Brand: Nivea
Range: Lip Butter
Flavours: Unscented, Caramel Cream, Vanilla & Macadamia
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• Nivea Lip Butters are every bit worth their hype – they’re not only dangerously delicious but live up to their claims on rich moisturisation, transforming dull looking lips to a smooth and pampered pout.
• Formulated with Shea Butter, mild almond oil and Vitamin E, it instantly melts on lips when applied with none of that “white mask” effect that you often get with shea butter balm.
• Smoothes the lip surface & leaves no residue once absorbed, making it a great base under lipsticks that a moisturised
• Lips are moisturised both on the surface as well as from within, thanks to Nivea’s Hydra IQ deep moisture technology.
• Available in 3 flavours – Unscented, Vanilla & Macadamia and Caramel Cream.
• Verdict: It’s not everyday that my heart skips a beat with mass-market lip balms, but Nivea takes the cake with these lip butters.  The moment of truth came when I was unsuccessful in swatching lipsticks with my regular Maybelline Baby lips, and it wasn’t until I used Nivea Lip Butter as a lip base that I was able to take shots of these lipsticks beautifully.  I now use Nivea Lip Butters as my lip base for swatching.  Whilst my favourite is the Unscented flavour, I can’t lie that the other flavours are satiating & guaranteed to please a sweet tooth.

Swatch of Unscented.  It smooths rough edges but not so much lip creases once absorbed.

RRP: $5.19 AUD 

These products were provided for consideration.

Brand: BYS
Range: Mega Shine Lipgloss
Shades: Watermelon, Bubbalicious
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• Available in 17 shades, BYS Mega Shine Lipglosses are very smooth with a high shine finish.
• Sheer coverage with a hint of colour that’s more noticeable with Watermelon despite what you’d guess from looking at the tube & skin swatch.
• Very emollient, almost liquid in viscosity.  In fact Bubbalicious was a little runny, which I was a bit suspicious of (despite its name) as there shouldn’t be that many bubbles in a lipgloss tube!
• Verdict: Watermelon was an easy-to-wear sheer pink gloss with a hint of shimmer that’s affordable for only $3.95 AUD.  As for Bubbalicious, not only were the bubbles worrying, the purple hues weren’t really effective in adding a lilac wash to my lip tone. Nevertheless it’s an affordable gloss in a hygienic squeeze tube great for those who don’t want to spend a lot for a glossy lip.

L-R: Bubbalicious, Watermelon

RRP: $3.95 AUD

Available from K-Mart, selected pharmacies or online through www.fashionaddict.com.au

These products were provided for consideration.

Brand: Becca
Range: Butter Lip Balm SPF20
Shade: Untinted
Swatched by yours truly: akisa

• A nourishing lip with natural Tahitian Vanilla, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Honey, Vitamin E and essential fatty acids
• SPF 20 protection against sun damage
• Feels buttery smooth in a snugly comforting kind of way & softens lips.
• Whilst the texture works great under creamy lipsticks, any lip flaws become noticeable again (although slighly softened) once the balm is completely absorbed (around 5 minutes on dry lips).
• Packaged in twist top “lock” lid making it secure against mishaps in your makeup bag.
• Paraben-free
• Verdict:  As much as I love how moisturising & buttery smooth this lip balm is, I find the price tag quite steep ($20 USD / $40 AUD).  Whilst the price is on par with other high-end stick lip balms, for just a few dollars more, Clinique’s Repairwear Intensive Lip Treatment ($26 USD / $48 AUD) has anti-aging & provides more & longer-lasting moisture in a stick balm.  Try it if you like a buttery smooth lip balm, but there are other more affordable lip balms out there that work just as well as a lipstick base.

Lips look softened on immediate application, but any flaws return to normal once absorbed.

RRP: $40 AUD

This product was provided for consideration.

Brand: Philosophy
Range: Kiss Me Tonight – Intense Lip Therapy
Swatched by yours truly: akisa

• Very emollient lip balm that instantly softens and relieves dry lips with nourishing  shea and mango butter
• Provides long lasting moisture with a creamy / buttery feel.
• Reduces fine lines and restores lip definition to a healthy pout.
• No particular scent, just that of the cocktail of butters, oils and waxes
• Verdict: I love everything about this lip balm – the buttery texture, how it restores my lip shape & texture, the long lasting moisture.  I’ve also changed my mind about pot packaging recently, dedicating them as bedside table staples & slathering them on with a cotton tip in the morning or during days I hibernate at home since it doesn’t have SPF.  Using a cotton tip for this lip balm is worth the effort for how kissable it has made my lips.

Lines – smoothed. Lip shape – defined. Love at first application.

RRP: $19 AUD

Philosophy products are now available in Australia at their very own counters at David Jones in Sydney (Bondi Junction, Elizabeth St) and Melbourne (Bourke St).  Also available at Adore Beauty.

This product was provided for consideration.

Brand: EOS (Evolution of Smooth)
Range: Lip Balm
Flavour: Sweet Mint
Swatched by yours truly: akisa

• EOS Lip Balm is 95% organic, 100% natural and paraben / petrolatum / phthalate / gluten free.
• Packed with antioxidant-rich Vitamin E, soothing shea butter and jojoba oil
• Available in 6 flavours – Summer Fruit, Lemon Drop SPF15, Strawberry Sorbet, Honeysuckle Honeydew, Medicated Tangerine & Sweet Mint (pictured)
• Not that lip balm takes long to apply, but the dome shape makes application even faster, at least while the dome is still in shape.
• Verdict: On its own, the lightweight protection is near invisible. Whilst this may not satisfy everyone’s lips, it does make a good lip base under lipsticks that are sheer in texture that cannot afford to have anything slippery underneath.  If you’re not a sheer lippy wearer, I recommended this for younger lips that do not have issues with dryness or aging.

EOS Lip Balm Giveaway!

I have two EOS Lip Balms to give away! The first person to leave a comment will win Strawberry Sorbet & the second will win Lemon Drop SPF15.  Giveaway open to international readers.

Swatched over lips that have gone through a fair bit of swatching.
As you can see the lip balm is almost invisible.

 RRP: $3.29 USD available at EOS website

I purchased all three EOS lip balms mentioned in this post.