Lip Balm Battle

 

Today I’m going to be discussing seven different lip balms that I have been testing lately. My lips always seem to look and feel dry, even in the middle of summer with all the humidity Texas can dish up. My lip balm stash continues to grow yet my lips are still dry, so I decided to dedicate a week to try out different lip balms overnight and see which ones, if any, come out on top. That way I can focus on using what really works and ditch the rest! 

My super scientific testing method (just kidding) was to apply one of the balms before bed and then check in the morning to see if my lips look and feel moisturized and if there is any of the balm left on my lips. 

The balm I’ve had the longest is the Fourth Ray Overnight Lip Treatment. The one I have is in “Clarice” and was part of the “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” holiday collection from last year. Fourth Ray is ColourPop’s sister company, producing skin care and body care products. “Clarice” is a thick, Vaseline-like, pink-toned balm in a jar. Fourth Ray still makes other varieties, such as rose, strawberry, and coconut, but the peppermint-scented “Clarice” was a limited-edition item. The company claims the product will “lock in ultra-moisture overnight.” To be frank, I haven’t used it much over the last year because I’m always trying new balms, but when I tested it for this post, I did find that my lips still felt comfortable in the morning, and that’s more than I can say for some of these balms. There was still some balm remaining when I woke up, which is the main factor that I suspect helped keep my lips from drying out overnight. 

Fourth Ray Overnight Lip Treatment in "Clarice"

A very similar product to the Fourth Ray balm is this Laneige Overnight Lip Sleeping Mask in Berry. This is a sample size that I received recently with an order from Sephora. The company claims this balm “delivers intense moisture and antioxidants while you sleep!” The scent is called “Berry,” but to me it smells more like classic bubble gum. It is a thick balm in a jar and feels very nice and smooth when applied. While this balm is indeed very moisturizing, I don’t think it holds up as well overnight. When I woke up in the morning, the product had completely worn off, though my lips still felt okay. 

 

Laneige Overnight Lip Sleeping Mask in "Berry"

This next product, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Lip Treatment, is another similar balm to the first two I mentioned. Neutrogena claims it “makes lips look and feel hydrated for 24 hours.” It has a similar consistency to Vaseline but feels a little bit thinner. It is housed in a square pan rather than a jar and goes on clear when applied. This one is in the middle of the road for me. It wears off before morning and does not moisturize for 24 hours, though it is still a good product. 

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Lip Treatment

Moving on to the traditional “stick” formula balms, I tried Burt's Bees vanilla lip balm, which the company claims sports “a complex vanilla scent” and is 100% natural. As a lover of vanilla scents, I did especially like the way this balm smelled. It is smooth and somewhat “melty” going on and applies completely clear. However, in my opinion this balm is not good as an overnight treatment. It wears off pretty quickly, and my lips feel dry in the morning. It might be better used as a lip primer under lipstick or just as a pleasant balm to be reapplied occasionally during the day. It’s just not a heavy-duty product in my opinion. I don’t think there’s a reason to go out of your way to try this one unless your lips are just not that dry. 

Burt's Bees vanilla lip balm

The other “stick” balm I tried was the Aquaphor Lip Repair stick, which “provides effective, long-lasting moisture,” according to the company. This one is completely unscented, applies clear, and is a little bit thicker than the Burt’s Bees. This one is more moisturizing than the Burt’s Bees vanilla balm but still did not stay on my lips until morning. My lips did not feel dried out, though, even though the balm itself was gone. 

Aquaphor Lip Balm

Finally, I tried two liquid balms that are both packaged in a lip gloss-style tube. The first is Too Faced Lip Injection Maximum Plump. I have the 'mini size in “original,” which looks like a light pink in the tube but is clear. There are other shades available. Too Faced claims this product “dramatically hydrates, nourishes, and visibly plumps lips intensely, immediately and over time. That is why I treated it as a balm even though the company categorizes it as a lip plumper. It does burn somewhat upon application, but it does not bother me. It soon settles down to look and feel like a normal clear lip gloss. I’d say the Lip Injection is moderately moisturizing but does not last all night. It is probably best for putting on before lipstick to get a smooth application of color than as a lip balm per se. 

Too Faced Maximum Lip Plump

My favorite product in this roundup is the Tarte H2O gloss. Tarte claims its “vegan creamy gloss feels like treatment balm,” and I would agree! I have mine in the color “Salt Lyfe,” but there are a few other colors available. This one does have a light mauve color to it that is opaque. It clings to my lips for a long time, much longer than I would expect for most glosses. That quality is probably what makes it so moisturizing. This product is the winner in my book! 

Tarte H2O Gloss in "Salt Lyfe"

Thank you for reading!