What’s the Difference Between Lipstick and Tinted Lip Balm?

"The difference between a tinted lip balm and lipstick is that lipstick isn’t necessarily hydrating, while a lip balm is supposed to be nourishing and hydrating," says Ceme. You’ll also see a difference in the actual pigment payoff, with balms being more on the light, sheer side, while a lipstick’s primary concern is color.

What causes chapped lips?

Environmental factors, such as dry air in the winter months or sun exposure in the summer, are often the number one culprit for chapped lips. Other causes include dehydration from not drinking enough water and drying ingredients like alcohol and synthetic fragrance.

The 15 Best Tinted Lip Balms in 2021

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If you’ve ever heard that beauty is pain, tinted lip balms put that notion to rest. No mirror? No problem. Tinted balms are super easy to apply and are a low maintenance option for a pop of color. With all of the hydration and nourishment you need found in these magical little pots, tubes, and sticks, you can give your pout some TLC while taking your look up a notch.

Whether you love a less-is-more, cool girl kind of look or prefer to go full-blown glam with every given opportunity, a tinted lip balm should surely be in your beauty cabinet. "The best part about quality tinted lip balms is that you’re getting the best of both worlds," says makeup artist Tai Ceme. "You'll get lasting, buildable color, plus a lip treatment.”

From luxury brands to drugstore options and somewhere in between, we’ve got you covered. Read on for the best-tinted lip balms on the market.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Clinique Chubby Stick Lip Colour Balm at Sephora

Jojoba oil, mango butter, and shea butter in this formula make for a creamy, textured lip balm.

Best Budget:

e.l.f Cosmetics Ride or Die Lip Balm at Ulta

This affordable balm uses jojoba oil to repair damaged, chapped lips.

Best Drugstore:

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm at Ulta

Keep lips moisturized for up to eight hours with this affordable formula that features shea butter and botanical waxes.

Best Splurge:

Dior Color Reviving Lip Balm at Sephora

A luxe option, this lip balm moisturizes lips all day long with the help of mango butter.

Best Hydrating:

Maybelline Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm at Amazon

If you're searching for a healing and hydrating lip balm, look no further than this affordable pick.

Best Shade Range:

Fresh Sugar Lip Balm at Fresh.com

It comes in 15 shades with a classic satin or shimmer finish, so you have plenty of options.

Best Long-Lasting:

Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balm at Amazon

This hydrating formula slips on easily and stays on for up to eight hours of hydration.

Best Subtle Color:

NARS Afterglow Lip Balm at Sephora

This pick adds just a touch of color while it conditions and protects your lips.

Runner-Up, Best Subtle Color:

BLK/OPL Lip and Cheek Tinted Balm at Blackopalbeauty.com

These balm sticks provide the sheer wash of color we’re craving and can be used on both the lips and cheeks.

Best Natural:

Kari Gran Lip Whip Color Balm at Credo Beauty

This natural balm features a whipped consistency with buildable color payoff.

In This Article

Our Picks
Final Verdict
What To Look For
Why Trust Us
How We Test

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm

View On Sephora View On Ulta

The Clinique chubby stick was my personal first-introduction to a bit of color play as a teen—it was good then, and it’s good now! With 15 satin-finish shades ranging from sheer and natural to bold and vibrant, there are plenty of hydrating options to choose from. The jojoba oil, mango butter, and shea butter create a rich, creamy texture that goes on smooth for easily buildable color.

View On Ulta View On Elfcosmetics.com View On Walmart

This tinted lip balm checks a lot of boxes. We’re talking vegan, cruelty-free, and intensely moisturizing for a great budget price. The rich, heavyweight balm is infused with jojoba oil meant to repair chapped lips, promising to leave them plump and hydrated. You’ll also love the sheer wash of color and natural fragrance.

View On Ulta

No need to break the bank for a hydrating, all-natural smooch of color! Look no further than your local drugstore. With shea butter and botanical waxes to keep lips moisturized for up to eight hours, according to the brand, you’ll definitely want to keep this handy stick in your purse or tote. The shimmer-free shade range includes flattering shades of pinks, reds, and violets—perfect for an everyday look.

View On Sephora

Bring on the glow with this ultra-hydrating lip balm. It has Color Reviver technology to react to your lips’ moisture level to release active ingredients. Long story short, it’s the balm that keeps on giving. The formula is enriched with mango butter and cucumber loofah meant to moisturize all day long and leave a natural flush of color unique to you.

View On Amazon View On Walmart

Kiss chronically chapped lips goodbye with this healing lip balm. It's been clinically tested and has had proven results for smoother, better-looking lips, according to the brand. Plus, it protects lips for up to a full eight hours, and of course (you know why we’re here), it comes in beautiful shades of pink for rich, natural-looking color.

Fresh Sugar Lip Balm in Sugar Rosé Tinted

View On Fresh.com

There’s a reason why this smoothing lip balm is known as a cult favorite. It has the sun protection you need, the hydration your lips crave (hello grapeseed oil!), and the sheer, buildable color you want. The formula is infused with sugar meant to prevent moisture loss, so you can count on long-lasting hydration. It also comes in 15 shades with a classic satin or shimmer finish, so you have plenty of options.

View On Amazon View On Ulta View On Honest.com

This hydrating formula slips on easily and stays on for up to eight hours of hydration. It’s infused with avocado oil meant to leave your lips feeling smooth and moisturized, but never sticky or waxy. Whether you’re looking for a soft nude or something more vibrant, swipe it on for a sheer look or keep on building for more noticeable color.

View On Sephora View On Narscosmetics.com

When it comes to ingredients, color pay off, moisture, and texture, this comforting lip balm fires on all cylinders. It comes in six universally flattering colors, no matter your skin tone, and it protects and conditions your lips hours after application. This is also a great product to introduce yourself to new colors. Curious about a red shade but not quite ready for the real deal? Turbo is a great place to start.

View On Blackopalbeauty.com

On days we’re craving a dewy, barely-there makeup look, these sheer tinted balms from BLK/OPL do just the trick. Available in two universally flattering shades—a slightly shimmery nude and a pinky rose gold—these balm sticks provide the sheer wash of color we’re craving and can be used on both the lips and cheeks. They also have plenty of skin-care benefits: Vitamins E and C offer antioxidant protection while a blend of chamomile oil and cocoa and shea butters revive dry and damaged lips and skin.

View On Credo Beauty View On The Detox Market

This whipped color balm has grown in popularity for its super nourishing formula and buildable color, but it also scores major points for its natural ingredients. “This is my favorite balm because it’s a clean product," says Ceme. "I also love that it feels very nourishing and hydrating, but has real staying power with color that lasts for hours."

View On Nordstrom View On Chanel.com View On Macy's

If you’re looking for what Byrdie contributor, Emily Algar calls “the french-girl lipstick of [her] dreams,” then you are in the right place. It comes in five shades of rouge that offer a muted stained yet hydrated look. You’ll love the effortless color, and the balm is comprised of moringa butter to glide on smoothly while protecting your lips and skin.

Coola Suncare Mineral Liplux® Organic Tinted Lip Balm SPF 30

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Your lips need sun protection too, and this hydrating SPF 30 balm has you covered. Not only does it protect from UV exposure, but it’s also nourishing and super softening. You’ll also love that it comes in fun, unique colors, like Coral Reef and Purple Sky.

View On Glossier.com

Barely-there makeup lovers, rejoice! This hydrating balm is packed with antioxidants and natural emollients meant to nourish dry, chafed skin. It’s formulated with heavy-duty moisturizers like castor oil and beeswax to hydrate and seal in moisture without irritating sensitive skin. Whether you’re looking for a subtle shimmer or a sheer red tint, you can apply this do-it-all balm wherever you need extra moisture.

View On Amazon View On Ulta View On Credo Beauty

When it comes to a low-maintenance beauty routine, the fewer products, the better. This moisturizing facial balm is the ideal multitasker with clean, natural ingredients that offer a hydrating boost of color to lips or cheeks. It has nourishing ingredients like olive and shea oils, and it comes in a flattering shade range that you’ll love as a blush or a lip tint.

View On Sephora View On Ulta View On Buxomcosmetics.com

Get your most supple, plumpest lips yet with this moisturizing balm. Inspired by Buxom’s best-selling glosses, these tinted balms have the plumping effects that so many love without the shine and texture of a gloss. It goes on like silk and reacts to your lips’ pH for your own unique pink to nude shade.

Final Verdict

There are plenty of tinted lip balm options out there, but the Clinique Chubby Stick is at the top of our list for its hydrating formula, creamy texture, and wide shade range. Fresh Sugar Lip Balm SPF 15 is also noteworthy for its shade selection and long-lasting hydration. On a budget? Look no further than e.l.f. Ride or Die Lip Balm that offers heavyweight hydration and smooth, sheer color.

What To Look for When Buying a Tinted Lip Balm

Ingredients

When Ceme is on the hunt for a new lip balm, she says, “First and foremost, I look at the ingredients. I like to make sure that they're natural, clean, or naturally derived.” Hydrating oils like avocado oil or grapeseed oil are great places to start, and you’ll also want to look for emollient ingredients like shea butter, sugar, and botanical waxes meant to lock moisture in.

Consistency

Consistency is a major thing to keep in mind when considering a lip balm. "A thicker consistency tends to last longer,” recommends Ceme. Essentially, leave the watery formulas to glosses that are more focused on shine than hydration.

Color pigment

Not all tinted lip balms are created equal. Some are simply there to hydrate and offer a slight boost to your natural lip color, while others perform more like a sheer lipstick. Determine the sheerness or opacity of the look you’re going for to guide your shopping decisions.

FAQ

What’s the Difference Between Lipstick and Tinted Lip Balm?

"The difference between a tinted lip balm and lipstick is that lipstick isn’t necessarily hydrating, while a lip balm is supposed to be nourishing and hydrating," says Ceme. You’ll also see a difference in the actual pigment payoff, with balms being more on the light, sheer side, while a lipstick’s primary concern is color.
What causes chapped lips?

Environmental factors, such as dry air in the winter months or sun exposure in the summer, are often the number one culprit for chapped lips. Other causes include dehydration from not drinking enough water and drying ingredients like alcohol and synthetic fragrance.

Why Trust Byrdie

Byrdie contributor Kindra Moné has been creating fashion and beauty content since 2013. Whether contributing to some of the top women’s lifestyle magazines or working in-house with global brands, Kindra has collaborated with some of the most knowledgeable beauty professionals in the industry. When she isn’t writing or trying out Instagram recipes, she’s giving wellness tips and sharing fashion news on her podcast.

How We Test Tinted Lip Balms

Our team works hard to be transparent about why we recommend certain products; you can read more about our product review methodology here.

According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find enough tinted lip balms from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business to meet this percentage. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com and we will evaluate the product ASAP.

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