July 29, 2014

L’Oreal Pop Balm Review & Swatches

L'Oreal Pop Balms

L’Oreal Pop Balm is a new tinted lip balm that’s launching at drugstores in 12 or 14 shades. Don’t quote me but L’Oreal Pop Balm originally debuted on Ulta.com and even appears on L’Oreal’s own site as having 4 shades but I came across a display at Harmons featuring a SLEW of different colors!

You might recall that L’Oreal actually introduced Pop Shades Colour Riche Balm back in 2013 and I thought perhaps the Pop Balm formula would follow in the footsteps of that release but that’s not the case as those Pop Shades were actually considerably more pigmented.

Take a look!

L’Oreal Pop Balm is what L’Oreal calls the next generation of lip balm with a formula that contains Jojoba and Shea Butter and promises a full eight hours of hydration. You might remember the original L’Oreal Colour Riche Balm released in 2011 also promises eight hours of moisture as well and aside from slightly new packaging these are pretty much the same exact thing as the Color Riche Balm formula aside from the fact they contain the tiniest bit more pigment depending on the shade of course as pigment does vary from sheer to nicely tinted. Also the originals made no mention of jojoba or shea…!

L'Oreal Pop Balm Lip Balm

L'Oreal Pop Balm 14

L'Oreal Pop Balm Fall 2014

L’Oreal Pop Balm

swatches L'Oreal Pop Balm

L’Oreal Pop Balm Swatches (Caring Coral, Rose Elixir, Plush Plum, Heavenly Berry)

L'Oreal Pop Balm Swatches

L’Oreal Pop Balm Swatches (Electric Pink, Tender Mauve, Caramel Comfort)

Originally I thought that L’Oreal Colour Balm was a competitive product for Revlon Lip Butter but in reality the formula is quite different. For me these are a step above Maybelline Baby Lips and since I don’t like Baby Lips the fit they bill for both moisture and a hint of tint!

I LOVE these but they have quirks. First off, don’t haul every single shade! Most of the shades end up looking the same on lips. Secondly, don’t expect a ton of pigment! In the tube they look pigmented, on your lips they aren’t.

I find the texture a little slicker and a bit more shiner than the original formula. They have an easy, melty glide across lips and provide a nice bit of moisture but I wouldn’t call that moisture “eight hours of hydration”. The shade pigment is inconsistent so I ended up returning many of the colors I originally purchased and didn’t use because they all looked the same on. So out of 12 purchased I only kept 7. Some have great tint and others add shine and just a hint of natural tint so it does vary from color to color. I don’t really detect a flavor or fragrance from these for those sensitive users worried. I find they have less of a balmy texture and more of a lighter feel when compared to Baby Lips which is the reason I like them as they aren’t just laying on my lips but seem to absorb nicely! My lips also feel nicely softened after they wear away which is typically within a three hour period.

L'Oreal Pop Balm Electric Pink

L'Oreal Electric Pink Pop Balm

L’Oreal Electric Pink Pop Balm

L'Oreal Caramel Comfort Pop Balm

L'Oreal Pop Balm Caramel Comfort

L’Oreal Caramel Comfort Pop Balm

L'Oreal Caring Coral Pop Balm

L'Oreal Pop Balm Caring Coral

L’Oreal Caring Coral Pop Balm

L'Oreal Heavenly Berry  Pop Balm

L'Oreal Pop Balm Heavenly Berry

L’Oreal Pop Balm Heavenly Berry

L'Oreal Plush Plum Pop Balm

L'Oreal Plush Plum Pop Balm fotd

L’Oreal Plush Plum Pop Balm

L'Oreal Rose Elixir  Pop Balm

L'Oreal Rose Elixir  Pop Balm fotd

L’Oreal Rose Elixir Pop Balm

L'Oreal Tender Mauve Pop Balm

L'Oreal Pop Balm Tender Mauve

L’Oreal Tender Mauve Pop Balm

If you have pigmented lips you’ll like find these enhance the natural color of your lips. For those with less pigmented lips they will add a nice hint of tint but nothing too dramatic.

L’Oreal Pop Balm are fun. I liked them the first time L’Oreal introduced them and I like them the second time around but I will express disappointment they are essentially just new shades (that are dupeable and all look the same on lips) of the original formula! I don’t think a lot has changed here aside from the fact the packaging is a bit more vibrant. Pick up one, maybe two but try to refrain from getting too many as many of the colors look the same once applied! If you desire a bit of moisture and a hint of tint you’ll be happy with this new range but those expecting a color lip butter experience will likely be disappointed.

These are available now at drugstores or grab them at Ulta.com.

Tried them?

Do share!

I purchased this item.

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‘.

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Comments

  • fancie

    These don’t really look that different from the original line. I mean they do look a teeny bit more pigmented but not by much. I’ll stick with my old Colour Riche balms. I like the packaging better anyway!

  • Sarai

    These don’t look that different from the Loreal Colour Riche Balms. I call repackaging, repromoting, and renaming the exact same item.

  • Alex

    If you’re going to call something “Pop Balm,” it should pop, darn it…

  • Jessica

    Wow these look really nice! I’m definitely going to have to pick up a couple shades!

  • Ali

    Well, this is disappointing! All they did was repackage the first existing 8 shades. They didn’t even give them new names! I’m happy that they added 4 extra shades but it would have been more exciting had they created new ones instead of repackaging the existing 8.

  • Heidi

    Wow, a lot of the names are the same (Rose Elixir, Caramel Comfort, etc.) from the original Colour Riche balms. I think only four of the Pop colors are new: two pinks, a red and a coral, if I remember right, and it’s not Caring Coral, because that was an original. I like the originals but they never had a lot of color payoff. The only shade that’s new to me of your swatches is the Electric Pink and it looks like it has more color, but not a lot more. Kind of disappointed. The Revlon balms definitely have more punch (though they do tend to smush easier.)

  • Ali

    Old:

    Pink Satin
    Rose Elixir
    Plush Plum
    Heavenly Berry
    Caring Coral
    Tender Mauve
    Nourishing Nude
    Caramel Comfort

    New:

    Wild Lily
    Bold Blush
    Fiery Red
    Electric Pink

  • stef b

    i lovelovelove the original but hatehatehate how they have spf because it can totally taste it, it makes it so terrible! i really hope the new ones dont.

  • Kim

    If you look closely, there are only 4 color pop balms. The other packages say ‘nude balm’. I noticed this today after purchasing 2 of them. I am in love with the plum color! Perfect for fall and so comfy to wear.

  • yelitza

    I grabbed the plush plum last night ( 3 dollars with a coupon!) it actually matches the inside of my lip color, so its a great mlbb shade.