Lip balms/treatments have always been a staple product for me and I’m sure I’m not alone here. I’ve tried many different types over my lifetime, most of which were from the drug store from brands such as Nivea, Carmex and Burts Bees. So pretty basic stuff which does the trick in terms of soothing my chapped lips.

Ever since discovering k-beauty, I have tried a few more. The packaging is so damn cute and colourful that I haven’t been able to help it. As well as being cute, they are also affordable. If you want to know how effective they are, please just keep on reading.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask – Berry

This product has earned cult status big time! And there’s a good reason for it too.  It is marketed as a sleeping mask, meaning you put it on your lips before bed, but you can totally use it during the day as well.

I generally use this before bed and I love how it feels on my lips. It feels very moisturising and comforting. The texture is like a thick lip balm and I apply it sparingly with my fingers. A little goes a long way. I have only tried the berry one and I love its (very) subtle scent of strawberry. There are also other flavours to choose from such as grapefruit, vanilla and apple/lime.

Its key differentiator from other lip balms is that when I wake up in the morning, my lips still feel smooth and hydrated, as if it had created a barrier of protection which really does last. I don’t feel the need to apply lip balm in the morning before my usual lipstick whenever I use this the night before.

Effectiveness: 10/10
Packaging:  8/10 (Not a fan of jars)
Tint: Transparent
Price:  I purchased the mini set from Yesstyle.com which had the water sleeping mask for around $7. I recently purchased the full size for $19 AUD from bbcosmetics.com. Sephora AU now stocks Laneige and sells it for $26 AUD

Tony Moly Banana Lip Balm

Tony Moly has the cutest packaging in asian beauty. Period. As well as having great aesthetics with their packaging, they are also a massive powerhouse in innovation. Don’t let all the cuteness fool you!

This lip balm is on the thicker side so I tend to use it at night as the last step in my skincare routine. It’s easy to squeeze and is mess free to use. The lid is secure when fastened so no issues with leakage there. The texture is thick but glides on easily and isn’t greasy whatsoever. It’s very moisturising and I love the light banana scent which doesn’t linger. The scent reminds me of banana lollies. My lips also are still hydrated enough the next morning that I don’t have to apply more in the morning before lipstick.

Effectiveness: 9/10
Packaging:  10/10
Tint: Transparent
Price:  I purchased it from from bbcosmetics.com for $7 AUD.

Missha Wrinkle Care Stick Lip Balm SPF10

This product’s packaging is more conventional and it’s more similar to lip balms you’d find in the drug store.

This is more of a daytime lip balm because it isn’t thick and sits well under lipstick. You can certainly use this at night as well by all means. It moisturises the lips and it lasts for a few hours (if you don’t eat) before you would need to reapply. The packaging is elegant because it looks like a lipstick with the bullet tip, making it a breeze to apply. Something to note is that it has a fairly strong peach scent which eventually goes away.

Effectiveness: 8/10
Packaging:  10/10
Tint: Transparent
Price:  I purchased it from from ebay for around for $8 AUD.

Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar

I couldn’t resist buying a couple of these glosses. The packaging got me again but thankfully the products are pretty good too.

They are more alike to lip glosses where there is a slight tint to them. There is also a shimmer to them which gives your lips a nice healthy sheen.

I tend to wear them alone during the day when I’m makeup free. You could layer it with a lipstick too but you would lose that nice sheen. They do provide moisture the lips but not as intensely as some of the others in the post. If I wanted to really hydrate my lips at night for example, I wouldn’t use this product for that. But decent enough for during the day. The stick form makes it easy to apply and the slim design hardly takes up any room in a purse.

I bought two shades, juicy orange and juicy strawberry. The orange one is more vibrant and you can see an obvious tint on my lips. The strawberry one is very light on me and kind of washes me out. Probably a better option for fairer skin tones. I prefer the orange one. There is a slight fruity scent for both but it doesn’t linger. They also both leave a light stain on your lips which is nice.

Effectiveness: 8/10
Packaging:  10/10
Tint: Orange and pink
Price:  I purchased them from iherb.com for around for $7 AUD each.

Nakeup Face You Can Eat Lip Balm

I haven’t tried anything from this brand before. These balms seemed popular so I thought I’d give it a go. I wanted to buy the clear one so that I could also use it as a glossy highlighter but that was sold out. I settled for #4 Coral and I’m glad I did.

This ended up being pretty transparent anyway though I am yet to try it on my cheekbones. As a balm for the lips however, it works great! It gives my lips a lovely sheen leaving it smooth and hydrated. This would be another balm for the day since it feels nice and light. Like the Missha, you could also layer this under lipstick too but I like wearing it alone. There is slight scent to it, which reminds me of the Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment, which I really like. This is also way cheaper and in my opinion, works just as well.

Effectiveness: 10/10
Packaging:  10/10
Tint: Transparent (on my lips anyway)
Price:  I purchased it from Jolse.com for around 11 AUD.

Let me know if you have tried any of these lip products and if any of them are your HG. Also if you have any recommendations for me to try, I would love to hear it!