Nuxe Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm ($19) recently showed up at my local Target, along with a few of their other items that have a cult following such as the Huile Prodigieuse. I was surprised to see this luxury French line at Target, right next to the Boots No.7, as I've never even seen Nuxe products in person in my small little town. Of course, I've read about it over the years in fashion magazines...and how celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston are among their huge fans (as well as countless other celebs).
So even though I was a bit skeptical of dropping $20 on a jar of lip balm, I figured, a.) I have the driest lips in the world and am still looking for that holy grail miracle treatment, and b.) if it's good enough for Gwyneth and Jen, it's good enough for me. Just kidding about that last part...mostly. Let's take a look!
Nuxe Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm comes in a .52oz. frosted glass jar with a screw-on cap. I'm not really too fond of lip products in jars, as the germ-a-phobe in me doesn't want to dip my fingers in there unless they've just been washed (which means if I'm out shopping and touching things and I want to use this, I won't). But the texture is too firm for a squeeze tube, yet too soft to be in stick form. So a jar is the only logical packaging I can think of for this, unfortunately.
The formula itself is very thick and you only need a little bit. I expected it to be a hard balm when I ran my finger over the top, but I actually picked it up very easily because it melts on contact with the heat from your skin. It feels like a thick, waxy butter and when you first apply it, it can feel the slightest bit gritty...but that goes away completely as soon as you massage it into your lips.
I primarily wear this at night before bed, and I have to say, it works even better than my Bite Beauty Agave Lip Treatment! That's a bold statement for me to make because the Agave treatment is one of my favorite lip products of all time. After using this, I wake up with pillowy soft, smooth lips without a greasy feel.
That's the other thing I love about this balm! It has a matte finish so it's the perfect balm for wearing under lip products (just use it more sparingly than you would at night). For the first time, I feel like my perpetually lips are in good enough condition to wear matte lipsticks, especially when I layer this underneath. It almost does double duty as a lip primer, conditioning dry patches and filling in lines.
Is it worth the splurge?
I say absolutely! I've had my jar for 2 weeks and use it a few times a day and it looks like I've barely used any of it...so this half ounce jar will probably last 6 months to a year easily. I'm happy to say I've found my new Holy Grail lip product (although I'll always love the Agave mask too...especially the tinted versions!).
You can purchase Nuxe Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm at Target stores and Target.com.
Budget Friendly Alternative:
I'm also loving Pixi Beauty's Shea Butter Lip Balm in Comfort Clear ($8 at Target) for night and daytime time use. The colors are also fabulous, but the clear version also has a non-greasy, matte finish that sinks into lips quickly and is perfect for layering under lip products!
