At this point, my makeup bag has more lip balms than I could possibly finish. There’s the one by my bed, the one in my handbag, the one I keep forgetting in a jacket pocket... and somehow, I still get interested when a new one launches.
So when MAKE UP FOR EVER launched its first-ever lip balm, I had the exact reaction I imagine a lot of beauty people had: okay, but what makes this one different?
That’s what made me look twice at the new Artist ColorGlow Lip Balm. It’s not being positioned as just another clear balm that happens to have a little tint. It’s designed to give lips hydration, buildable color and a glossy glow, while bringing skincare ingredients into the formula too.
And with tinted lip balms already taking over so many makeup bags, I wanted to see what makes this one worth talking about.
First Things First, This Packaging Got My Attention
I’ll admit it, packaging matters with a product like this.
A lip balm is probably one of those products you reach for without even thinking about it. It lives in your handbag, on your desk, next to your bed, or somehow at the bottom of a bag you haven't used in three months.
So when one looks and feels more like a makeup product, it immediately becomes a little more interesting.
The ColorGlow Lip Balm has that makeup-meets-lip-care feel. It looks like something you'd actually want to keep out rather than hide away with all the practical products you rarely think about.
Of course, pretty packaging alone isn't enough. Especially when the product is priced at $26.
That's where the actual formula comes in.
Then I Looked at the Shade Names
This might be my favorite part of the launch.
The U.S. range includes seven shades: Dreamy Pink, Soft Coral, Rouge For Ever, Black Cherry, Anywhere Caffeine, Wherever Walnut and Boundless Berry.
There are five glowy shades and two glittery options, so the collection isn't limited to the usual collection of pinkish balms that all end up looking almost identical.
Dreamy Pink is the kind of shade that immediately makes sense for an everyday lip, while Black Cherry and Boundless Berry give you something deeper when you want more color.
Then there are shades like Anywhere Caffeine and Wherever Walnut, which fit perfectly into that nude-brown lip trend that refuses to disappear.
The fact that the colors are buildable makes the range even more appealing because you're not necessarily committing to one level of intensity.
One layer can keep things subtle. Add more and the color becomes more noticeable.
But Is It Really a Lip Balm, or Basically a Sheer Lipstick?
This is where ColorGlow gets interesting.
MAKE UP FOR EVER describes it as a tinted hydrating lip balm with sheer, buildable color and a luminous finish.
So no, this isn't supposed to give you the opacity of a traditional lipstick.
And that's actually the point.
There are plenty of days when putting on a proper lipstick feels like more effort than necessary. You want some color, maybe a little shine, but you don't necessarily want to think about perfectly defining your lips.
That's the space ColorGlow is trying to fill.
It gives you enough color to make a difference without turning the whole thing into a full makeup step.
The finish is also part of the appeal. Instead of a matte or flat wash of color, it's designed to leave lips looking glossy and fresh.
Basically, it's the kind of product that makes sense when you want your lips to look like you did something, but you don't want the product itself to become the entire look.
The NMIXX Factor Is Hard to Ignore
MAKE UP FOR EVER also brought K-pop group NMIXX into the launch, and that definitely adds another layer to the whole campaign.
The group has been featured around the ColorGlow launch, with members sharing their favorite shades and how they approach the different colors.
It actually fits the product pretty well.
ColorGlow isn't built around one particular lip look. You can go for something soft and pink, reach for a deeper berry shade, or choose one of the more playful options when you want something different.
Having NMIXX connected to the launch also gives the campaign a younger, more playful energy instead of making the product feel like another traditional luxury makeup release.
And considering how much beauty launches now live on social media, that's probably not an accidental choice.
Okay, But Will It Actually Keep Your Lips Happy?
This is the part I'd be most interested in if you're buying ColorGlow as a lip balm rather than simply as a makeup product.
The formula includes hyaluronic acid, peptides and natural-origin blueberry seed oil.
Hyaluronic acid is there for hydration, while the peptides and blueberry seed oil add to the skincare side of the formula.
MAKE UP FOR EVER also claims that ColorGlow provides 24-hour hydration. That claim comes from an instrumental test involving 30 subjects, so it's worth looking at it as a specific product-test result rather than assuming the balm will feel exactly the same on everyone's lips.
Still, the skincare-focused formula does make sense for the type of product this is trying to be.
If you're going to reapply your lip product throughout the day anyway, having ingredients that support hydration makes a lot more sense than simply adding another layer of color every few hours.
And because the finish is glossy, even a simple swipe can give lips that smooth, moisturized appearance.
The Reviews Are Already Interesting
The early reactions to ColorGlow seem to be focusing on the things you'd expect from a product like this: the soft texture, the comfortable feel, the color and the packaging.
But there's also another side to the conversation.
A tinted lip balm is still a tinted lip balm.
If you've already found one that you love, you might look at ColorGlow and wonder what exactly you're getting that you don't already have.
That's a fair question.
The product isn't interesting because nobody has ever combined hydration with sheer lip color before. They absolutely have.
What's different here is the combination of the MAKE UP FOR EVER makeup identity, the range of shades, the skincare ingredients and the more playful campaign around it.
Whether that's enough to justify the price will depend heavily on what you're looking for from your everyday lip products.
Do We Really Need Another Tinted Lip Balm?
This is probably the question I keep coming back to.
Tinted lip balms are everywhere now.
There are affordable ones, luxury ones, glossy ones, sheer ones, plumping ones, skincare-infused ones and ones that basically look like tiny lipsticks.
So simply calling something a tinted lip balm isn't enough anymore.
ColorGlow has to give people a reason to choose it over the one they already have sitting in their handbag.
And I think the shade range is one of the things helping it do that.
It's not just about having seven different colors for the sake of having seven different colors. The collection covers different moods, from soft pinks and warm neutrals to deeper berry tones.
Then you have the glittery shades for anyone who wants something a little more noticeable.
That's where the product starts feeling less like a basic lip balm and more like an actual makeup item that happens to have the comfort of a balm.
So, Is It Worth the Hype?
I don't think ColorGlow is trying to reinvent the lip balm, and honestly, it doesn't need to.
What makes it interesting is the balance between makeup and lip care. You get sheer-to-buildable color, a luminous finish and a formula containing hyaluronic acid, peptides and blueberry seed oil.
The shade range gives it personality too, especially if you like having different options depending on your mood.
But at $26, I'd still think about what you're actually buying it for.
If you want a basic balm that keeps your lips comfortable, there are plenty of cheaper options.
If you want a lip product that gives you hydration but also adds visible color and shine, ColorGlow makes more sense.
And if you're already someone who collects lip products despite having absolutely no logical reason to buy another one, well... this is exactly the kind of launch that's going to make that collection a little bigger.
