Favourite lip balms

I love trying out new lip balms and butters, but I'm always a bit skeptical of the claims. I'm quite fussy with lip balms, and even though I have about 20, there are a select few that I will keep coming back to.

My lips tend to get chapped very easily (especially my bottom lip) and some products seem to aggravate it. In the past few months I've heard that you shouldn't put Vaseline on your lips because it contains mineral oil and actually depletes the moisture from your lips, or something like that? For the duration of my high school career I only used Vaseline with Vitamin E for my lips. That and lipgloss used to be my staple, and let me tell you: in those couple of years I did not once have chapped or sore lips. My lips were soft and smooth and after starting to use lipstick quite often, I'm considering going back to my trusty Vaseline with Vitamin E!

As for proper lip balms, here are my pick of the crop.

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1

This was quite an expensive tube when I first bought it, but boy oh boy is it amazing! It leaves my lips soft, smooth, and nourished with a hint of clear gloss. I'm currently on tube number two of this, and before that I tried the cranberry fragrance which was equally divine.

You can buy this from Kiehl's (selected Edgars stores) for around R125.

The Body Shop Aloe Lip Care

I heard about this little tube from various overseas beauty bloggers, and when my lips started acting up a few months ago, I knew it was time to try it. It's almost half of the price of the Kiehl's, and does an almost equally good job. It's pretty much fragrance free (it doesn't smell like aloe, thankfully) and is quite a thick gloopy lip balm to put on. After application you can feel it nourishing your lips, and you only need to reapply a few times during the day (much less than with other lip balms, I would say).

You can buy this from The Body Shop for R70.

Maybelline BabyLips in Hydrate

Now I know there is a big divide between the two camps: either you love Maybelline BabyLips or you don't get it. And in the "Love BabyLips" camp, there are some who love this Hydrate variant, and others who can't stand it. As this lip balm made the cut for this post, you can guess in which group I fall. It's really been years since I've found a lip balm in stick form that does such a good job as this one. It doesn't smell of anything, but simply glides onto your lips and keeps them hydrated. Nothing more, nothing less. And for around R25 you'd be hard-pressed to find something better.

You can buy this from Clicks, Dischem, or recently Pick N Pay. Oh, and the reason for the stock photo is because I've finished tube number three of this and thrown the empties out.

Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm (jar)

This is one of the most raved-about lip balms that I have probably ever heard of. It took me a long time, but I finally got my hands on a jar at the end of winter. The consistency and the smell were very different to what I had expected. I somehow expected a creamy yellow lip balm with a honey scent. Instead it is a thick yellow-orange balm that smells of oranges. That being said, it definitely lives up to the hype. I use this religiously every night before going to bed (and sometimes during the day when I'm at home such as over weekends), and wake up to smooth lips. No more chapped lips or horrible dryness!

You can buy this from selected Truworths stores or online for R130-155. Pricey, but a jar lasts a long time.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream lip protectant

I have always been a fan of the Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, although not of the smell. This lip protectant comes in lipstick form, and even though it has the distinct medicinal smell, it's slightly less offensive than that of the skin protectant. I apply this before I start with my makeup, so that my lips are smooth and moisturised by the time I apply my lipstick. Being in lipstick form, it glides across the lips easily and hydrates the skin without leaving it sticky or greasy. I'm almost finished with mine and am seriously contemplating getting another one.

You can buy this from stockists of Elizabeth Arden. I'm unsure of the price as I bought mine as an Eight Hour Cream set.

What are your favourite lip balms? I'm always on the lookout for new ones to try, so let me know in the comments section.

Until next time!

Hildegarde

xoxo