Holika Holika Dessert Time Lip Balm Set Review

If there was a contest for the cutest packaging ever, the Holika Holika Dessert Time Lip Balms would win hands down. LOOK at the photos. Cupcakes!
Does the packaging make you feel hungry? All of these smell as good as they look! I got one in a Memebox last year and ended up buying the whole set from W2Beauty - they ship worldwide with tracking for a mere $2.50.

Holika Holika is one of those cult Korean beauty brands whose packaging takes cuteness to a whole new level. These lip balms have held the pride of place atop my vanity ever since I bought them.

Scroll down for my thoughts on the Holika Holika Dessert Time Lip Balms.

I have already drooled over the packaging. Any more and I will have to fumigate my computer. These are definitely not flimsy plastic and do not feel cheap, but are actually heavier than they look.
There were seven lip balms originally available in this set. Holika Holika re-released them after tweaking the packaging a bit but there are only six in the new set. They left out 04 Chocolate Cupcake and re-numbered the rest. I have them all but my niece helped herself to Pink Cupcake when I got these out to be photographed. It will turn up. The scents/flavours/tints are:

• 01 Red Cupcake - Strawberry fragrance (the brown case with the heart on top)
• 02 Pink Cupcake - Watermelon (blue case with pink frosting and a bow on top)
• 03 Peach Cupcake - Duh (the yellow case)
• 04 Plum Pink Cupcake - Cherry (pale blue case with pink frosting and cherry on top)
• 05 Orange Cupcake - Citrus (red case with cream frosting)
• 06 Lemon Cupcake - Sour lemon (pale teal case with white frosting and candy topping)

Of these, Red Cupcake is the only one whose tint shows up. The others turn out colourless. The fragrance is not too strong, but nice a fruity. 
Lemon Cupcake (the pale teal case with yellow balm) is the one I dislike. It feels menthol-ish on the lips and I cannot stand anything with menthol. I'm not a fan of the citrus-menthol scent either.
The rest of them are beautifully textured, soft lip balms that feel creamy on my lips and last all night, though not through meals. Application is a breeze as they glide over the lips. You only need just a little. The tint is not very long-lasting, but since only Red Cupcake shows up, that is just as well. 

If I had to whinge, it would be about the jar packaging and having to dig in with fingers. On the other hand, you cannot get cupcake-shaped chapsticks. Including a little spatula or wand would be a great idea. I use an eye-cream applicator from a sample tube of Lancome Genefique Yeux.

Verdict and where to buy Holika Holika Dessert Time Lip Balms

These are so... wow! I am so glad I bought them all.  The packaging is great and the lip balms are very good quality. I only wish they had included a spatula or applicator of some sort; I hate getting product between my fingertip and my nail, so I use an applicator.
Please note the box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans is not included and was picked up from the Warner Bros Studio in Leavesden. Yes, the beans taste different. And, yes, there is a pepper-flavoured one, though I am yet to find vomit (I got a couple of unidentifiable nasties).
One day when if I manage to find some time for a proper holiday, I want to go to Korea and buy lots and lots of cosmetics. Apparently, they literally bury you in samples and freebies as well; plus, everything is so affordable. Ideally, I want to get together with fellow-beauty-bloggers and do a joint expedition.
You can buy the whole Holika Holika Dessert Time Lip Balm set from W2Beauty here. They cost $8.60 each and $2.50 flat tracked postage worldwide, BUT you get a voucher for $5 on registering, if you use code 2758605 (I get reward points if you use the code). Warning: W2Beauty is addictive. I can never go on the site without splurging $50. Alice always sends samples - even Korean candy - with every order. For those living outside the US, W2Beauty is also an authorised retailer of Memebox! So if you miss that subscription, you can get their boxes and products now.