‘Tis the time to pull out those high protection sunscreens again. I’ve reviewed a few facial sunscreens last year, but never a lip product. Let’s change that.
This is a lip balm that has SPF 50, and it’s a light peachy-orange shade with very, very sparse shimmer that once you spread on the skin or lips, it becomes completely sheer.
Texture and application: it is a gel-like balm, and feels more like a balm-y gloss that a traditional lip balm. The squirt tube has a slanted tip and it is quite easy to apply and spread out on the lips. It doesn’t feel sticky at all, your hair won’t get caught on it like it might with a traditional gloss.
Pigmentation and finish: this is very sheer. I’m honestly not sure if you’ll be able to distinguish between the multiple shades of this lip balm, if the other shades are anything like this. If you want to give your lips a peach tint, this ain’t it. It is basically colourless and an extra layer won’t give your lips any sort of tint – it will, however, give them a gloss-like finish. This is shinier than your typically lip balm.
Performance & Longevity: it lasts about an hour, which is short, but not that out of the ordinary for a lip balm. There is still a bit of residue after that hour, but my lips no longer have that glossy finish as when I first apply it. The lips feel comfortably hydrated, even after only one hour. You will need to reapply it regularly but considering this is a sun protecting balm, that’s not such a bad thing. And even though it has SPF 50, it has none of that typical yet unpleasant sunscreen scent or taste. It actually has a very faint sweet scent.
Packaging and Other Info: this is a squeeze tube with a cap that screws on and off (so it’s pretty secure, no risk of spilling inside your bag) that contains 15 grams of product and costs 19,90€. For the amount it contains, and the fact that the sun protection factor is 50, I don’t consider it expensive at all. The product I have for comparison, the Ultrasun lip balm, costs 6,90€ but it contains only a third of the amount (4,8g) and only has SPF 30, so Ultra Violette’s option is pretty reasonably priced.
Final Thoughts: this was a nice surprise for me. It has a high SPF but none of that unpleasant chemical “aroma” a lot of suncare products have, it’s shiny enough to pass as a gloss but it’s not sticky, and actually moisturises the lips. The only downside is the low longevity, but considering the large amount and how pleasant it is to use, I can overlook that.
