I’m a Beauty Editor and I Tried Over 30 Lip Products This Month—Here Are the 5 I Always Have on Me

Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Vanilla ($24)

The Summer Fridays Butter Balm was one of the first products I tried when I started testing out hydrating products for my Accutane lips, and I’ve never looked back. I’ve tried the balm in several shades and flavors, and though I love them all, the vanilla is a staple for me since its perfect for layering over colored products or for use on its own.

One of my favorite things about this viral Summer Fridays balm is that a little bit goes a long way. My main issue with a lot of lip products is that they can’t keep my chronically dry lips hydrated for more than an hour, but with the Butter Balm, the product not only instantly hydrates but seeps so seamlessly into the lips, I find myself not needing to reapply for hours (unless it’s for fun, because lets be honest, they taste delicious, too).

BUY NOW – $24

The Inkey List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm ($13)

I’ll be honest, when I learned about this product and its aim to plump lips instantly and over time all without that tingly, spicy feeling that comes with many lip plumping glosses, I was skeptical. But, with a few weeks of use, this balm—and every other Inkey List product I’ve tried—has quickly become one of my favorites.

Clinically proven to plump lips by up to 40 percent in as little as 4 weeks, the Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm uses 2 percent Ultra Filling Spheres packed with hyaluronic acid to hydrate, repair and plump lips, leaving them looking naturally fuller and healthier both instantly and over time.

While I love how this balm makes my lips look and feel instantly upon use, looking back on pictures before I started using the product and comparing them to now, I see a noticeable difference in the plumpness of my pout, especially my upper lip.

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Winky Lux Very There Lip Oil ($18)

This lip oil is one of my newest finds, but it has immediately sky-rocketed up my list of can’t-live-without products. To put it simply, I’ve never found a lip oil that has so much pigment, but still maintains the look and feel of a lip oil. Perfect for a festive, holiday look, the deep red shade provides the perfect pop of color and the blend of nourishing lip oils in the formula gives the lips otherworldly, long-lasting hydration.

I love to use this product on its own to give my lips a pop of color without dehydrating them in the way that most pigmented lip products do (at least on my sensitive lips), but I also love to line my lips with a brown liner and layer this burgundy shade on top to create a sultry, festive lip look.

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Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plumping Gloss in Mixed Berries ($24)

I don’t consider myself to be someone who is easily influenced by TikTok trends, but this viral Tarte staple had me thinking “I’ve been influenced” in just one use. Not only is the Mixed Berries shade the most gorgeous color, I’m obsessed with how this product feels on my lips. The ultra-glossy yet non-sticky formula and impressive pigment lasts for hours on end, and I love the minty feeling that comes with the plumping agent. This plumping gloss doesn’t make the lips burn in the way that many others do, but gives the lips a refreshing, minty feeling that makes your pout look and feel plumper and more radiant.

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Thrive Causemetics Impact-FULL Smoothing Lipstick ($26)

As has been made fairly clear by now, I have dry lips, and I haven’t had the best luck with lipsticks in the past as a result. Usually, lipsticks leave my lips looking and feeling dry and flakey, but that was until I tried Thrive’s Impact-FULL Smoothing Lipstick. Formulated with lip-loving ingredients like peptides, raspberry seed oil and vitamin E, this long-wear lipstick provides intense pigment while simultaneously conditioning and nourishing the lips. In the past, in order for me to wear a lipstick, I’d have to prime my lips with hydrating ingredients and then seal the lipstick in place with more glosses and moisturizing balms in order to avoid that dry, tight feeling that comes with many matte lipsticks, but that’s not the case with Thrive’s hero product lipstick. I can wear this one on it’s own for hours on end and still look and feel my best.

BUY NOW – $26