothly and effortlessly on the lips and it's lasting too. The lips stay smooth, cushy-soft and moisturised for several hours until it's time to eat. A thin layer applied would also work well as a lipstick base.
Final Words
I'm impressed. I wasn't expecting much when I bought these but I really like these tube Smile Lip Balms now, inaccurate the 'lip balm' name may be. If anything, I think the creators should have called it a lip gel, a lip conditioner or even a lip treatment.
Even though it doesn't look like all the ingredients are natural and I don't know if the aroma is natural or synthetic (let me know if you happen to have more information), it's great that it doesn't contain parabens and petrolatum. I like the fact that the shea butter figures quite highly on the list of ingredients and the presence of apricot kernel oil, jojoba seed oil and marshmallow extract can only mean more nourishing goodness for the lips.
Its recommended retail price in Europe is €7.50 for 15ml / 0.5oz. At the ICI Paris XL parfumerie stores here in the Netherlands, they go for €6.75 each.
More information:
For the background story on Le Couvent des Minimes the brand, please read this post here.
Le Couvent des Minimes website
I did a quick check and here are some of the places where one can buy Le Couvent des Minimes products:
Benelux - ICI Paris XL parfumeries stores in Nederland and Belgium
UK - Tesco's Beauty Halls in Bolton, Dudley and Newport
USA - Beauty.com
It says on the Beauty.com website that with a USD35 purchase of Le Couvent des Minimes products, you'll get a free full-size tube of the soap-free Rinse-Off Cleansing Cream (worth USD16) from its Beneficial Rose Skincare range. Ends 31 Dec 2012.
This Smile Lip Balm isn't a balm in the true sense of the word. It doesn't contain any waxes - no beeswax, no candelilla wax, no carnauba wax. In fact, the 'balm' looks like a gel, like a colourless lipgloss - viscous and murky translucent - but unlike lipgloss, it has a non-sticky formula, which is great! The lips are left with a mildly glossy finish, which is why I tend not to use it at bedtime.
The gel spreads smoothly and effortlessly on the lips and it's lasting too. The lips stay smooth, cushy-soft and moisturised for several hours until it's time to eat. A thin layer applied would also work well as a lipstick base.
Final Words
I'm impressed. I wasn't expecting much when I bought these but I really like these tube Smile Lip Balms now, inaccurate the 'lip balm' name may be. If anything, I think the creators should have called it a lip gel, a lip conditioner or even a lip treatment.
Even though it doesn't look like all the ingredients are natural and I don't know if the aroma is natural or synthetic (let me know if you happen to have more information), it's great that it doesn't contain parabens and petrolatum. I like the fact that the shea butter figures quite highly on the list of ingredients and the presence of apricot kernel oil, jojoba seed oil and marshmallow extract can only mean more nourishing goodness for the lips.
Its recommended retail price in Europe is €7.50 for 15ml / 0.5oz. At the ICI Paris XL parfumerie stores here in the Netherlands, they go for €6.75 each.
More information:
For the background story on Le Couvent des Minimes the brand, please read this post here.
Le Couvent des Minimes website
I did a quick check and here are some of the places where one can buy Le Couvent des Minimes products:
Benelux - ICI Paris XL parfumeries stores in Nederland and Belgium
UK - Tesco's Beauty Halls in Bolton, Dudley and Newport
USA - Beauty.com
It says on the Beauty.com website that with a USD35 purchase of Le Couvent des Minimes products, you'll get a free full-size tube of the soap-free Rinse-Off Cleansing Cream (worth USD16) from its Beneficial Rose Skincare range. Ends 31 Dec 2012.
5 comments:
Delicious scents! Pear and orange, yummy! It sounds great, I will check it out for sure. Thanks hun, great post. "KTee"xx
Good to hear these tube lip balms are to your liking, my dear. After reading this post I'm game to try it myself. You made me very curious. Take care, Nicole x
@KTee
Thank you, KTee. If you normally like the smell of pears, then I'd recommend the pear variant. The other one isn't orange per se. It's orange blossom and personally, I like it less. Happy weekend! :)
@Nicole
They have testers in the stores, if you'd first like to feel the texture and find out how they smell. I wouldn't recommend putting it on your lips though (yucky testers!). Have a fab weekend, my dear! :)
I have not seen this brand before. You guys get all the cool ones! :)
(Thank you so much for your kind comment. It means a lot to me. <3)
@Shop N' Chomp
I beg to differ. You guys get so many cool brands there that we can't get here! :D Stay strong, my dear. :)
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