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The other day, a friend responded to my selfie: “Drop the lip combo.” My reply? This look is thanks to a combination of the best tinted lip balms.
She was shocked, to say the least. But it’s true: Sometimes, tinted lip balm is so good it can replace your must-have lipstick (though if you’re looking for something long-lasting and with higher pigment, lipstick is still better in that departmenta). What we love about tinted lip balm though is that it can still offer the color but with extra hydration. (As for which products I was wearing? Spoiler: It was the Glossier Ultralip and Cay Skin Isle Lip Balm.)
The best tinted lip balms, at a glance
- Best Tinted Lip Balm Overall: Glossier Ultralip, $22
- Best Luxury Tinted Lip Balm: Dior Addict Refillable Shine Lipstick, $46
- Best Tinted Lip Balm With SPF: Supergoop! Lipshade 100% Mineral SPF 30 Hydrating Lipstick, $24
- Best Glossy Tinted Lip Balm: Laneige Lip Glowy Balm, $19
- Best Glossy Tinted Lip Balm With SPF: Cay Skin Isle Lip Balm SPF 30, $14
- Best Drugstore Tinted Lip Balm: Burt’s Bees Lip Tint Balm, $9
Considering how versatile the best lip balms truly can be, it’s no surprise that Glamour editors have at least one (or several) that they absolutely swear by. From multitasking treatments to SPF-spiked balms, you’re sure to find at least one—if not several—lippie MVPs that you, too, soon won’t leave the house without. Happy smooching (and hydrating)!
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1/11
Glossier Ultralip
Glamour is seriously fond of Glossier Ultralip, and across all departments: Senior trending news and entertainment editor Sam Reed, shopping editor Malia Griggs, designer Channing Smith, and I—a beauty editor—are all equally obsessed. “I am rarely found without Glossier’s Ultralip on me,” says Smith. “The lippie marries the nourishing hydration of a balm and the color and shine of a lipstick, making it the perfect everyday product.” I feel the same way: In fact, it’s so good it’s replaced all of my luxury lipsticks and then some. I also have multiple tubes—one in my bag, one at my desk, one at home, and so on—so I’m never without it.
Smith’s go-to shades are Deco and Apricot; a lively pop of red-orang and warm, summer neutral that can build to a brown. I, on the other hand, love and wear Portrait, a cherry blossom pink. Griggs prefers blood orange Coupe and reed the deep mauve Ember.
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2/11
Dior Addict Refillable Shine Lipstick
Glamour’s Reed points to Dior Addict Refillable Shine Lipstick in Dior 8 as her go-to red lip for its long-lasting shine, pigment, satin finish, and added hydration. It’s so moisturizing, in fact, that despite technically being a lipstick I’m considering a lip balm.
Its hydrating formula is thanks to combination of jasmine wax and plum oil, which allows Dior Addict to deliver 24 hours of hydration and and six hours of show-stopping colors. Can you say best of both worlds? Oh, this also has the widest shade range I could find: Available in 20 versatile colors, so no matter your skin type, tone, or taste, you’re sure to find your shade match.
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3/11
Supergoop! Lipshade 100% Mineral SPF 30 Hydrating Lipstick
Supergoop’s Mineral Lipshade doesn’t just have SPF 30, which is ideal on its own, but substantial—and downright impressive—color payoff that doesn’t budge or run no matter how sweaty I get (which can be very). It’s perfect for anyone who wants to look cute but is spending substantial amounts of time outdoors in the sun—think: a beach day, a long walk, or lounging by the pool. That said, I’m such an SPF stan I wear it almost any time I’m outdoors in the sun, and I even used it at an international black-tie wedding. It looks and feels so good, you’d never know it has SPF!
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4/11
Ilia Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm
“I was sold after a single swipe,” Vogue senior shopping editor Talia Abbas writes in her Ilia Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm review. “Creamy and incredibly hydrating from the moment you apply, Ilia’s Balmy Tint combines all the benefits of a daily lip treatment with the juicy pigment of a lipstick—in one easy-to-apply balm stick.”
Equally impressive are the eight shades, she adds, “which range from a pretty rose to a yummy cherry red: the pigment gives a gorgeous wash of color that makes your lips look like yours but better, and I love how versatile and wearable they are for daytime.” Abbas’ go-to is Memoir “for a natural, just-bitten look,” though she notes that all the shades are buildable so you can layer for more intensity depending on your mood or look.
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5/11
Laneige Lip Glowy Balm
Laneige is the cream of the crop when it comes to lip hydration. Just look how much everyone loves their overnight lip mask. Given their reputation, I guess it’s no surprise that so many Glamour editors are equally obsessed with the Lip Glowy Balm—and especially the ones that give your pout the perfect pigmented boost.
To put it simply: This is everything most people want out of a lip balm. Obviously, it’s super hydrating thanks to its nourishing formulation of murumuru butter and shea butter, but not at all heavy, sticky, or runny, and lasts all day long. It also smells delicious and leaves a light tint atop the lips for a no-makeup makeup finish. We like that it doesn’t look overdone or like you’re necessarily wearing anything. It just makes you, and your lips, look luscious, healthy, and hydrated, and who doesn’t want that?! Exactly.
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6/11
Tatcha The Kissu Lip Tint SPF 25 Hydrating Tinted Lip Sunscreen
Both senior West Coast editor Jessica Radloff and contributor Brigitt Earley swear by Tatcha’s multitasking powerhouse: The Kissu Lip Tint. “This product just feels fancy—like something you’d tuck in your purse for a night out,” says Earley, who is a fan of the dusty Plum Blossom shade. “Yet, you reap most of the same benefits as your average SPF lip balm.”
Radloff is also a fan of the plum tint, noting that “the tube is sleek, which makes it easy to toss into a cross-body bag or Ziplock suitable for TSA without taking up much room. Plus, since it’s got sunscreen and is made with silk protein and botanical lanolin, it does double duty to seal in moisture, provide color, and protect from the sun’s rays. It’s all you need, whether you’re staying home or on the go.”
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7/11
Cay Skin Isle Lip Balm SPF 30
If you’ve struggled to find an SPF-spiked balm or gloss that you actually like to wear, the search stops now. Because the truth is: I didn’t know it was possible for an SPF-infused lip balm to not leave that weird, sunscreen-y aftertaste until I tried Cay Skin’s Isle Lip Balm. It’s SPF 30, so it’s perfect for protecting your lips from UV rays but feels exactly like regular luscious lip balm that doesn’t smell or taste like chemicals. It also gives your lips a very ’90s-inspired pop of gloss that will get you lots of compliments; trust me.
It’s amazing as a stand-alone lip balm too: Formulated with sea moss, aloe stem cells, and vitamin E, it hydrates, soothes, and protects the lips without a sticky finish. I love the clear option for when I’m going barefaced and opt for Irie Rose for a pop of lip color. Neither have left my bag since I bought them, and I actually have so many tubes that I’ve lost a few to the laundry cycle and still have enough left over that it’s okay.
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8/11
Rhode Peptide Lip Tint
Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment and Tint really are worth the hype—so much so that I tried it and loved the former without even knowing what it was. Yes, really: A makeup artist applied it to my lipsnd it felt and smelled so good I asked what product it was to get myself. When she pulled the Rhode Skin tube out of her kit, I knew I was a forever fan. It’s super hydrating, smells amazing, and has a high-shine finish similar to a Y2K-era gloss. It’s the best of both worlds!
Glamour senior beauty editor Ariana Yaptangco is also a fan (and even has the corresponding phone case): “The Peptide Lip Treatment gives you the most luscious lips without feeling super sticky or heavy (a rarity for lip glosses, IMO) and the gloss is so shiny and pretty,” she says. “My lips are incredibly sensitive to product and typically act up by becoming itchy and leathery, but they haven’t had any reaction to this treatment—even the watermelon and caramel flavors.”
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9/11
Eadem Le Chouchou Exfoliating + Softening Peptide Lip Balm
“As the great lip treatment war of 2024 continues, I think it’s time we crown a winner—and my vote goes to Eadem’s Le Chouchou exfoliating and softening peptide lip balm,” says Glamour contributing editor Emily Tannenbaum.” Not only does the AHA and peptide-rich formula lock in moisture for hours, it also exfoliates without any trace of graniness I’ve found in other comparable products. Plus, the color payoff is more vivid than many lip gloss options on the market, making it the only lip product I need to carry in my bag from day to night. But you know what really sets the Le Chouchou apart? It’s cooling applicator, which feels like a spa treatment unto itself.”
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10/11
Burt’s Bees Lip Tint Balm
You don’t need to break the bank to get your hands (or lips) on the best tinted lip balm, and Burt’s Bees iconic Lip Tint Balm proves it. Formulated with shea butter and botanical waxes that ensure eight hours of hydration and available in eight different shades, this is a lip product I’ve relied on for at least 15 years as it’s never led me astray.
I’m not alone in my obsession: It’s amassed a whopping 4.6 rating on Amazon as well. “Burt’s Bees Tinted Balm is literally the BEST,” writes one reviewer. “I have olive skin and bought the Red Dahlia color, which looks fantastic and adds nice color.” Adds another: “It gives just the right tint. Been using this brand for more years than I can count. It’s smooth and glossy and keeps your lips from getting chapped.” Lots of others note that these make perfect stocking stuffers, too.
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11/11
Tower 28 Beauty SOS LipSoftie Hydrating Lip Treatment Balm
Glamour commerce editor Jenifer Calle is a major Tower 28 LipSoftie stan (as am I;
