Dona plumping lip balm - lip balm discontinued by System JO - review by ~LaUr3n~

I'm having a great time using the Dona items I already have. When I saw this little balm, I really wanted to try it in a scent I don't have already. I chose the Camu Camu which is refreshing and lovely. The balm itself is supposed to plump through tingling ingredients. I didn't find that it worked that way, but it does increase the surface volume of the lips. Dona products are cruelty free and claim to be natural, eco-friendly, paraben free, and free of harsh chemicals. For the most part, I have found this to be true. This balm contains a lot of great ingredients.

Ingredients: Olea Europeae (Olive) Fruit Oil, Beeswax, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Riicinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Menthoxypropanediol, Tetrahexyidecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Vanillyl Butyl Ether, Flavor

The Break-down
-Olive Fruit Oil: Softener, Moisturizer, Skin conditioner, Surfactant
-Beeswax: Seals in moisture, Help to keep an emulsion from separating into its oil and liquid components, Increases thickness
-Coca seed butter: Protects injured skin from harmful stimuli, Slows the loss of water from the skin by forming a barrier on the skin’s surface
-Shea butter: Moisturizer, Skin repair
-Castor Seed Oil: Vegetable oil, Slickness, skin conditioner
-Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate: Binder, Skin-Conditioning Agent
-Caprylic Capric Triglyceride: Made from coconut oil, Slows the loss of water from the skin
-Stearalkonium Hectorite: Suspending agent
-Propylene Carbonate: Polar solvent
-Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12: Antioxidant, Firms skin
-Jojoba seed oil: Skin conditioner
-Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E): Skin softener, Enrichment
-Honeysuckle Flower Extract: Astringent
-Menthoxypropanediol: Flavor and fragrance
-Tetrahexyidecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C): Antioxidant
-Vanillyl Butyl Ether: Warming effect, Topically induced cell growth

For this review, I'm comparing this balm to the all popular Chap-Stick. This balm is thicker than Chap-Stick and will visually add volume that way. It is just as smooth as Chap-Stick, but not as silky. It definitely feels heavier. A lot more of the balm comes off of the tube when it is used also. It stays in place and never feels sticky. It also doesn't feel oily or gross. It leaves the lips feeling covered and smooth.

Available scents: Camu Camu, Acai, Blue Lotus, Goji Berry, Pomegranate, and Mangosteen. I've tried Mangosteen, Pomegranate, and Goji Berry so far, so I decided to get Camu Camu having no idea what to expect. I love it! Camu Camu smells so much like Lime-Aid popsicles! Yummy! It's too bad that this stuff either has no flavor of such a faint one that it's pretty much unnoticeable. I really feel uplifted while smelling this stuff. I guess the aphrodisiacs have some sort of effect.

Based on the ingredient list and descriptions of the product I found online, this should have a slight warming or tingling effect. This effect is what opens the blood vessels, increases blood flow, and helps cell regrowth. I have tried a few plumping lip product with similar descriptions and I can really feel the tingling or warming. On a scale from 1-10 with 10 being the lowest, this is like a 2. I forgot it even had that feature, that's how low the effect is. I use products like Lip Injection that I would put at like an 8, so maybe it is that I'm used to this feeling and cannot feel this lesser amount anymore. I did kiss my partner with this and he didn't feel it either. He also didn't complain about it. This surprised me. With it feeling a little thicker I thought for sure he'd complain that I kissed him with lip gloss on. I kissed him three times before he asked me why I was awkwardly pausing between kisses. "I'm waiting for you to complain." Never happened. YEAY! Kisses approved.

Personally, I really like this balm. I can smell it when I put it on which like I said earlier, does uplift my mood. It smooths and seems to heal cracked or dry skin instantly and lasts a long time. I can wear it over lip tint and it doesn't ruin the color since it goes on clear.

In terms of plumping, though. I don't feel it does much at all. The effects are minimal and probably won't be noticed by many.

The packaging is simple, yet still have flare. The lip balm comes in a standard twist up tube with .15 of the balm. Depending on the scent you choose, it will change the color of the band on the cap. Mine is a light mint green. Unfortunately, the stickers are pealing right away will most likely pick up little particles in the bottom of my purse, pockets, or makeup bag. I'll probably end up having to remove them. The packaging I very informative and the balmwould make a decent gift.

This item claims to have aphrodisiac properties and plumping for the lips.

How about price? I wouldn't mind paying less than $5 for another one of these. I like that it is thicker. This allows it to stay on my lips a bit more than Chap-Stick and it also lasts longer. Plus, you can't beat the unique scents!