Hello all! I had been eyeing this The Face Shop lip balm for a good while mostly for its cuteness but I was interested in the colour and how it may wear on the lips. I had found a number of sites selling the honey and orange versions for cheap but were out of stock; the strawberry often was out of stock or at an inflated price due to limited quantities. I saw it on Amazon (months after purchasing the knockoff version) for a decent price, and pounced.

Since my last review of this kind was pretty bloody popular, I thought I'd continue with another comparison review. This time, I'll be comparing The Face Shop Lovely ME:EX Dessert Lip Balm, in #1 Strawberry, to it's knock-off, F21 Love & Beauty Fruit Lip Pot. Mentions in this post of The Face Shop (TFS) will be in pink and on the left side of the photos while Love & Beauty (L&B) will be listed in blue, and on the right-hand side. Enjoy, under the cut!

First, here's a jam™.  Yixing/Kris Wu came out a solo track, JULY and I'm digging the song and MV. 👌👌👌👌





So let's compare!!!











At first glance, the two lip glosses look very similar but there differences. The body of both lip glosses are the same colour but the lids and the miniature honey wands are different.

TFS - brown lid, orange-yellow honey dipper
L&B - black lid, brown-yellow honey dipper


Without too much eye strain, you can see a difference in lip gloss colour; the original on the left is a cranberry wine red while the right is a blood-orange red with pink undertones.

The placement of the seeds differs: the original TFS version (left) is a fairly spaced-out, even design while the L&B version (right) has each seed rotated in a different direction. Also, the L&B lip gloss has "fruit lip pot" printed across the pink portion of the body of the gloss while the original has hat area blank, but prints "dessert lip balm" below, on the gloss pot portion, in a less conspicuous place.










I'd recommend this cute balm to those who like minimal makeup. It's ideal for a simple, effortless look, especially if you are a beginner to makeup and do not yet have a good collection (AB and Western products), or say, do not like loud lip products.  Of course, to Korean beauty product collectors and cute stuff aficionados, too.



f21love & beauty fruit lip pot

A bit of joke to be honest, but F21 seems to be cleaning up its act as of late by selling actual Korean beauty and skincare products on its online store front. Whether the company plans to branch out and offer the same products instores (replacing the knockoff with original versions!) is another matter, but something to look forward to.

When I went to swatch the L&B lip balm on my forearm, it didn't spread cleanly and instead, balled up and clung to the top part of the swatch. Yikes!



Applying on my lips was easier but the balm felt waxy and was hard to spread the balm on both lips. It appears clear but shiny on the lips and lasted for about an hour, tops. I tested it across a week at work, using a tiny amount each time and would have to re-apply. I instead would apply another lip tint. I didn't like the scent or tasting the balm in any way.

The scent of L&B's version of the Lovely Dessert lip balm definitely leans strongly to the artificial  side. It does smell sweet but like Vaseline and Dollar-Store level kids makeup combined with plastic. 



final verdict

Both are cute and if you still see the Fruit Lip Pot at your local F21--if you don't have access to buying things online and are younger--buy it. Otherwise, I recommend offering your support to The Face Shop and enjoy the original version, for a couple dollars more and in two additional flavours (Orange and Honey). Order online from Amazon, RRS or eBay if there is not a physical The Face Shop near you.

You can enjoy a better scent and a longer lasting lip balm, with maximum cuteness!



where to buy


The Face Shop Lovely ME:EX Dessert Lip Balm, #1 Strawberry
RRS - on sale for ₩5,250, originally ₩7,000
BBComsetic - $6.63 
eBay- $6.99 (via seller, bigclothcraft)
Amazon - $7.49 + free shipping
Pretty and Cute - $9.99

F21 Love & Beauty Fruit Lip Pot - previously available on f21.com and in some stores.


Thanks for reading!