I bought this set on clearance at Sephora last December, and I’m just getting around to opening it up to try – story of my life!  Imagine if I was actively purchasing new makeup – this probably wouldn’t get opened until next Christmas.  I paid $13 for this set, half price of the regular $26.

From Sephora:

A tasty trio of adorable Hello Kitty apple lip balms that nourish and hydrate while delivering intense color. What it does: Bring intense color and kissable flavor to lips with these apple lip balms. Featuring three vibrant shades in hot pink, natural nude, and candy apple red, each lip balm is infused with extracts of lemon, strawberry, vanilla, apple, and coconut oil for intense hydration. Portable and covetable, a tiny mirror is tucked into each lip balm so that easy application is at your fingertips. What it it – 3 x 0.13 oz Lip Balms in Think Pink (hot pink), Natural (nude), Red Delicious (candy apple red)  What it is formulated WITHOUT:- Parabens- Sulfates – Phthalates

It’s super cute, but how does it perform?

Surprisingly, the lip balms are fantastic!

They apply with no stickiness and the colours are impressively pigmented. Red Delicious is a neutral red, Natural is a beige with golden shimmers, and Think Pink is a cool toned medium pink.  The lasting power is not stellar (a couple of hours) but I had no expectation of such.  Once the balm wears off, my lips feel hydrated, and a faint stain is left behind with no nasty ring around the mouth or patchiness.

And they didn’t spare any details – each shade smells different – red is a juicy apple, the natural is a caramel apple, and the pink smells like a sweeter apple, maybe an apple pie.  Each lid houses a handy little mirror, and each pot contains 3.78g of product.

While the little apple shaped balms are precious and wee, it’s the area that was a miss for me.  There’s no latch closure that secures the top so it is possible for it to flip open if not careful (I actually wrapped mine in tissue in my purse, just in case).  The bulbous shape is about 1.5″ in diameter, making them bulky to transport in a purse.  I suppose I’m not the target demographic for these lip balms – I suspect my packaging concerns would be moot for the intended customer.

This set was release as part of a collection (which included an eye shadow palette, perfume, crystal studded compact mirror) to celebrate the Hello Kitty brand’s 40th anniversary. The Hello Kitty cosmetics range used to be an in-line brand at Sephora, but about 2 years ago, they lost their dedicated shelf space, and now the brand only shows up in limited edition releases, which, I think is a better strategy for the brand.  Perhaps they will release this lip balm again next Holiday – I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for it if they release different shades (I’m hoping for a soft peach).

Fun fact: Hello kitty stands at 5 apples tall and weighs as much as 3 apples.

Lip balms made in US.

Pros:
• high quality balm; smooth & moisturizing
• pigmented
• decent wear time
• smells & tastes great
• super cute packaging (aligns with HK theme)

Cons:
• pot format means either use finger or lip brush to apply (this is more of a neutral point to me, but I know it bothers some people)
• no secure clasp on lid
• bulky packaging

Stash worthiness: 8/10

Have you tried these lip balms?  Have you tried any of the Hello Kitty cosmetics from Sephora before?