The 18 Best Tinted Lip Balms, Tested by Editors With Chronically Chapped Lips

Where nourishing ingredients meet gorgeous color.

best tinted lip balms including nars, summer fridays, and supergoop
(Image credit: Future)

In my 28 years of life, one thing has remained constant: my lips are perpetually chapped. Sometimes, they're peeling, occasionally bleeding (it's a winter thing), and very rarely do they feel smooth. So, I became a beauty editor on a mission: find the best tinted lip balm in existence so my lips could be both hydrated and pigmented 24/7.

My little hydration experiment proved successful (my lips are now silky smooth) and allowed me to try an exorbitant number of tinted lip balms. I've gone through almost eight tubes of Summer Friday's Lip Butter Balm (I'm a pink sugar girl who dabbles in vanilla beige); I keep Hourglass' Glossy Lip Balm in every going-out bag (the pigment is unmatched); and even discovered some drugstore go-tos, like Naturium's Phyto-Glow Lip Balm, that are ideal for a budget buy.

Those are just a few of my favorites. There are options for intense pigment, lip masks that double as an overnight treatment, and picks that have a little shimmer. Want to know all my thoroughly-tested must-haves? Keep reading to shop for the 18 best tinted lip balms of all time, according to yours truly. Plus, discover a few expert tips from makeup artists, who know what it takes to make a good lip balm.

The Best Tinted Lip Balms

U Beauty Tinted Lip Balm Review

Ariel Baker wearing U Beauty Tinted Lip Balm.

(Image credit: Ariel Baker)

Ariel Baker Testing Hourglass Phantom Glossy Balm

Ariel Baker wearing Hourglass Phantom Glossy Balm.

(Image credit: Ariel Baker)

Ariel Baker testing Dior Lip Balm

Ariel Baker wears Dior Lip Balm.

(Image credit: Ariel Baker)

Ariel Baker testing Summer Fridays lip balm

Ariel Baker wears Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm.

(Image credit: Ariel Baker)

Ariel Baker testing naturium lip balm

Ariel Baker wearing Naturium Phyto-Glow Lip Balm.

(Image credit: Ariel Baker)

Other Tinted Lip Balms I Love

What to Look For in Tinted Lip Balm

Ingredients

First things first, look for the right ingredients. A lip balm that’s genuinely hydrating is going to contain two types of ingredients: Film formers, like petrolatum or a wax, and hydrators, like ceramides, waxes, butters, oils, or sea asparagus. “If there are no hydrators in the product, it’s like putting saran wrap over a dry lip—which does not do anything,” explains cosmetic chemist Ginger King. If your lip balm does contain petrolatum, make sure it’s USP-grade, meaning the purity is par.

Coverage

If you prefer balms of the tinted variety, King has a hot tip. “A good tinted lip balm should be able to build coverage,” says King. “If people want full coverage, they should opt for lipstick.”

Are Tinted Lip Balms Good For Your Lips?

The answer to this question is that it depends on the formula. "Tinted lip balms can absolutely be just as hydrating as your typical lip balm; however, it’s ultimately all up to the formula," says makeup artist Theo Turner. "Some formulas with color don’t compromise hydration, whereas others may feel drier due to the addition of the pigments to the wax (or whichever base is used for the actual lip balm formula)." It all depends on the brand finding pigments and base formulas that mesh and work well together without compromising comfort or color.

Is Lip Tint Better Than Lip Balm?

This also depends on the look you're going for. "If you’re someone who has sensitive skin, you may want to stick to clear lip balms for the best hydration properties," says makeup artist Jonet Williamson.

"All tinted lip balms are not created equal," Turner adds. One easy way to identify if a tinted balm is going to be hydrating is to take a look at the ingredients. Look for formulas infused with natural oils and butters like shea and jojobo oil.

Why Trust Marie Claire?

Samantha Holender and Ariel Baker have a combined two decades of experience in the beauty industry and and are both lip balm fanatics. They also consulted a cosmetic chemist as well as two makeup artists for this story.

Marie Claire is also an expert in makeup and lip care, writing stories on everything from lipsticks to lipglosses and everything in between.

How We Tested

Marie Claire's Samantha Holender and Ariel Baker went through a vigorous testing period where she reviewed dozens of tinted lip balms. After determining the top picks alongside cosmetic chemists and makeup artists, they tested the tinted lip balms to evaluate for hydration, color, and staying power.

Meet the Experts

Ginger King
Ginger King

Ginger King has been passionately creating beauty products from concept to finish since 1995. She is well versed in innovative concepts, creative product formulation, advanced technology applications, ergonomic package development and impactful competitive analysis. Ginger has developed over hundreds of products from hair care to skin care, and sun care to color cosmetics. Her claim to fame products include the revolutionary first to market Joico ICE SPIKER, water resistant hair glue, Freeze 24.7 Ice Shield, SPF 15 face wash and Avon Advance Techniques Color Protection series. Her Avon True Color Eye shadow and Daring Definition Mousse Mascara have also been selected as the finalists for CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) for 2005 and 2006 respectively.

Jonet Williamson headshot
Jonet Williamson

Jonet Williamson is a professional makeup artist and content creator

Theo Turner headshot
Theo Turner

Theo Turner is an international celebrity makeup artist, beauty influencer, and creative director based out of New York City.

Samantha Holender
Senior Beauty Editor

Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.

With contributions from