I really wanted to like this lip product. I love lip balms and lip care products, and I enjoy Lorac's makeup. A full stick of healing Vitamin E, in an elegant lipstick tube, sounded ideal - I could carry it in my purse and apply as a quick fix lip moisturizer when on the go.

Unfortunately, the Vitamin E stick just doesn't *feel* right. It's thin and slippery. I don't get the sensation that anything soaks into my lips, nor does it feel like it provides a comfortable protective lip residue. It doesn't last for more than a few minutes. Finally, it goes on more like a like a thin lip gloss or a colorless lipstick than a balm.

I like to feel like a lip comfort product is going to stick around on my lips for an hour or two (unless eaten off, of course). I want to feel a somewhat thick, soft, smooth protective coating, and I want my product to take the edge off dryness or any chapped feeling. The Lorac Vitamin E Stick doesn't give me any feeling of hydration or comfort. Despite the packaging's moisturizer-loaded claims, the stick certainly does nothing for chapped lips.

I had to wrestle with myself in spite of this - should I return it? For one thing, I love the packaging. The black & silver lipstick-like container is elegant and classy. Not that packaging means anything when it comes to product effectiveness, but it's still a psychological element in using cosmetics.

For another, I wanted a stick tube for my lips instead of a pot that I have to stick my finger in - and this provided that.

I decided to return it. The highly touted Vitamin E represented in the product is actually relegated almost last in the ingredients list. The cost is too high to justify using a product that Vaseline, or a cheap ugly tube of Chapstick, could do better.

My favorite lip balm is by Go Smile, and provides Vitamin E, shea butter, cocoa butter, chamomile, has several antioxidants (like vanilla, which provides a lovely, light flavor) and is loaded with Retinol. The Go Smile balm is wonderful, but comes in a pot. I have to stick my less than sanitary fingers in it, plus I managed to break off the top, so now the compact-style container is no longer travel-friendly. I was hoping the Lorac Vitamin E Stick could replace my imperfectly-packaged Go Smile product.

I live in the arid western United States, where a layer of lip balm is a constant necessity. So I am sure this is influencing my experience with the balm. Please take that under advisement - in a more humid region this balm might be perfect for someone.

I'd recommend the Lorac Vitamin E Stick only if someone really appreciated a thin, barely-there lip coating...or if someone desired a completely clear lip gloss that was actually GOOD for your lips (as it does contain some of the antioxidant Vitamin E, even if in tiny amounts).

Read more about Lorac's Vitamin E Stick and the Go Smile Lip Balm I discussed at Amazon.com:
LORAC For Lips, Vitamin E Stick .12 oz (3.4 g) | GO SMILE Smileceuticals Balm .21 oz (6 g)