The Philippine Online Chronicles

Lip balm is one of the most important beauty tools a woman needs. It gives relief to dry, chapped lips with a hydrating formula that results to healthier smoochers. If you are part of Lip Balm Anonymous, there may be another reason to get addicted to this lip-saver!

If you are a woman on the go or someone who has yet to take the plunge in wearing bold lip colors, then a tinted lip balm is perfect for you! Here we have gathered some recent offerings, testing their moisturizing properties, color qualities, SPF, price, and other requisites that you might need to know.

Nivea Fruity Shine

As the name suggests, Nivea Fruity Shine has a glossy quality to it than most lip balms. You can choose from Pomegranate (maroon), Strawberry (peach), Cherry (red), and Guava (pink). Its colors appear barely-there when applied and the variants have a noticeable scent which might overpower you. However, the glossy balm redeems itself because it feels light on the lips and is emollient. It also has SPF10, a very important factor when choosing your lipcare products.

For a trusted brand, a tube of this is affordable at only PHP80, and it delivers its promise of moisturizing and protecting your lips from the sun. But if you are looking for something more pigmented, you may very well find another brand.

Other reviews: Makeup Alley, Animetric

Human Nature

This tinted lip balm glides on smoothly with only the slightest hint of waxy feeling. Flame Tree, the most popular shade, deposits a sheer brick red on the lips yet still leaves them looking natural. For this reason it is a great substitute for lipstick on days when you want a fuss-free routine.

Human Nature prides itself for their organic products, and this one is no different; the cocoa butter, beeswax, and essential oils keep your lips moisturized for hours. A four-gram tube of lip balm will cost you only PHP74.75, and that’s a steal given its pigmented quality and all-natural formulation. Other shades include coral Island Tree and Pink Orchid.

Other reviews: Project Vanity, Lucky Citrine

Burt’s Bees

The popular brand has a new offering, and it comes in a chic brown paper tube. Burt’s Bees tinted lip balms are 100% natural and come in six shades: Honeysuckle, Hibiscus, Red Dahlia, Rose, Tiger Lily, and Pink Blossom. The colors are not very vibrant but are buildable. And if you think that’s a problem, fear not; this variety is unlike their standard lip balms and applies on smoothly without a waxy feeling. That said, you can easily feel it moisturizing as the formula doesn’t just “sit” on the lips.

Unfortunately, the price is quite steep for PHP650, but you can try their Lip Shimmers which only cost PHP395. The latter has pearlized, earthy tones of Watermelon, Rhubarb, Nutmeg, Coffee, Raisin, and Merlot, all available at Beauty Bar.

Other reviews: Makeup Alley, My Mom Friday (Lip Shimmers)

Tony Moly

If packaging were all that’s necessary to buy a tinted lip balm, then by all means hoard Tony Moly’s Petite Bunny Gloss Bar. It comes in a crayon-size tube which makes it more hygienic to apply than the equally adorable Mini Berry Lip Balm in a pot. You can expect a light shine and sheer color from its six shades, namely, Strawberry, Grape, Apple, Cherry, Peach, and Orange. As it is, you may have trouble layering on the colors because they could render too shiny on your lips.

Photo credit

It has Vitamin C and fruit extracts that help hydrate your lips keeping it soft and smooth for a few hours. The two-gram tube sets you back PHP278, not bad for a pretty packaging and a tinted lip balm that is not at all waxy.

Online reviews: Project Vanity, All the Vanity

There are several tinted lip balms out there, but these four have been quite ubiquitous the past months, and with good reason. Each of them has good qualities that deem immediate purchase: Nivea’s SPF, Human Nature’s generous pigment, Burt’s Bees’ moisturizing property, and Tony Moly’s gloss and pretty packaging.

But in this battle of tinted lip balms, Human Nature takes the spotlight. Significantly cheaper than many other brands, it’s a worthy buy because it hydrates and leaves a noticeable color that enhances the lip’s natural shade.

Coming in at close second is Nivea, much of its commendable qualities coming from its UV-ray protective formula. Burt’s Bees, also claiming to be 100% natural, is just too pricey for a small tube of tinted balm, and a sheer one at that; Tony Moly also moisturizes and deposits color effectively, but again, pricey for a 2g tube.

“Lips” was taken from apdk courtesy of Flickr. Product photos were taken from their respective brands’ websites. Tony Moly photo was taken from AlltheVanity.com, used with permission.