On trial: Clarins’ lip oil balm

It’s likely you’re already au fait with the iconic Clarins' Lip Comfort Oil, a 100% plant-based formula that keeps your lips both hydrated and radiant. Well, now it’s time to meet the next generation, the Lip Oil Balm.

What’s the difference between the Lip Oil and the Lip Oil Balm we hear you ask? Well, the Lip Oil Balm is the perfect combination of colour and treatment, without compromising on nutrition or gloss. 

The Lip Oil balm comes in six shades designed to suit all skin tones: Pale Pink, Pitaya, Lychee, Almond, Cherry and Fig. With a single sweep you can enhance your pout with a pop of colour and a dose of nourishing ingredients that will moisturise and protect your lips for hours.

And the best news? For the next three weeks it’s exclusively available in John Lewis stores and online.

The clever people at Clarins’ have harnessed the power of plant oils to create a new formula with 96% natural ingredients. There’s Sweetbriar Rose Oil which is rich in Omega 6 and 3 to comfort and nourish your lips while protecting against external factors, organic Jojoba Oil which is rich in fatty acids to nourish lips and Hazelnut Oil which is rich in Omega 9 to protect lips from dehydration. 

Added to this is a very helpful plumping peptide which gives the effect of fuller and firmer lips. It really is the perfect combination and from the first application I fell in love with the lightweight texture that almost melts into your lips. 

I like a good block of colour, so for me personally, applying three to floor sweeps built up the perfect amount of the shade but really you can apply the Lip Oil Balm as often as you like.

You can use it on it's own for a hydrated, vibrant and glossy finish or even combine it with your Clarins Joli Rouge lipstick for a long-lasting, intense colour.

The Lip Balm Oil has such brillant moisturising benefits that you can also use a single sweep before bed for overnight hydration whilst you sleep.

Thanks to a wealth of plant oil ingredients there are so many benefits packed into this new balm, including:

• 24 hour hydration
• 12 hour nutrition 
• 10 hour protection
• 10 hour repair
• plumping formula 

Even after using the Lip Oil Balm for just two days my lips felt super smooth and nourished. The colour is so evenly spread that you can apply anywhere (from on the tube to running to the school pick-up).

I think the best thing about this is the light and non-sticky texture, you can have ultra shiny smooth lips without worrying about your hair getting caught it it and it ending up all over your cheeks. 

Run, don’t walk! Sales of lip oils have increased dramatically in the last year and the introduction of colour to an already award-winning product make this likely to be the balm of the summer.

The Lip Oil Balm is really good value for money as it's so moisturising you don't need to apply as often as with other balms. The only thing to be aware of is that initially you may think a colour won’t work for your skintone because they can appear brighter / darker than they actually are. It's definitely worth visiting a John Lewis shop to test the colours on your skin as all six shades are super versatile and my favourite shade is one I wouldn't have thought would have worked with my red hair. 

I'll be wearing my Lip Oil Balm all summer, and beyond!

★★★★★