Stila Colour Balm Lipstick

I decided to give this a try because it was on sale, and they had an attractive shade of red in stock. The shade I bought is number 16, Ruby. I also like to have lipsticks that will moisturise my lips, especially in winter, so that aspect appealed to me as well.

This is described as a “Color balm lipstick.” It aims to provide the colour payoff of a lipstick with the moisturising properties of a balm. This is exactly what I look for in non-matte lipsticks, so I had high hopes for this. The bullet lipstick comes in a plain brown cardboard box with the product exposed. The lipstick itself is packaged quite glamorously. The container is a solid, shiny bright silver with a mirror on the top of the lid! The lid is lined with red plastic (the same colour as the lipstick) and “stila” is cut out of the silver lid so the red shows through underneath. Inside you get 3.5 grams of product.

As for the formula, the lipstick goes on smoothly, and has reasonable staying power for a moisturising lipstick. There is some transfer, as to be expected, but enough colour remains on your lips after eating and drinking that only a touch-up is necessary. The formula feels moisturising on the lips, and does not dry them out. It is comfortable to wear. It also has a pleasant peppermint scent.

One drawback is that this lipstick is very squat and chunky. The bullet part is flat across and about 1cm in diameter, which makes it hard to apply to the lips in an even line. You definitely need to use a lipliner with this if you are using a shade with any kind of pigment. I think Stila have since revamped the design of these, so the lipstick is now taller and thinner, with a narrower tip for easier application.

Despite that, I love the formula of this, and I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a moisturising lipstick with good colour payoff.

I have two of these and I really like them. They're nicely pigmented and super creamy and moisturizing. They last about as long as a Mac creamsheen formula so it's not super long but it's understandable because of how moisturizing they are. They have a peppermint scent which I'm not overly fond of but I can get past it as it doesn't linger too long. The packaging is a silver metal which I don't like too much because it shows damage and wear a lot more than other packaging. But it's something I can get past

I have three of these Stila Color Balm Lipsticks. Two are the original ones with the silver cases and then the third is one of the newer ones and it comes in slightly different packaging and the metal case is a copper color.

The colors I have are 01. Mia, 04.Ali and the other one is Elyssa.

Mia is a pretty rose pink color, it is very light and pastel. Ali is a gorgeous rose brown color and Elyssa is a rich dark brown with just a hint of burgundy. They colors on these are amazing and I love that they are also a balms so they feel like they are not ruining your lips but are actually helping them.

The packaging is really nice, they look very chic. The lipstick bullets are metal, which of course means they get smudged and show fingerprints easily. They have a little mirror on the top of the lid part of the case.

The sticks are very chunky, they are marketed as a balm so they are not tapered like traditional lipsticks but rather they are flat. I found that it was a bit hard to on when I first tried but fine once you get used to it.

One of the best things about these lippies is that they have a peppermint oil additive, they really do feel moisturizing and balm like on your lips. But it does in no way compromise the color, they are all very pigmented.

The peppermint give them a strong smell which is fine if you like peppermint and I do so I love it. This also gives it a very mild plumping effect, they are supposed to smooth out your lips and add volume. It's not anything major, it just makes some of the fine lines in your lips less noticeable. It does of course give that tingling, cooling sensation on your lips. Some people don't like it but I don't mind it.

Overall these are some of my favorites, they do a great job and look really nice on.

i love these! they smell pepperminty and yum! rally nice range of colours and really nice packaging! they do make you lips tingle and bit which i like but some may not!

I have always been a huge fan of Stila, I feel it is one of those brands which has never really taken off in NZ despite the fact that most of their products are actually very good!

This lipstick is gorgeous.. The formula is so soft and creamy. It glides on pleasantly and feels very much like you are wearing a balm.

The color is nicely pigmented and looks kind of like a gloss but without OTT shine and no nasty stuck together lips or hair stuck to lips!

A little bit on the expensive side, but I do think they are a pleasant luxury that delivers on all their promises!

This lipstick packaging is made of metal which is a pet peeve of mine. I prefer Eco friendly packaging but I won't hold that against it as it is rather elegant. The shape of the lipstick itself is much like a ChapStick perhaps thicker so I do have a bit of trouble as I have thin lips. Being technically a balm and not a lipstick I'm I can forgive that. The colour I have is Charlotte. At first glance it appears orange but mixed with the natural red in your own lips it turns more coral in colour. On me it comes off as an orange red and even though I don't do red lipstick I can pull this off easily. At first it smells vanillery but the initial taste is quite yuck for the first 10 minutes or so. I it goes away though so I don't mind. The colour is long wearing and my absolute faverite lippy colour.