LAQA & CO Bees Knees Sheer Lip Lube Pencil

When I first saw the LAQA & CO Bees Knees Lip Lube pencil in my August Topbox, I had two thoughts. The first was, “Another sheer lip product?” while the second was, “It’s called ‘Lip Lube?’ Really?”

Then I started using this product and found myself quite pleased with how it performed. According to LAQA & CO, “Lip Lube is a light and glossy hydrating lip balm - perfect for everyday wear. The peppermint-shea butter formula delivers an oh-so addictive hit of mint and moisture, with each application.” I agree with almost all of this.

This is a very hydrating product that feels like it’s injecting moisture into your lips as soon as the pencil touches them. But this isn't one of those products that feels great for a few minutes and then vanishes. Nope, this pencil left my lips feeling like I'd just applied it even though over an hour had passed.

Though mint generally isn’t a great ingredient for a product like this, I think that it's included in such a small quality that it doesn’t have a negative impact on this item. There’s a slight, but not overwhelming, mint scent but other than that, there’s no sign of this ingredient. I certainly felt no irritation from this product and I can see how someone could wear it every day.

Despite bringing a ton of moisture, this pencil is still a “light” feeling product that didn’t make my lips feel heavy, sticky or in anyway weird. Instead, it left them feeling soft, smooth and hydrated. As a result, the name of this product is quite accurate; it’s for one’s lips and it provides tons of lubrication.

The colour of my Lip Lube pencil

Lip Lube pencils come in five colours and the one I received is called Bees Knees. It’s a pale pink shade and on my lips, it provides only the slightest hint of colour. I wish that it packed a bit more of a punch but then it wouldn’t be a sheer pencil.

Though this product doesn’t provide much when it comes to colour, it did impact the look of my lips in a different way. A lot of these lip products, sheer or not, bring a lot of shine. This one doesn’t. In fact, despite LAQA & CO’s claim that this pencil makes lips “glossy,” I found that it left my lips with almost a matte finish. While that’s not generally a look I go for, it’s one I don’t mind wearing every now and then. This pencil makes it really easy to switch to that look and wear it effortlessly.

LAQA & CO is a New York-based brand that I believe is fairly new. I’ve never spotted it in a Canadian store though its online store does ship here. It prices the pencil retails at $18 US, an amount I think is a touch high, especially since you have to factor in shipping.

But for that price you do get some nice packaging and a fair amount of product. The pencil comes in a sturdy, but pretty, plastic tube that’s topped with a clear lid.  The tube is also a twist bottom kind and using this feature reveals nearly another inch of product. All of this adds up to a product that's easy to apply and easy to throw in your bag and take with you.

Would I buy this product: No but mainly because I can’t pick it up in a real-world store and because I find it a touch expensive for something that I’d only use every now and then.

Should you buy this product: It’s worth grabbing if you see it in stores (assuming of course you’re a fan of sheer, moisturizing lip products) but while it is a good product, it’s not good enough to make it something you should seek out online.