Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Lip Balm

I remember seeing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Lip Balm last Christmas.  Featured then, we found Rudolph, Hermey, Clarice, and Bumble at Target.  They were all individually designed and colored.  They were really cool and, best of all, they were only a dollar each.  Now, I'm not a huge fan of chap stick, but I've always loved Rudolph so I knew they were a must-buy.  Luckily, we recently found two new 2011 packages of lip balm at Target and, once again, they just had to be bought.

I didn't have this blog last year, so I didn't take pictures of last year's lip balm, but I can tell you that this new packaging looks much better.  Once again, they're individually designed for each character and colored accordingly.  It's only fitting the Rudolph be decked out in red.  Any other color would just be silly.

Now, I'll admit, I don't know if there's a difference between lip balm and chapstick, but I don't think so.  If there is, then consider the following argument null and void, but I'm upset with the balm itself.  See, last year, the Rudolph chap stick was red.  What I mean is, the actual wax was a redish pink color.  That was the coolest part.  Rudolph was red, Hermey was yellow, Bumble was blue, and Clarice was pink.  That's how you do it!  But this year?  The lip balm is a pale blue..  Sure, I'll admit that pale blue works for a peppermint flavor, but I was expecting the red again.  Now, again, maybe that's because I have chap stick and lip balm mixed up.  I don't use either, so I wouldn't know, but I think somebody dropped the ball here.  However, the case is awesome and, for a dollar, I really can't complain when I never planned on using the balm anyway.

I used to always think that this little guy's name was Herbie, but it turns out I've been wrong all along.  His name is Hermey and he wants to be a dentist.  He doesn't really have a specific color, but I've always associated him with yellow because of his hair.  In this case, his package is all decked out in purple and I'll take that, too.  It looks cool and really brings out the character.  Of all the Rudolph characters, Hermey is in my top two.  It's a rat race between Hermey and Bumble for the top spot, but I'm unable to determine a clear winner.  It varies, but I can confidently knock Rudolph out of the top three.  Yukon owns the bronze in my book.

Unfortunately, the balm is still boring, but at least it gives me another opportunity to talk about it.  The one positive quality I'll point out is the fact that it's glittery.  I think the camera did a good job picking it up and I'm sure you can appreciate the shine.  However, with that positive comes a negative.  The peppermint flavor is disgusting.  It's like rubbing medicine on your lips.  I hate saying anything negative about these at all, because they're so cool looking, but I can't lie to you and say they taste great.  They don't, so if you're going to buy these, make sure you do it for the right reasons.

More than any other year, I've seen a vast variety of Rudolph merchandise in stores this season.  Since I've always been such a big fan of the Rankin-Bass classic, I love these two products and I can tell you this is only the beginning for the characters.  I'm sure I'll find more and write about it throughout the next month and a half.  In fact, I already have a few minor things that will probably be mentioned soon, if not this week.  It's great that these classic characters have been getting the star treatment more and more these past few years.  The Claymations are just as big of a part of Christmas as Santa Claus is for me and, every year, I look forward to their arrival.  This is a great start.

I don't know if there are any additional characters available, but I'd assume so.  Based on last year's experience, I'd bet that Bumble and Clarice were also released.  The dollar section at Target is so messy and unorganized that I was unable to find any lip balms other than these two, but I'll be sure to look again.  If you find any additional characters, let me know.  I could imagine them in my head, but seeing them in person would be much better.

Although I would have enjoyed finding Bumble Lip Balm, I did find something else..

Bumble Peppermint Glitter Body Lotion!

This was stranded all alone just waiting to be found.  I walked right by it, but my girlfriend saw it right away.  It's pretty cool and gives you a good idea as to what the Bumble Lip Balm would look like if it exists.  The lotion is obviously made by the same company and that company obviously loves peppermint.  I guess that's the most appropriate scent to give Bumble, as it reminds people of the cool air, but I appreciate originality much more.  Either way, I'm just happy to have it.  It doesn't smell good at all and, like the lip balm, should not be purchased for what's inside.  No, in this case, trust me, it's what's on the outside that counts.  Buy these because you love Rudolph and don't mind spending three bucks on Christmassy collectibles.