Almay

Recently I have seen a ton of new lipgloss/balm hybrids popping up all over the place. As someone that is not a huge lipgloss fan (my hair always sticks to my lips – ugh), I was a bit hesitant. I love a sheer lip color that has a bit of shine, but that awful tackiness has GOT TO GO. Thankfully though, these new formulations blend the best of both worlds, without the dreaded sticky feeling that I try to avoid with lipglosses/balms. After testing out a few of these new formulas (and some old ones that I recently discovered), I figured I would do a round up and share my thoughts on each.

1. YSL Volupte Tint-in-Oil – I was not sure I would love these when I first saw them online, but the pull was just too great to resist. So I picked up two of the shades and promptly fell in love with the formula. They smell amazing and feel even better on the lips. Since they have more of an oil base, there is a strong slip to them yet they don’t feel like a gloss, but more like a hydrating balm. But the color pay-off is quite minimal so almost any shade you pick up will end up looking the same.

2. Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfector – This is the only one in the entire bunch that is actually a lip balm in a stick form and I simply adore it. What drew me in with this one was the color – Rosewood. It is the most perfect “lip color but better” shade and I love to add it on top of whatever nude lip I am wearing that day to help add some moisture and a bit of shine.

3. Almay Liquid Lip Balm – The texture of these Almay balms is almost more of a gel than a balm. They are incredibly sheer, add just the slightest hint of color and have a slight cooling feeling on the lips which is one of the reasons I enjoy wearing them so much. Though they feel great on the lips, I do have to reapply all the time, so I tend to save these for the weekends when I don’t need my makeup to last all day.

4. Zelens Lip Glaze – Initially I thought these lip glazes would wear as a gloss, but as soon I applied them I was pleasantly surprised to see how nourishing and comfortable they felt on the lips. They are hydrating with a slight gel texture, but surprisingly have more color pay-off than I anticipated. I feel like I can wear these alone without having to layer over a deeper or more pigmented lip color. The best benefit of these lip glazes is the long lasting hydration I get when wearing them. I have been suffering from insanely dry lips this winter, and most lip balms help for a few hours but my lips get dry again by midday. When I wear the Zelens lip glazes, I find that my lips stay hydrated and comfortable much longer than most other balms. 

5. Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil – If I had to pick a favorite out of this entire bunch, it would definitely be this Clarins Lip Comfort Oil. Between the applicator (which feels like the softest cushion ever) and the insanely nourishing formula, this oil feels like heaven on my lips. It adds little to no color and is not sticky in the least – and has been permanently housed in my makeup bag since the day I received it.

6. Lancome Dewy Color Lip Perfector – While I love this new lip balm/gloss hybrid, I still love a lip color with strong payoff. After just one swipe of these new Lancome Lip Perfectors, I knew I had found the perfect balance. They have great pigmentation, while still feeling like a soft hydrating balm on the lips. They are a bit heavier than the YSL, but as with the YSL, they don’t have that heavy tacky feeling that many glosses tend to have.