Clinique made waves in 2011 with the lip balm Chubby Stick, with light pigment but super-moisture. Does the brand’s amped-up offering, Chubby Stick Intense, keep all of the original’s positives while effectively increasing opacity?
By Roxana Hadadi
On About Face, I have a very well-established love affair with Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm. I loved the first shades of the product, and then fell for a few additional colors, too. They’re incredibly portable, with nicely sheer pigmentation that works perfectly for a professional daytime or casual weekend look. I hoard them. You can’t borrow them. Sorry.
So I basically became a crazy person when I learned that Clinique was adding another iteration of the Chubby Stick to its lineup—the Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm. Available in eight shades (a smaller selection than the original’s 15-shade range) and promising “a soft cushion of color,” the Intense Lip Colour Balm is supposed to be, well, intense. And whether it pleased or disappointed me, I knew my feelings would be intense, too.
How did Intense Lip Colour Balm fare? For my review, read on!
Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm
First picture, left to right: Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in 01 Curviest Caramel, 02 Chunkiest Chili, 03 Mightiest Maraschino, 04 Heftiest Hibiscus, 05 Plushest Punch, 06 Roomiest Rose, 07 Broadest Berry, 08 Grandest Grape
Second picture, left to right: Swatches of 01 Curviest Caramel, 02 Chunkiest Chili, 03 Mightiest Maraschino, 04 Heftiest Hibiscus, 05 Plushest Punch, 06 Roomiest Rose, 07 Broadest Berry, 08 Grandest Grape
According to Clinique, Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm will “tempt lips” with color “that’s not quite sheer, not quite opaque—just the perfect happy medium.” The balm is supposedly “loaded with mango and shea butters so lips feel comfortably soft and smooth,” and Sephora’s product description adds that it’s perfect for “dry, delicate lips.”
Intense Lip Colour Balm is available in eight shades: 01 Curviest Caramel, a pinky nude; 02 Chunkiest Chili, a brick red; 03 Mightiest Maraschino, a bright cherry red; 04 Heftiest Hibiscus, an extremely bright orange red; 05 Plushest Punch, a very bright pink; 06 Roomiest Rose, a slightly brownish rose; 07 Broadest Berry, a pinkish raspberry; and 08 Grandest Grape, a pinkish plum.
Some of these seem like more amped-up versions of the original Lip Colour Balms (Mightiest Maraschino seems like the original’s Chunky Cherry, and Heftiest Hibiscus like Oversized Orange, for example), but across the board, these are not, as Clinique claims, “not quite sheer, not quite opaque.” They are so surprisingly opaque for a balm! I seriously cannot get over how pigmented these are, and it’s a great thing. I needed three swipes for the lighter shade Curviest Caramel, but two swipes of the other colors covered me completely. These won’t cover the texture of your lips—and, if you have darker-pigmented lips, some of your natural color might come through—but all shades of the balm look light and effortless. They don’t cake up, become goopy, or gather on the sides of your lips. I seriously could not love these more.
Packaging-wise, these are the same as the original Chubby Sticks: Although they’re packaged like a jumbo-sized pencil, you don’t sharpen them, but swivel upward from the bottom to reveal more balm on top. I apply these directly to lips and skip a lip brush.
Some things to note, however: These are not a lip gloss, so you won’t get shine or shimmer on your lips, just a soft-looking color that fades into a light stain after about four hours (faster if you eat or drink). Also, though the product is soft on the lips, I don’t think it’s as moisturizing as the original—perhaps because of the extra pigment, it ultimately feels heavier than a balm, like a very light lipstick. And lastly, my only issue is that if you apply too much, the product can slide around as you move your lips together (which I’ve experienced with practically every balm I’ve tried, from Jack Black to Lush to Burt’s Bees; it’s just the nature of the beast). So if you do swipe on some extra, just dab it off with a tissue.
But I don’t think the product should be faulted for having slight slip, like most balms do, or for having too much pigment—it is called Intense Lip Colour Balm, after all. Overall, this is another strong offering from Clinique, and great for all ages. Stock up.
VERDICT: A for strong pigmentation, good wear-time, and a comprehensive shade range—it’s a clear winner in my book.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY: $16 for 0.1 oz. of Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm, at Clinique.com and numerous retailers like Sephora, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and others.
EDITORIAL NOTE: The products featured in this post were provided to Chesapeake Family’s About Face blog by the manufacturer or their public relations company for review. Chesapeake Family’s About Face blog posts are inspired by personal experience and opinion, and are not paid for or influenced by the manufacturer, PR company, or any other organization unless mentioned.
Photos by Roxana Hadadi.
In middle school, Roxana Hadadi was a cosmetics-scorning tomboy; in high school, a glitter eye shadow- and black nail polish-loving trend kid; in college, obsessively committed to dying her hair unruly colors that upset her mom. Now a bit older and a bit more mature, she’s trying to figure out what hair, body and cosmetics products will work for her, you and your family in About Face, Chesapeake Family’s new beauty blog — and she’ll leave the sparkle makeup and neon highlights in the past. Roxana also writes movie reviews for Chesapeake Family’s Popcorn Parents blog.
