Lip Stains and Lip Balms for summer from Clarins and Buxom

I’ve been trying out two new lip products recently – a stain and a balm, from Clarins and Buxom, respectively. Clarins launched its new Water Lip Stain in May, and Buxom launches its new Power Plump Lip Balm next month.

The Clarins Water Lip Stain (£19) is an interesting one. There are a few things I love about it, and some things I’m not so keen on. It’s a perfect summer product. It gives you great colour coverage, but in a more summer-friendly format, and it is matte. I love these things.

I don’t love the fruity taste or smell. And when I brush it on my lips, it tickles, and I am not loving that sensation much either! It’s a lip stain formula rich in plant ingredients, and has a waster-like texture – it’s composed of 77 per cent water. It contains organic raspberry water and  organic aloe vera extract to protect lips from dehydration. You can wear alone, or layer on lipstick. Alone, it’s very matte, but not drying.

The new stain comes in four colours – Rose Water, Orange Water, Red Water, and Violet Water. The colour pigments are great – really good colour coverage.

Buxom’s PowerPlump Lip Balm (£15, Debenhams, from July 5)  is a tingly, plumping balm that I have been wearing mainly when out running of late! It’s super-shiny, not my favourite type of lip, but the colour is decent for a balm.

The oversized stick is easy to apply, and the lightweight balm contains lip smoothing pumpkin seed oil complex, and a boosting peptide blend to add volume with that tingling sensation.

It comes in four shades, and works with your individual pH to create a sheer tint that works with your natural lip tone. Shades are Big ‘O’, Glowing, Fiery and Flushed.