My Secret to an Enhanced but Natural-Looking Pink Lip Is This Lip Balm

My 71-year-old mom often notes that color fades from lips as you age, citing it as justification for meticulously applying liner and lipstick — even when she’s running late or simply running errands. After reflecting, it occurred to me that, perhaps, she could benefit from a swipe-on-and-go lip product; one that provides the perfect flush of color without the need to spend ample time “drawing on” lips, as she calls it. The Je Ne Sais Quoi Hydrating Lip Balm Treatment from It Cosmetics — a brand that, incidentally, was developed with dermatologists and plastic surgeons — is exactly that. 

The balm imparts a custom shade of natural-looking pink, and it’s become my go-to for no makeup-makeuplooks. Available in four colors, each offers a slightly different result depending on the wearer’s unique lips thanks to the brand’s “Vitality Lip Flush Technology,” which “reacts with the warmth of your lips to create a beautiful, customized pop of color.” 

For a limited time, you can snag it on sale at Ulta, where it’s $15.

According to cosmetic chemist Ginger King, the secret resides in the ingredients list; specifically, a pigment called red 27, “which changes color upon [contact with] moisture,” King tells InStyle. “This is a very common trick in color-changing products,” she says. As science-based as the apparent magic may be, I’m always awestruck by the perfect pink the balm delivers — both on me and on others I’ve seen wearing it.

True to its name, this balm is also a treatment — i.e. its benefits extend beyond the wash of pretty color. For one, the formula softens even the driest pouts instantly. Shea butter and coconut oil take the helm from a lip-softening standpoint, and give the product an indulgent, emollient texture.

Furthermore, the formula is packed with anti-aging ingredients, which work to promote more youthful-looking lips. Hyaluronic filling spheres — tiny encapsulated orbs of hydrating hyaluronic acid — moisturize on contact for a healthy, hydrated glow. Antioxidants are also present in the formula, where they provide protection against environmental skin agers. So, too, are peptides — which, as plastic surgeon Dr. Jaimie DeRosa, MD, previously told InStyle, can “help to produce more collagen in the lips, thereby making the lips fuller over time.” 

For an anti-aging lip treatment that delivers an always-flattering, customized shade of ‘your-lips-but-better’ pink, shop the Je Ne Sais Quoi Hydrating Lip Balm Treatment from It Cosmetics. I’m snagging a few for my mom while it’s still on sale at Ulta for $15.

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