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Should lipstick/lipgloss be moisturizing?


Should lipstick/lipgloss be moisturizing? Or is that the job for lip balm?

I don’t expect a lipstick or gloss to be as moisturizing as a lip balm, especially if they wear for hours or come in really pigmented formulas, but it should moisturize somewhat and at the very least, not dry out my lips.

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Courtney Avatar

Not unless the claims say it should be so, but even then, I mostly buy for color rather than its other properties. I can stand to reapply often if I love the color. So its moisturizing qualities/longevity etc. are mostly irrelevant.

Veronica Avatar

It doesn’t have to necessarily be moisturizing, but if it boasts long wear, then I’d prefer it to have something in the formula to make it bearable. Though, I will say for the higher-end brands, I outright expect some moisturizing quality, however mild. After all, I wouldn’t be dropping the money if I didn’t expect quality, eh?

(I admit this is a bit of an “issue” for me, since my skin, especially around my mouth, tends to dry out somewhat easily. I’m wearing lipstick to accentuate the beauty of my face, not highlight the signs of overstressed skin! 🙂

Mariella Avatar

Yes, I think it should be moisturizing enough that it’s comfortable to wear on its own, without having to apply a balm either before or after applying the lipstick.

Nadia Avatar

I share your opinion. I don’t expect them to moisturise, but I think it makes a lipstick that much more valuable if they do. For example, I love MAC’s Honeylove, but it’s a matte colour and I prefer to wear lipgloss over it to get rid of that dry feeling.

Cassy Avatar

It’s nice if they are, but it’s not a deal breaker for me (especially on lipsticks) I do avoid especially drying formulas just because I do have dry/cracked lips a lot, but even more moisturizing ones don’t look great over that craziness. That’s my own problem to fix with some better TLC, not the lipstick’s fault!

Rachel Avatar

My lips are dry so I prefer them to be. Otherwise I need to wear a lip gloss over the lipstick and sometimes that changes the finish of the lipstick.

Gina C Avatar

I think it should be, at least on some level. I’m not expecting it to replace my lip balm, but when I hear that a lipstick isn’t moisturizing at all, I’m much less likely to check it out.

Emma RZ Avatar

I often find gloss to be more moisturising than a lip balm – or maybe that’s wishful thinking. I definitely don’t expect lipstick to be more moisturising than balm though.

Chynna Avatar

Agreed! And I’ve found that some lip balms I DO expect to be moisturizing are more drying than others. I have bad luck with balms with SPF in them and always need to use a lip balm without SPF to recover from the SPF.

Saffy Avatar

If I wanted a lip colour that moisturized like a lip balm, I’d wear a tinted lip balm or a moisturizing lip gloss. I only care that the lip stick feels comfortable on my lips, and is not drying or gritty.

Hoang Avatar

I agree that lipsticks don’t need to be moisturizing unless they claim to be. I find almost all lipsticks and many lipglosses end up drying my lips out. (Even lustre, glaze, and cremesheen finishes from MAC) I only find lip balm moisturizing.

La Sirene Acide Avatar

I am completely with you, I would have said it very wrong, as my I am French, something like this: I do not want a liptick to moisterize my lips since those lipsticks can smudge and usually are not long lasting. But I do not like a lipstick which dehydrate my lips. xxx

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