Review & Swatches: e.l.f. Lip Kiss Balm
Have you noticed e.l.f. has been releasing lots of new products lately?
One of which caught my attention because I'm always drooling over people with their Maybelline Baby Lips. I wanted something in the cruelty free product world like that! Now, (Thanks to e.l.f.) we have it.
In all honesty I really don't know how these stack up to the Maybelline Baby Lips since I won't buy anything from Maybelline but I think these are very similar, if not a little better.
I have 4 shades of the Lip Kiss Balms to show you today; these are the initial 4 shades they released. a few weeks later they released even more shades but I don't need that many tinted lip balms so I will just stick with these 4. Heck. I probably won't ever get through these 4.
I like the slick feel of the packaging and the translucent cap feels fun and translates the transparent, sheer effect of the Lip Kiss Balm. It is plastic so it's probably not the most durable packaging but lip balm typically comes in an inexpensive plastic tube anyway so I see no issue since it is also a very inexpensive product. That's kind of the makeup of lip balm; it tends to get lost so you end up buying another to replace it. No big deal.
One thing I am not crazy about is the fact that all of the product does not roll down into the tube. It's just asking to get smashed when I replace the cap. Quite a few other lip products do this as well. I get that they want you to be able to see the product in the packaging but it's really a pain for me in everyday life. I'm a klutz; I make a mess of stuff like this.
However, if you are ever worried about the product rolling up and getting smushed while the cap is closed, there is no need to fret with this product because as you roll the product down it clicks into it's resting position. So that is a nice added feature here. The clear transparent lid does snap on nicely so I'm not concerned that the cap will come off in my bag. The silver e.l.f. logo will probably rub off eventually. There are tiny silver labels on the bottom to let you know the name of the color.
Now, for the actual product inside the tube; you get .15oz. of product. These are a pretty good texture; better than the Wet n Wild Balms and some other waxy indie brands I have tried. These are not as thick as The Body Shop's Balms. They are closest in texture to Burt's Bees Balms, which are my favorite. It's thick enough to stay on your lips and not dissipate quickly but thin enough to feel nice and emollient. You can continue to rub your lips together and not loose the product. They are mint scented but I don't find it to be too strong or irritating. I get a little tingle when I first apply these for the day. These do not have a flavor; I don't notice any kind of taste. They do not feel sticky or tacky on my lips. They do require a second or two to warm up on your lips before you can really glide them over your lips.
All swatches are 3 swipes on bare skin (CoverFX N20).
Flirty & Perky Pink: I really wish the names of these were more like Pink Kiss, Red Kiss, Berry Kiss, etc. I feel like it would have been simpler and would fit with the product name. The name of this particular shade is kind of silly. This is a bright, cool toned pink. I was hoping that it would have some warm ties once applied but it doesn't. This is like a Nikki Minaj pink. Gals who love those colors will like this. I will probably use this one the least. The swatch on my arm looks a little light but when applied to my lips it was pretty darn pigmented it just took a few extra swipes to get it there. It did tend to settle into lip lines.
Bare Kiss: When I first got these I kind of thought this would be my favorite of the bunch. It looks like a nice, muted nude in the tube. But when applied to the lips it tends to lean a little peachy orange & warm. It's not terrible, it will still get plenty of use from me, but there are gals who are not fans of peachy orange tones. So, keep that in mind. Out of the 4 this is the least pigmented but it still leaves you with a tint. For me it will be very versatile because I tend of wear lots of corals anyways. It did tend to settle into lip lines.
XO Red: I'm not usually one to love reds but this is my favorite of the bunch. This is a bright coral red; more orangey red coral than pinky/peach. It is very pigmented as well; you still get the sheer jelly feel but it really packs a vibrant tint. It did settle into lips lines a little but because the pigmentation is good you don't really notice it unless you are looking for it. I think this is super cute and fun. A great way to wear a red lip without having to line & fill in your lips for that perfected look. This probably could migrate into lip lines and feather some so put down a little clear lip liner first.
Berry Sweet: My 2nd runner up; this is a nice berry toned tint. This isn't quite as pigmented as XO Red but it still leaves you with a good amount of color. It's deeper than the other 3 and it has a mix of red & brown tones. Berry shades don't always work for me and I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I like this one me but it's different so I've been leaning towards it. Perfect for Fall & Winter. It does not appear to settle into lip lines. (My swatch above looks patchy but I didn't have an issue with this applying patchy on my lips)
These tend to wear like most tinted balms do; they won't last all day but they do leave a trace of color behind on your lips so you still have some color hanging around. These are meant to be applied throughout the day; I think Flirty & Perky Pink & Bare Kiss would be easy to apply without a mirror. However, you might want to look in the mirror before applying XO Red & Berry Sweet or you could end up looking like the Joker. But just a quick application in a mirror would be easy to do as well. I recently picked this one up on eBay and it works great; it's large enough that I can really see what I'm doing but not too large so it is easily grabbed out of my bag. It even has LED lights; but I don't use them because they are really bright and practically blind me.
I was worried that these would not actually moisturize or soften my lips because I had tried a Wet n Wild Balm in the past that actually caused my lips to chap more. However, I am happy to report that these do in fact moisturize and soften lips. I've been wearing these for 3 days now and they are keeping my lips comfortable and soft.
I will be sending the Flirty & Perky Pink to a friend who likes pinks. The other 3 will reside with me; although, I already know that at some point I will want to check out the other shades in the lineup. What do you think of these Lip Kiss Balms? Interested in trying one (or 6)? What is your favorite tinted lip balm?
One of which caught my attention because I'm always drooling over people with their Maybelline Baby Lips. I wanted something in the cruelty free product world like that! Now, (Thanks to e.l.f.) we have it.
In all honesty I really don't know how these stack up to the Maybelline Baby Lips since I won't buy anything from Maybelline but I think these are very similar, if not a little better.
I have 4 shades of the Lip Kiss Balms to show you today; these are the initial 4 shades they released. a few weeks later they released even more shades but I don't need that many tinted lip balms so I will just stick with these 4. Heck. I probably won't ever get through these 4.
I like the slick feel of the packaging and the translucent cap feels fun and translates the transparent, sheer effect of the Lip Kiss Balm. It is plastic so it's probably not the most durable packaging but lip balm typically comes in an inexpensive plastic tube anyway so I see no issue since it is also a very inexpensive product. That's kind of the makeup of lip balm; it tends to get lost so you end up buying another to replace it. No big deal.
One thing I am not crazy about is the fact that all of the product does not roll down into the tube. It's just asking to get smashed when I replace the cap. Quite a few other lip products do this as well. I get that they want you to be able to see the product in the packaging but it's really a pain for me in everyday life. I'm a klutz; I make a mess of stuff like this.
However, if you are ever worried about the product rolling up and getting smushed while the cap is closed, there is no need to fret with this product because as you roll the product down it clicks into it's resting position. So that is a nice added feature here. The clear transparent lid does snap on nicely so I'm not concerned that the cap will come off in my bag. The silver e.l.f. logo will probably rub off eventually. There are tiny silver labels on the bottom to let you know the name of the color.
Now, for the actual product inside the tube; you get .15oz. of product. These are a pretty good texture; better than the Wet n Wild Balms and some other waxy indie brands I have tried. These are not as thick as The Body Shop's Balms. They are closest in texture to Burt's Bees Balms, which are my favorite. It's thick enough to stay on your lips and not dissipate quickly but thin enough to feel nice and emollient. You can continue to rub your lips together and not loose the product. They are mint scented but I don't find it to be too strong or irritating. I get a little tingle when I first apply these for the day. These do not have a flavor; I don't notice any kind of taste. They do not feel sticky or tacky on my lips. They do require a second or two to warm up on your lips before you can really glide them over your lips.
The Shades: Flirty & Perky Pink, Bare Kiss, XO Red, and Berry Sweet.
All swatches are 3 swipes on bare skin (CoverFX N20).
Flirty & Perky Pink: I really wish the names of these were more like Pink Kiss, Red Kiss, Berry Kiss, etc. I feel like it would have been simpler and would fit with the product name. The name of this particular shade is kind of silly. This is a bright, cool toned pink. I was hoping that it would have some warm ties once applied but it doesn't. This is like a Nikki Minaj pink. Gals who love those colors will like this. I will probably use this one the least. The swatch on my arm looks a little light but when applied to my lips it was pretty darn pigmented it just took a few extra swipes to get it there. It did tend to settle into lip lines.
Bare Kiss: When I first got these I kind of thought this would be my favorite of the bunch. It looks like a nice, muted nude in the tube. But when applied to the lips it tends to lean a little peachy orange & warm. It's not terrible, it will still get plenty of use from me, but there are gals who are not fans of peachy orange tones. So, keep that in mind. Out of the 4 this is the least pigmented but it still leaves you with a tint. For me it will be very versatile because I tend of wear lots of corals anyways. It did tend to settle into lip lines.
XO Red: I'm not usually one to love reds but this is my favorite of the bunch. This is a bright coral red; more orangey red coral than pinky/peach. It is very pigmented as well; you still get the sheer jelly feel but it really packs a vibrant tint. It did settle into lips lines a little but because the pigmentation is good you don't really notice it unless you are looking for it. I think this is super cute and fun. A great way to wear a red lip without having to line & fill in your lips for that perfected look. This probably could migrate into lip lines and feather some so put down a little clear lip liner first.
Berry Sweet: My 2nd runner up; this is a nice berry toned tint. This isn't quite as pigmented as XO Red but it still leaves you with a good amount of color. It's deeper than the other 3 and it has a mix of red & brown tones. Berry shades don't always work for me and I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I like this one me but it's different so I've been leaning towards it. Perfect for Fall & Winter. It does not appear to settle into lip lines. (My swatch above looks patchy but I didn't have an issue with this applying patchy on my lips)
For those of you interested to know ingredients, product claims, and shelf life.
These tend to wear like most tinted balms do; they won't last all day but they do leave a trace of color behind on your lips so you still have some color hanging around. These are meant to be applied throughout the day; I think Flirty & Perky Pink & Bare Kiss would be easy to apply without a mirror. However, you might want to look in the mirror before applying XO Red & Berry Sweet or you could end up looking like the Joker. But just a quick application in a mirror would be easy to do as well. I recently picked this one up on eBay and it works great; it's large enough that I can really see what I'm doing but not too large so it is easily grabbed out of my bag. It even has LED lights; but I don't use them because they are really bright and practically blind me.
I was worried that these would not actually moisturize or soften my lips because I had tried a Wet n Wild Balm in the past that actually caused my lips to chap more. However, I am happy to report that these do in fact moisturize and soften lips. I've been wearing these for 3 days now and they are keeping my lips comfortable and soft.
I will be sending the Flirty & Perky Pink to a friend who likes pinks. The other 3 will reside with me; although, I already know that at some point I will want to check out the other shades in the lineup. What do you think of these Lip Kiss Balms? Interested in trying one (or 6)? What is your favorite tinted lip balm?
I recently picked up Bare Kiss since it was the only shade they had. I'm interested in make up but know nothing about it lol. I heard a mix of good and bad reviews on this so I was iffy. Is it still a good product?
ReplyDeleteI think so! I've been using Bare Kiss quite frequently lately and it is a staple in my bag. I willl say that the packaging did crack but did not impact the performance of the tube; it still closes & stays closed in my bag. The lettering did in fact rub off. I think this is an easy no-brainer.
ReplyDeleteSweet. Thank you for replying Kelly:) Means a lot. I can't wait to test out their other products.
ReplyDelete