Colored lip balms
First picture, left to right: L’Oreal Colour Riche Caresse Stick in 169 Pink Plush, 171 Pink Cashmere, 175 Violet Chiffon; Clark’s Botanicals Ultra Rich Lip Tint in 06 Because I Love You, 04 Rachel Red; Mad Gab’s Wildly Natural Lip Shimmer in Plum, Pink
Second picture, left to right: Swatches of 169 Pink Plush, 171 Pink Cashmere, 175 Violet Chiffon, 06 Because I Love You, 04 Rachel Red, Plum, Pink
Sometimes, you just have to have color, and I like tossing a few pigmented options into my purse or backpack in case I need a bright pick-me-up during the day. L’Oreal recently expanded their popular Colour Riche line with the Caresse Stick product, a very glossy, pigmented lip balm that packs color and shimmer. These are a little steep at $10, but stores like Target, Ulta, and CVS Pharmacy often have buy-one-get-one deals on L’Oreal, and I would certainly stock up on some of the 16 shades then.
For intense shine, I like looking to Clark’s Botanicals Ultra Rich Lip Tint, a really moisturizing, slick product available in six feminine colors, ranging from nudes to pinks to reds. My favorites are orangey coral 06 Because I Love You and classic true red 06 Rachel Red, named after a friend of the brand’s creator.
And few things are more affordable than Mad Gab’s, which aside from making straightforward, sheer lip balm also sells this insanely shimmery variety. The Pink shade is more suitable for a daytime look, but the Plum is nicely dramatic, a good option for evening.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY: About $9.99 each for L’Oreal, find store locations at LOrealParisUSA.com; $19 each for Clark’s Botanicals at ClarksBotanicals.com; $5 each for Mad Gab’s at MadGabs.com.
