Sonia Kashuk Moisture Luxe Tinted Lip Balm
First picture: Sonia Kashuk Moisture Luxe Tinted Lip Balm in Hint of Coral, Hint of Pink
Second picture: Swatches of Hint of Coral, Hint of Pink
Sonia Kashuk recently made over their packaging style, replacing most of their white packaging for black matte plastic and also changing their fonts for their nail polish bottles. One of the newly packaged, and just plain new, products is Sonia Kashuk Moisture Luxe Tinted Lip Balm. According to the brand, the balm is a “lightweight formula” that “supplies essential nutrients, vitamins and anti-aging ingredients,” along with SPF 15. It includes acai oil, cherry extract, and safflower seed oil, and is supposed to act as an anti-aging and moisturizing product. The balm comes in four shades, Hint of Berry, Hint of Red, Hint of Coral, and Hint of Pink, the latter two of which I received for review.
Whenever I hear the term “lip balm,” and whenever I see that kind of product in a tube, I think of two things: a product that is either too thick and doesn’t absorb well into lips, or something that is too slick and slippery. The Moisture Luxe Tinted Lip Balm, though, is just right; it almost has a gel-like consistency, one that applies easily, and it felt very soft on lips. The first immediate drawback, though, is the smell: although it is supposed to be without any smell or flavor, I got a really fruity, almost cherry medicine-like whiff at the beginning of each application. It’s strong, to say the least.
Once the product is on, though, it works. These are very nicely pigmented, not too sheer, and quite glossy; I didn’t experience any flaking or clumping on my lips. The only issue I found was wear-time: The brand’s description doesn’t promise any specific length of time, but I saw these fading from my lips quite fast, at about two hours. So constant reapplication was a must, and given how frequently I had to do so, I’m not sure what that says about the moisture level my lips are getting, either.
Overall, though, these were pleasant. They’re not the greatest balm around but I liked the colors and the consistency, and they’re an easy thing to throw in my bag and go.
VERDICT: B+; these aren’t flawless, but I liked the sheer color and shine they provided, even if it faded fairly fast.
AVAILABILITY: $8.99 each at Target.com and Target stores.
