Your Mission: Tell us what you love, hate, or are otherwise indifferent to about tinted lip balms. What drives you bananas? What makes them necessary?
my answer: I prefer mine clear, just because when I wear lip balm, I want clear, and when I want something colored, I’ll opt for lipstick.
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I too prefer lip balms with no colour because those are what I tend to wear to bed or around the house. If I want colour I wear gloss or lipstick.
I *love* tinted lip balms. I’ve never had a need to layer a lipstick over a balm, so that doesn’t matter to me. However, I tend to have to reapply whatever lip product I use very often, and tinted lip balm is the most convenient option, especially when I don’t have access to a mirror. At night, and around the house, I use a clear balm, since they’re alot cheaper.
I don’t bother with balmss except in winter before going to bed, so a tint isn’t necessary. Â
I like them when I want some hydratation and a little color on my lips, perfect for summer.
I’ve yet to find one that does both things well. Generally, if they moisturize well, the color is either super sheer or wears off really quickly (Korres lip butters, for example). On the other hand, if there’s a nice level of color, they tend to not be moisturizing enough (the Burt’s Bees tinted lip balms!).
I prefer clear lip balms. I keep it in the pocket of my purse, so it’s quick and easy to grab and I don’t have to worry about whether it matches whatever else I may be wearing at the time. Plus, if I get a tinted one, I’ll probably get it on my face, since I don’t carry a mirror. At least clear wouldn’t show! XP
I like them.  Pretty much any lipstick is too  drying for me and I generally have to reapply lip balm at least a few times an hour, so it’s the only way to have color on my lips that is completely comfortable.
The ‘colours’ in tinted lip balm make so little difference to my own lip colour that I just don’t bother and stick to non-coloured products. Â I do frequently layer lipstick over a lipbalm if I want a more muted ‘natural’ lip look, but retouch gets tedious and the two combined remind me of MAC Lustre lippies which also have no staying power on me.
I love tinted lip balms for the craziest reason. I’m such a lipstick lover that, if I could, I would truly wear red lipstick to bed. Since that would ruin my expensive sheets (probably THE only reason why I don’t, lol), tinted lip balm satisfies my crazy need. I would never consider them in lieu of lipstick during the day (Heresy! lol), so I only want them to wear at night when I want to moisturize my lips while having some pretty colour, too, Unfortunately, I’ve yet to find one that has intense, bright colour, is super moisturizing *AND* isn’t crazily expensive. (Or, rather, too expensive by my cheapskate standards for mere lip balm.)  I’ve come to the conclusion that the really pretty TerraTints I’ve been using are actually drying. I think Fresh is too expensive for a “just at night when I want to feel pretty while lazing on my bed, watching television, with perfume and scented candles” situation. And I don’t like digging into pots, so Korres is out too. I pretty much have a $5-$8 limit for lip balm, so I think I’m just screwed. 😉
I love tinted lip balms for the craziest reason. I’m such a lipstick lover that, if I could, I would truly wear red lipstick to bed. Since that would ruin my expensive sheets (probably THE only reason why I don’t, lol), tinted lip balm satisfies my crazy need. I would never consider them in lieu of lipstick during the day (Heresy! lol), so I only want them to wear at night when I want to moisturize my lips while having some pretty colour, too, Unfortunately, I’ve yet to find one that has intense, bright colour, is super moisturizing *AND* isn’t crazily expensive. (Or, rather, too expensive by my cheapskate standards for mere lip balm.) I’ve come to the conclusion that the really pretty TerraTints I’ve been using are actually drying. I think Fresh is too expensive for a “just at night when I want to feel pretty while lazing on my bed, watching television, with perfume and scented candles” situation. Burt’s Bees isn’t super moisturising to me. And I don’t like digging into pots, so Korres is out too. I pretty much have a $5-$7 limit for lip balm, so I think I’m just screwed. 😉
Korres has the Lip Butters in “stick” form, now. Also, Tarte has LipSurgence (and there’s even a sheer, red one, Fiery. However, they’re going to be over your price limit. I’m willing to pay more for a tinted lip balm, but *only* because I prefer them over everything else.
Korres has the Lip Butters in “stick” form, now. Also, Tarte has LipSurgence (and there’s even a sheer, red one, Fiery. However, they’re going to be over your price limit. I’m willing to pay more for a tinted lip balm, but *only* because I prefer them over everything else. (Sephora’s birthday gift this year is Fresh lip balms, just as a “heads up, LOL)
xamyx Oh, I like that bit about the Sephora birthday gift!  Yeah, I think all the ones you mentioned will be over my price limit. If I wore lip balms all day, or even for a big chunk of the day, it wouldn’t be an issue. But I have Jack Black for lip emergencies, great free lipbalm from my dentist for general moisturizing at night, and the rest of the time, I stick to my NARS mattes/semi-mattes, so the small window of time doesn’t make it worth it for me.Â
xamyx Where did you see the Korres lip butters in a stick form? I’ve checked Sephora.com and korresusa.com, and neither mentioned anything about a stick. I’m curious, because I love the product, but hate the pot.
They may have been DCd, but you can try ebay, Amazon, etc; they’re called Mandarin Lip Butters. Sephora also carries Lip Butter Glaze, which I haven’t tried, and those come in a tube. HTH
xamyx yes, I can’t seem to find the stick form either.  Got a link for a dweeb like me?? Â
I can’t seem to find them on Sephora, and I’m having troble with the Korres site, but you can try ebay, Amazon, QVC, etc. They’re called Mandarin Lip Butters, but there’s also the Lip Butter Glaze (at Sephora), and those come in a tube. HTH
xamyx Thanks Amy!
Kafka Have you tried the Revlon balm stains yet? I don’t know if they’d be QUITE balmy enough for you, but they’re pretty pigmented, and I find them moisturizing. They retail for like $7.50, but drugstore products go on sale quite a bit!
Quinctia <perk>  Really??  Pretty pigmented, you say?  Well, you can be sure I will be checking that out very soon. Thank you SO much for letting me know. Oh, btw, I did end up finding that L’Oreal VIP nail varnish that we both wanted. On eBay for $4.99 with free shipping. So if you can’t find it at your Meijer or other places, check out eBay. There were quite a few diff. sellers carrying it. And it’s as gorgeous as it looked in Christine’s photos!  🙂
Kafka how about bbw?!?! they do have nice range both bbw signature and bigelow stuff 🙂
I love them. My lips tend to dry out pretty quickly and I can swipe on some tinted lip balm and go, and my lips feel better and I have some color without really needing to fuss with it. My faves are the Fresh lip balms, specifically in Passion and Coral. Plum is really so subtle it’s just a hint of color over my natural lip, and Rose I’ve never found to have any kind of tint. I don’t own Honey. The Burt’s Bees lip shimmers (not the tinted lip balms) are also good for color and moisture, and the Tarte ones are pretty decent although they’re more of a moisturizing gloss than a tinted lip balm IMO.
Buy Buddha Balm for lip balm. Â The best stuff I have ever used. Â Crazy good flavors. Â Made in USA and natural.Â
Tinted lip balm is my utmost favourite of all lip products!I love wearing a natural look and tinted lip balms help me to achieve it, making my lips look prettier than they really are. I easily look very overly done with a slick of opaque lipstick. I tend to go sheer. I only go opaque on red, fuchsia, and wine colors. With colors like that, you either go bold or go home. =My favourites are Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm (Hibiscus gets my vote) and sheer colors by Silk Naturals. SN is an indie brand but they make super-gorgeous lip colors. Although they never label their sheer lip colors as ‘tinted lip balms’ but they more or less are. Sheer color, check. Uber moisturizing formula, check. I fixed my chapped lips numerous times with SN’s products.
I love, love tinted lip balm !!! sleek’s pout polish are my favourites ones ! and burt bee’s too !kisses from Paris!
I love tinted lip balms! I wear them when I want a really natural, effortless look or in the summer when I want something easy, sheer and fuss-free. My lips get dry very quickly and tinted balm hydrates and gives a hint of color which I need, since my lips look kind of dead without any product at all. There are a lot of great ones on the market: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment, Bobbi Brown Treatment Lip Shine, Bite Beauty Sheer Balm (and these all have SPF 15, bonus!) Korres Lip Butters are also lovely, but they are in a pot so it’s a bit of a hassle to reapply throughout the day. And if you’re anything like me, you hate dipping your fingers into pots! These are fairly expensive, though, and it’s hard to find some really good reasonably priced tinted balms. Some good ones I’ve found are the NYX Color Lip Balm and the Palladio Tinted Lip Balm, which are both about $4. I also think the L’Oreal Colour Riche Lip Balms are fairly good.
I don’t like all tinted balms, but I love my Clinique Superbalm in Raspberry Tint. It feels super hydrating, at least on me, and it has a thick but not sticky consistency so it stays on. What I like is that it has just enough color to give my lips a my-lips-but-better look, which is mostly what a need if my lips are craving a lip balm anyway, because they do tend to look a bit washed out.
@Veronica Urban I love the lipstick range of Clinique and I always suggest people to try them but I never tried superbalm before. People really rave about them, and you just gave me the push I need to go and try some, thank you 🙂
@Veronica Urban To me, those are actual glosses. Don’t get me wrong, I have three of them, but they are glosses to me because of the consistency. Like, I wouldn’t want to kiss my boyfriend wearing it because it has a texture of a gloss, not a balm. On the other hand, I use those when I have chapped lips over a balm because they are much more moisturizing than anything else! If you are at clinique looking for more of a balm, their almost lipsticks are really nice and, of course, their chubby sticks (not as moisturizing or sheer as the almost lipsticks, but nicely pigmented). Just for readers info 🙂
I LOVE love love tinted balm and wear them ALL the time. I have always worn tinted balms whenever I want color and have only recently began playing with lipsticks and more opaque glosses.Â
My lips are fairly pigmented, so a lot of tinted lip balms just aren’t enough color for me. Generally I prefer clear lip balms, since I primarily use them under lipsticks or at night (and I don’t want a red lip balm smearing all over my pillow!). I have a few tinted lip balms from Fresh, though, and I like them. If I ever wear them, it’s usually in the summer when I want something as light as possible.Â
annedreshfield I’ve never tried the Fresh balms, and I’ve got pigmented lips as well.. Are their any of the colours you are partial to?
wwendalynne I got the Sephora birthday present of three Fresh mini tinted lip balms…the berry color, the pink, and the clear. The berry is a lovely in just one swipe. I’d say the pink is nice, too, but it takes more to build up the color on me. Haven’t tried the coral, but I’ve been wanting to! I rarely reach for these balms, and I don’t carry them anymore after the pink one melted in my purse…I squished it back together, but it’s still hard to use! lol.Â
annedreshfield doh!  I’m thinking it’s probably not a product for me. Â
wwendalynne yeah. A lot of people love the smell/taste and don’t mind the melting and sheerness. I think they’re just okay.
What?? They gave you three?? Mine only had two!!! When was your birthday????
annedreshfield That reminds me of a little story too..  Never knew I had ‘purple’ lips until my old NARS guru SA from years back handed me one of those old NARS lipgloss pots in a purple colour and I looked at him and said..’huh?”.. And he said, I”m just taking queues from your own lips darling..  LoL
wwendalynne I remember the first time I went to go get an “occasion” lipstick when I was in high school. I went to a Sephora and the guy pulled me over to Lorac lipstick that was a deep, deep purple-y red. I was totally floored, but it looked amazing on me. Never would have picked it out on my own!Â
annedreshfield I LOVE when that happens 🙂
wwendalynne Me too. So exciting! Kind of makes me feel like I’m learning about makeup all over again!
I like to have a couple of different tinted balms for days when I feel like my lips need a break or on a light-to-no-makeup day. But I always have an untinted lip balm (or two, or three) on me. Absolutely essential.
I stick to blistex if I want lipbalm. Â If I want a little color I opt for something like MAC Creme Cup lipstick… Love it!!
I love tinted lip balms because I find that they’re easier to reapply throughout the day. I work outdoors for my summer job and don’t have access to a mirror, so I always carry tinted lip balm with me so I can quickly freshen up my makeup.
I found my tinted balm to be quite drying, while my colourless one does miracles to my dried lips. However, I’d prefer a tinted one, because just a quick swipe can give instant glamour to my face.
I love them! They are great for times when I want a bit of color to my lips, but don’t want the stickiness and high shine of gloss or something as opaque as lipstick. I love that I can get some color and moisture at the same time. Absolutely everything shows on my lips (unless it’s completely clear ofc), so tinted lip balms to me are like sheer lipstick to others.
I have only used 2 tinted lip balms; Fresh and Burt;s Bees. I love Fresh’s Honey, nice color, soft application, don’t have to scrub it on like the harder balms. A word of caution, however, If you order Fresh’s brand and it sits outside in the heat, it will soften and fall off the tube. I got mine back on with a little mess. I recommend putting them in the fridge for a couple hours if they have been out in the heat for any time.  I have tried Burt’s Bee’s tinted and plain and find it to have an unpleasant taste and the texture is hard, having to press harder on my lips. I also love Aveda lip balm in plain and use it every night,. It’s creamy and lasts til morning. They may have tinted balms but have never tried them.  Some inexpensive brands have products that seem to cause rebound dryness so I avoid them.
I don’t think tinted lip balms are as moisturizing as regular. Also, I’m a compulsive lip balm applier and sometimes I apply too much of a tinted lip balm it can look too garish. No likey
I love the idea of them, but I’ve yet to find a tinted balm really moisturizers me. Something about the pigments just leaves my lips the same as if I’d never applied anything. Dior’s Lip Addict balm is pretty good, but that’s more of a lip brightener with the tiniest hint of pink than what I think of with a tinted balm. I have seen a lot of people suggest the Fresh and Burt’s Bees so I might try those next. Here’s to crossing my fingers that they’ll work!
@Veronica I dont want to affect your opinion but if you expect moisture, neither Fresh nor Burts Bees are the best choice. Ive used both of them (Fresh the coral one and Burts the pomegranate one) yes they do give a nice subtle color but they dont moisturize enough they just sit on my lips :S Just my own opinion of course you should definitely try to see, my lips are very chopped (because of dehydration – i never drink any water!!!) so they were both insufficient for my problem.
I love it! I rarely can wear a lipstick for a whole day (I mostly use it for special occasions). See, my lips are easily chapped, so tinted lip balm (and the hybrid liquid lipstick/lip lacquer) are godsend to me. Yes it usually not as moisturizing as the regular, untinted one, but I have found some that works fine on my severely dehydrated lips, Carmex & Korres are my fave! I might try Fresh next time 😉
I tried a few tinted lip balms (by few a mean Fresh, nivea, burts bees, blistex, body shop, mac, bbw…) I think the problem with tinted lip balms is tthat they dont moisturize enough :S As I mentioned in another reply, I am not good with drinking water so I am really dehydrated (this problem goes a long way starting from my blumic history, another story :S) so I need to use really strong lip balms (like Blistex medplus). But if I am feeling lazy and just want to put on some color on me I use tinted lip balms too. But in the end (I mean after half an hour) it looses its color and I apply my regular lip balm 🙂
I personally love them. Yes, they aren’t as moisturizing as regular lip balms but I love the sheer, natural, juicy color of them. They make my lips look naturally lush, and can’t become chalky and pick up on bits of my lip skin like lipsticks can. The ones I have smell amazing, too.
A new one I just got was the peach and cherry tinted lip conditioners from forever 21. They smell cheap, but the packaging is nice and sleek and it is quite pigmented and shiny! It has a general wear time. It’s, by far, not the best. But, it might be worth checking out considering it’s only, like, two dollars. Such an impulse buy!!Also, people don’t know this but regular chapstick is super pigmented imo. The neutrogena ones are the most pigmented (like lipstick) and have the pigment of a revlon lip butter (suppperr pigmented imo, again), but they smell amazing and are very buttery. I haven’t actually found a favorite because they are either too pigmented (obviously an issue with my lips and coloring) or not moisturizing enough.
I love tinted lip balms for everyday life. They are hydrating to some extend, depending on the brand, and deliver some color. I look put together easily without being in need of a mirror to reapply.The only things I’m so-so about them is smell and taste. Burt’s Bees ones smell and taste a bit plastic-y (but so pretty colors on the lips), some by Labello, Nivea and Lipsmacker smell and taste overly sweet. I much prefer a clean almost-no-scent/taste type like in the non-tinted lip balms. I guess you can’t have it all 😉