There are many beauty products I could live without, but lipstick is not one of them. I don’t wear much makeup but the small daily ritual of a swipe of colour across my lips and a lick of mascara never fails to make me feel a bit more put together on a dash to the shops or a day of errands. I don’t feature many beauty products on the blog; I tend to cling to my favourites. But once in a while I come across a goodie. While not quite a lipstick, Nars soft matte tinted lip balm in ‘whiplash’ has, after just a few months, almost made it to my beauty empties list. After wearing it almost every day since it arrived, it would be rude of me not to share it with you, no?
The range
I stumbled across Nars’s limited edition soft matte tinted lip balm range when browsing Mecca on an infrequent upgrade to my make up collection last year. I was searching for an ‘everyday’ shade of lipstick and a lip balm I would actually wear regularly. This product promised both. There are six shades in this range (intimate, unrestricted, brief encounter, whip lash, touch me and dangerous affair) with neutral colour palettes ranging from beige tones to a deep mocha. In Australia they are stocked in Mecca for $42 or in Boots in the UK (although with limited colours) for 23 pounds. You can also purchase them directly from Nars.
Texture
Lip balms, if I’m honest, are not really a love of mine. They’re practical, yes. But the sticky, gooey textures of most means that I generally don’t reach for them until it’s too late and my lips are already dry and cracked. Hence my desire to find one I’d wear everyday. Well, Nars definitely succeeded on that front. I really like the texture of this lip balm. It slides on easily and the olive oil base is nourishing without feeling sticky.
Effectiveness
I wouldn’t call this a heavy duty lip balm and it’s not something I’d reach for if my lips are very dry or cracked. However, the olive oil base gently nourishes and, given I’d wear it everyday for the colour alone, I consider it a good ‘maintenance’ sort of lip balm, if you will, so that perhaps I have to reach for the hard stuff less often.
Colour
My go-to shade has always been good old red. A mixture of the timeless Old Hollywood vibes it exudes coupled with the fact that often pink or neutral shades of lipstick wash me out. However, a bright red can be a lot for daily wear and so I was on the look out for a neutral-ish shade which still had redish undertones; a subtler play on classic red. Whiplash, with its rustic hue, the colour of red autumn leaves, caught my eye. I like how it adds colour to my face and lips but in a way which feels ‘barely there’.
Aesthetics and packaging
Aesthetic packaging is not something I base my skincare and make up decisions on – well, most of the time. However, it’s certainly a bonus and I do love the minimalistic design of this case. Even better, the clasp of the lipstick is securely fastened so you don’t need to worry if it’s floating about at the bottom of your handbag, like mine often does.
Have you tried one of the Nars soft matte tinted lip balms? If so, how did you find them?
