As anyone who loves beauty knows, it’s easy to get caught up on creating the perfect statement eyes and lips (or lack thereof for the #nomakeup crowd) and overlook foundational basics, such as primers, face oils, and especially lip balms. Let’s face it, lip balms don’t really make for stimulating conversation, and they’re probably one of most underwhelming Birchbox samples behind foot wipes. Nonetheless, as someone who has always struggled with flaky lips, I’ve made it my mission to find the most moisturizing, soothing emollients. After all, that orange statement lip won’t look good over a chapped surface. So, consider this guide with some of the best and not-so-great lip balms, all obsessively tested by yours truly.
Not Recommended:
Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips: Here’s the thing, a lot of people swear by this all-natural, odorless balm, that I’m starting to wonder if my lips are just exceptionally flaky. The thick, sticky texture made me dread applying this to my lips because it just made my lips and fingers sticky sans hydration. And, even though it claims to be odorless, it has a slight medicinal scent that I had the misfortune of tasting.
Recommended:
Yes To Carrots Lip Butter: A slightly inferior alternative to its counterpart, Yes To Blueberries lip balm, though nonetheless sufficiently hydrating for the occasional chapped lip. This won’t do anything for severely flaky lips. On the plus side, the balms smell great (I’m using melon at the moment) and they are also paraben-free. (Gifted sample).
Cover Girl Lipslicks Smoochies Lip Balm: With this tinted balm you can skip out on color and wear it alone. I noticed it makes my lips look more plump and smooth (smooch-worthy, if you will). This is a must-have lip balm for low maintenance, phentermine online united states #nomakeup (balm, notwithstanding) days. (Gifted sample).
Highly Recommended:
Chapstick Hydration Lock: This was my go-to lip balm all through polar vortex season and for a good reason: it immediately soothed my chapped lips upon application and left them soft for hours (though not exactly 8 hours as it proclaims). Still, it’s better than your standard lip balm and for only $2 it’s practically a steal.
Air Repair Rescue Balm: This is the third lip balm I’ve received from Birchbox but it’s by far the best one yet and almost made it to the winner category. Nonetheless, it’s a bit stickier than I expected from a balm and takes a while to fully absorb into your lips. This is not the balm to use right before applying lipstick. Instead, I use it at night and wake up with softer lips, flake-free lips in the morning. Another plus is that it’s 100% natural.
Winner:
Smith’s Rosebud Salve: Maybe you didn’t need a guide to tell you that this cult favorite is hands down THE. BEST. LIP BALM. But if you ever had any doubts or wondered if the grass is greener (I hear Kiehl’s has an amazing lip balm, but I’ve yet to try it), then know it can’t get much better than this. If you’ve ever used Rosebud Salve you know it has a glossy finish without any of the gooey, sticky consequences of lip gloss, while keeping lips hydrated for hours. Moreover, it absorbs relatively quickly for a salve, making it an an all-around winner.
What do you think of this list? Let me know your must-have lip balms in the comments.
