I love holiday collections, but there’s something special about coming out of holiday and seeing early Spring launches that excites me most! I’ve been seeing a lot of the translucent lip–slight tints with plenty o’ shine, and that’s where the new Bare Escentuals Buxom Balms will find their calling!
Five shades of buttery mineral-infused lip balms are adorable in their sleek silver pots where you’ll find a sneaky little mirror inside. I can continue to play the “touch-up game” where I whip out my gloss and try to apply it as quickly as possible with help from an inconspicuous mirror, and hopefully have it tucked away long before my Mom gives me the disapproving glare-of-death that is better known as: GO TO THE LADIES ROOM TO TOUCH UP YOUR LIPS.
Here’s a look at the mirror:
I generally scoff at the notion of digging my fingers into a gloss, but my fingers literally glide over these babies, and you won’t want to dig due to their jelly-like texture. They warm up to my fingertips instantly. Buxom Balms are not gloopy or gloppy, aren’t sticky, and are more lightweight than they look. Don’t be scared of the pigment in the pots…
I don’t detect any flavor or fragrance in the Buxom Balms, but there’s just a slight–and I mean a slight cooling feeling, nothing overly minty or stimulating. These feel more on the soothing and comforting side. While there is a plumping peptide in the formula, I honestly can’t speak on any real “plumping” claims as my lips are naturally full as long as they are moist (leave me alone, it was my ONE gift). What I can say is that well-hydrated lips look fuller–ever compared a raisin to a grape? I wanna be a grape! Buxom Balms are paraben-free, and contain cushiony moisturizers like sweet almond oil and shea butter. I have to say that Bora Bora and Portofino have my heart!
Bora Bora — red cherry
Portofino — plum wine
St. Barth — lilac sheen
Waikiki — bright pink berry
Copacabana — nude glow
An editorial sample was provided by the company and evaluated to determine my opinion of the product in this post. Please see the Disclosures page for further information regarding my policies for using editorial samples.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I LOVE these! Seventeen magazine sent me one in Copacabana to try and review for them, and it’s become my go-to balm. I think it smells lke a vanilla candle, which I adore.
Love the swatches and the Blog! Keep it up!
Hi a.p & Kieran
Thanks so much for visiting! K–that’s really interesting about the vanilla! I’m going back to my Copacabana now to apply it to double check!
xo
Amber
I love these two! When the Buxom lipglosses went on sale on Christmas morning I made sure to snag 2 sets!
I love the packaging
St Barth looks really nice!
Sounds like you scored Theo! Amber, I really think the packaging is super sweet myself! It makes me wonder why all these years MORE companies haven’t put little mirrors on the inside of the lip pots! I almost feel cheated
A touch-up without also having to hold your compact or sneak to the ladies room is like the icing on the cake 
xo
Amber
Being a total lip balm girl and using bare escentuals since its conception I was excited to try this seeing my favorite sheer plum shade in the mix! I do like it. Its a little pricey since Loreal Hip spoiled me with their jelly balms only to discontinue them. I truly believe when they realize something is “that good” that they take them off the market and send it up to their high end sister store knowing people like us will follow in our never ending pursuit to replace our beloved product….and I will being one of those girls who cannot wear a lipstick or anything that isn’t sheer without it ending up on my teeth. Having a big white smile and full lips is a blessing in some ways and a pain in the butt in others. (I know the tricks, no one has to remind me) I just like the idea of not having to worry that my lippies are askew when a bathroom or a mirror is not available. I wish smashbox would bring back their tinted lip treatments too. Do you remember it was a lipstick with a vitamin enriched balmy core so when applied it was a pretty sheer color? *sighs* Its getting tiring chasing down things I fall in love with only for them to be discontinued. You would laugh at my lip balm hoarding since smashbox did this to me! I’m currently loving Diors lip glow buying them 8 at a time! Maybe I am getting old since I long for the days when our favorite things stayed available for years on end. Its why I am still in love with Nars and not followed the MAC wagon. Back to the balm, its good….but I am not going to get to attached if ya know what I mean!
Revlon has sold the same shades of lipsticks for years…..I wore blackberry in high school and thirty years later…its still there. (yes back then I was high maintenance and wore lipstick which meant time spent in front of a mirror!) Why is it that they can’t keep some easily made lipbalms available that way?