Strawberry Macaron Lip Balm

I am mad about macarons.  Those lovely, delicate petite French perfections... What girl wouldn't be?  At least one time or another, right?  I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to these edible art!  However, I have to admit: I am macaronned out... I have tried high and low, big and small, near and far.  These French confections are just more pleasing to the eye than my sweet tooth now.  Don't get me wrong though, I would still reserve them for those special occasions and tea party pairings.

On my trip to Vancouver this week, I was reluctant to stop by yet another Asian shopping mall, but was glad I did.  Inside Yaohan Centre in Richmond, B.C., Osaka Supermarket had the largest collection of Japanese and Korean cosmetics.  Among the aisles, I spotted some colorful lip balms shaped into macarons by Korean brand, It's Skin.  How adorable is this?!

Needless to say, it was one of those things I had to have.  There were four "flavours" to choose from: grape, green apple, pineapple, and strawberry.  My only regret was that I only picked up one for myself - strawberry, of course!

Ingredients listed on the box: paraffinum liquidum, butyrospermum parkii oil, pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate, diisostearyl malate, polybutene, ceresin, cocoa butter, carnauba wax, ethylhexylglycerin, butylene/ethylene/styrene copolymer, tocopheryl acetate, retinyl palmitate, triethylhexyl trimellitate, hydrogenated polycyclopentadiene, BHT, titanium dioxide, CI 15850 (red 7), CI 19140 (yellow 5)

This incredibly cute packaging houses nine grams of yummy fruit scented balm.  The formula is more pliable than EOS, and gives a modest sheen when applied, but that is probably due to the mineral oil as the main ingredient.  Other notable ingredients include shea butter oil, cocoa butter, and vitamin E and A derivatives.  The rest of the ingredients are not so natural.  Honestly, I normally would not purchase a mineral oil-based lip balm, let alone mineral oil-anything for my face as this could clog pores, but was is too adorable to pass up!

Verdict:  Although this may be the most creative container for a lip balm - I do love good packaging as much as a great product - it would not be something I would take to the French Alps.  But for a little daily touch-up after a visit to the café or pâtisserie, this little dainty purse candy will certainly do!  Wouldn't hurt as a cuticle moisturizer either, especially during the Autumn and Winter months to come.