Clarins Daily Energizer Lovely Lip Balm Review
I remember picking up a green Barry M lipstick at the Superdrug in Charing Cross Road in London and popping into the Starbucks next door to use their bathroom mirror — I couldn’t wait to try it on. I watched as my lips turned a vibrant shade of pink, as if by magic. I loved my magical green lipstick for a few days, a few weeks maybe, until I lost it on a southbound train on the Northern Line and never bothered replacing it. The “custom” shade wasn’t flattering on me.
There’s something nostalgic about colour-changing makeup, if only because it’s the cooler, grown-up version of a 90’s mood ring. For a while, brands like Dior and Barry M were playing up the retro vibes and releasing clear pH-reactive glosses and balms that transformed into “custom shades” depending on the lips’ pH levels. Though the pH makeup craze has mostly passed by now, Clarins is bringing back its Limited Edition Daily Energizer Lovely Lip Balm* (CAD $18) again this year.
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Colour-changing properties aside, the Clarins Daily Energizer Lovely Lip Balm is a typical lip balm, with typical lip balm claims. It’s hydrates, nourishes and repairs the lips, and the shine of the formula helps plump them too. It’s comfortable to wear and easy to apply, but it’s not long-lasting or particularly hydrating once the product has faded.
The “super-customized” colour of the Clarins Daily Energizer Lovely Lip Balm is a subtle and beautiful rosy hue on me, though I doubt that it varies wildly from one person to the next. In the swatches, you can see that it also covers up the gross dry patches on my lips almost completely thanks to the rosy colour and the distracting shine. Because it’s incredibly sheer, it wears really well and can be reapplied without a mirror.
READ MORE: Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil
The delicious peach scent is a big plus, but the environmentally-friendly cardboard bullet decorated with lips is a disappointment. It looks cheap and straight out of the actual 90’s, especially when compared to the gloriously beautiful packaging of the Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm, Dior’s (admittedly more expensive) version of this.
Though it seems a little passé to be using pH-reactive makeup these days, the Clarins Daily Energizer Lovely Lip Balm is a great low-maintenance and comfortable lip product, for those days when you want a touch of colour with the added benefits of a lip balm. It does require frequent reapplication, but it’s not a problem since it wears off so well. It’s a Limited Edition, so be sure to hunt it down now if you want to travel back in time to the 90’s!
