Mind Your Own Beeswax



When I first heard that my dear friend Richard would be starting this blog and wanted me to contribute beauty articles, I immediately jumped on the Internet for ideas and inspiration.  Because the website is entitled “Beyond Petro,” I immediately thought of petroleum…which made me think of petroleum jelly, which led me to lipgloss.  Well, I actually thought of lipstick, lipgloss, chapstick - whatever name and consistency, it’s a hobby of mine.  And when I say hobby, I actually mean an addiction.  Lipgloss is to me what cigarettes are to smokers, what alcohol is to drunks, what heroin is to heroin addicts…you get the picture. 

At any given time, no less than five different products weigh down my purse.  Lipgloss is so much of an issue that once, after changing purses and neglecting to put any back in my bag, I moped during an entire day trip with my boyfriend, purely because I felt naked without it.  Another time, looking at apartments, and being no less than half a mile away from my own, I realized I was without lipgloss and had to hightail it to the drugstore to remedy the situation.  Lipgloss is so much of an obsession of mine that I thought it would make a perfect topic for my first post on Beyond Petro.

Thinking in terms of “beyond” petroleum jelly, I envisioned making my own lipgloss from beeswax.  I figured, no big deal, I’ll just order some beeswax, find some small glass jars, and I’ll be a busy little bee in no time!  But then I remembered that I’m lazy and that there was kitchen labor involved.  And every time I find myself in a kitchen, I’m either asking my boyfriend Cory what’s for dinner or wondering when I’ll wake up.  So I decided to nix the idea of creating my own lipgloss.

Thankfully, the folks at Burt’s Bees are one step ahead of me.  Because Burt’s Bees is an “earth friendly, natural personal care company,” they are committed to using the best products in their cosmetics, including beeswax instead of petroleum in their lipgloss.  Their labels won’t freak you out with a bunch of scary chemicals, and you also don’t have to worry about them testing on animals.  My favorite is the Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer.  It’s the consistency of chapstick and has Vitamin E to keep lips moisturized and smooth.  Once applied, it looks like a gloss with a little added shimmer, and the peppermint oil helps keep your breath fresh.  And it comes in a lot of yummy flavors, like guava, watermelon, champagne, and cocoa, and costs about the same as a venti Starbucks ($5).

Now I have this Lip Shimmer tucked away in a pocket of my purse at all times, I know that I’m ready for anything.  Except moping because I don’t have lipgloss.  I’m still sorry about that day, Cory…

 

Jessica Shenker/ Beauty Editor /

Burt’s Bees campaign image © 2008 Burt’s Bees. All rights reserved

 

2 Responses to “Mind Your Own Beeswax”

1. Margo says:

   January 22, 2009 at 8:38 pm

   Nice site Richard. You have such good instincts.
   Hey Beauty Editor, You are the Bee’s Knees!
   Cory - you’re a trooper.
2. Jeannie says:

   January 26, 2009 at 4:58 pm

   Makes my lips feel better already.