Lip Smackers Walked So Trendy Tinted Lip Balms Could Run
They’re a perfect product for midlife faces
Hi WNVM-ers,
Cheryl here, talking makeup this week. I’m enjoying it more than I have in a while. A few feathery strokes with an eyebrow pencil (where the heck have my brows gone?!), a swipe of mascara, and a pat of cream blush have been transformative for me. Recently, I’ve added a new category: tinted lip balms, aka Lip Smackers for adults. I’m going to tell you how they became one of the hottest categories in beauty, pay tribute to their ‘80s/’90s predecessors, and give you my honest review of a bunch of them.
Then, in news, Sarah Jessica Parker and I share a common interest, and Fawnia has Gen X-related updates on all her boyfriends, including Idris Elba, Austin Butler, and her Miami Vice reboot dream-casting duo.
You may need to view this in your browser so it doesn’t cut off. And if you’re feeling generous, please hit the heart button on this post — it will help propel us through Substack’s algorithm faster than Madonna changed her looks in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Lipstick Cherry All Over the Lens
Pop a tinted lip balm into the back pocket of your Guess jeans.
By Cheryl
My lips seem to be deflating, fading, shrinking in on themselves. Then there are the fine lines, which suck up any traditional lipstick I try to apply and spread it in a sunburst pattern around my mouth if I don’t use liner. Oh, and let’s not forget the constant dryness, no matter what season it is.
It got me thinking about Bonne Bell Lip Smackers and sticky-sweet Maybelline Kissing Potion. They were so delightful to use. Then there were the lesser-known Kissing Sticks, Kissing Slicks, and Kissing Koolers. Big lip gloss really pushed its making-out agenda on us.
Anyway, I needed some fun lip products in my life again that captured the sensory pleasure of those old faves with a bit of color and brightening. And I did not want them to involve lip liner, a mirror, anything matte, or kissing propaganda. However, I would not be opposed to some chic cherry flavoring.
And I found them. I’m not prone to hyperbole — and in fact, I’m sometimes a downright hater, because I have seen too much BS in the beauty industry — but tinted lip balms are kind of a perfect product.
They provide a bit of color, moisture, and fun. They work great on an aging mouth because they’re really forgiving — you can do that old makeup artist trick of coloring outside of your natural lip line to make your lips appear a bit larger without looking like Bozo. And they come in a ton of formulations (some brands have really pushed the definition of what “lip balm” means, but I’ll get to that), colors, and price points, so there are options.
Practically every makeup brand offers one now, and that’s not an exaggeration. Sofia Coppola even inexplicably made a $46 one.
Pretty Popular
Tinted lip balms generally come in traditional twist-up solid tubes or softer formulations in squeeze tubes. They provide sheer but noticeable color, and usually tout some sort of treatment/softening benefit.
These are not to be confused with lip oils, which I think are inferior. They are too slick, too shiny, and too ephemeral; they’re gone from my mouth instantly. Lip balms aren’t as long-lasting as lipstick, but they have more staying power than lip oils, in my experience.
Last year, the lip product category grew by 19%, compared to only 7% growth for the makeup category overall, according to Circana. Analysts attributed the popularity to tinted lip balms and lip oils. The category got so popular in 2023, in fact, that brands launched enough new lip products in 2024 to double their sales. So it is sheer lip color nirvana out there right now.
There are a few overlapping circumstances that led to this. First, the pandemic and mask-wearing made lipstick impractical, so people started digging out their balms, which was a sleepy category before 2020. Plus, brands like Glossier, Summer Fridays, and especially Hailey Bieber’s Rhode offered squeeze lip balms that are super popular with young people — beauty brands want to hop on whatever product is trending. (Bieber is also the poster child of the controversial “clean girl” aesthetic, which embraces wearing expensive makeup that doesn’t look like makeup, usually showcased on white, thin women.) One Reddit thread posits that tinted lip balms are more palatable for parents to buy for their “Sephora Tweens” than traditional heavy lipsticks. I think this is probably right.
Sort of peripheral but related, cherry is also trending. It’s the platonic ideal of a lip product flavor, in my opinion, and that’s definitely because of nostalgia. It’s all the rage in fragrances now, and Dazed does a nice job of breaking down the fruit’s symbolism. (Although Fawnia rightly pointed out that they did not include our problematic fave, Warrant’s “Cherry Pie,” among all the other ‘90s Gen X references.) Beyond fragrance, it’s starting to hit full collections, as beauty writer Lauren Lipsay notes. (She also identifies a sparkly “disco lips” trend, which I will be skipping.)
From Smacking to Shading
Lip products have always loomed large, probably because they’re easy to carry, simple to use, and acceptable to apply in public. (Plus, they’re a recession indicator.) Since this is WNVM, here is a timeline of past products that I think are the spiritual predecessors to the current crop of tinted lip balms:
1970s: In 1973, Bonne Bell claims it made the world’s first flavored lip balm, the venerable Lip Smacker, which still exists. (Chapstick might want a word, since its cherry flavor allegedly came out in 1971.) Then there is Maybelline’s Kissing Potion, in the iconic glass roller ball bottle and Village Lip Lickers in Ye Olde Slide Tin. (Tinte Cosmetics makes pretty accurate dupes of these all. Yes, I bought some. Yes, I sometimes just sit and inhale that cherry bomb scent of the kissing potion.)
1980s: Maybelline continues its reign of terror with Kissing Stick and Kissing Koolers.
1989: Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey originally launches in the ‘70s as a lip gloss in a pot. But at the cusp of the ‘90s, we get the formula that is still one of the brand’s best sellers and which seems to be un-dupable and goes viral every few years. The brand’s copywriting mentions the “creamy, balmy base” so I’m going to make the bold claim that this is a tinted lip balm, and, because it’s so popular, also had a hand in proliferating the current trend.
1991: Burt’s Bees lip balm launches. This gave drugstore shoppers an alternative to Chapstick.
1990s: We enter the lip gloss era, led by gloopy MAC Lipglass (1995).
2000: Lancôme gives us Juicy Tubes, whose packaging influence is still felt in the tinted lip balm aisle today.
2004: Fresh, the godmother of modern tinted lip balm, launches its Sugar Lip Treatment with SPF. Rosé rules.
2009: Dior Addict Lip Glow touts itself as a makeup-skincare hybrid, setting the stage for a jillion brands now to say the same thing. It also normalizes a $40 price point for glorified lip balm.
2011: Clinique launches tinted lip balm Chubby Sticks with questionable shade names like “Fuller Fig.” The crayon shape is fantastic, though.
Mid- to late-2010s: Kylie Jenner’s lip kits and the driest of matte liquid lipsticks rule in the era of YouTube makeup influencers and Kardashian dominance. We were due for a softening.
Testing the Tubes
I purchased all of these products on my own over the course of a few weeks. I’m sorry that some of the price points are a little…bougie. (In beauty industry parlance, they are “prestige.”) For those of you following the very niche $24 Clinique lip gloss drama on Substack, please do not tell Jan how unserious I am.
I’m dividing them up into squeeze tube and stick tube categories, because they are different. The squeezies tend to be glossier with less color pay-off than their waxier brethren. There is also what I am calling a “drydown” period (to steal a fragrance concept), where they look different 20 minutes after you apply. I prefer the twist tube format.
As for any beauty review, products are highly personal and what works on me might be horrible on you. Test first if you can.
SQUEEZE TUBES
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm ($24): This is a better balm than a tint. The color fades fairly quickly, but the balmy hydration lasts for hours. The scent of the “Cherry” (a shiny pink when applied) perfectly meets my brief for non-cloying fruity nostalgia. The curved applicator is a great design, too. (9 shades)
Sephora Collection Glaze Hydrating Lip Balm ($12): Because Sephora is owned by LVMH, it has access to some of the best formulators and pigments. So this house brand punches above its weight in quality at a decent price point. I liked this! It starts off a bit shiny but turns balmy after about 20 minutes, with long-lasting hydration and a hint of color. I’d describe the subtle scent as “berry vanilla.” (3 shades)
Westman Atelier Liquid Lip Balm ($38): Makeup artist Gucci Westman is beloved by Serious Beauty People, and her luxury beauty line is popular with older consumers. Yes, I know this is not a squeeze tube, but I had to try it. This has a doe foot applicator like a lip gloss, and that should have tipped me off that it would be too glossy. If you like a comfortable, non-sticky gloss, this may be for you. The color payoff was subtle in a good way, but I want less shine. It’s unflavored. (7 shades)
Tower 28 LipSoftie Tinted Lip Treatment ($16): This was my favorite of the squeeze tube balms. The color, shine level, and longevity were all great. Two small complaints: The weird vanilla scent is not good, but it fades quickly. Don’t squeeze too much out at once because the rounded vs. slanted applicator can get a little messy. But the product performance is fantastic. (8 shades)
TWIST TUBES
Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix ($25): Rihanna (the brand’s founder) and her copywriting team tell me this is technically a “high-shine gloss stick,” but it acted very “tinted balm” when I tried a tester. I blame the fact that I was not wearing my reading glasses, and also that I homophone-d “bomb” and “balm.” It’s not too glossy (especially if you give it a quick blot), and I actually loved it: Pigmented, super hydrating, lovely cherry/fruity scent. (17 shades)
Sarah Creal The Adults Are Talking Solid Serum Lip Repair ($42): This is a high-quality balm that lasts a long time, but the color is very subtle. I wanted to try this brand because it’s aimed at women over 40, but the price is pretty outrageous. You can get more for less. No scent. (5 shades)
Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm ($5.99): As a palette/wallet cleanser, I had to try the OG. It’s a fantastic balm but a mediocre lip tint. The “Red Dahlia” color has a very cherry Chapstick-coded scent. (8 shades)
Ilia Balmy Tint ($28): This one wins as my overall favorite tinted lip balm. (Generally, Ilia’s products are all high quality and unfussy.) A perfect balance of color and balminess. The scent is subtle vanilla. Tiny complaint: I wish the product had an angled lipstick shape instead of a flat top. I’ll live. (8 shades)
Please comment if you have a brand you love, if you hate this category (I welcome debate), or if you have any thoughts about beauty topics you want us to write about in the future.
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site, but the picks are objectively our recommendations for what we’d buy ourselves.
We are two Gen X journalists who celebrate people of our generation doing cool things, as well as analyze all the '80s and '90s nostalgia in current pop culture, fashion, and beauty. Read more stories like this one here!
You Oughta Know
Sarah Jessica Parker gave a shout out to the best birding app, Merlin, aka Shazam for birds. She was hearing the cheery sounds of a White-throated Sparrow (a whistle that makes my heart soar, because it means spring migration is here) and needed to know what it was. SJP, grab your JW Anderson pigeon purse and meet me in Central Park for the most perfect hobby. -CW [Instagram]
My #1 boyfriend Idris Elba is back on a plane, as the U.K. Prime Minister, in possibly the most Gen X-coded trailer ever for Prime’s Heads of State, out on July 2. Jon Cena, winking at himself (or The Rock?), plays a former action star-turned-POTUS. A Rambo-esque shot feels like a direct nod to that 1985 Reagan hot mic flub about bombing Russia, which drew international consternation then. (How quaint.) The two team up, like a ‘90s buddy-action comedy, aided by Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid’s son, Jack, as their Q. The kicker: It's all set to Mötley Crüe’s “Wild Side.” -FSH [Heads of State trailer]
Following Colin Farrell’s ode to mojitos in 2006, another Miami Vice movie is in the works, but without director and TV series executive producer Michael Mann. Joseph Kosinski takes the helm, instead. Please, please help me manifest Charles Melton as Crockett and Jay Ellis — who was in Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick — as Tubbs. (I put it out there back in our intro newsletter on June 24, 2024 …) -FSH [The Hollywood Reporter]
According to a new study, the top 10 movie stars that audiences will actually pay — and leave home — to see are from Generation X (or are ‘90s icons), including Denzel Washington at #1, Will Smith at #7, and Keanu Reeves at #9. Notably, they’re all dudes, with Sandra Bullock and Angelina Jolie making the top 20. Stars of the ‘90s are forever, Matt Belloni! -FSH [What I’m Hearing/Puck]
My podcast listens from the past week have been so unapologetically Gen X. First, Amy Poehler stopped by “Las Culturistas” and explained bone density loss and the value of strength training (Cheryl would appreciate) to millennial hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. Then, on “Here to Make Friends,” co-host Liz Feldman — who I last talked to about old friendships — has a fun anecdote about being starstruck by Molly Ringwald at a dinner party, and has a very X-y convo with co-host Jessi Klein and her “No Good Deed” star Lisa Kudrow. -FSH [“Las Culturistas” and “Here to Make Friends”]
Vanity Fair has the first look teasers from Darren Aronofsky’s gritty, late-‘90s East Village-set Caught Stealing and … what? Sorry, I lost the plot after that top pic of the ‘90s-scion Zoë Kravitz and Austin Butler. -FSH [Vanity Fair]
Cyndi Lauper, OutKast, Salt-n-Pepa, and Soundgarden are among the 2025 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. -CW [Rock & Roll Hall of Fame]
For Elle’s Women in Music issue, I got a little teaser about Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in Deliver Me From Nowhere. I also talked to the costume designers of A Complete Unknown and the Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody, about why the style of music icons means so much to the fans, and continues to influence us. -FSH [Elle]
This was so fun! Also, Clinique's Black Honey was my first-ever lipstick. I had no idea that it was still so popular and I am seriously contemplating getting it again. Thanks for reminding me of it :)
WOW, this surpassed every shiny, syrupy, cherry flavoured expectation and then took it to the next level!! 💯🍒 Fantastic reporting (as per), super interesting history and so many memories – this UK Gen Xer remembers those Bonne Bell rollerballs, weirdly the mint one sticks in my memory, too - and oh my goodness those sliding tins!! 😭 Such a fun and fascinating deep dive, and now I’ve got yet more on my list… 🫠😂 (I keep meaning to try Summer Fridays!) Loved all the latest from Fawnia too - I’m cueing up that Amy Poehler pod for later!! LOVE!! (Throwing my tube into the hat, currently loving glossier strawberry balm dot com! Lovely pinky-red tint and gorgeous hydration!)