Beauty Find: Lip Balm From the 19th Century

The weather is changing and my lips are cracked. So if you see an abundance of balms on the blog- blame me. But I don’t think there’s a beauty staple more essential than a good lip balm or 12. Variety is the spice and all that…

Rosebud Perfume Company has been producing Smith’s Rosebud Salve since 1892. Anything with that kind of staying power belongs in your beauty bag. This light pink, lightly scented salve is most often touted as a lip gloss but its essential oil blends solve more than chapped lips. It soothes cracked skin, cuts, and scrapes. It even eases sunburn. Apply a thin layer of this wonder gloss to your eyelids for a dewy starlet glow. I’ve also used it to tame wild eyebrows, gloss up a matte lipstick, and (as suggested right on the retro tin) on blemishes. It was nerve-wracking to put a petroleum based product on my already oily complexion, but Rosebud Salve truly calms those “about to erupt” zits. Celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow claim not to leave home without it. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more versatile beauty bargain. $5.50 will buy you a tin that lasts for what seems like forever. Find it at beauty.com