Review & Swatches: Bare Escentuals BUXOM Big & Healthy Lip Cream

I vividly remember my first experience with a lip plumping gloss. I had no idea that the one I purchased would turn my lips an unflattering shade of very irritated red within a minute—I couldn’t get it off my lips fast enough! Only when I wiped it off, I ended up getting it outside of my lip line, which inevitably led to a red blotchy mess around my lips. I was one hot mess. Not long after, Bare Escentuals released their BUXOM lineup of lip plumping glosses, the Big & Healthy Lip Polish. It had more of a cool, minty tingle that still stimulated my lips, but it kept my lips moist and comfortable. At the time, Big & Healthy redeemed the entire lip plumping category for me, because it gave a similar effect—only it was a kinder, gentler lip plumper.

Fast forward to 2012. Now BUXOM has expanded the line of shades to include Big & Healthy Lip Creams; the same great formula, only it lacks shimmer and offers a more creamy finish. You almost can’t lose! I tried out three of the shades—Creamsicle, Mudslide, and Cherry Flip. And like the original Lip Polishes, the Lip Creams are a win.

You’ll be able to tell Lip Creams and Lip Polishes apart due to a frosted finish on the Lip Cream tube component. These have a standard doe foot applicator on the wand, and glide across the lips with ease. My lips feel very moist when I wear the them, thanks to moisture binding hyaluronic acid. (In certain grades, hyaluronic acid is said to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water.)

More photos, swatches, and details…

Cherry Flip

Creamsicle

Mudslide

Creamsicle, Mudslide, Cherry Flip

The Lip Creams give an incredible glass-like finish while making my lips feel like little pillows. I do find that the mint flavor (which is what is stimulating the lips) can hang around for a while, so if you’re sensitive to things like that—this may not be for you. It’s not unpleasant, but trust me—you’ll know it’s there.

Bottom Line…

These are basically the same formula as the original Big & Healthy Lip Polish, only the Lip Creams don’t have any shimmer. Other than that, I don’t really see much of a difference. I find these to be very hydrating, they leave a nice cushion-y feeling on the lips, and the staying power is about average. If there was one thing I could change about the Big & Healthy Lip Creams, I’d tone down the mint flavor/fragrance.