KATHERINE SPENLEY: I’m a 49-year-old lifestyle editor and I’ve tried ten lipstick balms to find the most anti-ageing. These are my top three…
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more
Welcome to Inspire’s new Tried & Tested column, where, every week, we’ll put a selection of beauty products through their paces to let you know which we really rate. This week I’ve road-tested a fair few new lipstick balms – an essential item for keeping your lips looking lovely and chapped-free throughout the autumn and winter months.
So, which are the best for keeping your pout in peak condition? I tried ten for you…
KATHERINE SPENLEY tried ten different lipstick balms to pick the best for keeping your lips looking lovely and chapped-free throughout the autumn and winter months
If French pharmacy brands lend a little Parisian chic to your shelves, Korres offers effortless Athenian glam. While best known for skincare, this multi balm deserves a place in every make-up bag. A chunky stick, it comes topped with a generous dome of colour which twists up for foolproof application on both cheeks and lips. The twofer aspect helps with the price – as does the fact that a slick of Vintage Rose gave me the kind of lips that are normally found on Harley Street and cost considerably more than £25.
This looks and feels far more expensive than it is – from the Cotswolds Green packaging to the gratifyingly chubby stick. With hyaluronic acid, shea butter and avocado oil, it glides on and ‘Rosette’ gave me a subtle, my-lips-but-better pink sheen. The only drawback? It has a strong minty scent, which is a bit Marmite. That said, you can chuck one in your trolley at M&S for £8 and the result is so good for the price that personally I’m more than happy to overlook the whiff of toothpaste.
This skincare-inspired serum balm really does hydrate with a combination of oils, actives and cocoa butter and the shade range is great. I like how Coral lights up my face, but am currently obsessed with Nude, a delicious caramel shade that plumps even the leanest of pouts. The only drawback? It goes on so easily – you don’t need a mirror – and feels so good, it’s easy to get carried away. I kept adding an extra layer, as I would lip balm, and ended up with more colour than I’d bargained for. Don’t be greedy and you’ll look great.
And the rest…
I love Hourglass’ glossy gold packaging, and this slim tube would smarten up any make-up bag. This feels like balm but acts like lipstick – it goes on super easily but leaves you with proper coverage as opposed to a barely-there sheen. This is a great grown-up option, ideal for when you want to look polished and pulled-together, while warding off the curse of chapped winter lips.
This is a really interesting product – an innovative blend of gloss and balm. You squeeze the tube and a healthy dollop of product coats the cushion applicator. It looks – and feels – more like a gloss than a balm, so it’s a good idea when you want to make an impact. It’s easy to use and foolproof enough to squidge on in the back of a taxi – oh and, my long fine hair didn’t stick to it even on a windy Bonfire Night.
It might look alarmingly bright in the tube but goes on sheer and lends just enough colour to wake up a tired end-of-the-week face. It’s quite heavily perfumed with rose and I prefer a more neutral scent, but it’s a small quibble as I love the colour – and the price.
A dinky cream and gold square tube with a lid that clicks on an off with a reassuringly expensive ‘snap’ (there’ll be no topless lipsticks messing up make-up bags on Dolce & Gabbana’s watch…) this is such a treat. I was given one of these to try in July and wore it throughout the summer – expect a glossy finish and a moisturised feel. Worth saving up for.
Described as somewhere between a lipstick and a balm, it’s definitely on the ‘lippie’ end of the spectrum, but that’s no bad thing. French Girl is a gloriously pigmented red and my go-to Going Out choice. Extra points for the fact that it’s a red you can reapply in the back of a taxi.
A cult favourite with good reason, this really does make your lips look and feel better. Like many women I’m a fan of Dolce Vita, but whichever colour’s for you, it’s hard not to give shelf space to this one.
It wouldn’t be right to round-up tinted lip balms without including this oldie-but-goodie. I’m sure I’m not the only woman with a tin or two of this on my bedside table – blue for sleep, pink for awake-but-not-looking-like-it-yet. The most natural hint of colour you’ll find, and just £1.25 a tin.
