Worth It: Pretty & Pampering Lip Balm

Much unlike many a magazine editor who recommends you buy all sorts of crap that they most likely got for free, your Jezebel staff doesn’t get jack shit (other than books, unsolicited). And that’s how it should be. But on our own time, in our personal lives, we still buy stuff. So this is Worth It, our daily recommendation of random things that we’ve actually spent our own money on. These are the things we buy regularly or really like, things we’d actually tell our friends about. And now we’re telling you.

I’m pretty sure I’ve had hundreds of different lip balms in my life. They’re slippery little suckers! They appear and disappear at random, vanishing from purse pockets and showing up in coat linings. And since they’re pretty cheap and highly habit-forming, when I can’t find one, I end up buying another. Chapstick, Burt’s Bees, Blistex, Carmex, LipSmackers, Softlips… I’ve tried a bunch. And right now, I’m completely obsessed with the Eos “Smooth Sphere.”

I should note that I am not a lip balm addict. I know that lip balm addicts exist, and that their problem is real and serious, but I just like a little balm now and then. Not every day. I use a some as a base when I wear lipstick. I like it when I’ve been out in the sun or cold and my lips feel dry. That’s not the same as being an addict. I can quit anytime I want, okay?

Anyway. Right now I am toting Eos. The company (which apparently stands for evolution of smooth) says that the balm is “95% organic, 100% natural, and paraben and petrolatum free.” It’s got vitamin E, soothing shea butter and jojoba oil, and it’s not tested on animals. Translation: Smooth, soft, non-greasy, non-sticky. Moisturizing. Just what you want in a balm. It comes in lots of flavors: summer fruit, lemon drop, strawberry sorbet, honeysuckle honeydew, medicated tangerine and sweet mint.

But what makes Eos different — and so alluring — is the packaging. Does anyone remember the L’eggs egg? The sphere reminds me of that. The shape and the material used feels so good in your hand. Something about the little capsule form feels medical, organic and artsy, all at the same time. It’s fun to hold, turn, cup in your palm. I love the indentation intended for your thumb and the fact that the bottom is flat, so that it sits on a desk or table instead of rolling. The top twists off easily and slides back into place with a satisfying click. It’s easy to find the sphere my bag. The large surface area means that I can apply balm to both of my lips at the same time, and even get some of the skin around the lips if I want to. (Sometimes, when I’m really dry, this is important.)

Anyway. Sometimes life is about the little splurges, and the fancy pseudo-luxurious packaging — free from hard or sharp edges — makes Eos feel special. Like a tiny treasure lives inside the pastel-colored egg. A second spent applying the balm turns into a mini self-pampering moment, and that, my friends, is worth it.

Eos Smooth Lip Balm Sphere, Amazon.

Worth It only features things we paid for ourselves and actually like. Don’t send us stuff.