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The 11 Best Tinted Lip Balms of All Time
Featuring our favorite matte and high-shine formulas
There’s a reason the best tinted lip balms continue to grow in popularity. These skincare and makeup hybrids are not only supremely hydrating, but also make it easy to give your no-makeup-makeup look a boost. Plus, it’s easy to keep a tube from coveted brands like Tower 28, Augustinus Bader, and Fresh in your bag or pocket to apply while on the go.
Shop the Best Tinted Lip Balms
Sarah Brown, beauty expert and consultant, tells Bazaar that tinted favorites straddle the line between low-maintenance and luxury. “We aren’t dressing up as much—it can feel overthought, or like too much—so we don’t necessarily want the formality and maintenance of a lipstick, but we want some color and polish and ceremony,” she says. “We want it to be easy, relaxed, comfortable, chic.”
Thankfully, the best tinted lip balms provide exactly that, along with added benefits like plumping, shimmer, and more. So, how do you choose which staple is right for you? Color payoff, glossiness, and overall nourishment are taken into consideration when it comes to your ideal lip balm. “I have an entire wardrobe of balms and glosses—for different moods, occasions, you name it,” Brown adds.
We’ve pulled together a few of the most in-demand picks beauty experts and Bazaar editors love for maximum hydration, along with a fresh-looking pop of color.
Eadem Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm
An instant hit (it sold out within just one week of its June launch), this unique balm gets to work exfoliating and plumping while putting on a luscious facade.
While many tinted lip balms rest on their (gorgeous) laurels, Eadem’s version is busy buffing dry lips (with AHA, AKA—alpha-keto acids—and BHAs), addressing and protecting oxidative stress (thanks to PCAs and the antioxidant quercetin), and, of course, hydrating and plumping (with the viscous and moisturizing active ingredient found in the hibiscus flower). But all you’ll notice is that lips feel juicy, have a great slick slip, and give off a slightly plumped appearance.
What our editors are saying: “There are a few reasons this hardworking tinted balm has gone viral on TikTok. For starters, its blend of gentle acids makes lip exfoliation a breeze, plus, its formula is supremely hydrating and just as reflective as your favorite gloss.” —Tiffany Dodson Davis, beauty commerce editor
Key ingredients: Hibiscus enzymes, lactic acid, pyruvic acid
Customer review: “What sets this lip balm apart is its long-lasting effect. Unlike other balms that require frequent reapplication, Eadem’s Lip Softening Balm keeps my lips feeling soft and hydrated for hours. I’ve noticed a significant improvement in the overall texture and appearance of my lips; they feel plumper and look healthier.” —Primavera
Intner wears Eadem's Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm in the shade Fig Sauce.
Tower 28 LipSoftie Hydrating Tinted Lip Treatment Balm
This balm feels like sweatpants but for your lips. Comforting, soft, and silky, Tower 28 has done it again. While some formulas can veer towards stickiness, LipSoftie is as cushiony and soothing as they come. Plus, it’s designed for sensitive and/or irritated lips and doesn’t contain common irritants that can trigger flare-ups, so those with chronically irritable lips might find luck with this treatment. As someone with chronically irritated skin, these tinted balms are a soothing salve. Plus, the colors and scents, which can be a trigger for sensitive skin, are made from food-grade non-artificial flavor so they won’t further irritate or dry out lips.
What our editors are saying: "This balm is the only one you need if you have sensitive or reactive skin, or you're worried about leaving lipstick marks on your toddler (just me?). The shade Blood Orange Vanilla adds the perfect pop of warm red for my fair skin, and it smells as good as it looks." –Jenna Rosenstein, beauty director
Key ingredients: shea butter, jojoba oil, lysine
Customer review: "Absolutely love this!! Makes my lips feel silky without the sticky feeling!" —bblount
The myth, the legend—put respect where respect is due because Glossier is largely responsible for the rise of the ‘it’ balm, with the launch of Balm Dotcom back in 2014. The original iterations were colorless, but their tinted lip balms came along a few years later, and the beauty world hasn’t been the same since. With a surprisingly hefty dose of tint, it’s worth the (surprisingly affordable) $16.
Additionally, with the relaunch of their original formula (it went vegan for a few years, much to the dismay of original Dotcom fans), users can enjoy the hydrating lip balm they know and love with many exciting and new color options.
What our editors are saying: "I've been loyal to Balm Dotcom since it first launched—it's truly a savior come winter when my lips are always chapped. The tints here aren't as pigmented as some others on this list, but I like that you can apply it haphazardly and not worry about precise placement." —JR
Key ingredients: castor seed oil, beeswax, lanolin
Customer review: "My lips has never been softer! I love the light shine it gives and I haven’t had chapped lips since I’ve starting using this product." —Casietra B.
Dodson Davis wears Glossier's Balm Dotcom in the shade Strawberry.
For the minimalist at heart, this classic option from Burt’s Bees is always reliable. Made with shea butter and botanical waxes, this moisturizing lip balm doesn’t actually add shimmer or shine, but rather just a soft tinted hue in a matte tone. Also, if you need another reason to love this cult classic, Margot Robbie is a fan.
What our editors are saying: "This no-frills lip balm from Burt's Bees is the cherry on top of a perfect no-makeup-makeup look. Its hydrating shea butter and botanical wax blend absorbs quickly into dry lips, and leaves behind a subtle flush of sheer color." —TDD
Key ingredients: coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter
Customer review: "This is a great lip balm! It's not a sticky kind of balm which I hate, glides on smoothly, scent is great, doesn't taste weird. Makes my lips feel hydrated."—moniquel46
Rosenstein wears Burt's Bees's Tinted Lip Balm in the shade Red Dahlia.
The Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment has been around for decades, since launching in 2004, but the tinted versions came years later and immediately reached cult-status level. While many tinted lip balms can have a sticky, gloopy feel, Fresh’s Sugar Lip Balm is weightless, buttery, and goof-proof. It also has the most variety of shades, currently available in 15 hues.
Key ingredients: sugar, cranberry seed oil, grapeseed oil
What our editors are saying: "These are a classic for a reason! The balms deliver great color payoff in a buildable formula, so you can swipe on a little or a lot, depending on how you feel that day. Plus, it feels weightless and buttery on your lips." –JR
Customer review: "It's very subtle and natural looking tint to the lips and moisturizing to my lips."—MaeMae
Intner wears Fresh's Sugar Lip Balm in the shade Berry.
One word for the Lip Butter Balm? Silky. But if we could add a few more, they’d be vegan, shine-enhancing, and moisturizing. This lip mask-meets-tinted lip balm loiters on the lips for a hefty amount of time and adds just the slightest and chicest hint of tint. Coming in a variety of hues (from cherry-red to flattering nude brown), it is as foolproof as it is comforting.
Plus, the applicator is perfectly tilted to swipe on with ease and comfort. (Sometimes, it's the little things that make all the difference.)
What our editors are saying: "This is my favorite balm on this list, and if you looked at the bottom of any one of my handbags you'd find one. It's moisturizing without feeling thick, as shiny as a lipgloss, and leaves the prettiest sheer tint of color." –JR
Key ingredients: shea butter, murumuru seed butter, vegan waxes
Customer review: "I am so in love!! It’s not sticky, it lasts a long time even with drinking, there isn’t any weird taste, and the color is so subtle and perfect and beautiful. So happy I took a chance on this!!"—Stephjax
Rosenstein wears Summer Fridays' Lip Butter Balm in the shade Poppy.
Augustinus Bader x Sofia Coppola The Tinted Balm
Leave it to the ultimate ‘It girl’ to create the hottest tinted lip balm of the season. Inspired by filmmaker Sofia Coppola’s love of a now-discontinued French pharmacy lip tint, she collaborated with the science-forward skincare brand Augustinus Bader on a trio of nourishing and healing balms.
Taking the base of Bader's untinted Lip Balm, which features its proprietary TFC8 technology to repair the delicate lip area, Coppola created three hues—a sheer deep pink, a red coral tint, and an earthy plum shade—that can be swiped on sans mirror for healthier-looking lips with a certain je ne sais quoi. While the tint is subtle, they can be built up with multiple swipes for a more noticeable appearance.
What our editors are saying: "When I want to wear a red lipstick without the hassle of worrying about wearing a red lipstick, I reach for these. The color payoff is really good, and the finish is less glossy than other balms on this list, while still keeping lips super soft. If you prefer a satin or matte finish for your lips, try this." —JR
Key ingredients: castor seed oil, shea butter, vitamin E, bisabolol
Customer review: "Pretty much instantly smoothed my dry lips and the color is buildable. One pass gives you a nice flush of color, a few passes gives nice, full coverage. A little on the lips and cheeks gives a quick, more polished look in seconds."—MichelleB
Dodson Davis wears Augustinus Bader x Sofia Coppola's The Tinted Balm in Shade 3.
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