Battle of the Lip Exfoliators: MAC vs Leaf and Rusher

BellaSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:00:36 PDT

Pretty lips are healthy lips, but most people deal with the occasional bout of chapped lips. When Chapstick isn't enough to smooth your lips, they simply need good exfoliation. You can use a warm, damp washcloth to scrub away dry skin, but when you're away from home, turn to a lip exfoliator to get rid of the flakies. I've compared two of my favorites, MAC Prep + Prime Microfine Lip Refinisher and Leaf and Rusher Tx Lips. To compare and contrast (and to see which one is a favorite in the Jolie-Pitt household),

	Prep + Prime	Tx Lips	Advantage
Scent	MAC's signature vanilla scent	Nothing strong; vaguely sugary.	MAC, no contest.
Best for	Exfoliating and conditioning dry lips before lipstick application, or as a balm on its own.	An overnight treatment for parched, flaky lips.	MAC
Odd but true	Resembles the Sears Tower.	Brad Pitt's a fan.	Leaf and Rusher. Love ya, Chicago, but... it's Brad Pitt.
Pluses	Swivel packaging creates no-mess application.	A little bit goes a long way.	It's a draw. MAC's packaging is neater, but Tx Lips lasts forever.
Drawbacks	Leaves little black bits on your lips, which makes it look like you've just devoured a top-soil sandwich.	Leaves sticky sugar particles on your fingers, necessitating paw wipeage.	Leaf and Rusher. At least sugar crystals are clear.
Results	Prep + Prime leaves lips smooth, plump, and silky.	Tx Lips exfoliates the worst of the flaky lips, but it's not as moisturizing.	MAC.
Price	$14.50	$21	MAC, obviously.