April 26, 2010

mark Summer 2010: mark Totally Balmed Tinted Lip Balm Review and Swatches

As long as you go into mark Totally Balmed remembering its a balm you should be a ok! Think of it as anything else and you could suffer from disappointment.

Jump!

What is it?

An antioxidant-rich lip balm available in sheer shades with SPF 15 that was released with the new mark Summer Collection 2010.

The Good….

If you’re looking for a quickie lip balm that has a hint of color plus sun protection this might appeal. It has a slightly peppermint-y taste with a very subtle kiss of color. SPF in the mix keeps lips from drying out or chapping due to sun exposure. You have to go into your purchase remembering this is a balm as it very much feels and acts like one. The formula isn’t particularly hydrating or moisturizing and it glides onto lips much like a chapstick would with a very slightly waxy feel. I tried two shades which were Totally Cute (sheer rosy berry) and Totally Sweet (transparent bubblegum pink). Totally Cute left my lips just bitten and Totally Sweet pretty much applied transparent with a slight glisten, however, it may show up a bit more on someone with less pigmented lips.

The Bad…..

Felt like the $8 price tag was a little too high for these. A shave off of say $3, making them $5 each, seems like a better deal. Had to keep reminding myself its a balm otherwise I’ll be disappointed that the formula isn’t a bit more moisturizing.

Who might like them?

  • Anyone seeking a lip balm with SPF.
  • Anyone who adores chapstick or balms such as chipstick.
  • Anyone who desires a quickie pick me up lip treatment and doesn’t want the drama of applying gloss and lipstick.

Who might not like them?

  • Anyone who feels $8 is a bit too much for a lip balm!
  • Anyone who likes a moisturizing, hydrating lip experience.

Final thoughts….

As I mentioned above, as long as you head into your purchase remembering these are a balm you’ll do just fine. However, if you expect more than a balm you may find yourself a tad disappointed as they do have a drier formula than many lip products and aren’t very moisturizing on lips. The color they leave behind (if you get a shade pigmented enough) is quite nice for a natural lip look or if you’re rushing about and can’t be bothered applying lipstick and gloss.

Quite nice but price needs and adjustment and really not so keen on balms myself to be honest.

Anyone try?

What did you think?

Available now from shop.meetmark.com

Disclosure: The following item was provided to Musings of a Muse by a PR firm for review purposes. For further information please see my FTC Guidelines or my Disclosure/Disclaimer posts.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  • mercedes

    hi muse!! so glad you reviewed this,i only have a few tinted lipbalms (loreal hip jelly balm,and essence sparkling lip balm.) looks like something i would buy ;D quick question have you reveiwed ud’s big buddha brush? thinking bout purchasing it but cant decide without your review.thanks again muse! hope you had a good weekend!

    • the Muse

      hi mercedes 🙂

      yes umm spring 2008 I believe? 😀 Look under my Urban Decay category 🙂 nice brush but what will you use it for? Its mostly a body brush 😀 Had a fab weekend thanks! and yours?

  • mercedes

    mine was good,did some reading it was relaxing.i was thinking depending on the size of the brush,powders or a light dusting of bronzer (i like to put bronzer on the tops of my shoulders) but thats about it can you rec a good bronzer? ive only tried a few.

  • Elizabeth

    Hi Muse! I was hoping you’d review these when I saw your post on the mark summer stuff 🙂 I completely agree with you on the price, $5 would be much more appropriate. I was just looking at the mark website and that’s more than most of their lip products! I’ll probably end up getting totally cute tho, I’m always on the lookout for a lip balm that I can apply without looking in the mirror that actually leaves some color on my lips.

    • the Muse

      hi elizabeth 😀 It’s perfect for what you want out of it 😀 quick slick a little color! But def would love $5 price tag 🙁 I guess its marked up due to spf but still! Aside from that kinda nice to tuck in your purse or drawer for quickie touch ups!

  • Hana

    Thanks for the review! Do you happen to have any of the Yes to Carrots or Burts Bees tinted lip balms to compare these to? $8 does seem like rather a lot. 🙁

    • the Muse

      hey hana mmm used to have some burts….burts are nice, hydrating completely different formula compared to these!

      • Hana

        Oooh, then I probably won’t try these, since I do like moisture in my tinted balms. If they’re not going to be super moisturizing you might as well wear lipstick. -_-

  • Sarah G.

    I have the totally balmed in the two other colors, totally bare and totally hot. I love hot, it’s like a great day to day lipstick color for me, especially if I put a sheer gloss over it. I keep them by my desk at work, and they’re great for reapplying throughout the day. I agree that $8 is a little high, but being a mark. rep I didn’t pay full price so I can’t complain. I know I’ll be getting my use out of these during the summer while hiking and doing other outdoorsy stuff.

    • the Muse

      hey sarah that’s what I do keep ’em stashed in my desk drawer for quickie touch ups 😀

  • krys

    I have the one in “totally bare”. I love the formulation and the colour, I wish they weren’t discontinued!!! 🙁