The 11 Best Tinted Lip Balms That Deliver Hydration and Color

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Tinted lip balms are the status symbol of the beauty industry, and they’re only rising in popularity. It's the reason you've seen tubes of Summer Fridays and Rhode everywhere as of late. But we've moved past invisible oils and balms and entered a new era where you don't have to sacrifice color for hydration.

Violet Grey’s chief brand officer Sarah Brown explains that tinted balms straddle the sweet spot between low maintenance and luxury. “We aren’t dressing up as much–it can feel over-thought, or like too much–so we don’t necessarily want the formality and maintenance of a lipstick, but we want some color and polish and ceremony,” she adds. “We want it to be easy, relaxed, comfortable, chic.” And the best tinted lip balms provide exactly that.

So, how do you choose which product is right for you? Take aspects like color payoff, level of glossiness, plumping, and nourishment into consideration when finding your ideal tinted lip balm. "I have an entire wardrobe of balms and glosses—for different moods, occasions, you name it,” Brown adds.

We’ve compiled the best tinted lip balms that beauty experts and editors love, all in the name of hydrated lips—with an extra pop of color.

Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm

An instant hit (after all, they sold out within just one week of their June launch), this unique balm gets to work exfoliating and plumping while putting on a luscious facade.

While many tinted lip balms rest on their (gorgeous) laurels, Eadem's version is busy buffing dry lips (with AHA, AKA (alpha-keto acids), and BHAs), addressing and protecting from oxidative stress (thanks to PCAs and the antioxidant quercetin), and, of course, hydrating and plumping (with the viscous and moisturizing active ingredient found in the flower hibiscus). But all you’ll notice is that lips feel juicy, have a great slick slip, and give off a slightly plumped appearance.

What our editors are saying: "There are a few reasons this hardworking tinted balm has gone viral on TikTok. For starters, its blend of gentle acids makes lip exfoliation a breeze, plus, its formula is supremely hydrating and just as reflective as your favorite gloss." —Tiffany Dodson, associate beauty commerce editor

Key ingredients: hibiscus enzymes, lactic acid, pyruvic acid

Customer review: "What sets this lip balm apart is its long-lasting effect. Unlike other balms that require frequent reapplication, Eadem's Lip Softening Balm keeps my lips feeling soft and hydrated for hours. I’ve noticed a significant improvement in the overall texture and appearance of my lips; they feel plumper and look healthier."—Primavera

Katie wears Eadem's Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm in the shade Fig Sauce.

LipSoftie Hydrating Tinted Lip Treatment Balm

This balm feels like sweatpants but for your lips. Comforting, soft, and silky, Tower 28 has done it again. While some formulas can veer towards stickiness, LipSoftie is as cushiony and soothing as they come. Plus, it’s designed for sensitive and/or irritated lips and doesn’t contain common irritants that can trigger flare-ups, so those with chronically irritable lips might find luck with this treatment.

As someone with chronically irritated skin, these tinted balms are a soothing salve. Plus, the colors and scents—which can be a trigger for sensitive skin—are made from food-grade non-artificial flavor so they won’t further irritate or dry out lips.

What our editors are saying: "This balm is the only one you need if you have sensitive or reactive skin, or you're worried about leaving lipstick marks on your toddler (just me?). The shade Blood Orange Vanilla adds the perfect pop of warm red for my fair skin, and it smells as good as it looks." – Jenna Rosenstein, beauty director

Key ingredients: shea butter, jojoba oil, lysine

Customer review: "Absolutely love this!! Makes my lips feel silky without the sticky feeling!"—bblount

Balm Dotcom

The myth, the legend—put respect where respect is due because Glossier is largely responsible for the rise of the ‘it’ balm, with the launch of Balm Dotcom back in 2014. The original iterations were colorless, but their tinted lip balms came along a few years later, and the beauty world hasn’t been the same since. With a surprisingly hefty dose of tint, it’s worth the (surprisingly affordable) $16.

Additionally, with the relaunch of their original formula (it went vegan for a few years, much to the dismay of original Dotcom fans), users can enjoy the hydrating lip balm they know and love with many exciting and new color options.

What our editors are saying: "I've been loyal to Balm Dotcom since it first launched—it's truly a savior come winter when my lips are always chapped. The tints here aren't as pigmented as some others on this list, but I like that you can apply it haphazardly and not worry about precise placement." —JR

Key ingredients: castor seed oil, beeswax, lanolin

Customer review: "My lips has never been softer! I love the light shine it gives and I haven’t had chapped lips since I’ve starting using this product."—Casietra B.

Tiffany wears Glossier's Balm Dotcom in the shade Strawberry.

Tinted Lip Balm

For the minimalist at heart, this classic option from Burt’s Bees is always reliable. Made with shea butter and botanical waxes, this moisturizing lip balm doesn’t actually add shimmer or shine, but rather just a soft tinted hue in a matte tone. Also, if you need another reason to love this cult classic, Margot Robbie is a fan.

What our editors are saying: "This no-frills lip balm from Burt's Bees is the cherry on top of a perfect no-makeup-makeup look. Its hydrating shea butter and botanical wax blend absorbs quickly into dry lips, and leaves behind a subtle flush of transparent color." —TD

Key ingredients: coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter

Customer review: "This is a great lip balm! It's not a sticky kind of balm which I hate, glides on smoothly, scent is great, doesn't taste weird. Makes my lips feel hydrated."—moniquel46

Jenna wears Burt's Bees's Tinted Lip Balm in the shade Red Dahlia.

Sugar Lip Balm

The Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment has been around for decades, since launching in 2004, but the tinted versions came years later and immediately reached cult-status level. While many tinted lip balms can have a sticky, gloopy feel, Fresh’s Sugar Lip Balm is weightless, buttery, and goof-proof. It also has the most variety of shades, currently available in 15 hues.

Key ingredients: sugar, cranberry seed oil, grapeseed oil

What our editors are saying: "These are a classic for a reason! The balms deliver great color payoff in a buildable formula, so you can swipe on a little or a lot, depending on how you feel that day. Plus, it feels weightless and buttery on your lips." –JR

Customer review: "It's very subtle and natural looking tint to the lips and moisturizing to my lips."—MaeMae

Katie wears Fresh's Sugar Lip Balm in the shade Berry.

Lip Butter Balm

One word for the Lip Butter Balm? Silky. But if we could add a few more, they’d be vegan, shine-enhancing, and moisturizing. This lip mask-meets-tinted lip balm loiters on the lips for a hefty amount of time and adds just the slightest and chicest hint of tint. Coming in a variety of hues (from cherry-red to flattering nude brown), it is as foolproof as it is comforting.

Plus, the applicator is perfectly tilted to swipe on with ease and comfort. (Sometimes, it's the little things that make all the difference.)

What our editors are saying: "This is my favorite balm on this list, and if you looked at the bottom of any one of my handbags you'd find one. It's moisturizing without feeling thick, as shiny as a lipgloss, and leaves the prettiest transparent tint of color." –JR

Key ingredients: shea butter, murumuru seed butter, vegan waxes

Customer review: "I am so in love!! It’s not sticky, it lasts a long time even with drinking, there isn’t any weird taste, and the color is so subtle and perfect and beautiful. So happy I took a chance on this!!"—Stephjax

Jenna wears Summer Fridays' Lip Butter Balm in the shade Poppy.

The Tinted Balm

Leave it to the ultimate ‘It girl’ to create the hottest tinted lip balm of the season. Inspired by filmmaker Sofia Coppola’s love of a now-discontinued French pharmacy lip tint, she collaborated with the science-forward skincare brand Augustinus Bader on a trio of nourishing and healing balms.

Taking the base of Bader's untinted Lip Balm, which features its proprietary TFC8 technology to repair the delicate lip area, Coppola created three hues—a transparent deep pink, a red coral tint, and an earthy plum shade—that can be swiped on sans mirror for healthier-looking lips with a certain je ne sais quoi. While the tint is subtle, they can be built up with multiple swipes for a more noticeable appearance.

What our editors are saying: "When I want to wear a red lipstick without the hassle of worrying about wearing a red lipstick, I reach for these. The color payoff is really good, and the finish is less glossy than other balms on this list, while still keeping lips super soft. If you prefer a satin or matte finish for your lips, try this." –JR

Key ingredients: castor seed oil, shea butter, vitamin E, bisabolol

Customer review: "Pretty much instantly smoothed my dry lips and the color is buildable. One pass gives you a nice flush of color, a few passes gives nice, full coverage. A little on the lips and cheeks gives a quick, more polished look in seconds."—MichelleB

Tiffany wears Augustinus Bader x Sofia Coppola's The Tinted Balm in Shade 3.

Peptide Lip Tint

The status symbol balm, Hailey Bieber skyrocketed tinted lip balms into a whole new stratosphere with the launch of the Peptide Lip Tint. She truly perfected the formula: it’s got a great slip, is super comfortable on the lips, and the transparent but buildable hues are always spot on–providing the perfect amount of pigment.

Speaking of the formula, it’s packed with an Avengers-style, best-of ingredients roundup, including shea butter, peptides (thus the balm’s name), cupuacu butter, and babassu oil for lips that are hydrated, healthier-looking, and more supple.

Key ingredients: shea butter, peptides, cupuacu butter

What our editors are saying: "Hailey Bieber strikes again! I caved and got the Rhode Lip Case, so my Peptide Lip Tint is accessible on the back of my phone, anytime and anywhere. It's the perfect everyday tint because the transparent yet pigmented color payoff allows for these tints to be worn casually on their own or layered atop a true lipstick." –KI

Katie wears Rhode's Peptide Lip Tint in the shade Espresso.

Plasma Lip Compound

Tina Chen Craig has taken the beauty industry by storm with her science-driven luxury skincare brand U Beauty. But it’s her lip treatment that has been the talk of the town recently. The restorative treatment is designed to reshape, plump visibly, and contour lips in as little as a few weeks while also providing instant hydration and a sleek pop of color.

Coming in a wide selection of hues–one for every mood and color story–the Lip Compound leaves lips with a soft, comfortable, and pillowy feel. Brown loves them, too, noting they are one of her favorite splurges. “[There are] so many great shades; I have them stashed in every purse and pocket,” she adds.

Key Ingredients: hyaluronic acid, ceramides, AHAs

What our editors are saying: "This U Beauty lip balm is like the Rolls Royce of lip balms. It glides onto lips and feels like a nourishing moisturizer for my pout–all without feeling sticky. The cool metal tip applicator also feels like a dream on the lips." – Katie Intner, associate beauty editor

Jenna wears U Beauty's Plasma Lip Compound in the shade Shanghai.

Rouge Coco Baume Tinted Lip Balm

One of the closest options to a full-blown lipstick on this list, Chanel’s version of a tinted lip balm is—of course—effortlessly chic. The hydrating formula toes the line between balm and lipstick with an opaque, buildable color. It also recently went feverishly viral when Sofia Richie Grainge wore the peachy pink shade 928 Pink Delight on her wedding day, which gave her pout a transparent, barely there, and pulled-together appearance.

What our editors are saying: "There's something about using Chanel's Rouge Coco Baume Tinted Lip Balm that always makes me feel like I've elevated my day-to-day makeup routine. Its buildable, oil-based formula deeply revitalizes dry lips in minutes while providing long-lasting hydration." —TD

Key ingredients: shea butter, olive oil, olive leaf extract

Customer review: "I LOVE not only the color but the way my lips are hydrated. It leaves them feeling silky and soft."—Paula

Katie wears Chanel's Rouge Coco Baume Tinted Lip Balm in the shade My Rose.

Bisou Balm

Bazaar editors love Violette_FR's Bisou Balm so much that we even made a TikTok video about it. Its buildable, transparent matte finish also combines the pigmentation of lipstick with the feel and texture of a balm and is nicely available in six color options. And since its formula contains a blurring effect to achieve Violette's signature "just bitten lips," the balm is practically foolproof.

What our editors are saying: "I first tried Bisou Balm in Violette's Bonbon Coquelicot shade, which is perfect for anyone who's equally intrigued and intimidated by the thought of wearing red lipstick. The balm makes it a no-brainer to achieve

Key ingredients: rapeseed seed oil

Tiffany wears Violette_FR's Bisou Balm in the shade Bonbon Coquelicot.

Meet the experts

• Sarah Brown is the chief brand officer at Violet Grey.

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