Most liked negative review

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE POTENT VANILLA SCENT & TASTE?

Come on Burt's, PLEASE DON'T DO THIS. I became addicted to it when I purchased a tube for my pops 2 or 3 years ago, that he never really used due to his lips naturally staying moist and soft. I definitely didn't inherit that trait from him, but didn't consider that a problem anymore after I began us...ing this lip balm. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I really had begun to look forward to applying this lip balm as the finishing touch of my morning facial routine, as well as to the instant pick-me-up that I'd always get each time I reapplied it throughout my day. It consistently provided a perfect silky moisture and shine to my lips, with THE best sweet-yet-exotic vanilla aroma that even my fiance'e had become accustomed to in my sweet kisses to him. People in my immediate social or work environment would often comment positively on what became a component of my fresh signature scent. And by the way, now's probably a good time to mention that this is my first ever real customer review of a product, and that I initially surprised myself by being inspired enough by a lip balm enough to share my experience with it. My honey and I are what most folks would consider happily committed naturalists and minimalists who spend the majority of our income on what we put into and on our bodies, so I felt somewhat embarrassed and materialistic about a devoting any of my precious time to rating a cosmetic. But after a just a bit more consideration, I got over those insecurities, realizing that with all of the unknowns and uncontrollable pressures of the modern the world, it's these kinds of small, portable, healthy, economical, fun products that can/do make such a big difference in my everyday life, simply by boosting my mood and supporting my sense of wellbeing. So when the day came last week that I finally got to the bottom of that stick, I wasn't too concerned at first, since I knew I could just go to a local retailer to buy a new one that would give me the same results...or so I thought. I went as far as devising a plan to use a hair pin to scrape out the last bit of the balm around the base of the tube to use sparingly a few times a day while I looked for a store that carried the vanilla (none of Burt's other commonplace fruity varieties really appeal to me). So a couple of days ago when I found the vanilla variety, my first instinct was to buy 3-4 tubes in order to avoid these withdrawal symptoms in the future. But something told me to just buy one to try first, and then return to buy more if it lived up to my expectations based on the tube I'd just finished. And from the instant that I opened the new tube, it became obvious that something was different when that natural vanilla scent didn't immediately hit me like it would with the one I'd practically used up. I tried to dismiss that notion as being only in my mind and quickly applied the balm in hopes of still getting my fix, only for those hopes to be dashed by the lack-luster look & heavier feel of it on my lips. All of that aforementioned only raises the question for me- why do corporations mess with their top-notch products' formulas like this? And wouldn't smart business sense dictate that if they're going to change this lip balm's feel, then compensate for that by infusing it with a stronger vanilla aroma? I'd personally pay more money for the more potent vanilla smell and taste. I'm assuming that the answer lies in companies trying to cut costs without us customers noticing too much of a change in the quality, or at least not caring enough about the difference to negatively impact our buying habits. But for whatever it's worth to whomever at Burt's may or may not actually be taking consumers' feedback into consideration, I'm going on record here with this review to say that I'm disappointed enough in this lip balm's quality that I will not spend my money on again, and will share my opinion with others instead of recommending it like I used to...unless/until you either go back to using the original formula, OR develop a new formula that will still have the same potent vanilla smell with that silky, glossy feel. The fact that I'd leave such a detailed review should indicate that I do notice a drastic difference in one of your products for the worst, and that your bottom line is in jeopardy as a result. Seriously- I was excited about giving this lip balm to both the adults and children in my life in gift bags for special occasions, for holidays like Christmas as stocking stuffers, and Valentine's Day...but not now, given the faint aroma and pasty feel of this tube. As it stands with this current formula, there is no longer anything special or standout about this lip balm, which leads me to explore other companies' natural lip balms, and maybe even try to make my own using fresh vanilla beans. In spite of my possibly being just one customer giving negative feedback for this product, Marketing 101 validates me as representing a portion of your consumer base who feels the same.