What makes lip balms, WFH’s best accessory? Advice on how to use them and what to pick up alongside seven tinted lip balms available in India
Lip Balms are probably the only thing that almost every woman we know owns. Even those who gawk at highlighter or snicker at contouring. With 2020, getting us back into basics, and work-from-home alongside zoom calls giving us a barely-there makeup look, lip balms have once again become the mainstay in our beauty box. Lip balms come with multiple benefits – they moisturise dry, chapped lips, come in wonderful, assorted flavours and they soften the lips making them supple and smooth. They relieve discomfort, some even help you with pigmentation on the lips and prevent ageing. And with tinted lip balms, there is the added attraction of stunning colour, multiple ingredients and flavours that put you up to a good mood. How are they different from lipsticks? They’re more hydrating, more nourishing and come with brighter, more lush pigments so you don’t miss the glam side of things. And of course, the darker you want, the more pigment you need, you can choose flavours or colours that work for you.
Benefit Cosmetics just launched 12 amazing hues of their new California Kissin’ ColorBalm (Rs 1,950. Available at Sephora India) and they’re hella pigmented. “For the Indian market, I think Ruby, Wine and Berry will be big sellers as well as spiced Red which reflect a little more of an earthy brown red,” advises Maggie Ford Danielson, the Chief Beauty Ambassador at Benefit Cosmetics and the daughter and niece of co-founders’ Jean & Jane Ford.
So, what makes lip balms, WFH’s best accessory? Here’s Maggie’s take.
How to prep your lips
I brush my lips with a soft toothbrush in the shower to exfoliate. As for me, ruling out matte lipsticks that tend to dry my lips out, has been a boon.
Lip hacks that work
The rule I like is to look at the inside of your lower lip and try to match that shade for your true “nude”. My lips tend to be fairly flushed naturally so a “nude” for me would actually be quite pink. Also if you tend to get lipstick on your teeth after you apply it, stick your pinky finger in-between your pursed lips and gently draw it out while keeping your lips tight around your finger. It removes any lipstick that might have migrated to the inside of your lips.
Lip balms for work from home
Multi- tasking to the max! Use a soft pink or berry in the morning to perk up your look and it’s appropriate no matter what life throws at you that day. Home schooling, zoom meetings, yoga class or maybe a socially distanced walk with friends. Working from home used to imply barefaced and in PJ’s but now it’s all about highly effective, multi functioning products that help you get through your day.
Lip balms replacing lipsticks
Everyone needs their makeup to work overtime this year. Not because we are wearing it from our desks to the restaurants and beyond..it’s because we need to rely on our products to perform and last. No one needs the extra stress of worrying about their makeup. Lipstick while beautiful, it time consuming to apply, and tends to be somewhat of a “look”. Lip balms are much more versatile while still giving you the colour payoff of a lipstick and the added benefit of being a high-performing balm.
The best tinted lip balms to buy in 2021 according to LSA
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INR 2750
Lightweight, sheer and ultra-moisturizing, this formula has all the benefits of your go-to balm plus a colour-enhancing tint that brings out the best in lips. A nourishing blend of olive, avocado and jojoba oils smooths and softens lips instantly and over time, reducing the look of fine lines while delivering a healthier, plumped-up look.
INR 690
Get the best of both worlds with the Laneige Lip Glowy Balm. This 2-in-1 balm and gloss is enriched with shea and murumuru butters that help to nourish the lips and coat them with a light, glossy and slightly tinted finish.
INR 2050
This lip-loving multi-tasker hydrates, delivers a sheer wash of colour, and adds shine. This multi-tasking balm deeply hydrates for up to 72 hours, plus helps instantly reduce the appearance of lip lines. Lips are softer, smoother, and more comfortable. Delivers a sheer tint and natural-looking shine.
INR 2700
A clean, tinted lip balm with active levels of moisture-boosting ingredients and sheer colour that builds with each swipe. The buttery, balmy formula slides on with a smooth, satisfying slip. A blend of botanical butters and oils quenches dry skin on contact, helping lips look smoother, softer, and more plump.
INR 2400
Hit your pout with a hint of iconic colour with the Afterglow Lip Balm from French cosmetics and skincare brand NARS Cosmetics’ Orgasm collection. Named after the label’s bestselling universally-flattering shade, the Orgasm-tinted lip balm delivers a sheer wash of peachy pink colour with a subtle golden shimmer. Infused with Monoï Hydrating Complex and antioxidants, the moisturising formula glides effortlessly and evenly onto lips leaving them soft, radiant and protected from external and drying aggressors.
INR 1150
Enriched with shea butter for the most comfortable result, the Milani Flora Lip Balm belongs in your lip collection. With a subtle but bright magenta tinted finish, that glides onto the lips for a high-shine look, you need this lip balm on your radar.
INR 1500
With a buildable dose of dewy color, this tinted lip balm wraps lips in weightless hydration that lasts all day, so they feel nourished and nurtured. With shea butter and a botanical blend of lotus, gardenia, and white waterlily, it cushions lips while building colour so they look fuller and healthier.
INR 299
Mamaearth Rose Tinted 100% Natural Lip Balm gives your lips a 12-hour moisturisation in an easy twist-up packaging – it’s hygienic and hassle-free! What’s more, it’s India’s 1st Made Safe Certified lip balm which means it’s toxin-free and gives your lips the care they deserve from dawn to dusk. Crafted with nourishing ingredients like rose oil, shea butter, and coconut oil, it gives you long-lasting moisturisation and that natural rosy tint. It’s the perfect combination of care and colour.
Hero Image: Courtesy Shutterstock; Featured Image: Courtesy Instagram/ananyapanday
Latha Sunadh
Deputy Editor
When she's not trying on a new serum, researching on yet another classic fragrance and sharing lip balms with her 5-year old daughter, Latha Sunadh keeps it reined in with a nice song and a good book. Special skills include obsessing over handmade, home-made and handcrafted luxuries.
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