I recently discovered Bare Lips on Instagram, flicked through to their Etsy store and being the lip balm addict I am, promptly placed an order. A few days later I got a lovely email from Glaiza checking to see if my balms had arrived safely. We had a bit of a chat via email and she kindly agreed to do an interview with me.
How and why did Bare Lips get started?
I have been collecting lip balms ever since I can remember. It's been an (expensive!) obsession, but so incredibly fun! I landed myself on a handmade Facebook page a year ago, as a buyer supporting small businesses. I came across so many wonderful creations, and new amazing lip balms to add to my collection. One night, I spent hours on Etsy shopping for lip balms (as you do!), and that's when it hit me; "maybe I can make my own". From there, I basically spent countless hours researching and determining whether it was something worthwhile that I could do... turns out I can :) Did it take long to come up with the perfect formula?It definitely took many hours of research, and many batches of testing! testing! testing! before I was happy with the end formula. The test ones didn't go to waste as I still use them (and so does hubby) even if they aren't perfect. I love that nothing goes to waste!
What makes Bare Lips so awesome?
Bare Lips is not just another label on a product, there is so much more to it. It's a person making each individual lip balm with absolute love. It's supporting other small businesses by using their products to create ours. It's ensuring we only use natural and cruelty-free products and that our packaging is reusable and recyclable so that there is zero waste. On top of all that, Bare Lips is super affordable. I wanted to make sure people could still spoil themselves with a quality lip product without having to spend a dime.
I love that your balms are natural and zero waste. Is this something that was important when you started formulating your range?
When I started formulating my range I wanted to make sure I used fewer, but effective ingredients. It's important to me that my customers feel at ease knowing they won't be applying any nasties to their lips, which can often be the case with commercial lip balms. Being natural and zero waste is something we advocate as the reality is we need to play our part to protect our environment.Rosemary is such a unique flavor for a balm, what made you choose it?
I was speaking to a close friend of mine who makes her own lip balms as a hobby, and out of curiosity I asked her which was her favorite flavor. Her answer was Rosemary, which surprised me, as I had never come across this flavor before in a lip balm and it's not something I would have been able to magically come up with on my own. I'm so glad I gave it a try, because it's now such a huge hit.What are your top five favorite lip products?
This is a hard one to answer! There are so many amazing lip products out there. But here are a few that I love.1. Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi-Balm Green Apple.
2. Hurraw Chai Spice Lip Balm.
3. Grown Alchemist Lip Balm Vanilla and Watermelon.
4. EOS Strawberry Lip Balm Sphere.
5. Herbal Hiraeth Chamomile and Jojoba Herbal Lip Balm (one of the small businesses who inspired me to start my own.
What's next for Bare Lips? Any exciting news?
It was always my intention to share my love of lip balms to as many people as possible, so that's an ongoing goal. Besides that, I have a few ideas in mind to keep my passion alive...So stay tuned!Thanks so much for your time Glaiza, I love your balms and can't wait to see what you come up with next.
