burt's bees

Carly Rae Jepsen is moving on from her hit "Call Me Maybe" into a new beauty deal with Burt's Bees. The singer will be the face of the new Güd Red Ruby Groovy line, and the first celebrity spokesperson for the natural-beauty brand. Burt's Bees hopes her strong pull with Generation Z, along with her social media presence, will bring their products into a younger demographic.

The new line will include a shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and body wash all retailing for $7 each. The scent is filled with fruity notes of grapefruit, black currant, apple, mandarin, and papaya. "I've always been attracted to things that smell feminine, and I like things that are energizing," Carly Rae told WWD. "I feel very womanly, and it makes me sort of ready to take on more."

You know how when you buy a lip balm that's supposed to have a "hint" of color, there's almost always quite a bit more than that when you actually get it on? Not so with Burt's Bees new Tinted Lip Balm ($6), which comes in a range of really, truly sheer colors. I tried the most highly pigmented of the bunch, the bright red Rose shade, and it took a pretty heavy hand to make the color visible. It's also not one of those balms that dries your lips out, forcing you to reapply constantly. It's basically like a lighter, much cheaper version of Laura Mercier HydraTint ($20). Overall, it's a great balm for the season, especially if you live somewhere with a high wind chill factor, and I think it should transition nicely into warmer weather. The only thing I don't like about the product, in fact, is that it costs about two bucks more than the regular Burt's Bees balm. Still, it's an inexpensive color fix and well worth checking out next time you're at the drugstore.

I love a good solid perfume; they're more subtle than atomized formulas; the oil and wax base makes them last longer; they're hydrating; and they're usually less expensive. So imagine my delight when I found out that Burt's Bees has debuted four new $10 solid fragrances. Only Lush's solid perfume sticks rival them for low price point, and the Burt's products actually have fewer chemical ingredients. All four of the scents sound fruit-heavy, although if you're not into sweet smells, their Naturally Fresh ($10) fragrance has bright, astringent notes of lemon, grapefruit, and cedar. Will you be inclined to pick one of these up at the drugstore checkout, or would you rather save your money for a fancier solid scent?

Putting oil on your skin might seem daft, but it is not always so. It all depends on what type of oil you choose and what kind of complexion you have. Dry skin? Oil can help perk up dehydrated complexions, especially after months of suffering in cold weather. And while it's wise to check for comedogenic ingredients in general, even acne-prone skin can benefit from certain oils.

The biggest obstacle is getting over the idea of putting it on your face. Fortunately, you need only a few drops to cover all of your face. The idea is to warm the oil with your fingers, gently press it into skin, and if you wish to follow with a regular moisturizer, you can. (I find that I don't need one, though.)

I've been trying out more oils than an Exxon speculator lately, so for a roundup of mini-reviews, read more.

The shampoo part aside, Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit and Sugar Beet Shampoo ($8) sounds straight up like something you'd see on the kitchen table. And after trying out this cleanser, which is free of sulfates and parabens, reader steen has nothing but positive things to say.

"Trying to find an affordable sulfate-free shampoo has been difficult for me. All the ones I've tried have left my hair dried out or greasy. I stumbled upon Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit and Sugar Beet Shampoo and Conditioner while perusing the products at the drugstore and I am in love. The shampoo lathers really well, rinses easily, and smells great — like sugared grapefruit. It also actually makes my hair incredibly shiny. (Too often products claim to, but I don't see any difference.) I love that I can get it just about anywhere and it's only $8 a bottle — sometimes less if it's in a value set or on sale."

Be sure to check out steen's review for the conditioner, too, and then check out all of the other reviews on our wildly-popular Product Reviews pages. Who knows what you might discover.