FOTM: Lipbalm

FAVORITES OF THE MOMENT (FOTM) in LIPBALM

'Tis the season to stock up on a good lip balm!
I'm picky about my balms. Since I apply lip balm every night before I get in bed, I want them to have fantastic ingredients in them. They can't be sticky. They must multi-task in not only hydrating my lips but must bring a little something extra as well for my dollar.  I have to be able to sleep in it (so comfort without goop). Above all, if it yields a greasy feel to my lips, forget it.

Top 3 in Lipbalm:


Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine

#1  Korres Lip Butter

Without a doubt, my absolute favorite in the category.  I've four pots of the fabulous balm on my dresser; that's how much I love it.  Korres Lip Butter offers their good-for-you balms with a tad bit of tint for wearing during the day alone or even in combination with another lipcolor of your choice (blended with a lip liner for instance). I enjoy their butters without a heavy tint even more as I'm able to wear them at night to drench my lips in healthy ingredients and hydration. They've a very subtle nutty flavor to them.  In order of fave, my picks are Jasmine, Guava, Quince and Plum.  This ultimate lip treatment has an intensely hydrating formula in shea butter. Shea Butter both nourishes and provides anti-inflammatory benefits. Rice Wax seals in moisture and smoothes.

Retails for $10 a jar and available at SkinBotanica, beauty.com, ASOS (yes, they are in the USA now, hallelujah!)  and other retailers.

LipFusion Balm Conditioning Stick in Bitten

#2 FusionBeauty LipFusion Balm Conditioning Stick

This balm stick FAST became a fave. Not only does it hydrate lips tremendsouly (claims say increase in water content of lips by 6000% in four weeks), but it actually plumps lips with that famous LipFusion technology as well.  This balm is not at all greasy so you won't feel slick-lipped in this pampering product and the ingredients assist in protecting lips along with the hydrating and plumping. A huge plus factor - it's made with nourishing oils and creamy butters that provide the perfect level of comfort along with SPF 15! The tinted varieties provide just a very slight subtle blush of color to lips and won't interfere with another lip product if you choose to wear one (like a line liner or pencil for instance).  On application, you feel a slight tingle and can instantly enjoy the moisturization the ingredients bring to lips.  There's also a light mint flavor to the stick.  The balm comes in a convenient "retractable bullet" format for on-the-go application. The casing actually "locks" with a slight turn of the cap to prevent it from coming off in your handbag, etc. Doses of AmpliFat and marine collagen filling spheres help to increase lip fullness, immediately and over time. I'm enjoying both the Butterscotch and Berry balms now having almost completely gone through the Bitten as my first trial of the product. 

LipFusion Balm Conditioning Sticks retail for $22 a stick (yes, a bit pricey for a balm but you're paying for the technology here) and they last a long, long time (months in my case on one stick). They are available at beauty.com, Nordstrom and Ulta.

Tokyo Milk Bon Bon Lip Balm in Cherry Bomb

#3  Tokyo Milk Lip Balms

This balm is a tad bit greasier in feel than the two above, however still merits a place on the fave list for its deliciousness, charm, the chic little embossed jar, and last but not least, its fantastic ingredients.  My sister gave me my little jar of Tokyo Milk balm on returning from a weekend foray of shopping.  Her selection? The Bon Bon Cherry Bomb!  My daughter (age 16) considers this one her personal fave of my collection of balms for its taste and feel on the lips and as such sneaks into my purse and/or room to savor a bit for herself here and there (read: daily! ha).  The cherry variety contains sunflower seed oil, beeswax (ok, so not thrilled about this, but ok), vitamin E, aloe vera, shea butter, crushed bing cherries and sweet spun sugar.  It's so yummy you'll want to apply layer upon layer, but don't as that increases the "slick" factor. (Unless, of course, you like or need that much - chapped lips beware.)  Honey Blossom and Opera Mint will be my next tried of this decadent balm.

Other varieties include: Let Them Eat Cake, Honey Blossom, Iced Green Tea, Rosewater, Petit Four, Opera Mint, Sweet Cream and Candied Violet. They retail for about $10 a jar and are available at  b-glowing (my love), ASOS, Beautyhabit and other fab and trendy retailers.