Best Hydrating Lipsticks That'll Replace Your Favourite Tinted Lip Balm

Written by: Chelsey Edmunds

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Published on

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Time to read 7 min

💄 This season's absolute must-have: the skin-caring lipstick 

  • These are clever formulas that marry the nourishing power of your favourite lip balm with the rich, beautiful pigments you expect from a lippy.
  • They offer a unique blend of instant comfort and long-term lip health, turning your daily lip colour into a vital step in your skincare routine.

For decades, lipstick has been a true symbol of confidence and showing off your personality, but goodness, it's come a long way!


Just over 138 years ago, the pioneering French perfume house GUERLAIN unveiled the first commercial lipstick. It was a simple mix of deer tallow, castor oil, and beeswax, dabbed on with a brush. Fast forward to today, and we beauty lovers expect so much. We're in a brilliant new era of lip innovation, where formulas are packed with cutting-edge skincare ingredients and the designs are as thoughtful as they are chic.


Forget those harsh, drying mattes of yesteryear; the spotlight is firmly on hydrating, buildable colour that truly enhances your natural lips. The trend is crystal clear: we want lipsticks that work like skincare, blurring the lines between a treatment and a pop of colour.


Whether you're looking to sort out dryness, chapped lips, or a bit of a loss of fullness, this line-up of skin-caring lipsticks is designed to elevate your lip game. Get ready to discover a collection that not only gives you stunning colour but genuinely looks after your pout, leaving it soft, smooth, and utterly kissable.

1. The Plumping & Youth-Enhancing Lipstick

Finish: High-impact shine with a buttery, balm-like texture.

One of the first signs of ageing can be a subtle loss of volume in the lips. What better way to tackle this than with your everyday lipstick? We simply had to kick off this list with the pioneers themselves: GUERLAIN. Their GUERLAIN KissKiss Shine Bloom Lipstick is a real marvel, designed to address this concern head-on.


Why you'll love it:

  • Plumping & Smoothing: Infused with hyaluronic acid , it visibly smooths fine lines and nourishes your lips, creating a fuller, youthful look.
  • Intense Hydration: A buttery, balm-like texture, enriched with moisturising winter rose extract and shea butter, cocoons your pout in comfort, ensuring 12 hours of continuous hydration.
  • Buildable Colour: Offers a high-impact shine with buildable pigmented colour, so you can go from a sheer hint to a vibrant shade.
  • Long-Lasting Comfort: Leaves your lips feeling truly 'kissable' all day long, without any dryness or discomfort.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, Winter Rose Extract, Shea Butter.

💡 Did you know

Hyaluronic acid is a superstar ingredient, a powerful humectant that attracts and holds up to 1000 times its weight in water. This makes it brilliant for plumping and hydrating the skin, including delicate lip tissue.

2. The Comfortable & Protective Soft Matte Lipstick

Finish: Soft matte with a unique blurring effect and a luxurious silky finish.


For those who adore a matte finish but dread the dryness that often comes with it, the GIVENCHY Le Rouge Sheer Velvet Lipstick is your new go-to. Experience 24 hours of hydrating lip colour with this unique soft matte formula that gives a beautiful blurring effect.

Why you'll love it:

  • Unrivalled Comfort: Enriched with deliciously nourishing mango butter, it delivers 12 hours of comfortable and durable colour, waving goodbye to the common matte lipstick woes of creasing and dryness.
  • Soft Matte Finish with Blurring Effect: Achieves a modern soft matte look that beautifully blurs imperfections, giving the illusion of a fuller, healthier pout.
  • Environmental Defence: Packed with antioxidant vitamin E, it actively works to protect your lips from damaging external aggressors.
  • Luxurious Experience: Boasts a luxurious silky finish that feels absolutely incredible on your lips.

Key Ingredients: Mango Butter, Vitamin E


💡 Did you know

Mango butter is rich in vitamins A and C, providing excellent emollient properties that deeply moisturise and soften the skin. Vitamin E is a well-known antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.

3. The Smoothing & Naturally Derived Lipstick

Finish: High-pigment satin finish.


As someone with sensitive skin, carefully checking ingredient lists is second nature for my skincare. But why should lipstick be any different? The bareMinerals Mineralist Hydra Smoothing Lipstick totally changed my mind. With only 19 ingredients (40% less than top-selling brands) and a whopping 76% of natural origin, it takes a truly eco-friendly approach to makeup without compromising on performance.


Why you'll love it:

  • Minimalist & Natural Formula: Crafted with fewer ingredients, making it ideal for sensitive lips and those seeking cleaner beauty options.
  • Deep Conditioning & Nourishment: Formulated with sustainably sourced sea buckthorn fruit oil (rich in minerals, vitamins, and omega fatty acids) to deeply condition and nourish the lips.
  • Smooth & Refined Texture: An elixir of olive oil, pomegranate oil, and jojoba oil works to refine lip texture, tackling dryness and unevenness for a smoother, fuller-looking pout.
  • High-Pigment Satin Finish: Delivers a beautiful high-pigment satin finish that's both vibrant and comfortable.
  • Eco-Conscious: A vegan formula that aligns perfectly with sustainable beauty practices.

Key Ingredients: Sea Buckthorn Fruit Oil, Olive Oil, Pomegranate Oil, Jojoba Oil


💡 Did you know

Sea buckthorn oil is a powerhouse of nutrients, including vitamins C and E, and omega fatty acids, known for their restorative and protective qualities. Jojoba oil closely mimics the skin's natural sebum, making it highly effective for moisturising.

4. The Nourishing & Protective Lipstick

Finish: This one has a bit of a range, offering various textures from rich creams to smooth mattes.

Did you know that our lips are made up of only 3 to 4 layers of skin, compared to the 15 to 16 layers on the rest of our body? Yet, we often overlook them in our dedicated skincare routines. Well, it's time to change that! Treat your delicate pout to a much-needed moisture boost with the updated Urban Decay Vice Lipstick.


Why you'll love it:

  • Deep Nourishment: Infused with a cocktail of aloe vera and avocado oil , this vegan formula works to deeply nourish the thin skin on your lips.
  • Protection from Free Radicals: These natural ingredients help protect your pout from damaging free radicals, which are a common cause of dryness and dullness.
  • Versatile Textures: The updated collection offers a wide range of textures, from rich creams to smooth mattes, ensuring there’s a perfect Vice Lipstick for every skin type and preference.
  • Natural Ingredients: A vegan formula enriched with entirely natural ingredients for a healthier lip experience.

Key Ingredients: Aloe Vera, Avocado Oil

Key Ingredients: Sea Buckthorn Fruit Oil, Olive Oil, Pomegranate Oil, Jojoba Oil


💡 Did you know

Aloe vera is well-known for its soothing and hydrating properties, while avocado oil is rich in fatty acids and vitamins A, D, and E, providing deep moisturisation and antioxidant benefits.

Hydrating Lipsticks FAQs

Why should I choose a hydrating lipstick over a regular one?

Traditional lipsticks, especially some matte finishes, can sometimes leave your lips feeling dry, tight, or even chapped. Hydrating lipsticks prevent this by infusing your lips with moisture, keeping them soft, smooth, and comfortable all day. They also help improve the overall health and appearance of your lips in the long run, and many even offer benefits like plumping or protection from environmental aggressors.

Will hydrating lipsticks feel sticky or heavy on my lips?

The hydrating lipsticks featured in this post, and the trend generally, focus on comfortable, lightweight formulas. While they provide moisture, they're designed to feel like a balm or a second skin, rather than a heavy, sticky product. Brands are prioritising a pleasant sensory experience alongside the hydration.

How do these hydrating ingredients actually work on my lips?

  • Hyaluronic Acid: This amazing ingredient acts like a magnet for moisture, drawing hydration from the air and locking it into your lips. This helps to plump up the lip surface and smooth out any fine lines.
  • Natural Oils (like Jojoba, Olive, Avocado, Rose): These oils are rich in fatty acids and vitamins that deeply nourish the delicate skin of your lips, providing intense moisture and helping to repair any dryness or cracking.
  • Butters (like Shea Butter, Mango Butter): These create a protective barrier on your lips, sealing in moisture and preventing dehydration. They also offer a wonderfully creamy, comfortable feel.
  • Vitamin E: A powerful antioxidant that helps protect your lips from environmental damage, like pollution and free radicals, which can lead to dryness and premature ageing.
  • Pro-Xylane: This ingredient helps to stimulate the production of essential skin components, improving skin hydration and elasticity, which is great for maintaining lip suppleness.

Are hydrating lipsticks suitable for dry or chapped lips?

Absolutely! Hydrating lipsticks are an excellent choice for anyone prone to dry or chapped lips. They deliver much-needed moisture and soothing ingredients directly to your pout, helping to heal and prevent further discomfort. They allow you to wear colour without sacrificing lip health.

Do hydrating lipsticks offer good colour payoff, or are they very sheer?

While many hydrating lipsticks do offer a lovely sheer or buildable colour for a natural look (like Dior Addict Lip Glow and the Lancome Mademoiselle Shine), there are also options with rich, pigmented hues that still provide excellent hydration. The trend is moving towards buildable colour, meaning you can achieve anything from a subtle tint to a more vibrant shade depending on how many layers you apply.

Chelsey Edmunds Escentual Author

The Author: Chelsey, Escentual Beauty Editor

With over 18 years of working in the beauty industry, I'm here to bring that experience directly to you, offering expert advice to achieve your personal beauty goals.

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