10 Best Tinted Lip Balms for This Winter After Testing Them All

So, this winter, when our dry lips stop us from reaching for lipstick, the best tinted balms come to the rescue, replenishing moisture and imparting glowy, our-lips-but-better finishes. Find all of our faves for combatting dryness, below:

Frequently Asked Questions

• Which ingredients are commonly found in tinted lip balms?
• What's the difference between tinted lip balms and lip tints?
• Meet the experts
• How we test and review products
• Our staff and testers

Best Overall: Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm

Why it's worth it: Summer Fridays' Best of Beauty-winning Lip Butter Balm comes in nine sweet-smelling tints inspired by some of our favorite treats (we're looking at you, Iced Coffee). This rich formula seamlessly glides across and cushions dry, chapped lips in a blanket of moisturizing vegan waxes, antioxidant-rich shea butter, and murumuru seed butter. This TikTok-viral lip balm has it all: a dryness-diminishing formula, delectable flavors, and layerable formula—and the clear shade doubles as an overnight mask. As for its shades, you can go as subtle as Vanilla Beige (pictured) or amp up your natural lip color with a layer of Cherry, pictured here.

Tester feedback: "I'm not a gloss girly but I'm a sucker for the high-shine finish of Summer Fridays' Lip Butter Balm. A lot of lip balms talk the talk, but leave my lips dry within the hour—but this formula feels like it not only sits pretty on my lips but actually lends long-lasting hydration," says commerce editor Sarah Han. "I also appreciate the shade range has, well, range. Shoutouts to my neutral-loving friends but I love a pink, red, or berry, and Cherry delivers."

Key ingredients: shea butter, murumuru seed butter, microcrystalline wax | Shades: 9

Best Plumping: Ole Henriksen Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment

Why it's worth it: Our editors can't get enough of Ole Henriksen's Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment, which explains the 2024 Allure Best of Beauty Award winner seal. Derms approve of the star ingredient (two types of peptides) when it comes to all skin, including the lips. "Peptides are effective for enhancing lip appearance by boosting collagen production, which helps keep lips firm and smooth," Nicole Lee, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and owner of Epoch Dermatology in Garden City, New York, explained. "They also improve hydration, making lips plump and well-moisturized, and reduce the appearance of fine lines while supporting overall repair."

Also contributing to the plumping, fuller-looking effect are kokum butter, mango seed butter, and cloudberry oil—a recipe for smooth-gliding, juicy success, if you ask us. What also doesn't hurt: Ole Henriksen's balms smell utterly delicious. Hello, creme brulee? Strawberry sorbet? We need one of each.

Tester feedback: "I have one of these in every bag, in my car, and pretty much everywhere I frequent. That's how much I love them," shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis says. "It's a mix of skin care meets makeup—the peptides hydrate, the butters moisturize, and the pigment is comparable to some of my favorite lip glosses on the market."

Key ingredients: peptides (palmitoyl hexapeptide-12 and palmitoyl tripeptide-1), kokum and mango seed butter, cloudberry oil, acai sterols | Shades: 4

Best for Lip Lines: Kosas Wet Stick

Why it's worth it: We know Kosas's Wet Stick is technically a lipstick, but its ultra-moisturizing feel and sheer pigment lean much more balm than conventional lipstick. This lineup of 12 shades has a nude and pink for all skin tones but our editors' love for this balmy lipstick runs deeper than tint. We love swiping on its slightly slippery, lightweight formula for its barely-there feel and conditioning results. Speaking of its formula, it contains the works, in terms of moisturizers: squalane, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and firming peptides, to be exact.

Tester feedback: "The glide on a Kosas Wet Stick is unparalleled—you truly have to try it out to understand just how smooth, creamy, and (yes!) pigmented this balm is," says shopping director Shanna Shipin. "Part of the reason I have so many (somewhere in the realm of a half-dozen) is the luxe experience of application. While there isn't incredible staying power, in true Kosas fashion, the stick is infused with skin-loving ingredients like ceramides and squalane that hydrate and moisturize, leaving my lips feeling protected—and naturally amped up. I also love the shade range with Wet Stick; there's everything from neural mauves to totally moody browns."

Key ingredients: squalane, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, peptides | Shades: 12

Best Nourishing: Augustinus Bader x Sofia Coppola The Tinted Lip Balm

Why it's worth it: Augustinus Bader’s collabs constantly hit (Exhibit A: the priming moisturizer Bader created with Victoria Beckham), and this time the brand is diving into lip care with the help of decorated director Sofia Coppola. Each tube of this lightweight lip balm contains the brand's signature ingredient, TFC-8, a complex composed of amino acids, lipids, and emollients to leave your lips looking supremely supple. Each of the three reds deserves copious selfies, so there's no question that Coppola was involved in developing the color options.

Tester feedback: "My stan-level love for Sofia Coppola's work isn't the only reason why I love this lip balm," says commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. "The shades are so stunning that I can see Marie Antoinette or Priscilla Presley adding them to their vanities. Each tint hits that sweet spot between totally opaque and transparent, so I oftentimes wear it as my only lip color for minimal makeup days."

Key ingredients: TFC-8, shea butter, castor seed oil, vitamin E, bisabolol, candelilla wax | Shades: 3

Best Sheer: Nars Afterglow Tinted Lip Balm

Why it's worth it: Nars knows its cheek, bases, lips, and really everything in between, and Afterglow Tinted Lip Balm is yet another winner. True to its name, this sheer formula is perfect for those who like a subtle look with a hint of sheen—the latter is due to the hydrating complex (including coconut oil). Fair warning: The shade lineup includes the ever iconic (and not-safe-for-grandma) Orgasm and Deep Throat.

Tester feedback: "I have these in multiple shades, which is important because I keep them ev-er-y-where: in my purse, at my desk, in my bathroom," says Allure interim shopping director Deanna Pai. "They offer just enough moisture to keep my lips comfortable, even in the dead of winter, and pigment that's sheer enough that I don't need a mirror. They're my end-all, be-all."

Key ingredients: Monoi Hydrating Complex (coconut oil, gardenia tahitensis flower extract, squalane), jojoba seed oil | Shades: 9

Best Buildable: Violette_FR Bisou Jelly

Why it's worth it: Here's a quick, unprompted French lesson: "Bouche mordue" means just-bitten lips. That's the vision Violette Serrat (Violette_FR's founder) had when creating these extra-juicy lipstick-balm hybrids, otherwise known as Bisou Jelly. The texture lives up to its name, and then some, in case you have doubts. The outer jelly layer acts as a supremely hydrating base, while the vitamin E-infused, deeper-hued core adds a subtle wash of color. No need to be precious about application, either—it's oh-so buildable, almost to a fault. Position the jelly ring right above your lip line for a cute, fuller, but never obvious effect.

Tester feedback: "To some extent, I think this is the lip product I've been looking for for my entire life. It is far and away the easiest method of achieving the French blurred lip look I've ever found, and for that reason, it will simply never leave my purse again," says commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann. "I like to get really haphazard with the application—the messier you are, the prettier it looks, I swear—so the pigment in the center and the balm on the outside really get mixed together on my lips."

Key ingredients: castor seed oil, sunflower seed oil, vitamin E | Shades: 4

Most Delicious Shades: Tower 28 LipSoftie Lip Treatment

Why it's worth it: If there's one lip product nearly every Allure staffer has on their desks, it's the Tower 28 LipSoftie Lip Treatment. Our editors praise this gooey lip balm for its ability to impart equal parts moisture and color. Bonus: The shades—particularly Ube Vanilla and Blood Orange Vanilla—are much more pigmented than other tinted balms. This concoction of shea butter, jojoba oil, and amino acid lysine leaves our lips feeling smooth and nourished.

Tester feedback: "Not only is the LipSoftie in Ube Vanilla deliciously sweet, but it also imparts the prettiest berry tint with a glassy shine that is perfect for fall," says senior editor Jesa Marie Calaor. "It dispenses to look like marmalade, but the rounded tip easily spreads it across lips for an even wash of color. I also love how balmy (and not sticky) it feels on my lips."

Key ingredients: shea butter, lysine, jojoba oil | Shades: 8

Best Bold Shades: Ilia Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm

Why it's worth it: On days you can't decide whether to wear lipstick or lip balm, Ilia's Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm has your back. The hybrid formula doesn't compromise pigment or moisture (thanks to sea succulent extract, rosehip oil, and shea butter), so your lips stay soft with gorgeous color all day long. We also love that this lip balm has a buildable tint you can apply in one swipe for a sheer hint of color or layer for a more opaque, glossy lipstick-like finish.

Tester feedback: "I love how Ilia's Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm bridges the gap between balm and lipstick," says contributing commerce writer Annie Blackman. "It goes on so, so buttery, but with a rich buildable pigment that looks just like lipstick after a few swipes. You get the opacity of a creamy lipstick, but the hydration of a balm. What's not to like?"

Key ingredients: sea succulent extract, rosehip oil, shea butter | Shades: 8

More tinted lip balms we love:

Best Neutral Shades: Laneige Glaze Craze Tinted Lip Serum

Why it's worth it: Donut you love a sweet treat–inspired lip balm? Laneige is entering the tinted lip balm game—as in, truer tinted balms than the popular Lip Glowy Balms—with four peachy, mauve, and brown-leaning shades of Glaze Craze Tinted Lip Serum. We love the unique donut-shaped applicator that allows for even application and plumps lips with a stacked lineup of polypeptides, ceramides, and squalane.

Key ingredients: soybean polypeptide, argan ceramides, polyglutamic acid (PGA) | Shades: 4

Best Red: La Bouche Rouge Lip Balm in Red

Why it's worth it: Another French beauty brand on our radar (and lips) is La Bouche Rouge, which sounds fancy on its own. You know a red lip is a French girl staple and this red is as classic as it gets—and worry not, it's super sheer and buildable, so you can't go overboard. But, if you find yourself craving more impact, you can graduate to the Satin or Matte Lipsticks. Skin-care ingredients such as squalane, sunflower seed oil, and squalane are abundant, so expect baby-soft lips.

Tester feedback: "The color looks intense in the tube, but trust that it's incredibly sheer—so much so that I can swipe it on on the go and trust that I don't look like a clown," attests Pai. "The formula is nourishing enough that a single application keeps my lips soft and smooth most of the day, too."

Key ingredients: squalane, saint suliac seaweed, sunflower seed oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, vitamin E, shea butter, hyaluronic acid | Shades: 3 (including Clear)

Best Finish: AOU Glowy Tint Balm

Why it's worth it: K-pop idols are a constant source of beauty inspiration but we know the real masterminds—as with all celebs—are the talented makeup artists (and hairstylists and nail artists). Some have even branched out with their own beauty brands (because, duh?), including Jo Eun Bee, whose clients include seriously heavy-hitters like Taeyeon, Jennie, and the members of Aespa. AOU's Glowy Tint Balm may seem small but you only need the tiniest dab for a dazzlingly dewy wash of color. Swipe and pucker up, y'all.

Tester feedback: "I've seen the Glowy Tint Balms all over TikTok—including girlies based in Korea. so you know it's what's actually in—and they don't disappoint. I got mine in Bubble, which is a cute neutral pink you can't go wrong with," says Han. "This shea butter- and sunflower seed oil- infused formula is just so freaking juicy and cushion-y; it's like an automatic plumping effect without the tingling I dislike."

Key ingredients: shea butter, sunflower seed oil, hydrogenated polyisobutene (synthetic emollient oil that thickens formulas and locks in moisture) | Shades: 7

Best With Antioxidants: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

Why it's worth it: Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment has more than a handful of shades—12, to be exact—so finding a hue (or two) that suits your color palette is easy. Each leaves behind a light, just-bitten wash of lip color, while coating your lips with heavy-hitting moisturizers that rival your goopier lip masks, like humectant sugars (derived from beetroot and sugar cane), moisturizing grapeseed and cranberry seed oils, and antioxidant vitamins C and E for added conditioning benefits. Best of all, it feels like nothing on the lips.

Key ingredients: sugar, cranberry seed oil, grapeseed oil, vitamin C, vitamin E | Shades: 12

Frequently Asked Questions

Whether tinted or clear, a balm's main job is to offset dryness and chapping, and to do this, they're spiked with nourishing ingredients you're probably familiar with from your skin-care routine. Here are a few of the most common:

This humectant is arguably the most popular hydrator in skin care. Doris Day, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist, previously told Allure that hyaluronic acid is "great at holding water and giving skin resilience and firmness." She also noted that, while injecting hyaluronic acid into the deeper layers of the skin will provide the most effective results and help restore lost volume, this ingredient is quite beneficial as a topical. "When used in creams, lotions, and serums, it can also do wonders for rejuvenation and hydration," she said.

While humectants like hyaluronic acid actually bind water to the surface layer of the skin, emollients like shea butter act as a seal to prevent moisture loss while reducing roughness and flaking. "Shea butter is rich in essential fatty acids, making it an excellent emollient for the skin, helping to simultaneously moisturize and protect against water loss," Kim Nichols, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Greenwich, Connecticut, previously told Allure. Dr. Nichols added that shea butter is also a great source of vitamins A (also known as retinol) and E, two antioxidants that soothe and soften irritated, dry, and itchy skin. "This combination of powerhouse ingredients makes shea butter an ideal ingredient to help soothe symptoms of common skin-care conditions such as eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis, to name a few," she says.

Despite having "oil" in its name, jojoba oil is relatively lightweight. "Jojoba oil is actually a liquid wax, which is why it feels less greasy on skin compared to oils," cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson and founder of BeautyStat previously told Allure. Unlike most oils, jojoba oil is mainly composed of fatty acids, alcohol, and hydrocarbons. According to Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, jojoba oil's composition is what gives its moisturizing properties a light texture that won't clog pores as easily as other oils. "It acts as both a humectant to draw moisture in and an emollient that softens and smoothes the skin," she said.

You've likely seen a boom in peptide lip treatments, and for good reason. If you're looking for a (much more subtle) alternative to fillers or Botox, "Peptide lip balms can be effective for improving lip texture and hydration," Cindy Bae, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City explained. Though the concentration and type of peptides will determine how effective said peptides are, the star ingredient can firm, smooth, plump, and minimize the appearance of lip lines.

They may have similar names but tinted lip balms focus on moisture replenishment while lip tints and stains provide more potent color. Though not every lip stain can be considered a moisturizing balm, Cincinnati, Ohio-based cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos previously told Allure that, depending on composition, just about any lip product can act as a tint. "The color additives are the primary determinant of whether a color actually stains the lips," she says. "It's really about the chemistry of the color additives that contribute to staining, so balms, glosses, and lipsticks can all be lip stains."

• Doris Day, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist,
• Kim Nichols, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Greenwich, Connecticut
• Ron Robinson, a cosmetic chemist and founder of skin-care brand BeautyStat
• Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City
• Kelly Dobos, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based cosmetic chemist
• Cindy Bae, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City

When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that's included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.

For our list of the best tinted lip balms, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance (or lack thereof), texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.

Our lips are no longer sealed—we're spilling all of our favorite lip products, below:

• We Tested Lip and Cheek Tints to Save You Time and Space
• 13 Best Lipsticks for Mature Skin That Won't Accentuate Fine Lines
• Lip Stains Are the Longer-Lasting Alternative to Lipsticks

Now, watch Ariana Greenblatt talk you through her 10-minute everyday contour routine:

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