— by Alexia Economou
Make-up artist Ruby Hammer wearing her own ‘ nude’ lip balm
My lifelong love affair with lip balm started in the 80s with theFunburger Duo by Avon.Its plastic hamburger packaging was ironic, Pop Art fashionable and the practical pink and peach glosses inside were a pre-teen’s dream. In truth, my relationship with lip balms started as a toddler, when my father’s plain Chapstickwas used to ward off the brutal dryness of Canadian winters. Thankfully, the lip balm has come a long way from waxy stick and petroleum-based pot – andmy love affair continues, I currently have about six different lip balms on rotation.
The easy-to-apply balm has diversified into tints, SPFs, masks, oils, ones that ’plump’ and all manner of skin, scent and applicator types. This variety is just one of the reasons that the lip balm has become so desirable. The vogue for ‘clean’ faces and dewy, natural lips, as seen on 2025’s couture catwalks and awards season red carpets, is also fuelling popularity. Various studies see projected balm sales growing from 50-100% globally, in the next five years. But I think it’s the relative affordability and self-care factor that makes the lip balm a beauty must. A good one can be healing, protective, give your lips a glow-up or serve double duty with colour and comfort. TNMA has championed Burt’s Bees lip balm in the past, but here’s a list of our current top 20 favourites:
Therapeutic
La Roche-Posey Cicaplast Barrier Repairing Balm – creates a smooth, protective layer for cracked lips to repair themselves from environmental damage
Eucerin Acute Lip Balm – dermatologists’ recommended for flaky, dry lips [Eucerin in the UK (oil formula); Eucerin Aquaphor (oil & beeswax formula); or Aquaphor (petroleum-based) in other countries]
O’Keefe’s Lip RepairSPF15 –contains soothing shea butter, favourite of outdoorsy-types
Sun Bum Lip Balm Broad Spectrum SPF 30 – this aloe and vitamin E formula is vegan, cruelty-free and smells like a vacation in a tube; also available in a mineral formula, if preferred
Everyday
Jones Road Mini Hippie Stick –beloved by beauty insiders, this limited edition, portable size of their universal-use buttery balm smells of orange peel and spearmint leaf oils
Glossier’s BalmDotcom Universal Salve– cult favourite has a soothing, petroleum-jelly texture in an easy-to-use tube
EOS’ Organic Lip Balm Sphere–Its egg-shape is joyous to use! My go-to is the perfect balance of waxy and creamy so, a great base for lipstick; reformulated after a recall of the original in 2017, now ideal for sensitive skin, cruelty-free and organic
Fenty Lux Cherry Lip Balm with Barbados Cherry – zhooshup your lip balm game with this intensely hydrating one from Rihanna’s brand
Tinted
Lisa Eldridge’s Baume Embrace Melting Lip Colour – trio of shea, murumru and wild mango kernel butters makes this super moisturising and hydrating, vegan balm, truly “melting” in texture – love!
Nivea Watermelon Shine Tinted lip Balm –budget-friendly stick glides on smoothly, with a hint of sheen and colour (also in Cherry and Blackberry) – ideal for those who want light coverage and forgiving, mirror-free application
Clinique’s Almost Lipstick Tinted Lip BalminBlack Honey– love its vamp-y colour which is universally flattering, making it the No1 lip balm in the US for years. Its toned-down shine is more forgiving for mature lips. A lighter, ‘Pink Honey’ shade is also available
Korres Wild Rose Tinted Lip Butter Stick with Greek balsam oil & vitamin E gives a superb, non-sticky, natural flush to the lips; colour is buildable and leaves lips soft long after it wears off
Florence by Mills Oh Whale! Tinted Vegan Lip Balm in Dragonfruit & Grape –lip-hugging jojoba and avocado oil formula feels super luxurious – and playful – twist the tiny whale at the base to use this pocket-friendly, squoval stick
Image: Merit – must-try their products, we have heard good things!
Luxury
Chanel’s Les Beige Lip Balm – choose your nude… this soothing vitamin E and moringa butter formulation comes in four colour depths from ‘Light’ to the very popular ‘Intense’
de Mamiel Rose & Pomegranate Lip Balm–Worth the splurge. Alyson got sent a sample to try and was quickly won over, ‘It’s lovely, luxurious and lasts a long time. It makes my lips softer, smells and tastes good and, on the occasions when I use my regular tinted lip balm, it feels very dry in comparison.’
Christian Dior’s Revitalizing Multi-Use (Le) Baume– with shea butter and moisturising hyaluronic acid, comes in a portable ‘disc’ and can be used on lips, body and hands for added value
Serums and Peptides
Laneige Glaze Craze Polypeptide Lip Serum – the Korean brand has followed the sell-out popularity of its Lip Glowy BalmandLip Sleeping Mask, with this moisture-barrier-boosting balm whose donut-shaped, gel-cushion tip provides better ‘one-swipe’ coverage
Ruby Hammer’s Lip Balm Serum – moist and very natural-looking balm from the make-up artist Ruby Hammer’s beauty range; perfect for the season’s subtle make-up trend
Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment– from another celeb (Hailey Bieber), this unscented balm truly lives up to its award-winning hype, especially in cold weather
Clarins Hydrating Peptide Lip Oil Balm– Clarins has morphed its best-sellingTinted Comfort Oil into this light, buttery balm with rose and hazelnut oils to nourish and hydrate…
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