[Review] It's Skin Macaron Lip Balm vs. Love & Beauty Macaron Lip Balm ||  【レビュー】 イッツスキンのマカロンリップバームとLove & Beautyのマカロンリップバーム 【比較】

2:47 PM

It's a showdown! Last summer, I saw a similar version of the famous It's Skin macaron lip balm at my local Forever21.  I decided to buy the F21 version because while it doesn't help raise awareness for buying the actual original lip balm, I wanted to compare the two.

対決だ!去年の夏近くのForever21の店でけっこう人気イッツスキンのマカロンリップバームのみたいのLove & Beautyのマカロンリップバームのバーションを見ましたが、 誰がオリジナルのリップバームを購入して鼓舞させない, 両のリップバームを比較して欲しかったのでとりあえずF21のバーションを購入しました。


What baffles me is how Forever21--a company founded by South Koreans--and one that now sells legitimate Korean cosmetics (Peripera, Holika Holika, etc) on its online storefront; how are they able to get away with selling an inferior product, despite cute packaging? Hand creams with packaging seemingly "inspired" by Baviphat and Etude House products, but the colours are just ever. so. slightly. altered? Why not stock the original products instead? /end rant/

That aside, I feel like there's some subtle differences between both products. Which brings me to this review: a simple, yet detailed comparison review between both products.

韓国人が設立した会社Forever21のはF21の公式サイトで本物のペリペラさんホリカホリカさんという韓国コスメブランドとか何か当惑させるコトのは可愛いパッケージがあるのにどうか偽物も売れるのか? バビペットエチュードハウスから一見ばかげた触発されるの可愛くハンドクリームも偽物の可能性があると色は変えられたどうかできるかな・・・?オリジナル商品を売ればいいのか…?

そんなことより両のマカロンリップバームってわずか違いがあると思います。つまり、両の商品のはシンプルな詳しく比較のレビュを紹介していきたいと思います。


 First, F21: it's not "macaroon".  There are no coconut cookies up in here...
先ずは、マカルーンじゃなくてマカロンです。 ココナツクッキーを見えなかったから(笑)


packaging || パッケージ

The outside packaging for both lip balms is pretty simple.  The It's Skin balm plays up a pastel feel (left, in photo), especially with the added stripes and sprinkle illustration on the front of the box.  There's a definite cute vibe going down. The L&B balm (right) is a bubblegum pink on the outside container on the top, contrasts as a fun, pop eye catching lip balm, with gold lettering on the front packaging. I don't mind either one: both have a different aesthetic.

両のリップバームの外パッケージが結構シンプルみたいだ。 イッツスキンのマカロンリップバームはパステルの感じを強調されると特に箱の前に加えられているストライプとケーキスプリンクルのイランストもポイントです (写メの左)。 完全にめっちゃかわいい感じみたいです。  L&Beautyのバーム( 写メの右)はも可愛くてバブルガムピンクの容器に対してポップな目立っているリップバームみたいだとゴ金色のレタリングを書いて前のパッケージでイイセンスだ。両は他の美学があったらどっちでもいいだと思います。



Forever21's Love & Beauty lip balm (top) is just a smidgen smaller than the It's Skin balm, in terms of the size of the actual container. The "feet" on the macaron are a slightly more realistic on the It's Skin balm; there's two additional rings of "feet". It makes a click when you close the cap completely.

Something I didn't expect until I received the It's Skin version in the mail, and had both literally in my hands: even the finish of the container is different.

It's Skin (left) - pleasant, matte finish
L&B (right) - glossy, smooth finish



*cracks knuckles*


it's skin macaron lip balm, strawberry

I ordered the It's Skin balm from JOLSE through Amazon, a few months ago. At the time, I paid $6.98.

The interior surrounding the balm area and under the lid is white (not pink). There is a small opening for the product to sit in. The white is kind of cool but a pastel blue to contrast would have been cool (like the outside packaging).


The It's Skin lip balm itself is soft and easily spreads on the lips. I found it to be pretty moisturizing, not stick and I had to reapply only after a few hours.  I first used both balms at work, in a pretty dry air type of environment. 

There's almost no tint to the It's Skin lip balm either, so it's wearable for formal, work or school situations--like if your school has a strict policy on makeup. It happens, btw. S/O to back in Year 9 and 10 where the school principle and other teachers would ask the girls if they would wearing mascara and would be asked to remove it, or their nail polish. It was such a hot, hot, hot climate back then too...so, makeup seemed to melt off anyway. Ah...the memories.

Anyway, It's Skin really seem to know how to draw consumers in with those heavenly scents (like our fave, TonyMoly, right?!). Surprisingly, the scent is like sweet strawberry candy--it isn't overpowering or strong, but it's a pleasantly sweet mix of fresh strawberries, strawberry candy and a slight tang, lingering underneath.





love & beauty macaron lip balm

I picked up the Love & Beauty macaron lip balm for $2.90, last summer and it drove me to want compare to its original, the It's Skin macaron lip balm. Yes--I bought this one first, but it was for review purposes.

I enjoyed the colour tweak that F21 would've made, and the matching pink interior.  The opening for the product is wider, so it may give the impression that you'd get more product. Probably not, but hell yeah!!! at those illusions!



Honestly, the scent was and still is a major turn-off for me, so much so that it's repulsive. The artificial but sickly sweet scent of strawberries isn't as great and one would hope, when you compare it to the It's Skin lip balm and its more distinguished sweet strawberry scent.


On the flip side, the balm itself is nice and is fairly moisturizing for a few hours. However, if you use too much, it leaves an odd reside on the lips. As soon as this is up, I plan to dump the lip balm, rinse the container and use it a little storage container for some rings, or some minor decor item.



The verdict: As the better of the two, I'm leaning towards the It's Skin balm, primarily based on the performance of the product and its scent, over Forever21's version. If you just want a macaron lip balm for decoration purposes or are, pick up a few at your local Forever21.

If scent easily tips you off, suck it in, and buy the It's Skin lip balm. It's almost the same price, depending on where you order from--but so worth the difference in quality. The scent of the It's Skin version is more enjoyable.


Current prices:

It's Skin
☆ Amazon - 5.88, from Jolse (currently the cheapest)
Ebay - $5.23

Love & Beauty
F21 - $8.90 (currently only available as a set of four) 

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