A Wren Says

I was in a pinch. I had traveled all the way to Austin and forgotten to pack a lip bam. I went into the drug store, scanning the aisles for something new to try.  Then, I saw it. How about the Bioderma Atoderm restorative lip balm?

I bought the tube and added it to my bag.

Perhaps because of the warm air, it was a thinner consistency. It glided on nicely without any grit. It was fine, but it wasn’t second purchase worthy. In fact, once I returned from my trip, I scarcely thought of it again. But rather than bash a so-so lip balm, when there is a sea of so-so products, let’s get into why I bought in the first place: I wanted to try a new brand.

For some time now, I had heard of this famed Bioderma brand from influencers who swore by it. They would stock up on the micellar water when they went to the pharmacy in France or hit up duty-free stores. And here I was, with easy access to the product in the middle of Texas. Of course I would try it. And of course, it would be just as amazing as the amount of coverage would lead me to believe. And then it was just another lip balm.

There are times, perhaps more than most other people, when I buy products just to try a brand I’ve been hearing about. A small purchase here gives me insight into what they might offer me overall. And that small test can lead me further into the exploration or stop my journey altogether. But maybe that’s not fair.

Maybe to get to know a brand, I need to spend time with the full offering instead of writing them off on what could be a fluke. Maybe I need to try the micellar water and see why people prefer it over what they could find in their home country. But maybe brands have to recognize that every product is a window in for their customers. You can’t have just one standout product. Everything in your inventory should speak to what customers can expect from you. Everything you offer should invite them deeper into your product catalogue.

I’ll have some reviews coming where I dive deeper into a single brand before making an assessment. But I’ll continue to do these one-off reviews, because that reflects how I shop brands as a regular customer. I see a single product I’m interested in, and then I’ll buy just that.

As for my final assessment on the lip balm, if you just need a lip balm and aren’t trying to revive lips that are already parched, you might like it. Or maybe not. Try it and let me know how that goes.