Tinted Lip Balm: A Surprisingly Long Post for Such a Small Item

I would like to report satisfaction with a retail product:

(image from Amazon.com)

ChapStick Total Hydration Moisture + Tint, in Merlot.

It was $4.99 at Target, and that’s five times what I pay for ChapStick when I buy them in untinted 3-packs for $2.99. Despite what you have heard from vicious gossips about what I’ll pay for air-conditioning, I hesitated about this purchase, worried that I would hate it and throw it out after one single $5 use. But now I am thinking I will go back and buy half a dozen more in case they stop making them.

It reminds me very much of the Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm (don’t pay $10 for one—I think Target has them for about $5). I like both the ChapStick one and the Burt’s Bees one because they have a little color, but not so much color that you have to look in a mirror to put it on: you just put it on like regular lip balm. I keep one in my pocket.

The tinted ChapStick also comes in Rose Petal and Coral Blush, but I have learned that the words I need to look for in lipstick are words such as “wine,” “plum,” and “violet,” and I am still remembering to avoid anything with words indicating light-pinkness or orangeness.

…Oh my gosh, look what I found:

(image from Burt’s Bees)

Yes. YES. Plums/berries is mine, with occasional dips into the darker/purpler reds and pinks—some of which look in fact miscategorized, perhaps because the box for plums/berries was already full. I wear the lip shimmer in plum (plums/berries); I tried the cherry (reds) and it was way too red for me, which should have been obvious but it was on such a good clearance, and one of my best lipsticks ever is one I never would have tried if it hadn’t been on such a good clearance, so that keeps me taking chances. In tinted lip balm, I wear sweet violet (plums/berries) and also red dahlia (reds). I am going to have to try the tinted lip oil in misted plum; I don’t know what lip oil is, but this chart has created a need.

I highly recommend the plum lip shimmer, by the way, if you’re a plums/berries person too. It’s not particularly shimmery in plum. It’s lipsticky enough that I have to look in a mirror to put it on. And I like the peppermint flavor.

(I am imagining Paul reading this post and starting to rub the bridge of his nose.)

[Follow-up: I tried the lip oil.]

25 thoughts on “Tinted Lip Balm: A Surprisingly Long Post for Such a Small Item

  1. Matti

    This is all quality information. You can’t try on stuff packaged like this, and so to have you tell us about your lip color choices is helpful because we can refer back to your particular coloring and think if those colors might work for us.

    That’s all to say, listen, how far would you get into a post that Paul wrote about metal working? Or computing? Or pantry rearranging?

    Reply
  2. Ruby

    I used to have a thing of Korres lip butter in Wild Rose, and it was my favorite tinted lip balm ever. It was the kind that came in a little pot that you have to apply with a brush or your finger, but I loved it so much that I was willing to deal with that. It looked dark red in the container, but it was sheer enough that it just gave my lips a nice subtle rosy tint. Unfortunately, I lost it at some point and never bought another one. (I’d received the original as a gift, and the price is more than I’m willing to pay for lip balm.)

    Reply
  3. Ang

    My very favorite is L’oreal color riche balm in Plush plum (nice amount of color for a balm/gloss), with backup color Heavenly Berry (which is a little too sheer, very little color). I love to try new kinds but have decided I’m always disappointed except in L’oreal brand – perfect smoothness, stays on a while, but you don’t need a mirror. I love the detail of this post :)

    Reply
  4. Suzanne

    I am still giggling about that last line. And the first line made me laugh as well.

    I tend to like plums/berries so I am going to check this out.

    Reply
  5. DoingMyBest

    Oh no! The Best Shade Ever of the Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm for me was Forest Flower but I don’t see it on the chart! Or on Amazon! Or on the Burt’s Bees website! *sob*

    Reply
    1. Swistle Post author

      Things being discontinued makes me SO SAD. I just bought a 3-pack of Burt’s Bees in Sweet Violet, because WHAT IF THEY DISCONTINUE IT?

      Reply
      1. DoingMyBest

        I stocked up on a Lip Shimmer color that I loved once, but after a while (more than a year…possibly two) they smelled funny. I assume it was because they’re made from such a high percentage of “natural” ingredients which probably doesn’t include whatever preservatives keep my non-“natural” lip stuff good for…decades (the Nivea lip balm you sent is still going strong!). But now I don’t dare stock up my usual amount on any of the Burt’s Bees stuff =(.

        Reply
        1. Swistle Post author

          Oh, that is a very good point! And also sad: how will I stock my bomb shelter with my favorites if they WON’T LAST??

          Reply
          1. Kim

            I wonder if you could freeze them in case of emergency? Although, I suppose if it’s that dire of a situation, there might not be electricity. At least they would last *until* the apocalypse, if not very far into it.

            Reply
  6. Cassie

    Swistle: I found a chart for lip colors!
    Paul:…..?
    Swistle: Must! Buy! Lip! Oil! No idea what it is……DOESN’T MATTER
    Paul: *facepalm*

    ….Or this may have just been how it would go in my house.

    Reply
  7. ernie

    I am picturing Paul . . . hilarious! When Coach finds my sharing of information too much, I get a heavy sigh and momentarily closed eyes. I still insist that what I am speaking of is necessary and it shouldn’t exhaust him. Me, long winded? Nah.

    Reply
  8. Kimberly

    My lip shimmer twin!! This is even more exciting than meeting my drink twin at Starbucks. And may I recommend the Fig lip shimmer for tucking into your purse. It’s just a little more than my natural lip color and no mirror is required. Great for getting past that death warmed over look!

    Reply
    1. ButtercupDC

      I stole my drink twin’s drink! We had both mobile-ordered gigantic unsweetened coffees and both have long names with similar endings (think Valentina and Rasputina), and I didn’t even notice until I went to toss the cup. Hopefully, Valentina grabbed hers without double-checking, too, and no frustration was had that day. (No, I’m not sure why I felt this story had to be shared)

      Reply
    2. Swistle Post author

      Thank you for the recommendation! I bought a Fig lip shimmer yesterday and I really like it! I keep admiring my lips.

      Reply
  9. Court

    Burt’s bees lip shimmer in plum is perfect! I keep it in my purse and love that I don’t need a mirror to apply it. Took me years to find a lip shimmer/tinted Lin balm that had the perfect match of ‘enough color to be worth it’ and ‘light enough that drunk clown look is avoided.’

    Reply
    1. Swistle Post author

      For me it had to be trial and error. I kept buying lipsticks on good clearances, and then gradually I noticed that the wine/berry/plum/violet ones were the ones I was keeping (especially if sheer), and the pink/coral/rose/orange/spice/cherry were the ones I was tossing—especially the LIGHT pinks and the BRIGHT reds (especially if shimmery). So now when I find lipsticks, if it’s called “baby pink” or “coral spice” or “cherry shimmer” or whatever, I know to pass; and if it’s called any kind of red wine or anything that sounds purple, it’s much more likely to work out.

      Reply
  10. Amanda

    For makeup (or any kind of beauty product I’ve never tried before) I buy at CVS or Target, because they will take them back even used! Even if it’s a little more expensive than I can find online, I have the comfort of knowing I can get my six dollars back if I hate it (plus I love how Target can look up your purchases if you paid with a card, so you don’t even need the receipt). I used to feel guilty making returns like this but then I realized how large the companies are and how little the individual employees care, and decided that my failed beauty whims were a drop in the bucket to them.

    Reply
    1. Swistle Post author

      Oh, yes, I have that in Soothing Sorbet! And I am pretty sure I saw Cherry Me on clearance at Target when I was there earlier this week, so I’m going to look for it when I go back!

      Reply
  11. Shelly

    I love Burt’s Bees lip shimmer in plum as well! I thought it had been discontinued for a while, because I couldn’t find it ANYWHERE. But then I found it at Target and bought 4!

    Reply

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