I’ve been searching for the best lip tint because I love lipstick, but I just don’t wear it very often because it needs liners, dries out my lips, and needs to be reapplied so often.
Lip tints are sheer lip colors in a moisturizing base. Basically, you’re looking at a chapstick or lip treatment with a light tint of color that looks natural but also enough for it to look like you’re wearing something. They’re not as highly pigmented as lipsticks, but they also won’t bleed out in weird feathering, get on your teeth your teeth, or create creases that highlight the vertical lines of your lips the way lipsticks do.
Instead, the best lip tint feels as soothing and hydrating as a chapstick–just with an added boost of color. Plus they’re super easy to apply the same way you would a chapstick so they’re quick to put on and simple to reapply on the go without a mirror.
This makes them perfect for everyday and casual wear.
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1. Tinted Lip Balm by Benefit
Pros:- Hydrating jojoba oil, mango seed butter, and beeswax
- Lightweight
- Choice of colors
- Smells divine
- Sodium hyaluronate for hydrating and plumping
Cons:- Not vegan (beeswax)
- No SPF
- Pricer than others
For brighter but still natural color, check out Benefit’s Tinted Lip Balms. They come in four different colors: Posiebalm (pink), Cha Cha Balm (mango peach), Lolibalm (orchid), and Benebalm (rose).
These balms are both deeply hydrating and more pigmented than others. It’s not lipstick level color, but you can see the difference between the shades to be sure.
They feel creamy and hydrating with jojoba oil, beeswax, and mango seed butter. These balm also have sodium hyaluronate which is often found in lip plumpers because it absorbs into your skin where it captures water and swells up, helping your lips retain moisture and look fuller at the same time.
It’s a very kissable balm that isn’t sticky and each has their own fruity or floral scent.
Buy Posiebalm by Benefit here.
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2. Tinted by Sun Bum
Pros:- SPF 15 that won’t hurt coral reefs
- Loads of hydrating oils and butters
- Colors to choose from
- Hypoallergenic
- Paraben, silicone, and gluten free
- Made in America
- Cruelty-free
Cons:- Not vegan (beeswax and carmine)
- Subtle tint
- Don’t twist the balm up too high
We know Sun Bum from their fantastic beach products and amazing smelling sunblock. Their lip balms have dedicated fans and by popular request, Sun Bum has released tinted versions of their lip balms for an extra burst of color.
I really love that the lip product was a success before adding tint so you know it will feel amazing on your lips. And how could it not with ingredients like aloe vera, jojoba oil esters, coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, caster seed oil, olive oil, sunflower seed oil, meadowfoam seed oil, safflower oil, and Cupuaçu seed butter. These are extremely hydrating for happy, happy lips.
The UV protection in these won’t harm coral reefs so they are better for the environment and safe to wear at the beach.
They are lightly flavored and sweetened with stevia extract but I’m not exactly sure how to guess what each flavor is by the color names. It comes in five different shades: Bonfire, Nude Beach, Pinktini, Sand Bar, and Sunset Cove.
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3. LipDrink Lip Balm by Jane Iredale
Pros:- SPF 15
- Hydrating avocado oil, carrot seed oil, caster oil, and aloe vera
- Botanical extracts
- Cruelty-free
- Four shades including clear
- Lemon oil for scent and flavor
Cons:- Lemon scent is off-putting to some
- Needs reapplying
- First ingredient is vegetable oil
I like when a cosmetic that is mainly for adding color also offers a clear version because that tells me that their product is worth something on its own.
Jane Iredale’s LipDrink comes in four shades: Flirt (pink), Crush (fuchsia), Buff (nude), and Sheer (clear). The shades with pigment have a decent amount of color to them. I would say this is the best lip tint if you really need to see that color.
For hydration LipDrink has vegetable oil, avocado oil, carrot seed oil, coconut alkanes, caster seed oil, and aloe vera which has a soothing coolness for chapped lips. I don’t love vague vegetable oil being in there but it is a hydrating balm with lovely color though its hydration might not last as long as some others.
Jane Iredale infuses these balms with botanical extracts of green tea, lotus flower, coffee seed, blackberry fruit, and adds lemon oil for fragrance.
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4. Tinted Lip Balm by Hurraw!
Pros:- Vegan, cruelty-free, and raw
- Wildcrafted, sustainable, fair trade ingredients
- Free of gluten, palm oil, soy, shea products, artificial flavors
- Red tint is plant-derived
- True cherry flavor
Cons:- Very sheer
- Only two color choices
- Not everyone wants a flavored balm
Hurraw! is an extremely environmentally and ethically conscious company that makes fantastic lip balms that you can feel good about purchasing.
They have over 25 natural flavors of balm but only two that are tinted: Black Cherry which is pigmented with alkanet root and Echium Raspberry which gets its pigment from purple carrots.
These are sheer tints that look very natural. It won’t replace a lipstick if you’re looking for obvious color, but the tint is there and is enough to brighten up your look.
For moisture these balms use candelilla wax from wildcrafted candelilla shrubs, safflower oil, sweet almond oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, castor seed oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil. They’re quite hydrating and feel very smooth on your lips.
The flavors are nostalgic to the cherry and raspberry flavors you had as a kid but are a more natural take on the classics.
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5. Wild Rose Lip Butter by Korres
Pros:- Shea butter and rice wax for moisture
- Several colors
- Natural color
- Buildable
Cons:- Fairly sheer
- Color isn't long-lasting
- Now you have lip color on your finger
- Lots of unpronounceable ingredients
For a light flush of color on lips that need serious moisture, check out this lip butter. Don’t let the deep red in the container fool you, this a sheer balm that gives just the slightest color, like after you’ve bitten your lips.
Korres uses shea butter and rice wax along with some more unpronounceable moisturizers to rehydrate and help to heal dry, split lips. It has a comforting feel to apply, which is good because the lip color doesn’t last all day so you’ll be reapplying as needed.
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6. Petal Affair by Labiotte
Pros:- Unique personal colors
- Deeply hydrating macadamia nut and apricot oil
- Several colors to choose from
- Organic shea butter
- Antioxidant rose hip oil
Cons:- Color not 100 percent predictable
- Very sheer
- Pricier than others
Labiotte’s Petal Affair Glow Stick provides intense moisture with the slightest bit of color. This dainty lip tint is packed with hydration from organic shea butter, apricot kernel oil, macadamia nut oil, sunflower oil, and grapeseed oil. This will leave your lips feeling soft and having a healthy sheen without being too glossy.
The tint here in two-fold. There’s the obvious tint, which comes in three available colors: Blossom Care (soft pink), Blossom Coral (deep peach), and Blossom Red (darker rosy pink). But there’s also the invisible color which only appears once you’ve applied the balm.
This second color will be personalized as the balm reactions to your personal chemistry and lips’ moisture levels. That does mean that you can’t fully predict the color of your tint every time you use it, but the tint is so light and natural that it’s unlikely there would be enough color to throw your color coordination off.
This is a very translucent natural tint.
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7. Tint Stick by The Face Shop
Pros:- Four colors to choose from
- SPF 13
- Contains sodium hyaluronate for plumping and hydration
- Mango seed butter, grape seed oil, and rose hip oil
- Cruelty-free
Cons:- Very little tint
- Contains vegetable oil
- Limited colors
These tinted balm from Korean makeup brand The Face Shop feel great and have a lovely glossy finish. The tint is very light with this so if you’re looking for color that is a shade darker than natural, this is probably not for you.
The hyaluronate acid in these is something that you often find in lip plumpers because these little flat molecules are absorbed by your lips and swell when they encounter water. This makes your lips appear fuller and hold onto moisture longer so they don’t dry out.
This hydration is sealed in with thick mango seed butter, rose hip oil, and vegetable oil which is a vague ingredient but will give your lips a healthy shine.
The Tint Stick comes in Cherry Ade, Cotton Lavender, Joy Peach, and Soft Pink.
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8. Lip Glow Color Reviver by Christian Dior
Pros:- Long-lasting
- Color adjusts to body chemistry
- Moisturizing
- Trusted brand
- SPF 10
- Several colors to choose from
- Vanilla flavor
Cons:- More expensive than others
- Not vegan (carmine)
- Unpronounceable ingredients
There’s been a lot of hype around Dior’s Lip Glow products about whether they are too expensive for a lip balm or too sheer for a lipstick–but that sets them squarely into the realm of lip tints.
Lip Glow has a very sheer tint on its own but when it hits your lips the color shifts depending on your body chemistry to best match your color for a natural look with the volume turned up.
I like that there’s SPF protection in it and that it has a decent level of hydration with mango seed oil and unique loofah seed oil which I have never seen in a product before.
These have a cult following and the colors differ enough that folks often buy several different colors in the tint collection which usually isn’t the case with other tint brands.
The colors include Berry, Ballet Pink, Sheer Coral, and Sheer Raspberry.
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9. Tinted Lip Balm by Burt’s Bees
Pros:- Hydrating Burt’s Bees formula we love
- Choice of colors that actually look different
- Free of parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, and SLS
- Nourishing botanicals
Cons:- Not vegan (beeswax and lanolin)
- Color isn't long-lasting
- Hard to find whole range of colors in stores
We can’t talk about lip balm without talking about Burt’s Bees. It’s a favorite for many and a standard when it comes to balm. I love my original Burt’s Bees. I have a tube in my office and another in my bedroom.
Adding tint to their balms is the obvious next step and makes for a nice balm to keep in your purse so you don’t feel so naked when you’re on the go. They’re great for everyday casual wear without sacrificing hydration. They say you’ll get eight hours of hydration but I’ve never found that to be the case.
These balms are as hydrating as their original formula with beeswax, lanolin, coconut oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, shea butter, castor seed oil, soybean oil, canola oil, ylang-ylang flower wax, and jasmine flower wax. These floral waxes also add a mild fragrance which is nice but not overpowering.
Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balms come in flower themed shades like Rose, Pink Blossom, Red Dahlia, and Hibiscus.
Buy Tinted Lip Balm by Burt’s Bees here.
What is a lip tint?
Unfortunately, there are a lot of lip stains out there labeled as tints right now following on the heels of popular Korean long-lasting stains that are called tints in those brands.
The best way to tell if a pigment is a tint or a stain is to look at the applicator. If it's runny or comes with a doe-foot applicator, it's probably a stain. If it's creamy, you've probably got a tint.
As a bonus many lip tints include SPF sun protection. Your lips are often neglected from your sunblock routine despite the fact that as some of the thinnest skin on your body they are more prone to sun damage and aging. Even the CDC includes lip balm sunscreen on their Sun Safety page. Check out this HowStuffWorks article for more lip sunscreen tips and facts.