4 Lip Balms Worth Your $$$

Hopefully this is a welcomed break from all the MDW sale content being pushed your way. Friendly reminder that if you weren’t heavily considering the purchase at full price, it’s probably not worth considering now. Don’t fall for the trap!

Instead, fall for this trap! Lip balms! The best ones!

I’ve tried my fair share and am here to report on the ones that are actually worth it. Many years ago I interned at Cosmopolitan and Seventeen, and even before that I remember describing my dream job growing up as the person who wrote round ups that read like: “the 5 best sunscreens for this summer”. And now here we are, fast forward to today. I hateee sunscreen, and love my job!

Don’t mind my melasma lined lips…

1. Lesse Soothing Lip Balm - Newer to me but when I first put this on my immediate reaction was… woah. It melts into your lips on contact and is made with calendula and mint, and feels instantly refreshing. Like you’re giving your lips the biggest, juiciest, most hydrating glass of water you could imagine. It’s my number one at the moment. My only caveat is that the (completely recyclable) packaging is less luxurious than I’d like it to be, but the formula itself does make up for it. Compromise. Buy this one if you want maximum moisture in the lightest possible formula, made from natural ingredients.

2. Isla Lipid Layer Lip Balm - 000000% sticky but still manages to deliver a glossy look. You can feel this one hydrating on more than just the surface. Bonus points for the metal applicator. Buy this one if you want high shine and fullness, but with a silky feel.

3. Augustinus Bader Lip Balm - The least noticeable of the bunch, but in a good way. If you’re looking for the most traditional chapstick formula but luxeeee, this is your guy. It contains the brand’s TFC8® super blend. Protective, smoothing and hydrating, check, check, check. I usually use this one as my base.

4. Irene Forte Bio-Peptide Lip Treatment - The ingredients are sourced from the Mediterranean, okay! And feels like something an esthetician would slather on your lips at the end of a fancy facial. This one also has mint, but also lemon and has more of an overall botanical aura. Best for a bedtime treatment or faking a trip to the spa.

While I have you, I might as well share my top liner picks too. As a lip pencil enthusiast, I’ve reached the point in my life where I won’t leave the house without one. My go to combination is one of the below, and some lip balm.

1. Jones Road lip pencil in nudist, described as a cool nude

2. Fara Homidi smudge & contour pencil in faun, a very soft beige with cool undertones

3. Victoria Beckham lip definer in 02, a neutral beige brown

4. Rhode lip shape in twist, warm taupe

   

You can see the Fara Homidi liner is more cool, and the VB pencil reads warmer. The Jones Road is an in between.

To hydrated, luscious lips!