Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Review: Tinted Lip Balm Showdown.

Hey, remember when I posted about being completely over paying $22.50 for a tinted lip balm that wasn't even that great to begin with? Still so annoyed! With this in mind and in the interest of science I spent some time last night wandering around the makeup section of Target checking out tinted lip balms. I was overwhelmed by how many alternatives there are now and naturally I forgot to write down your recommendations (worst blogger ever!), so I blindly bought these three based on not much:


Here are my reviews, including some horrifying and fluorescently-lit photos of me wearing each color:

Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Red Dahlia 
This color looks like a deep red with brown tones in the tube but is very sheer on the lips. It's probably the closest to the Fresh Sugar Plum balm and is the perfect no-makeup tinted balm. It has no discernible scent and is very moisturizing without being waxy. It also came in really cute packaging - a little cardboard tube thing. This is perfect for applying without a mirror.

Burts Bees Red Dahlia

Covergirl Lipslicks Smoochies in 2 Cute 
This is a medium reddish pink color, with shimmer. It's kind of big, which makes application a bit tricky and has a slightly sickening Jolly Rancher scent. The color is decent and a bit brighter than I was expecting. It feels okay on the lips, but I don't love it. The name is dumb and the packaging is pretty ugly, but I am not the target market, so I shouldn't complain about that.

Covergirl 2 Cute

Revlon Color Burst Balm Stain in Crush
I really like this one! Crush is a dark berry color and It has best color payoff of the three. It's very pigmented and is definitely a stain with good lasting power. It smells inoffensively minty and feels good on the lips. It's not great for car application though - definitely requires a mirror and precision. I think someone also recommended Smitten (which I know Marianne likes too) so I'll probably buy that one soon.

Revlon Crush

The best part is that I bought all three of these for about the same amount as one tube of the Fresh Sugar Plum. Suck it, Fresh. Have you tried any of these? What did I forget to mention?





10 comments:

  1. Color Burst Balm Stain in Crush is my go-to lip color! So much pigment! I bought another, redder-tinted shade (can't remember which) and it has the same nice feel but is nowhere near as pigmented.

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  2. Funnily enough, I did a similar experiment recently. I didn't try the other two, but I haaaaaated the Cover Girl one. Same colour - which is nice enough. But it looked so patchy on me. Blergh!
    My favourite lip balms (apart from the Clinique Chubby Sticks) are the Rimmel Color Rush ones. Love those!

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  3. I love the Burt's Bees lip shimmer for no-mirror application (also, minty!), so I think I am now obligated to investigate the tinted lip balm too. Thanks for the tip! I waver between te lip shimmer and the Clinique chubby sticks depending if I have a mirror or not.

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  4. I have one of the Burts Bees which I like but don't use a lot because....I don't know why. I usually pull out a regular old Chapstick from my purse instead.

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    1. Yeah, it's basically a vague hint above wearing nothing, but still slightly better than nothing.

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  5. Do try the Burts Bees Lip Shimmer if you think you might even be slightly interested--it's got the color payoff you're looking for, which the Burts Bees Lip Balm definitely doesn't. The Lip Shimmers almost have the pigment of a lipstick, but they're pulled back just enough that you still can put them on without having to look at yourself in a mirror.

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  6. I also found the Burts Bees to be little more than nothing, not bad, but pretty meh. I mostly like using a Stila lip stain with regular chapstick over it, but I am also REALLY liking the new Benetint lip balm tube.

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  7. I have the Burts Bees and the Revlon in my purse at all times ... along with my Sugar Fresh Berry (which I'm currently wearing). I love them all. :)

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  8. I love the color on the revlon stains, but they dry my lips out like crazy! No moisture! Haven't found a Drugstore one that doesn't taste/smell bad or dry my lips out.
    I have a couple Fresh Sugars (got the set of mini from Sephora last December, so they don't feel as horridly expensive) and they are still my faves.

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  9. I'm a Clinique Chubby Stick person, usually the melon or fig shades. I actually think the last one is too pink for your coloring, but you know, I'm bossy.

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