Lip balms don’t get enough credit.  They may not be able to create a vampy attitude like our favorite dark red lipstick or add that pop of shimmer like our can’t-live-without lip gloss, but without lip balm a perfect pout would never be possible.  Here are the products that have the ability to soothe and nourish even the dryest, most chapped of Winter lips as we transition into dewy, Spring beauty.

But what makes for an unbeatable lip balm?  Staying power ranks as most important; I love a balm that, applied, at night, will soothe through ’till the morning.  Clean packaging, a scent that is nice but not too overwhelming, and a formula that goes on thick are also major considerations.  Here are my top 5 heavyweight lip balm champs–

Rosebud Perfum Co. // Smith’s Minted Rose Lip Balm

Undeniably a cult-favorite, Smith’s Minted Rose Lip Balm by Rosebud Perfume Co. is one of my favorite multi-purpose balms.  A tin of Minted Rose Lip Balm will cover all of your daily beauty needs, including but definitely not limited to: hydrating dry lips, taming fly-aways or crazy brows, and treating dry cuticles & elbows.  Although some find the scent of rose overpowering, I find it to be subtle enough in this product.  The price point is low at only $6, and will last you forever in it’s seemingly never-ending tin (amplified by the fact that you’ll hardly need to reapply).

Ingredients: Pure White Petrolatum (Surgical Grade), Cotton Seed Oil, Trade Secret Blend of Essential Oils, Botanicals.Founded in 1892, the Rosebud Perfume Company set out with a simple mission: To provide simple, multi-usage products that are both affordable and effective.

L’Occitane en Provence // Shea Butter Lip Balm

I’m a sucker for cute packaging, which is what initially drew me to this little tube of Shea Butter Lip Balm by L’Occitane en Provence.  Formulated with 10% shea butter, this carnauba and bees wax based balm is a lighter alternative to the thicker aforementioned formula.  All L’Occitane products are inspired by the plants and essential oils found in the South of France.  This lip balm is ideal for those moments when I want unscented, matte nourishment, or as a base for lipstick.

Ingredients:  Glycine Soja Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii, Candelilla Cera/Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Copernica Cerifera Wax, Isopropyl Palmitate, Fragrance, BHT, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Hydroxyisohexyl 3 Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Butylphenyl Hexyl Cinnamal, Alpha-Methyl Ionone, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol.

Farmacy // Vanilla Mint Lip Bloom

I’m often left disappointed by health-conscious beauty brands.  My high hopes are dashed by too-earthy smells or lackluster formulas, but the Vanilla Mint Lip Bloom by Farmacy is definitely a shining exception to this.  Lip Bloom’s offer natural moisture and protection in a lightweight formula, with a bit more shine gloss than the L’Occitane Lip Balm.  It comes in 6 unique scents based on the Farmacy farm-to-table philosophy, including Strawberry Basil, Honey Ginger, and Critrus Lemongrass to name a few.

Whats really unique about Farmacy products is that they contain Echinacea GreenEnvy™, a unique patent-protected variant of Echinacea Purpurea which contains the highest known concentration of the phytochemical Cichoric Acid, a potent natural antioxidant which helps protect and firm the skin by inhibiting the enzymes that break down collagen.  I can’t say for sure if its the GreenEnvy, but using Lip Bloom definitely makes my lips feel a bit plumper as well.

Ingredients: Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Patented Echinacea Purpurea ‘Greenenvytm’ Root Extract, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax / Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Flavor, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Behenate/ Eicosadioate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol.  http://farmacybeauty.com

TokyoMilk Dark // Lip Elixir in Salted Caramel

My favorite lip balm of all time would be, hands down, the Lip Elixir in Salted Caramel No. 36 by TokyoMilk Dark… if it weren’t for the packaging.  After asking countless waiters and Uber drivers to help me crack open the little, black aluminum tin I had no choice but to repackage it myself.  If ever caught in harsh snowstorm conditions, Lip Elixir is the only formula I would want on me– that’s how thick and longwear it is.  It’s a wax base so it melts onto the lips and works amazing under lipstick.  I admit that the smell can be a bit overpowering, but what else would you expect from a lip product produced by a perfume company?  Hoping that TokyoMilk Dark comes out with a tube version soon!

Ingredients:  Petrolatum, Microcrystalline Wax, Flavor, Stevia, Green Tea Extract.

Lucas’ Papaw // Ointment Cream

This last product is a bit of a wildcard.  Lucas’ Papaw Ointment Cream is a petroleum (a.k.a. vaseline) based, all-purpose ointment.  This Australian staple is made from pure Australian papaws, or papayas, concentration and has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties which enables it to topically treat a whole list of surface wounds and irritations.  Beyond severely dry lips, Papaw Ointment helps tattoos heal, soothes minor burns, calms irritation and sunburn, insect bites, splinters, and provides temporary relief of the symptoms of dermatitis and eczema.

Ingredients:  Carica papaya 39mg/g fresh fermented fruit, potassium sorbate 0.1mg/g as preservative. Note: this product is petroleum-based.

What are your all-time favorite moisturizing skin products?  Let me know!
xx LK

(Some of these items may have been sent to me for review, however, all opinions and words are my own)