I Tried Kylie Cosmetics' Tinted Butter Balms & Here's My Honest Review

The last few months alone, Kylie Jenner has launched countless staple products through the near decade-old makeup brand, Kylie Cosmetics, including creamy Matte Lipstick bullets, dreamy Matte Liquid Eyeshadow hues, as well as her buzzy Kylash Volume Mascara (to name only a few). And while the beauty editors at Bustle, myself included, have named quite a few of the above their monthly faves — it’s the now-viral Tinted Butter Balms that have BeautyTok talking.

Spoiler: Creators on the platform are praising the youngest Jenner for the noticeable change in creative direction when it comes to her products, and moreover, the juicy, buttery nature of the launch is a welcome breath of fresh air in contrast with her affinity for matte formulations. In line with the new lip category, the serial entrepreneur and mom of two has herself adopted a more minimal approach to day-to-day glam (and manicures), recently sharing with Vogue that she has “changed her look a lot; I wear a lot less [makeup], but I’ve accomplished the same snatched look.”

As someone who more often reaches for lippies with a plumping, glossy finish (especially for the low-key, understated beauty moments so associated with the summer months) — I just had to get my hands on the drop to see what the hype was about. As soon as I swatched the shade “She’s Lovely” on my lips, I knew that the latte-esque brown pigment would become a total staple, for summertime and beyond...

Fast Facts

• Price: $18
• Rating: 9.5/10
• What I Love: Like a two-in-one lipstick and soft gloss, the most impressive thing about this formula is just how full-coverage and pigmented they really are.
• What I Didn’t Love: These days, I’ve been loving lip products that have that tingling, plumping quality. If these balms added that benefit, they would be utterly perfect in my eyes.

The Kylie Cosmetics Tinted Butter Balms

Currently available in six wearable shades, the Kylie Cosmetics Tinted Butter Balms boast deep hydration for your pout by way of jojoba oil, met with full-coverage pigment that works alone, or atop other products for a juicy finish.

TikTok’s Take

With hundreds of videos and thousands of views, the Kylie Cosmetics Tinted Butter Balms have truly taken TikTok by storm since officially launching on June 14. The great thing? Makeup wearers of every skin tone and type have fallen for the colors.

Anastazia, known as @stazzylicious, notes that the balms are “very, very moisturizing,” and “apply so smoothly.” As for her preferred shades? She shares that “She’s Lovely and Kylie are the most wearable,” making them easy options for those who want to try the new formula.

Tapping in with her thoughts on how the colors complement deeper skin tones, Jasmine, known as @jasadetunji, shares her perspective. “With this lip product, if you have dark skin, you’re definitely going to need a brown lip liner,” she explains. She then says how she was “surprised to see how deep” the red shade Moving on is, recommending it for those with dark skin especially.

My Honest Review Of The Kylie Cosmetics’ Tinted Butter Balms

Right away, I immediately noticed how moisturizing, creamy, and comfortable these balms were. While similar tinted oils, glosses, and balms tend to be somewhat sheer — what I love most about Kylie’s formula is that they provide impressive color payoff, while still feeling as hydrating and luxe as a lip mask would.

More often than not, my go-to lip combos use three key products: a lip liner for precise edges (and a bit of overlining, too), a matte cream lipstick for some coverage, and a yummy gloss topper for some added plumpness and shine. Right away, I realized that the Tinted Butter Balm formula essentially cuts out the middle man, providing surprising full coverage akin to a lipstick, and some subtle shine that would come from an oil or gloss (without a trace of unwanted stickiness).

In other words? They are both impactful and effortless at the same time, allowing one to wear less heavy layers on their pout.

For long-lasting wear and ultra-clean edges, I highly recommend outlining your lips with a lip liner when using this product. IMO, the liner creates a sort of barrier, nixing any messy edges you may experience with a super pigmented balm like this one. And especially with a darker hue like the cherry red shade “Moving On,” those tiny inconsistencies can be even more noticeable on your lips without those sharp lines.

When it comes to neutral lip colors, Kylie Cosmetics just gets it. With more brown-toned shades, as well as the slightly more pinkish hue Kylie, those always-in monochromatic makeup moments are made even more effortless with these juicy, high-coverage balms. And especially when paired with a lip liner, the product truly doesn’t budge for hours on end.

In a few words, the Tinted Butter Balms are comfy, pigmented, and delicious — and I’ll most definitely be keeping a shade or two in my bag wherever I go.