E.L.F. Lip Kiss Balm Review & Swatches
E.L.F. Lip Kiss Balm ($2) is a new tinted lip balm that launched in eight shades for the Fall 2015 season. For me, E.L.F. Lip Kiss Balm is likely a nod to Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments or even Maybelline Baby Lips at a way cheaper price tag.
E.L.F. markets these as a tinted lip balm that gives “soft lips and sheer coverage with a lovely luscious effect”. They are supposed to have a minty flavor and contain Grape Seed Oil Jojoba Oil, and Vitamin A, and E. For something loaded up with so many great ingredients I felt for sure I’d love these and their hydrating formula.
Sometimes I feel like I’m purchasing and trying a different product than the rest of the world. E.L.F. Lip Kiss Balm make me feel this way. I watched video reviews on these and I read a ton of reviews on them and all are raving. Add in the fact that even on the E.L.F. website they gain a 4.0 review score and I was all, wait, I must have gotten a faulty batch because these are so not that great a formula.
I’ll tell you some good stuff before I get on to the really bad formula.
First off, these are cute as hell. Really great packaging in my opinion! They come in a white barrel tube that features a tinted translucent lid. It’s a nice slick, cool looking packaging that makes me think of Apple products, like they look hecka pretty next to my iPhone. Dunno why I feel this way but yeah, they just look really neat. Unfortunately, they do not swivel all the way down which I found irritating as you’ll likely slice off a chunky when replacing the cap if you’re as klutzy as I am.
They aren’t only nicely packaged but the colors just grab you. These shades are really pretty and they actually swatches, as you can see, with plenty of color pay off and pigmentation. And let’s not forget the two buck price tag make ’em all kinds of budget friendly.
And that my friends is all I have to say good about this product.
E.L.F. Lip Kiss Balm Swatches (XO Red, Bare Kiss, Smoochy Spice, Kissing Coral)
E.L.F. Bare Kiss Lip Kiss Balm
E.L.F. Lip Kiss Balm (Bare Kiss)
E.L.F. Kissing Coral Lip Kiss Balm
E.L.F. Lip Kiss Balm (Kissing Coral)
E.L.F. XO Red Lip Kiss Balm
E.L.F. Lip Kiss Balm (XO Red)
E.L.F. Smoochy Spice Lip Kiss Balm
E.L.F. Lip Kiss Balm (Smoochy Spice)
This formula is horrible. These tug so horribly during application. It’s almost painful how hard I have to press to get color on my lips. I wouldn’t say the formula is dry during the application process, it’s just that the lip balm is very, very dense and they do not have an easy glide. The consistency is a very, very heavy balm that feels like an old, stale wax on lips. Instead of hydrating they literally suck moisture from my lips and there is absolutely nothing minty here. They have a straight up cinnamon fragrance and flavor that tastes horrible and doesn’t particularly smell nice either plus that cinnamon tingles a bit on lips. If you’re sensitive, AVOID! As I think the cinnamon could potential cause lips to swell up. I tried all four of the shades I purchased for this review and after my lips were red, raw, and dry. The application process is just painful as hell.
You definitely get full color here. They pack so much great pigment here much better pigment than I’ve seen across the board from a variety of different tinted lip balms but that does not take away from the fact that the formula is simply horrible.
E.L.F. Lip Kiss Balm gets a big thumb down. These get my seal of avoidance! Do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to makeup jail!