CLARINS Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm in Crystal Pink

Lip Balms! Love them. Definitively one my must-have-applied-on-my-lips-everyday products. This past summer CLARINS released 4 lip balms as part of their Summer Collection, which really caught my eye. This lippies are named "Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms" and come in 4 colors: Crystal Pink, Crystal Violet, Crystal Coral and Crystal Red (all of them 3.5g for USD $24.50, still available at ClarinsUSA.com)

The one that interested me was Crystal Pink.

I was very excited when I received my order. CLARINS promised: "(It) Delivers the colour of a lipstick, the transparency of a gloss and the comfort of a lip balm for smoother, fuller lips. Available in 4 bold summer shades". The shade is beautiful and for a lip balm, it provides a lot of color.  I admit, I bought it on impulse; I did not check the web about this product to see if it was good or bad, lol.

This lip balm comes in a beautiful silver case and looks super cool, very modern and elegant at the same time. It has a fruit smell I really love. Not way overboard, just nice enough.

 01-Crystal Pink

 Top lip--No product applied; Bottom Lip--01-Crystal Pink

(See? It's quite pigmented)

Under natural lighting--Quite a difference, huh?

Now, when I use lipstick or lipglosses, I always use lip balm underneath, as a primer (my all time favorite -- the discontinued Sally Hansen Healing Butter for Lips, which I can still find in Ebay). Since this was a balm I considered I didn't need to use my regular balm under it. Right? WRONG. 

This lip balm simply does not provides enough moisture for my lips. It feels nice when upon application, not sticky at all. My lips do feel fully moisturized for a few minutes but after it fades away (which is pretty fast in my experience), my lips feel are really dry. I'm telling you, I've been using it for months now and it just doesn't cut it. And I hate it leaves a stain on the borders. 

CLARINS indicates on its website that the ingredients are 'gelled oils' = oils in gel texture (from what I read on the internet--I actually had to google that term, hahaha). Which oils? Well, I don't have the box right now, but I searched on the web and found a list of ingredients HERE (this list is from 2011, so I don't know if there is a difference compared to the ones from this year's release). Anyway, it's not enough for my lips.

So that's it. To me the CLARINS Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm provides decent amount of color for a lip balm but not enough moisture. For $24.50, I did expect more.

VERDICT? 2/5 -- I don't recommend it, just because is too much $$ for a lip balm that performs so mediocre.

The lovely Muse has more photos and info on her blog about this product (Click HERE to check it out). Her review is from this past March and she really liked the product, so you have another point of view there.

++ I know, I know...I have not been around much but yeah, I'm pretty much the same makeup junkie who still buys makeup just to see what's new. ^_^ ++

++My RATING scale explained++

'Til next time!

Vive.Ama.Ríe.