June 2, 2015

Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm Review & Swatches

Purchased
I purchased this item.

Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balms

Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm ($2.50) is a new selection of tinted lip balms from Rimmel with a nourishing formula that apparently increases lip moisture up to 22%! So you can think of these Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm as a nod to Maybelline Baby Lips in a way as that seems to be the way they are going with this formula.

Keep Calm and Lip Balm

Take a look!

Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm

As a Maybelline Baby Lips naysayer I must admit that the Baby Lips formula is WAY better than the Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm but as an anglophiliac they are much cuter!

Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm are available in six shade selections (one shade is exclusive to Walmart) and come housed in cutesy colorful barrels with fun “Keep Calm” names. They actually kinda remind of the Sweet 16 Makeup Collection from the 80’s (Am I dating myself here?) and honestly, although cute, they do look more like something you’d buy for a child. But the entire “Keep Calm” thing totally gets me! Adore that!

Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm5

I picked up two shades for myself at $2.99 each so they aren’t too badly priced and I’m sure you’ll be able to find them on sale plus coupons so you’ll never have to pay the full $2.99 price.

What sets these apart is the fact they look like a lipstick. Instead of going with the flat traditional balm head, Rimmel decided to give each Keep Calm and Lip Balm a slanted lipstick head which makes application very easy! Unfortunately, they do not completely swivel down which irritates me as it is easy to take a chunk out of them when replacing and removing the cap.

Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm swatches

Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm Swatches (Keep Calm and Play and Keep Calm and Rock)

My lips are a bit too pigmented so both shades I selected looked like a light MLBB (my lips but better) shade of pink! They are fairly sheer and I get more color from some of the limited edition Baby Lips I have in all honesty so I’d recommend maybe grabbing one but you don’t need to grab all of the shades in my humblest.

At first application the formula is a little dense but it quickly warms up and has a smooth, easy glide on lips. They have a very light balmy texture that feels barely there on lips. I find he wear very comfortable with a light hydration factor but I wouldn’t say they are increasing the moisture in my lips by 22%. If you have extra dry lips you might not feel these provide enough moisture. These do have a pleasant rose flavor and fragrance which seems subtle to my nose and mouth but those sensitive might not love it. The taste and fragrance reminds me of Fresh Tinted Lip Treatment.

I chronically apply lip balm through the day and this is a nice little balm to keep tucked in my makeup bag and desk drawer to add light moisture and a flush of natural color to my lips. The formula isn’t any better than Baby Lips in my humblest nor does Baby Lips have a superior formula either though. It’s just a really simple, fun little lip balm without a ton of bells and whistles. If you’re comparing it to the Baby Lips formula I’d say they are both along the same lines as neither offers major moisture however, Baby Lips does have a bit more pigment in my experience especially some of the LE shades. These are fairly sheer!

Rimmel Keep Calm and Play fotd

Rimmel Keep Calm and Play

Rimmel Keep Calm and Play

Rimmel keep calm and rock fotd

Rimmel Keep Calm and Rock

Rimmel Keep Calm and Rock

If you’re looking for something lightly hydrating with a hint of color you might just like the Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm formula! I’m glad of the purchase and I’d likely repurchase if I ran out however, you don’t need to hoard or squirrel these away as there are lip balms out there with far better formulas.

Rimmel Keep Calm and Lip Balm is available now at drugstores.

Tried them?

Do share your thoughts!

Purchased
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

  • Kristin

    Instead of Baby Lips I wish Maybelline still made Kissing Coolers! I had the pink & purple ones (prob still do, somewhere…) They were my first “real” lipsticks & they smelled amazing!

    • Isabella Muse

      I LOVED those! Remember the mint chocolate chip one!?

  • T

    Bah! I was so excited about these until you wrote “rose flavor and fragrance”. 🙁 Ugh, can’t stand rose scented anything much less something that will be applied near my nose.

  • Jessica Mahler

    I think they’re adorable, and for that price, can’t hurt to give one a try! I am a little bummed about the lack of SPF- that’s why I carry Baby Lips (though even with them, I don’t think the SPF is included in every shade). Still, this may be a reason to stop at Walmart (looks like these are U.S. exclusives there).

  • Kimmwc03

    I got one of these from Walmart (a non-tinted one). It was kinda meh for me.

    Sweet 16 makeup, yes, I remember that. I loved that stuff.

  • Kate

    How do you find these compare to Baby Lips??
    That stuff dries my lips out like crazy and makes it dependant on balm, do you find these ones to be actually hydrating??

    • Isabella Muse

      I actually went over much of that in the review Kate. Hope this helps?

  • M

    Um, muse what do you mean by if you have extra lips? Like genitally

    never mind it probably means extra dry

  • Carol

    I have a couple of these and while the packaging is cute, they are nothing to write home about. In fact, the smell/taste drives me crazy. I am putting them in my stash of lip balms that I use only if I am desperate. I am not a fan of Baby Lips either, but honestly, the Baby Lips are better than these.

  • Eraser

    These are adorable and they do remind me of the “teen” makeup from my youth. It’s a nice soft balm with a very subtle candy-like scent. I forget which one I bought but the tint is also very subtle. I like Baby Lips too but I think these are more moisturizing.