Benefit Hydrating Lip Balms: Benebalm, Posiebalm, Chachabalm and Lollibalm

The Benefit Hydrating Lip Balms arrived without much hoo-ha which is a surprise as I would’ve marked these as one of the brand’s most exciting launches of late, but maybe that’s just me and my thing for natural, enhancing make-up that’s pretty much embodied in a tinted lip balm which is exactly what these fabulous balms from Benefit are.

There are four shades in total, each of which corresponds with one of the infamous Lip & Cheek Stains, so we have Benebalm which is the balm version of Benetint, Posiebalm for Posietint, Chachabalm for Chachatint and lastly Lollibalm for Lollitint.  I love the concept behind matching the balms to the tints as it means you can start your day with a wash of colour on the lips with a tint and then top it up throughout the day with the balm.  Some people don’t enjoy the matte finish of the tint, so here’s the answer.

The Benefit Hydrating Lip Balms are what tinted lip balms should be; they’re a gentle wash of colour that mostly adds moisture and a little shine to the lip.  They are subtle, pretty and perfect for easy summer make-up.  I think the whole tinted lip balm thing has been bastardised by the onset of butter style lip products, which don’t get me wrong, I love them too, but they’re not tinted lip balms, they’re more moisturising lipsticks that add more than a hint of colour.  I love, love, love gentle make-up as I think it’s flattering and feminine, so these tinted lip balms compliment that type of make-up look perfectly.

I thought my favourite of the four would be either of the pinks – Posiebalm or Lollibalm – but surprisingly my favourites are the other two, Benebalm and Chachabalm.  Chachabalm is a slightly peachy shade whilst Benebalm is true to form and delivers that gorgeous flush of red.

I like Posiebalm too, but I’d say my least favourite is Lollibalm as it’s very blue leaning which works in a bright lipstick, but I’m not sure about it in a tinted lip balm.  However, the blue will whiten teeth and if you like a lilac shade then Lollibalm is a good choice.  Posietint is a more traditional pink that works really well as a balm and is easy to work into any make-up look.

My lips are extremely pigmented; they might not look it, but try and put any shade over them and if the pigmentation is low then the colour will struggle to show. Consequently I have to build up quite a bit of balm to get colour through, but as I said earlier, it’s about the slightest hint of colour for a bit of enhancement and these balms deliver this really well.

If you just buy one, I’d say go for the Benebalm shade as it can be dressed up with a bold eye and would work really well with a strong line of eyeliner with a few coats of mascara, or you could just skip the liner and go for one coat of mascara and a bit of Benetint on the cheeks for a pretty, casual look.  If you’re really not a red fan then go for Posiebalm which is a universally flattering shade of pink.  All four balms are available now for £14.50 each, both instore and here – link.

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