3 Lip Balms Worth a Spot in Your Arsenal

There are worse things than dry, cracked lips. But if you're vain, dabble in too much matte lipstick, or happen to live in an arid climate, that shit gets old real fast. Enter lip balm -- and not just any old Chapstick, mind you. Here are three of our cruelty-free favorites for hydrating parched pouts everywhere. 

Glossier Balm Dotcom

I've written about my love for Glossier's balm dotcom before because it's a perennial favorite for hydrating my perpetually dry lips. The salve comes in an array of scents and tints, including a translucent pink rose, clear mint, shimmery birthday cake, and my favorite, the sheer red cherry. With a hint of color and a formula that counts castor oil as its main emollient ingredient, this one's a no-brainer for cold weather moisturizing and a grownup answer to Lipsmakcers. Though at $12 a pop, they are a little bit more of an investment than that Coke-flavored stick of your youth. 

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask

Bite Beauty's agave lip mask is called a lip mask for a reason. It's so unbelievably thick that it's tough to squeeze from the tube. But when you finally extract a smidge and warm it up a little to make it pliable, you'll notice its vanilla scent and that this sticky balm -- chockfull of agave nectar, trans-resveratrol, and jojoba oil -- means business. The $26 treatment comes in three colors: clear, smashed (a sheer pinky red), and champagne (a delicate pink). I'll dab on smashed for a nice daytime color payoff that leaves my lips feeling refreshed. But obvi if you wanna wear the treatment at night, clear is the way to go. 

Yes to Coconut Naturally Smooth Lip Balm

The Yes to Coconut lip balm delivers big-time on two fronts. First, it fulfills my desire for things to smell like Banana Boat sunscreen without being Banana Boat sunscreen. And second, it costs less than $3. You know, I know, and anyone who traffics in lip balms knows that tubes are born to be lost. Which makes this price point pretty dreamy. But besides being cost-effective, this formula delivers on the moisturizing front with aloe, coconut, and shea butter. Use it, lose it, abuse it -- this balm get the job done.