Today, we’ll be looking at seven lip balms I’ve yet to review on this blog! As it’s winter time and most people’s lips on this side of the globe tend to be in a more vulnerable state, now seemed like the right time to tackle this topic! Hopefully it will be helpful for anyone with lips as difficult to keep conditioned as mine.

Before we start, I’d like to share photos and a first impression of one more lip balm: The YSL Valentine’s Day Loveshine Candy Glow Collector that I’ve only had for four days by this point. The shade 7b Nude Pleasure is not a new color. It’s just the packaging that is limited edition. It’s made of the same material as the other lippies, but the pink and blue outer portion feels like a soft touch matte. The only other shade available in this packaging is another repeat color called Nude Lavallière.

I have now experienced all of YSL’s Loveshine formulas. This has the thinnest consistency, is moisturizing, but not the best at hydrating. It doesn’t last on the lips as long as the others and I have to reapply quite a lot. It has the sheerest amount of pigment, but still bestows more color to the lips than I expected. At least, this particular shade does. This also has the signature fruity scent that I find very pleasing.
I consider this formula to be a sheerer, balmier, and lightweight version of the Loveshine High-Shine Caring Lipstick in Caramel Swirl #122.

My favorite of the YSL lip formulas are still the Candy Glazes. This specific balm is nice, so I don’t regret buying it. However, I don’t need more than one from this line in my collection; I bought it out of curiosity and for the limited edition packaging. I am on a lip product low-buy, but this was something I planned to get when I saw the sneak peeks six months ago, so it’s an exception.

Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Sweet Mint

Summer Fridays’ range has different scents and colors. I wanted one that was essentially clear, so I chose Sweet Mint. The scent is weak in the tube, but once a thick enough layer is dispersed onto the lips, it’s much more apparent. I also get a minty tingling sensation from the combination of menthone glycerin acetal and peppermint oil that are in this formula.

The consistency isn’t sticky. It has a nice level of shine. There’s more reflect than a traditional balm, but much less than a gloss. I think it’s interesting that this balm contains some mica, which possibly adds to the reflectivity.

The brand says that this can be worn overnight as a lip treatment, but it doesn’t have enough grip to last the whole time. I have to reapply throughout the day and at the end of the night I have a mix of plumped soft hydrated spots and a few dry spots where the product couldn’t stay on the lips as long. This result is quite similar to the Lancôme balm I will discuss later, but this one works better as a conditioning agent for my lips. It hydrates my lips a tad more and holds on a little longer, making my lips softer overall.

I’ve had this since November 2023, and unlike many other lip balms I’ve used that come in squeeze tubes, the formula hasn’t separated. My luck might start to run out since it’s good for up to 12 months after opening, but I’m planning to keep this around a bit longer. In fact, it’s my replacement “bag balm” for when I forget to put on a lippie after leaving the house and have to grab one from my bag.

I am curious as to whether I would like the other shades, but I’m not going to buy more while I have so many other lip products to go through. This doesn’t get holy grail status with me, but I at least understand the hype. I also find it interesting that Morgan Turner didn’t think these were anything special, while living in Florida, until she moved to a colder climate. I had the exact same experience where I thought this was just fine while I was in Florida, but enjoyed it way more once I moved.

One other thing I discovered as a major reparative combination is applying the Clarins Lip Oil to my lips and then adding a bit of this on top. The Clarins works quicker at nourishing my lips than a lot of other products, but suffers from not having enough grip to stay on my lips for longer. Although the Sunday Fridays doesn’t have a lot of grip either, adding it on top helps the Clarins stay on longer overall and form a better occlusive layer. Having Clarins underneath also prevents me from feeling the cool-tingling effects of the Sunday Fridays balm.

Makeup by Mario MoistureGlow Plumping Lip Serum in Honey Glow and Blush Glow

At the time I bought this, I didn’t realize it was a plumping formula (which I usually avoid). Thankfully, it’s the cooling type rather than the burning one. The cold sensation lasts for two hours before it starts to fade away. I think it makes my lips slightly bigger, but it’s hard to tell as I already have full lips.

This has a click mechanism to propel it upward, but it can’t go back down, and because it’s a melting type of formula, it is very easy for this tube to get messy. I didn’t think anything about how light the component felt in the beginning, but after splurging lately on high-end and luxury lip products, I started to dislike the Makeup by Mario one. Comparing it to drugstore priced lip products in my collection, this is cheaper feeling than some of them and nearly all my mid-range lip products have more substantial packaging. There’s something sleek about it and appealing in a minimalist way, and I’m sure it cost more money to make every tube match the balm color, so I’m not disappointed visually. I’m only disappointed once I pick it up and hold it.

The balm smells sweet, but I can’t put my finger on what it’s supposed to smell like. It contains Vanillyl Butyl Ether as well as fragrance. After a few hours some of the layers sink into my lips, so there’s less on the surface, but the balm hangs on until I eat food.

When it comes to products creating a white rim around the mouth, I assumed it was from formulas that were too emollient. I don’t apply what I consider to be too much, yet I still get the white ring sometimes. Also, this doesn’t feel sticky when I first apply it, but after it has time to settle on my lips, it does become stickier. It’s nice to be occlusive, but watch out on a windy day if you wear your hair down or get too close to someone else’s hair!

It looks shiny on the lips at the start too, but when some of it is gone, it doesn’t look much different from a regular lip balm. Even though this product is hydrating and does a decent job maintaining moisture on the lips, I hate having to reapply because it feels cold for so long. It’s hard to forget it’s there, which is somewhat uncomfortable especially as I live in a cold climate. It’s the reason I try to avoid wearing the Too Faced Hangover Pillow Balm in winter (though the cooling only lasts 45 minutes to an hour, which is more tolerable). If the brand made a non-cooling/non-plumping version, I would consider buying one of those instead. This range has a ton of colors, but they’re too sheer for me to feel like I need more than one.

Fantasy Cosmetica x Makeup Just for Fun Tinted Lip Balm in Pomander

According to the website, this particular shade is “spiced orange scented” and the color is described as “sheer dusty orange.” Both the color and smell actually remind me of persimmons and cinnamon. I’m not surprised that I like the scent considering Fantasy Cosmetica has delved into fragrances already in the form of perfumes and candles. I haven’t purchased those, but I heard only positive things, so I expected scented balms from them to be just as good.

This particular product is part of a collab with Makeup Just For Fun and comes in four other shades and scents. I honestly bought it because I wanted to hit the free shipping minimum through Monolith EU and it had a good review from I Am Jamila.

I think the slight tint of color is very pretty. To me, this is a little sticky, but that helps to keep it on the lips longer. It works better as a moisturizing product for me than a hydrating one. Essentially, it smooths out and softens my lips, but once it wears off it doesn’t have lingering effects that prevent my lips from starting to dry. For example, the top conditioning products in my collection make it so that I can go 1-3 days without wearing anything on my lips before they start to chap. Because it can’t do that, I just won’t consider it a lip treatment. As a normal balm, it feels soothing the whole time I wear it with the extra benefits of a glossy appearance, flattering color, and smoothing aspect. It can’t survive past me eating a meal or drinking too much throughout the day, but I reapply less often than I would assume based off the consistency of the balm.
I should specify that after eating and drinking a lot, I have to apply more because the emollient layer is easily removed, but I’m left with a sticky coating on my lips that’s not as comfortable to wear in that barely-there state. The balm technically hangs on, but realistically should be reapplied.
I have to also be careful how much product I squeeze out of the tube. It’s not difficult to accidentally squeeze out too much.

I like this enough that I would have considered getting other shades/scents if I wasn’t on a low buy. I’d rank this product somewhere among the upper middle of my lip collection. It’s not a favorite, but I like it more than I thought I would.

Rabanne Lovebalm in Bloody Kiss 068

I didn’t have the patience to wait and take photos first before using this because I was so excited to immediately try it out. I had no interest in this product until Kackie Reviews Beauty talked about it in her video Testing 45 Lip Balms.
In September, Ulta had 10x reward points on Rabanne Beauty, so I bought the shade called Kiss My Neck and had it shipped to good old USA thinking I would still be going to Florida. Unfortunately, plans changed, so I don’t have that shade to showcase here today. However, I will update this post in the future to show pictures of the color (though I expect it to basically be clear).

That’s where I thought things would end, except that Hannah Louise Poston ranked it as the best luxury lip balm in her Epic Lip Balm Search video, and curiosity turned me rabid. As soon as it was on sale at Sephora’s German website, I bought Bloody Kiss, which was the only other color I wanted.

I usually avoid buying dark lip colors (especially cool toned ones), but because this can be applied in an ultra sheer layer, I was intrigued to have a balm that could leave me with a light tint or create a wintery-cold type of look.

Unlike my Ami Cole and Too Faced Pillow Balms that are effective at quickly nourishing my lips no matter what state they’re in, this one works slower. My lips look smoother when I apply the Rabanne Lovebalm, but I can see the color gathering in the crevices between chapped skin. In times like that, it’s best that I don’t try to do a sheer layer and to obscure the look by building up its maximum opacity. In the example below, it was nighttime and was wearing off, which was how I could see the spots that color gathered up.

Going back to the treatment aspect, this feels moisturizing from the balmy/waxy consistency and it isn’t oily or sticky. It clings to my lips well enough that eating is all that forces me to reapply (though I can usually get through breakfast without needing to). This grip is a good thing because I can wear the balm overnight and it can continue to hydrate at that slow pace. It takes nearly 24 hours, but by then my lips will be in better condition than the previous day. If my lips are in decent condition at the start, this balm keeps it that way and I have no problems. If my lips are in bad shape, even though this can improve them in 24 hours, I’m going to reach for something else that’s more moisturizing and hydrating to soothe my lips much quicker. So, I like this product a lot and consider it one of my favorites, but it’s not enough to make my top 5. Perhaps it would be in the top 10. Maybe my other shade will rank even higher.

I consider this on the heavier side of lightweight because I can sometimes forget I’m wearing it, but it’s not as light feeling as my other waxy (and admittedly inferior) balms. As a makeup product, the gathering of color in chapped spots isn’t great, but that can be worked around, and lighter shades in the line might not show this problem as easily. I like being able to control the color intensity. This has some shine, but it’s far from glossy. I give the brand kudos for creating a nice makeup/skincare hybrid. What comes to mind is the Lisa Eldridge Baume Embraces, which I think is an even better formula for my lips than the Rabanne Lovebalm. They are similarly priced, but Lisa’s is 2.8 grams and in a melty formula that I’ll use up way quicker than Rabanne’s at 3.4 grams. Both packaging is luxurious looking, but LE’s is gold toned and lightweight whereas rabanne’s is bigger, heavier, and has the really pretty pink ombre into silver tube. Rabanne’s feels more luxe in the hand, like a taller and skinnier YSL Loveshine tube.

At the start of the Lovebalm review, I mentioned Kackie and Hannah who raved about this product, but in the shade Soul Kiss. Even though I like this balm, I will be sticking with the two shades I have currently.

Lancôme Lip Idôle Squalane-12 Butterglow Hydrating Lip Balm in 53 The Tea is Hot

This product feels like I’m applying a satin lipstick, but it isn’t until I rub my lips together that I can feel the balminess. The finish has some shine, but it’s definitely not glossy. The consistency leans more creamy-waxy than oily-emollient. It’s lightweight enough that I keep forgetting I’m wearing it until I accidentally lick my lips and get the waxy-chemical taste.
The scent is candy-like mint, the kind that reminds me of buttery after dinner mints. In addition to fragrance, the formula contains peppermint oil, but I assume it’s intended to give a plumping or cooling effect, though I don’t detect either in practice.

This has a slight sticking quality, but not enough for me to call it sticky. My lips look smooth and I love the color I chose! It’s pigmented enough for me to be satisfied with the coverage, but the other colors I’m interested in would be of similar depth and just different in tone, making it not worth it to me to buy more shades (even at the discounted price I got).

It’s decently moisturizing and hydrating while it’s on my lips, but the issue is that it’s not long lasting. By the end of the day filled with several reapplications, the spots where my lips had the product on longest remain soft, but places where the balm kept wearing off first (ex: corners of my mouth) were dry. Lancôme heavily advertises the 12% squalane and inclusion of ceramides, but I’ve never been able to tell how effective those ingredients are for my lips. I’ve worn products with both of those ingredients that either did nothing or worked well, so it’s impossible for me to know how much of a role they played versus the contributions from the other ingredients. In this particular case, Lancôme’s balm also contains shea butter that I know my lips enjoy, sunflower seed wax that I only know my lips enjoy in oil form but can’t tell if the wax would be as effective, as well as castor oil, canola oil, and jojoba butter and oil that I also haven’t been able to isolate and rate.

Since this works well when it’s on my lips, but I’m very bad at remembering to reapply, I won’t think of this as a lip treatment product. Instead, I will look at it as a makeup product with a few benefits. So, I am happy with my purchase.

Nivea Deep Moisture Balms (Melty Type)

I showed the photo of the unscented above, but I bought the honey “flavor” afterwards, since people were heavily praising the scented ones. The honey balm is yellow, but doesn’t leave any color on the lips. It’s called a flavor, but doesn’t actually have a taste, and its honey smell makes using this far more enjoyable.

It feels nice wearing this and isn’t too sticky, plus it has a nice glossy effect when I first put it on. However, as I wear it and talk, it likes to gather in the corners of my mouth and also form a white ring. Every so often I get the sensation of needing to rub my lips together to smooth the balm layer back out. It’s moisturizing, but it doesn’t have enough grip to stay on the lips past having several drinks. Another reason I have to reapply more frequently is because I have to wipe it off where it gathered in excess and then reapply to the spots I want.

Besides having several ingredients my lips like, the second best benefit to this balm is the 26 SPF PA++. Though direct sunlight isn’t as much of a problem for me anymore, it’s a general rule that I like to have at least one lip product with sun protection in my collection at all times. Lip skin is delicate for everyone, and my lips have their sensitive moments, so it’s especially important to have if I’m going to be outdoors for long periods of time, especially when I go back to Florida. This is the most conditioning formula of the SPF lippies I’ve used in the past, so this was worth it to me to buy this specifically for the SPF.

Labello (Original)

This product is a classic in Germany and maybe even the equivalent fame here as Chapstick brand of Chapstick is in the US. I’ve seen men and women using this around town and even my husband knows about it! I had so many reasons to expect to love this, but it’s just okay. It doesn’t last the longest on my lips. It doesn’t feel that it’s really penetrating deeply enough to hydrate. The ingredient list for this balm is simple, but it contains shea butter, sunflower seed oil, and vitamin e, which should all be things my lips like. Perhaps it needs additives to help make the star ingredients absorb into the skin better in order to work for my lips. Perhaps the added aroma and natural fragrance ingredients (Linalool, Citronellol, Citral) are drying my lips and counteracting the positive effects. I just know that this feels nice in the beginning, but within 3-5 hours I feel the urge to switch to a different balm because my lips feel dry. Within that time frame, the product needs to be reapplied anyway, but that sensation of dryness continues even after adding an additional layer. So, this unfortunately is the worst balm of the bunch for my lips.

Since I called this a battle in the title, I declare the Rabanne and Summer Fridays balms to be the victors! Third place goes to Lancôme.

That’s all for today! Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤