Lulus.com Fashion Blog

How many lip products do you carry in your purse? Me: currently...well, six. Why so many? I just can't bear to throw away the little losers that I bought, I tried, and I hated. So there they stay, occasionally slicked on for the grocery store or some other mundane activity when I don't really care if my lips look pristine. It's true; I'm uncommonly picky about my lip gloss, but when you think about it, how many other makeup products do you actually end up eating???

But luckily, there is hope! Nestled delicately into my lip gloss graveyard is the rock star of all lip products: Yves Saint Laurent's Gloss Volupté Sheer Sensual Gloss Stick. I treasure this exquisite little golden tube of lip product nirvana. Available in eight sheer colors (Tangy Orange is my favorite), I adoringly describe this gloss stick as a kind of luxurious chapstick. And I mean this in an entirely praiseworthy way. Not goopy, sticky, cakey, slimy, or any other indicator of lip product unpleasantry.

Though the color in the tube appears blindingly bright, this silky, lightweight formula glides on smoothly and provides the perfect punch of sheer color. It is transparent, which is great for daytime, but I've been known to wear a stain underneath for a little extra splash of color at night.

Best of all, the mango scent is perfectly delightful. It's fruity without being too Bonne Bell, and the taste is similarly satisfying. It has a mango-y sweetness minus the waxy lipstick taste I've grown to loathe in other products.

Now, the downside: the $30 price tag. Though I would absolutely love to slather this little wonder on my lips ten times a day, my pocketbook shrivels up at the thought, which is why I was thrilled to discover Cover Girl's new NatureLuxe Gloss Balm.

You ladies may have seen the ads featuring Taylor Swift's spokesmodeling debut. Though I've been noticing more and more copies popping up, Cover Girl's was one of the few I could afford to take a gamble on, at $6-$8, depending where you shop. It has the smooth, balm-y feel that I like, and mango and shea butter give it a mild and pleasant enough taste/smell.

Even better, you have sixteen juicy flavors and colors to choose from (I like coral). Though it is slightly more lipstick-y than the YSL gloss stick, the price slash makes it more than worth your while. Plus, if you buy online, Cover Girl's website has a neat little feature that helps you find the most flattering shades for your coloring.

Have you guys tried any of the other gloss stick/balm products out there? How do they compare?