Labello Vitamin Shake Cranberry & Raspberry Review

I've always loved tinted lip balms. Who doesn't like to kill two birds with one stone? Well, I'm sure nobody likes killing birds, but you know what I mean. 'Labello' comes from the Latin word 'Labius' meaning lip and 'Bellus' meaning beautiful. With such a gorgeous name, I had high expectations from this product! 

What Labello Claims: Do your lips need a healthy blend of nourishing vitamins and endless moisture that naturally enhances your lips' health glow? Cranberry and Raspberry Vitamin Shake is a creamy swirl of real cranberry and raspberry extracts, vitamins C & E and Pro-vitamin B5 for soft, kissably smooth lips and a hint of flattering, natural colour. This marbled stick of moisturising lip balm smells as delicious as a fruit smoothie. SPF 10 offers protection against damaging UVA and UVB rays. Cranberry & Raspberry Vitamin Shake is a swirled, subtly tinted balm that leaves lips kissed with a hint of creamy, natural colour and an irresistible satin finish for a healthy glow. 

Price: Rs. 139 for 4.8 g 

Shelf Life: 30 months

Ingredients: Polyisobutane, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Octyldodycanol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Candelilla Cera, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cera Microcristallina, Isopropyl Palmitate, Synthetic Wax, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Rubus Idaeus Juice, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Juice, Panthenol Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Aqua, Glycerin, Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone, BHT, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Aroma, Cl 77891, Cl 15985, Cl 15850, Cl 45380.

Labello lip balms are hard to come by in India. In fact, their website doesn't even list India as a country which can be selected. No need to worry though, Labello lip care sticks are sold under various brand names - Labello, Nivea, Liposan and Nivea Lip Care. So the next time you're looking for this, but see the exact same product but with a different brand name mentioned, don't get confused. All these brands belong to the same parent company - Beiersdorf AG. In India, you'll find this lip balm being sold under the Nivea brand. 

The packaging of this balm is super cute. It comes in a bullet retractable case (which I prefer to tubs as they are always more hygienic), and the cover clicks firmly into place making it ideal for travel. It's so small in fact, that it can slip easily into your pencil case or jeans pocket, it fits really nicely in my mini treasure box ^_^ The balm itself is a swirling stick of pink and white, and reminds me a lot of the Alpenliebe strawberry toffees we used to get (Whatever happened to those? I never see them around anymore.). It is extremely light on the lips, and is not sticky when applied. The balm isn't the most delicious thing I've ever smelled, and it's certainly not delicious enough for me to want to eat it, but it does smell kinda fruity. I don't have an issue putting it on my lips, but those who don't like scented balms might. As for it's taste, it tastes even less delicious than it smells, but the taste is barely there, so again I don't mind it. 

The balm, as mentioned by Labello, has just a teeny tiny hint of colour, which does not show up on lips at all - pigmented or not. It does, however, have a glossy shine which I love. It has the slightest bit of shimmer which is not too much and is perfect for wear anywhere. I like my lips nude or with a slight bit of colour and gloss, so I love wearing this on nude lips. However, if you do want some colour too, it could be used as a gloss over your regular lipstick. It will provide moisture, gloss, a bit of vitamin nourishment, and not to forget SPF 10. Lasting power of the balm isn't that great. As with all similar lip care products, it lasts for only about 2-3 hours, and won't survive a single meal.  As for a moisturizer, it works so long as your the balm is still intact. There are no lasting effects, and it certainly doesn't provide endless moisture. I usually like my balms to provide moisture even after they wear off, at least for a while. Sadly, Labello fails in this department. But for this price, you can't really complain. It won't do much to help extremely dry and chapped lips in the winter. Also, the moisture it provides is gentle. It works for me, but if you need extreme hydration for your lips, you might wanna pick up another lip balm. Labello/Nivea has quite a range, so that shouldn't be a problem. 

Let's Summarize: 
Pros:

• Affordable 
• Extremely cute packaging; small enough to slip into a jeans pocket 
• Contains raspberry and cranberry extract, Vitamins C & E, Pro-vitamin B5 
• SPF 10 protects against UVA and UVB rays 
• Light and not sticky
• Lends a nice natural glossy shine to lips 
• Would work perfectly if worn over a lipstick to hydrate the lips (till it lasts that is)
• Bullet packaging is more hygienic than the tub packs

Cons: 

• Doesn't smell or taste delicious 
• Not suitable for those who prefer odorless lip care products 
• The pink colour of the balm is so faint, it doesn't show up on the lips at all 
• Lasts for only 2-3 hours 
• Doesn't survive meals 
• Provides moisture only while intact; no lasting effects 
• Won't work for extremely dry lips

My Verdict: 8/10

Will I repurchase it? This is a good product if you're looking for gentle moisture. I'm lucky to not have extremely dry lips, so it worked well for me. You can give it a go too and see how you like it. For the price, it works reasonably well. However, I didn't love it enough to repurchase, I'll probably be trying the other balms in their range the next time around.