Tips & Toes

A few weeks ago, I shared a bit of a haul, including this:

Burt's Bees Tips & Toes kit, $12.97, Walmart.

Let's take a closer look:
Left to Right:
Chapstick
Honey and Grapeseed oil hand cream
Coconut Foot cream
Lemon Butter cuticle cream
Almond Milk beeswax hand cream
Hand Salve

Considering a jar of the Lemon butter is $5.99, and the kit was $13, I think this is a pretty good deal, even if everything here is sample sized instead of full size.

I won't talk about the Lemon Butter this time around, since I already waxed poetic about it here, and I didn't use the chapstick. I've tried the Burt's Bees chapstick and lip tints in the past, and I just didn't care for them (I'm picky about my chapstick. I prefer lipgloss).

That leaves us with four products, and all of them smell good enough to eat.

Burt's Bees Thoroughly Theraputic Honey and Grapeseed Oil Hand Cream (20g/.75 oz)
This is a very thick lotion, and a little goes a long way--just a pea-sized dollop or smaller. It smells very nice, but I thought the honey scent was a little strong, especially the first time I used it. After a while, though, I got used to it and it didn't bother me.

It moisturizes very well, but there is a little bit of a residue when first applied. Like the smell, however, it eventually fades and I actually thought it felt better than many lotions I've tried in the past.

When I use it, I like to rub it in first around my cuticles and the tips of my fingers. It helped so much with my dry, peeling skin!

My biggest complaint is actually that the tube seems to be filled with more air than product, which means that I'll squeeze and squeeze and squeeze, getting nothing, and then all of a sudden three times more than I need will glop out at once. So make sure you have a friend handy to share with. :)

Verdict: Will buy again.

Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream (20g/.75 oz)
This stuff smells soooo good. I love it.

I've mentioned before how dry and awful my feet are. Sometimes I'm not sure if they're worse in the winter, when it's so dry out, or in the summer, when I'm constantly running around barefoot or in sandals.

The instructions on the tube say to apply it before bed and wear cotton socks, but it's been too hot lately to sleep with socks on. I just rubbed it in and went to bed, tucking my feet under the covers. I've also applied it before work when wearing shoes and socks, and miraculously have come home with feet that feel better than when I left in the morning. With regular use, the rough, nasty patches of skin are almost completely gone. I still have patches of dry skin, but not nearly as bad or as bothersome as before.

The results weren't quite as dramatic as the time I used the Lemon Butter on them. But they were still a lot softer and felt better than they have in a really long time.

This tube had the same problem with extra air that the hand cream did, but because it's a thinner formula, it was easier to control.

Verdict: Will probably repurchase.

Burt's Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Cream (7g/.25 oz)

This is one of the ones I was most looking forward to in the kit. It just sounded luscious, and I love the little glass pot (actually, I love all of the BB packaging. The box was recyclable, the tins are so vintage and cute, and the jar is perfect for storing things like stitch markers, or homemade makeup, or glitter or rhinestones for nail art).

It takes a surprisingly small amount to get a good application, and I got quite a few uses out of the tiny jar. It smells like fresh almond cookies, which is amazing, but makes me want to nom on my hands a little. It hydrates really well. There is a little bit of a greasy film leftover, but like with everything else, it fades rather quickly. I like applying this best right before bed, just after I've done my nails to rehydrate after using the polish remover.

Verdict: will definitely buy again.

Burt's Bees Hand Salve (8.5g/.3 oz)
Between the lotion, the cuticle cream, and the hand cream, I wasn't really sure what the purpose of the hand salve was. Surely you can only apply so much moisture to your skin before it just stops having an effect, right?

While that might be true, my first introduction to this was actually because of an allergic reaction. I had a really itchy spot on my skin that was swollen and not looking so good, so my roommate grabbed her (giant) tin and smeared some on. It didn't have an instant effect, but it did help with the itchiness, swelling, and redness (along with advil and benadryl). I still don't know what caused the reaction in the first place, but I do know that it wasn't Burt's--which makes it a rarity and plants it firmly at the top of my list of favorite brands.

Like many of the Burt's Bees products, this does leave a greasy residue, and in this case, it lasts much longer than any of the others. Honestly, I wouldn't use it on my hands unless I had a problem--really bad dry skin/hang nails, or a scrape or sore spot or something. I'd rather use it on something that is out of the way and unlikely to leave spots all over everything I touch, like my elbows, which are notoriously dry.

Overall, I think that this is a really great kit, and I would both purchase it again as a set, as well as each of the items individually (except probably the chapstick, but my roommate is more than happy to take it off my hands). It's a nice way to get an introduction tot he company and products, and I would highly recommend it as a gift for a beauty lover, anyone with dry skin, or anyone with allergies to conventional products. All of their ingredients are all natural and completely pronounceable, which is nearly impossible to find these days and something that really endears them to me.

Five out of five stars!