Lip Balm Part Deux: For the Love of Tint

Brace yourself. No, really. Grab the back of a chair, or better yet--sit down. There. Ready?

This next product combines the qualities of a lip balm, a lipstick, and a lip gloss. In one tube. In one little, joyous tube. Cue Heavens to part and Angels to sing. Ahhhhh! Hey wait. I see you, Cherub. Get your hands off my lip tint.

This is Real Girl's most staple make-up product. The must-have. The bare minimum. You know how some people have nightmares about being suddenly naked in public? Well, in mine, I'm fully clothed. Except for my lips. They are not moisturized. They have no bronzy shine. The sparkle has vanished.

In short, I'm not wearing my Aveda Lip Tint SPF 15.

Aveda lip tint gives you moisturizer, color, shine, and sparkle all in one. I love lipstick, but sometimes it makes my lips feel so dry. And I love gloss, but how long does it last? Smack, smack the lips a few times and it's time to reapply. With the Aveda, swipe it over your lips once, and you get a sheer, lovely color--with an almost glittery (though not glassy) shine. Swipe it two or three times (as I do) and the color's as bold as some lipsticks. And it lasts! Real Girl wears her lip tint on its own all day long. For night, sometimes I spice it up with an added coat of similarly colored gloss. But it's always in my purse. Twenty-four hours a day. I even have an extra for emergencies.

As to color, remember they go on lighter than they look in the tube. My very favorite is the bronzy "Spice." Soooo hot. "Peony" is a delight as well, for those with light skin and hair--a dusty, pinky rose. Other colors include "Apricot," "Berry," Verbena," Currant," and "Copper."

The price is $11. Certainly more than I've paid for any other lip balm. But that's the thing. It's not just a balm! It's not just a tint! AND it's SPF 15!

No joke. I have been stopped on the street by someone just to be complimented on my Aveda lip tint. It's that good. I have tredged through the snow for miles (ok, seven blocks, but two of them are avenues and very long!) to get to the Aveda store for nothing else but my lip tint. Lip tint, you are so special. I don't say it enough, but it's true: I love you.

But if anyone else has their own favorite lip product that colors while moisturizing...well...What are you waiting for? Do tell!!

With love (and a clear dose of madness),
Real Girl

P.S. Oh, crap. I just found a website called NaturalSkin, and they say it so much better:

Give your lips the shade they've been looking for-sheer, shimmering, conditioning color that protects with naturally-derived sunscreens protecting from UVA and UVB rays, with titanium dioxide (mineral-derived) and oil of wintergreen conditioning-with avocado and mango-and smoothing, with certified organic babassu, jojoba and olive oils with astaxanthin-an anti-oxidant 25 times more powerful than vitamin E a refreshing flavor that blends certified organic orange and spearmint with pomegranate in a 100% recycled carton. Key Ingredients: Alfalfa, Algae, Avocado oil, Babassu oil**, Bilberry*, Blueberry*, Cranberry*, Jojoba oil**, Mango butter, Wintergreen oil.

Now that I know it's organic, I love it eeeeeeeven more.