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When's the last time you got really, truly excited about a lip balm? Probably sometime in 2003, when you spent your birthday money on a glittery Limited Too stick or Maybelline Baby Lips (hey, still a classic!) that you immediately lost. Well, the world of balms has come a long way since your middle school days, and today's formulas are now available tinted, stained, and plumping; long-lasting or quick-dry; and cheap or pricey—basically, whatever it is that your lips, and your wallet, have been crying out for. Not to mention, the same hydrating ingredients you look for in skincare products have finally found their way into the lip category.
If you want truly kissable (and honestly, just comfortable) lips, you'll need a good formula that's made specifically to soften, hydrate, and even the texture of your lips. To make the journey a billion times easier, we searched the internet (and our own purses and medicine cabinets) for our absolute favorites, both classic and current. Here, we present to you the very best lip balms, treatments, stains, salves, and crayons you'll actually be excited to slather on each day.
This Kiehl's Classic Lip Balm #1
There's a reason this Lip Balm is called #1. With squalene, aloe vera, and vitamin E, this product soothes the lips while giving them the moisture they need. This product gives lips a juicy shine that means you can pack away your lip glosses, as an added bonus.
This Glossy Stain Sugar Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15
Once upon a time, a lip stain and a lip gloss fell in love, got married, and created this baby tinted balm. The stain-gloss formula is perfectly hydrating, not at all sticky, and comes in 12 bright shades—ranging from pale rose to deep wine—that are so sheer and pretty, they'll look good on every skin tone.
This Rosy All-in-One Rosebud Salve
This multitasking retro salve is easily the cultiest of cult-favorite beauty products (even Beyoncé has admitted to using it as a primer on her lashes), and reason is clear: You can truly slather it anywhere. At least, anywhere you want a rosy wash of color (and scent)—like over the apples of your cheeks, on the center of your eyelids, or even raked through thick eyebrows for shine and hold.
This Japanese Jelly Mask The Kissu Lip Mask
You know that feeling when your lips have had it and your left with irritable, inflamed, cracky lips? Same—we've all been there. This jelly mask will be your lips' lifesaver because it's made of Japanese peach, which is known to soften, repair, and calm inflammation. Not to mention, the Japanese camellia oil uses omegas and vitamins to seal moisture.
For Working Out and Looking Good Kosasport LipFuel Hyaluronic Lip Balm
Picture this: it's summer. You're playing some chic sport like tennis and you've got a cute 'lil outfit on. A tinted balm will elevate your look, but is still functional enough to rock while you sweat. This option is filled with hyaluronic acid and stays put so you can stay hydrated for longer.
For Your Purse Total Hydration with Sea Minerals Nourishing Lip Balm
Chapstick might be a classic, but this new formula takes the brand's promise of moisture to the next level. It's enriched with blue sea kale, sea algae, and aloe to moisturize and sooth lips.
For A Faux Filler The Lip Slip One Luxe Balm
If you love a lip treatment that feels glam and goopy (I for sure do), this is the formula to lather on. Vitamins A and E treat fine lines that can appear in lips with age, and its high-shine finish makes lips look plump and luscious.
Aquaphor Lip Repair Balm
Beyoncé uses Aquaphor on her face every night—need I say more? In an ELLE interview, Queen Bey said she lathered this all over her face at night to wake up with glowing skin: "I go to bed looking totally greasy." And you better believe my lips follow suit. This treatment is rich with moisture, so I like to apply a generous amount on my lips before bed.
For Some Luxury The Lip Balm
Yes, it's a splurge, but it's one that's well worth it if you're a balm obsessee. The formula's plumping complex increases elasticity and fights loss of hydration, while vitamin E keeps the lips' moisture barrier intact.
The Vegan Pick Lip Butter Balm
Cult-famous skincare and bodycare line Summer Fridays recently expanded into lipcare with the launch of its Lip Butter Balm. It's formulated with shea and murumuru seed butters for a luscious feel and a plumping effect.
For a Shelfie Lip Conditioner
The packaging is as chic as it gets, and the formula inside is just as covetable: beeswax, avocado oil, and shape butter create a creamy, hyper-hydrating experience you can take with you.
This Clear Salve Balm Dotcom
I know the immediate draw of Glossier products is the Instagrammable packaging, but this thick salve is worth more than a photo. It's formulated with castor seed oil, beeswax, and lanolin that make it easily spreadable, so you can use it everywhere—across your cracked lips, over your ashy elbows, or even along your cheekbones for a natural highlight.
100% Natural Moisturizing Lip Balm
I mean, I can't not include this magical, amazing, cult-favorite lip balm, because it's the only formula I want to be buried with. The formula is incredibly simple: A mix of coconut, lanolin, peppermint, and sunflower oils, plus a bit of beeswax, all working together to moisturize and protect your lips without a ton of fragrance or flavor. Plus, it's $10 for a four-pack.
This Silky Lip Mask Lip Sleeping Mask
PSA: Your lips deserve the same TLC you give to your face. This lip mask has spoiled my lips since the moment we met, and I have no plans on letting it go anytime soon. If you have naturally dry skin, you'll appreciate this fast-absorbing formula filled with antioxidants and vitamin C. The ingredient combo will sink right into your lips, providing you with long-lasting hydration and subtle shine. Even better? You don't only have to wear it overnight. In fact, I keep mine on my desk for when I want to treat my lips to a midday spa session.
This Luxe Lip Balm The Lip Balm
Please don't hate me for including a $60 lip balm—I had to, it's that good. This is an opportunity for you to embrace "put your money where you mouth is," quite literally. La Mer has this innovate ingredient called "Miracle Broth," which is a mixture of sea kelp, minerals, and nutrients that has gone through a natural fermentation process to leave your lips feeling ridiculously smooth, soothed and hydrated. In other words, this lip balm is legit.
This Glow-Inducing Stick Dior Addict Lip Glow
It's no secret that I'm obsessed with this balm. It's not too shiny or sticky, it doesn't smell like cupcakes and 2003, and it doesn't give you that gunky white line around your lips after a few hours. And, most importantly, it leaves your lips with the prettiest glow—I know, I know, but there's no better word for it—that sticks around through lunch (and second lunch).
The Tinted Balm Sugar Hydrating Lip Balm
Apricot kernel, black currant seed, grapeseed oil, and sugar make this luscious balm one of the most moisturizing on the market, but you should add it to your cart for its pretty tint alone.
For Wearing Everyday With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm
This paraben-free formula comes in eight natural-looking shades and offers all-day color.
This Anti-Aging Balm Lip Balm
Sagging skin = sagging lips. Nip that sign of anti-aging in the bud with this all-natural savior, which happens to be Jennifer Aniston's favorite (have you seen her amazing 50-year-old skin!?!). The hefty dose of silk in this balm strengthens your lip tissue, resulting in healthy, smooth lips.
This Ingredient-Packed Balm Lippe Balm
This lip balm is on the pricier side, but there's a good reason. Packed with hydrating oils and vitamins, this balm gives your lips hydration that will actually last all day long. You won't need to reapply it every 30 seconds, so the tube ends up being worth the cost.
This Antioxidant-Rich Balm Lip Balm
The winter's brisk air is constantly coming for your lips. The second you step outside, you're battling that frustrating chapped feeling that likes to creep up and suck out all of the moisture from your skin. Fortunately, this balm's formula is smarter than that, thanks to Vitamin E. This antioxidant fights off environmental stressors like no other, and feels like a tall glass of water for your lips.
This Tropical Balm Geometric Pineapple Lip Balm
Alright, alright—aside from its adorably on-trend packaging (PINEAPPLES!), this 100 percent natural lip balm is perfect for anyone who wants major moisturizing powers in a delicious flavor. It's formulated with coconut and sweet almond oils to protect and soften lips, along with a mix of extracts that give it a mango and strawberry taste. Basically, this isn't like a regular balm—it's a cool balm.
The Protective Balm PLAY Lip Balm SPF 30 with Acai PA+++
If sun protection is a high priority for you when reaching for a lip balm (as it always should be), look to this clear, shea butter–based formula that won't leave your lips pasty, despite being loaded with SPF 30.
This Pigmented Crayon Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Color Balm
Balm meets lipstick in this tinted crayon that delivers all-day hydration (thanks to a combo of mango butter and shea butter), along with a surprisingly pigmented layer of color. Even the palest of the eight shades, Curviest Caramel, will leave lips with a subtle, yet long-lasting stain.