Drugstore Back-to-School Lip Products for Middle School, High School, and College

It's that time of year again - school is almost back in session! Parents everywhere are rejoicing, while kids are savoring their last day or two of summer. You may have already stocked up on the coolest notebooks, pencils, and folders - but don't forget the lip products! Here are some of my back-to-school favorites, from moisturizing to colorful, so you can find the right lip product for you and your grade level! I've picked out 3 lip products each for middle school, high school, and college - and the best thing is that they're all from the drugstore!

Middle School:
If you're in middle school, you may have started wearing light makeup already, or you may be rocking the natural, bare-faced look. Either way, I'd recommend keeping the lip products light. Not only will products like balms and glosses look more natural, but they are also easier to apply and require less precision, which means you won't be stuck in the bathroom trying to apply perfect lipstick!

SoftLips Tinted Lip Conditioner - Rose: This lip balm is probably a little too frosty for most adults, but for younger girls it's lovely! I've always found SoftLips balms to be extremely moisturizing, and the SPF 15 will help protect lips from damaging sun rays.
Bath & Body Works Liplicious Gloss: The particular shade that I'm wearing isn't being sold in Bath & Body Works stores anymore, but you can still find similar clear and lightly tinted glosses - and the best part is that they come in a bunch of fun flavors! These glosses add just a hint of shine and shimmer, and the tube packaging makes it super easy to swipe them on in between classes.
Maybelline Baby Lips Balm - Pink Punch: The most pigmented lip product in the bunch, this balm gives a beautiful pink tint to the lips, feels smooth and moisturizing, and has SPF 20! If the pink is too bright for you, these balms come in a variety of other tints, and there are several clear options as well!

High School:
Whether you've started wearing a fuller face of makeup and want the perfect lip product to compliment the rest of your look, or you want to keep the face natural and just accentuate your lips, these lip products range from glossy to matte and from bright to subtle. They all look great alone, so no need to pack a ton of lip products to take to school!

e.l.f. Studio Matte Lip Color - Tea Rose: This lip color is extremely matte, so it may not work if you have dry or chapped lips. But if you keep your lips moisturized and smooth, this lip color is a beautiful pale shade with a bit of a purple undertone. Since it's matte, it won't move around on your lips throughout the day, and it won't compete with your eye makeup!
CoverGirl Jumbo Gloss Balm - Ballet Twist (205): This jumbo lip pencil is a pale peachy shade with a touch of shimmer. It goes on very sheer, but you can also build up the pigment by applying a few layers. It's really easy to apply without a mirror, and feels very lightweight on the lips!
NYX Butter Gloss - Peaches and Cream: This has been one of my favorite summer glosses, and I definitely plan on wearing it into the fall as well! It's a gorgeous peachy pink color, and true to the name, it's extremely smooth and buttery on the lips! It gives the lips exactly the right touch of color.

College:
Let's be real - anything goes in college! For these lip products, I picked out something nude, something bright, and something with super versatile packaging, for those busy days where you're going from the dining hall to class to practice to clubs and finally, to the library for an all-nighter!

Revlon Lip Butter - Peach Parfait: This shade is the perfect peachy-nude color with a bit of shimmer and a TON of shine! One of my favorite things about the Revlon Lip Butters is that I never feel like I need a gloss with them, because they're incredibly shiny already!
Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer - Stellar: In reality, this shade is a bit more pink than it looks in my selfies, but either way - this one is bright! Since this product stains my lips, I don't have to worry about reapplying it right away when I feel it wearing off! (Note: I purchased mine in England where they're called "Apocalips," thus the different name on the packaging.)
Physicians Formula pH Matchmaker Gloss - Pink: I've never found these pH products to really change color on anyone, but I can't dispute the fact that this gloss is a gorgeous, vibrant pink shade that gives a ton of color just by itself! The packaging on this gloss is also so cool - there's a mirror on the tube and the wand lights up, so you can reapply in any situation and don't need to carry a separate mirror with you all day!


And....that's it! Hopefully you'll get some back-to-school inspiration from these lip products, and find one that's perfect for you! And of course, to everyone who's starting school again - lots of luck! <3

XOXO,
Ally

Maybelline Baby Lips Electro - Swatches

I walked into Walmart the other day, and there it was - a huge display housing all of these beauties. I was able to grab one in each of the six shades, and for under $3 each as well!

The packaging on these is too cute - I love the black tube with the neon writing. I think they could easily fit in with the rest of your Baby Lips collection as well, but they look especially nice all on their own.

For a tinted lip balm, I feel like these have a pretty decent color payoff. You're not gonna get full, lipstick-style color coverage with these guys, but you will get a noticeable hint of color and I really think that's perfect for when you don't want to look too done-up or you just want to swipe something quick on the lips. It doesn't take much precision to apply since the pigmentation is so sheer, so these are really nice for on-the-go use. If regular lipstick can get dry and uncomfortable on you, tinted lip balms are probably perfect for you!

In terms of the actual moisturizing effect, I find that these are no better than any other lip balm, really - but I would gladly choose these Baby Lips over a normal lip balm when I'm running out the door and want some extra lip moisturization, simply because of the pretty tinted effect. These do not contain any SPF, however, so beware if you're going to be spending lots of time outside!

I think tinted lip balms are a fantastic product in general - they look nice on the lips, are easy to apply, and feel wonderful while you're wearing them. So far, these new Electro Baby Lips have definitely been a hit for me - a perfect combination of beautiful packing, a super-cool theme, and a product that works great!

XOXO, Ally

wet N wild Juicy Lip Balm in Raspberry - Review and Swatches

2011 seemed to be all about tinted lip balms. There were sheerer ones, like the Maybelline Baby Lips, and super-pigmented ones, like the Revlon Lip Butters. I adore tinted lip balms, because they combine the two most important things that a lip product can have - color and hydration. So of course, these wet N wild Juicy Lip Balms seemed like they'd be perfect for me.

To start, the packaging on these is cute, although it is a little frustrating that the product doesn't screw all the way down (which can cause the cap to scratch the edge of the balm when you're putting it away). The actual tube is really big and chunky, so it's not really a balm that you can just toss in your pocket, but I do like the fact that it doesn't get lost in your purse if you just toss it in there.

In terms of the actual product, this balm definitely feels hydrating, although I wouldn't say it has any special hydrating properties (not that it claims to or anything). You do get a decent tint with this--I'd say it's pretty comparable to some sheer lip glosses out there, but more hydrating. It's a bright pink-raspberry shade, and on the lips it looks pretty much like how you'd expect it to look in the tube--no surprises here. The one major problem that I have with this is the fact that is has a strange, bitter taste. You would think that it would have a raspberry flavor considering it's a juicy balm and the name is raspberry, but instead it just tastes bad. I still wear this on the days that I want a lot of hydration as well as some color, and just suffer through the taste because I actually like the tint that it gives my lips. But if you are at all sensitive to flavors in your lip products, especially bitter ones, do not buy this.

Rating: 2/5
Recommendation: I can't really recommend this to anyone unless you know that bad tastes in your lip products won't bother you. I personally like the color and hydration that I get from this balm, but there are so many better-tasting products out there that I find myself reaching for this very rarely. If you want a similar balm, try one of the tinted Maybelline Baby Lips balms instead.

Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch - Review & Swatches

For the past couple of months I've been hearing a ton about the Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm, and I finally decided to pick one up. These retail for $3.99 at Walgreens, but I got mine for $1.99 since Walgreens is having a buy one, get one 50% off sale on Maybelline products. I chose the shade Pink Punch because it seemed like it'd be pretty pigmented and I've been really into pink lips recently.

Pink Punch has a fruity punch scent which I really like, and a little bit of a flavor. For a lip balm, it definitely has nice pigmentation, which I really appreciate because my lips are pretty pigmented in the first place. The balm just gives my lips a pretty pink tint, and it's really quite gorgeous. I also like the fact that it's something that I can reapply quickly without needing a mirror like I would with a gloss or lipstick (aka it's perfect for class!) It's really smooth and moisturizing, although I can't say it's necessarily the best lip balm I've ever used. Obviously some of the product stays on top of the lips to give it the color, but it doesn't feel waxy or heavy. And it does have SPF 20, which of course is important in a lip product.

The combination of the great scent, nice pigmentation, and adorable packing are what make this product a winner in my opinion. And it's a pretty good value for $3.99, even better if you can find it on sale. I probably would repurchase this if I were to run out or if I wanted to try another shade. What can I say ... I'm a huge sucker for the packaging! It's beyond cute and if you're looking to try a new lip balm, I'd recommend giving this one a try!

Rating: 4.5/5