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Korres Lip Butter Review, Photos, Swatches

Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter
Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter

Korres Lip Butter ($12.00 for 0.21 oz.) is a tinted lip balm; it promises a “shiny, tinted finish” with a “rich buttery” texture that “leaves lips deeply moisturized.” It appears that Korres is exiting Sephora, but Beautylish carries quite a few of Korres’ products, including the Lip Butters (which I had trouble finding at any other retailers)–readers are reporting that some local Sephoras will be keeping the skincare range, so we’ll see what stays and goes! Each shade in the range has a scent that is similar to its name, so Quince has a sweet, almost fruity scent, while Wild Rose has a subtle rosy scent, but both are subtle and I really didn’t notice them until I went back to double-check. The formula is light-medium in thickness, smooth, gel-like, and comfortable to wear. It’s very hydrating while worn as well as for a few hours after the color and shine have worn away. They are shorter-wearing, and they’re in a pot, which may be a deal-breaker for some.

Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter ($12.00 for 0.21 oz.) is a cool-toned, reddish-berry with a glossy shine. It had semi-sheer color coverage where lips were noticeably tinted but the color was still translucent. It wore well for two and a half hours. Revlon Fuchsia Finery (P, $7.99) is cooler-toned. MAC Astral (LE, $20.00) is more shimmery. Milani Berry Tempting (05) (P, $5.49) is darker. See comparison swatches.

Korres Quince Lip Butter ($12.00 for 0.21 oz.) is a medium, rosy pink with subtle neutral-to-warm undertones and a luminous sheen. It had semi-sheer color; a noticeable tint that helped to brighten and even out my natural lip color while amplifying the pink tones to it. The color wore well for two and a half hours. Urban Decay Flushed (P, $19.00) is lighter, more opaque. Paul and Joe Beaute Carnaval (06) (P, $29.00) is is lighter. Maybelline Captivating Carnation (080) (P, $8.99) is cooler-toned. See comparison swatches.

Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter
Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter

Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter
Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter

Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter
Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter

Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter
Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter

Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter
Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter

Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter
Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter

Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter
Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter

Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter
Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter

Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter
Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter

Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter
Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter

Korres Quince Lip Butter
Korres Quince Lip Butter

Korres Quince Lip Butter
Korres Quince Lip Butter

Korres Quince Lip Butter
Korres Quince Lip Butter

Korres Quince Lip Butter
Korres Quince Lip Butter

Korres Quince Lip Butter
Korres Quince Lip Butter

Korres Quince Lip Butter
Korres Quince Lip Butter

Korres Quince Lip Butter
Korres Quince Lip Butter

Korres Quince Lip Butter
Korres Quince Lip Butter

88 Comments

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Ryou Avatar

Thank you for the link! I hear you on Aussie prices, it nearly gave me a heart attack when I first saw them upon moving here. Well, I guess doubling US prices makes sense 10 years ago, but now that the currencies are on par, not so much. :/

Beauty Bee Avatar

Yes exactly! I wish more US stores/brands shipped internationally, but many don’t unfortunately – makes it all the more difficult.. What gets me the most is when an Australian brand is cheaper in the US compared to Aus (*cough cough* Becca). I know wages here are much higher, but surely doubling the price is a tad ridiculous!

Another good link is kissandmakeupny.com who stock Nars, Laura Mercier etc and they have a flat rate international rate of $10 🙂 I’ve been using them for years, without any issues.

Ryou Avatar

I hear you on Becca! I’ve seen brands reducing prices in the past year or so, namely after Illamasqua reduced their Australian prices to match their UK prices.

For some reason, it’s the luxury brands that reduced their prices the most. So far, I haven’t noticed any price reduction at Mecca Cosmetica and the like, but Guerlain, YSL, etc have lowered the prices enough that some nearly match US prices after conversion. Most are still ridiculous, though. :/

Linda Avatar

You only get the full Korres product line ( make up, skin care, nail polish, hair care etc.) in the U.S. and Australia from mysecretkshopper.com . They ship from Europe where Korres is from. I’ve been getting my Korres products from them for the past 3 years and I love their service, they always send a gift and samples. I can even get the Korres natural deodorants!

kjhemeon Avatar

Christine, thanks SO MUCH for letting us know that some Korres is still available through Beautylish. Last time I went to their Korres USA website, it still connected to Sephora. The link above doesn’t work, though. I think it’s a typo (hhttp rather than http,) but I’m sure it’s still googlable. Googleable? Funny how every net noun has become a verb + an adjective. Always loved these. Not so much for the look, but for the hydration + lip care. I kind of think of them as Jack Black, minus the sunscreen, but plus a bit of color. I’ve found them to be quite healing. But JB has the advantage in having sunscreen, being more available, and cheaper. Did get a couple of K cherry lipglosses and the last magic light contouring powder trio at Sephora’s wrap up, marked down. Paula B’s beautypedia ranks Korres blushes as “BEST.” I don’t always agree with Paula on makeup….she gives some things a big neg “POOR” based on color drama or other esthetic measures, rather than sui generis. I think makeup can be natural, theatre, or whatever you want it to be. But a good review from Paula’s Choice will guarantee a good quality product, which is skin-friendly, and does what it says, barring individual sensitivities. Korres used to have a super selection of colored eyeliners, odd ones like matte pastels, which I don’t think are even on their Greek website. Ulta has some of the body line, + assume they will still carry it. I say, why not take on the makeup, too, if you are already distributing some of their products? There certainly are precedents for things leaving the big S and going to the big U.

Christine Avatar

Link is fixed now! 🙂

But yes, Beautylish seems to have the whole line still and that’s a more recent acquisition. Since there is no store for Beautylish, I think there are good chances Korres isn’t just exiting the U.S. in full!

What I really like about Jack Black is that beyond it being very, very hydrating (still my personal favorite) is that it lasts awhile. I can put it on before bed, and I’ll wake up and still have some on – other lip balms will vanish by my 2 or 3AM wake up.

xamyx Avatar

Korres is also frequently promoted on one of the home-shopping channels (I forget which, either QVC or HSN), so I don’t think they’re going away anytime soon. I just hope they start promoting more of the color cosmetics. The skincare seems to be doing quite well.

Jumanah Avatar

It’s a Korea supplier issue. Not enough of the makeup line gets replenished on time and therefore they get pulled out of stores. Happened in UK and now in Sephora.

Sarah Avatar

Sephora is no longer going to carry Korres?! Huh! Lots of brands getting discontinued there lately it seems like! Well, can only think of Lorac offhand, but still… Thanks for the review!

Christine Avatar

That’s what has been said at various stores as products have disappeared, but some readers are reporting total discontinuation and others have had their local Sephoras say skincare is being kept but color is phased out.

Edward Bess is gone as of March 1st!

tzwiggy Avatar

I totally get that, they are so expensive! $68 eyeshadow quads and $43 blushes, insane! Edward Bess is one of those brands that are difficult for me to purchase, very few stores accept non-US credit cards.

Christine Avatar

I know for me when I look to see whether I should review a luxury product or not, I really try to focus on what readers want to see, so while covering Edward Bess and his products is a worthwhile endeavor, trying to cover all shades – probably less so (relative to other products I could be potentially purchasing). Tom Ford continues to be the exception, as it is quite the popular brand despite the high price point! It’s a balancing act to try and cover a diverse range of products and price points, stay current and know what else is out there (helps me with the “big picture view” I can give from trying $50 and $5 eyeshadows!), while at the same making sure to review products readers want to see. In short, I WANT TO REVIEW EVERYTHING!

tzwiggy Avatar

I’m sure it must be hard trying to balance reviews between cheap and expensive products, lips/eyes/face/nails and also try to figure out which brands your readers want to see! I definitely appreciate the reviews you do of less known brands, there are several brands that I wouldn’t even have heard of if it weren’t for this blog! Indie and luxury brands in particular are hard to find swatches and reviews of, so I always get super excited when I see those.

Taylor Avatar

I heard it was just the Korres makeup that was leaving Sephora, but that the skincare would be staying. Is that confirmed?

also, these are just a bit too sheer for me 🙁

Colleen Avatar

I have the Jasmine one and it’s wonderful! Also, I was at Sephora a couple of weeks ago and they said they were discontinuing most of the Korres line, but they were keeping the skincare stuff and the lip butters, so I think these are still going to be available at Sephora!

It wouldn’t let me log in for some reason! Weird!

Shivani Avatar

Ugh, I can’t believe Sephora will no longer carry Korres – but luckily Shoppers Drug Mart does carry Korres in Canada.
I have had Korres lip butters in the past and I liked them very much. But not so fun dipping in your finger into a pot that will be likely contaminated with bacteria. The only downside and like you said, is a deal breaker to some (including me)!

xamyx Avatar

I used these all the time when I woirrelevant to me bank. Between the arctic A/C always blasting, and constantly talking with customers, my lips were always at risk of drying out. I tried many balms, but this was the only one that worked. While it may have been “inconvenient” to keep a spatula at my window toapply, it was more convenient than having to exfoliate constantly, and apply healing products (that weren’t always the most pleasant scent, or comfortable). A spatula is so tiny, and takes up no space, so I didn’t see it as a big hassle. Besides, these lasted several hours, at least in terms of moisture, so I really only needed to reapply once in a shift.

xamyx Avatar

Fortunately, Fresh Sugar runs a close second, and I still have a few untouched pots tucked away somewhere (along with some glosses), so until I can find another outlet, I’ve got options!

I “discovered” the brand quite by accident; the Sephora/JCP I frequented had the brand on a shelf that was tucked in the furthest corner of the store that got little foot traffic. I happened to be looking at fragrances, and dropped something, and on the bottom shelf across the way was Korres. I ended up with a few eyeshadows & a lip butter that day. I couldn’t resist supporting a Greek brand.

Even at other Sephora locations, the stock was limited, or the store didn’t carry it, at all…

elenian Avatar

Hi Christine…what a great review..I am so surprised that you guys in the US or every where else actually use korres…I am Greek and I couldn’t imagine that our beloved korres is so popular.so you made me really happy and proud.here in Greece korres is so cheap that you can’t imagine.and very often we buy 1+1 most of the products. As for these lip butters I love Jasmine for a nice everyday sheen..

Cecilia Avatar

I loved their blush in Natural – you got me hooked on it, Christine! I broke down one year and got three backups. (They were getting harder to find).

I love the lip butter in Jasmine too. Pretty color and smells like creme brulee. I keep a pot in my bathroom for night wear and I have the same color in a tube for on the go. I may have to stock pile on that too now.

Cecilia Avatar

it’s a milky nude pink. My first thought was “this is not going to look right on me” (I wear about the same shade as you and natural lip color may be just a hint darker). But with the sheerness of these lip butters, it actually worked out really nicely. I don’t get these apparent settling of color in my lip lines like I usually get with milky shades. This would be the product I would reach for if I were to go for that nude lip look. Like with the other shades, you do have limited wear time, maybe even less since it’s such a light shade. Overall, still one of my faves.

Cecilia Avatar

I should also add that between the Jasmine pot form and tube form, there isn’t any noticeable difference in color. If anything, I would say I get more color out of the tube, but that’s because I scrape such a tiny amount out of the pot and I lose some product as I spread it with my finger. I have less control of the amount that comes out of the tube, which leads to more color on the lips. Consistency of the tubed one feels a little thinner, which is to be expected.

Sylirael Avatar

I have wanted these for the longest time! I think I could just stare into the juicy depths of Wild Rose for the whole time, LOL.

I am put off by the whole pot thing, but somehow I want these so badly that I would literally go and wash my hands every time I wanted to reapply – how’s that for dedication to a product I don’t own and have never tried? 😛

Ryou Avatar

@Sylirael, I think Wild Rose is available in tube form (called Lip Butter Glaze). Unfortunately, I don’t think Sephora carries them anymore.

I also have Korres’ Stick Balm in Rose form that I got from ASOS. I find the colors to be very similar to Wild Rose, just less glossy.

Ashley S. Avatar

What are your thoughts on the hydration part of it? Do you think it actually hydrates the lips? I struggle to find something that keeps my lips looking good. They’ve been so dry this winter. Everyone swore by Creme de rose but that did nothing for me.

amy Avatar

I think ASOS carries Korres too – not the most reliable as far as keeping product, but they also have the Lip Butters in a stick form with SPF! I need to pick some up!

candleashes Avatar

I love these. Really sad that Sephora is phasing this brand out. They stopped carrying my favorite lipstick from them a while ago. Ordering online is a pain if you only need one lip balm.
Just googled it and looks like Beauty.com has the brand now. I prefer not to shop there, but guess I’ll have to.

Miss J Avatar

I really didn’t like these. I thought the one I tried was really bad. It always just felt like a layer of gunk on my lips, no hydration, but just this weird….suffocating…gunk. I didn’t find there to be anything buttery about it, and once it wore off, my lips looked and felt more dry than before. I honestly think this was the worst lip product I’ve ever tried. :/

Astrild Avatar

I love Korres Lips Butters. My favorites are Pomegranate and Plum. Both have great color payoff and feel amazing in my dry lips. My next peek will be Quince. it seems to be perfect por spring.

Michelle Avatar

I suppose it’s like this with most cosmetics, but did you see the list of ingredients? The first ten ingredients are chemicals. If I just want a lip balm or butter, I’d choose something with more natural ingredients. Silly huh? I use tons of cosmetics with all those weird ingredients, but for a balm I want something simple with beeswax and oils as the main ingredients.

Fani Avatar

I love the wild rose lip butter. Actually I love the wild rose line. Here in Greece, Korres products are so cheap. I also have the plum lip butter. I tried to find it but I believe that is discontinued. It doesn’t exist either in international website or in greek website. You should try the Jasmine one, it’s amazing.

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