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I’ve tried upward of a thousand lip products over my career as a beauty writer. While I’ve loved hundreds of options, far fewer have reached everyday staple status (save for Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk and Laneige's Lip Glowy Balm). That said, I might just have to add a new pick to my collection of your-lips-but-better go-tos: Kjaer Weis, a go-to for Kate Hudson, Emma Watson, and InStyle editors, just dropped a new lip product, the Buildable Tinted Lip Balm. The lightweight formula is extremely promising for the warmer months ahead when I plan to pare down my usual full face of makeup.
Shop now: $35; kjaerweis.com
The Kjaer Weis Buildable Tinted Lip Balm is an ultra-hydrating, lip-smoothing balm that offers a wash of flattering, your-lips-but-better color. Available in six shades, including berries, pinks, and an understated clear hue, there’s an option for every complexion and aesthetic. The formula is buildable, making it the perfect go-to for any occasion. For daily wear, a single swipe does the trick, and for a more intense, lipstick-like finish, swipe on a few more layers for bolder color.
In addition to flattering colors, the balm’s ingredients are a major plus: Hyaluronic acid, for instance, draws moisture from the surrounding air and hydrates dry, flaky lips. As dermatologist Dr. Lian Mack previously told InStyle, the ingredient can “reduce wrinkles and fine lines by creating a barrier that retains water in the skin" and is “readily absorbed,” too, making it the perfect quick-fix for dry, withered lips.
Furthermore, the balm is enriched with squalene — another suppleness-inducing ingredient that “has wonderful hydrating properties and maintains our skin's own moisture barrier," dermatologist Dr. Mamina Turegano previously told InStyle. Better yet, she says hyaluronic acid and squalane are an excellent duo: "Hyaluronic acid pulls in water to hydrate the cells,” Dr. Turegano shared, and “squalane serves more to build the moisture barrier and keep the hydration in the skin.” Translation: The ingredients serve up smooth, supple lips — both instantly and over time.
Joining the duo are 10 organic oils, including rose oil — a close cousin to rosehip oil — and olive oil, which, as dermatologist Dr. Caroline Robinson previously told InStyle, "has a high percentage of…fatty acids,” including linoleic acid “which is an essential fatty acid for the skin.” As a smoothing finishing touch, the balm formula also contains cocoa butter. All ingredients, true to the brand’s clean-centric formulas, are certified organic and delightfully lip-loving to support softness.
As is typical for the brand, the balms’ packaging is part of the appeal. Housed in a gleaming silver twist-up tube, similar to a lipstick, each balm is a joy to whip out of one’s purse to swipe on in public, or store neatly and beautifully on a vanity.
For a flattering, buildable lip color formula that leaves lips soft and tinted in a single swipe, shop the new, ultra-flattering, Buildable Tinted Lip Balm from Kjaer Weis. It’s sure to become your summer lip go-to.