Too Cool for School Dinoplatz Lip Balm in Beet Jam

 
Too Cool for School is a brand I have been interested since last fall (when I received a luminizer tester pouch when I bought my 3ce kabuki brush). The whole brand is adorned by playful illustration of Hatori Sando (whom I assumed to be Japanese) and the whole theme seems do be really different from the cutesy, toy-like approch other Korean brands take.

For quite a while, the only place I could get it was on eBay (with what's closed to high-end price tag)so I set it aside (I think I am pretty good at not being interested in things that are too hard to get and out of my price range) until two weeks ago...I spotted them(three shades of lip balms/aka the very thing I was interested in) at the aisle of temptation in Sephora!

After the brief moment of elation, my heart sank a little to see that the Sephora price ($15) wasn't cheap either. My mental price for clear balm is something around 7-8 dollars then I am willing to pay 3-4 more for the packaging... That just mean that I could only allow myself get one. So, it was sheer red for me again...

 
Let's take a look at the packaging because that's what sold me over. Each tub comes with a simple black and white box, with drawings of random furniture (you will see why in a bit). The name was Lip Bomb at first, then crossed over (this reminds me of that luminizer tester playfully/insensitively named……bombing of Pearl Bay).

The shade name is indicated by a sticker on the side (a Dinosaur head popsicle in Beet Jam flavor?) which also works as a seal for the box.

After the seal is peeled, you are able to pull out the drawer and reveal the goodie within! How clever (I still think it's overpriced)! 

 
So that's all for the fancy packaging. Admittedly I find it a little execcesive as I am a user not a collector. Nonetheless it's nice to see brands putting so much effort into packaging because it matters a lot! By the way, the three shades available all has differnt illustrations which means they are worth collecting.

Finally to the actual product. Too Cool for School Dinoplatz Lip Balm in Beet Jam is a juicy strawberry red with a lot of boing, a yummy sweet strawberry scent and (as far as I know)no taste. I like how the smell evokes childhood nostalgia without smelling artifically cheap (like how I like to say "I would love it if I was in 8th grade").

The texture of the Dinoplatz Lip Balm is a light weight jam-jelly: highly moisturizing without being too melty or oily. It applies evenly with a large lip brush and hugs the crevices of lips (giving it more of a naturally wet finish as opposed to the glowing twin-sausage I usually end up with). So, the formula is a win before I realized that……

 
As with many Korean lip tint, this also turns brighter and brighter the longer that it stays on. I mean, I will still have shine after an hour but it just becomes that super bright magenta stain on me allover again...I don't hate the color but it's a little disheartening to see all three of my Korean lip tints ending up looking the same in 10 minutes.

Overall: I love this (still thinks it's overpriced) but that whole color-changing thing is a little tiring. Wouldn't it be so pretty if it would stay red?

PS. This concludes the lippie marathon week (it's easier to kick out unfinished reviews this way). Next up, eyeshadow marathon!