Who wins? La Mer The Lip Balm versus The Nivea Lip Butter
Lip balm is one of the most basic beauty products in existence. They have the simple but incredibly important task of keeping our lips moisturized and plump! Our lips have thin, sensitive skin, and are easily affected by the things we eat, the people we kiss, the weather we're under. That's why it's necessary to carry a balm in our pocket at all times. Balms seal in moisture and can even be used as a way to clean your lips - just apply then tissue off as you would a cold cream.
Now there are all sorts of lip balms out in the market - how do you know what's good? Is there a difference between high-end and drugstore lip balm? So, I thought it would be fun to do a comparison post on one of the most expensive lip balms ever versus one of the cheapest! I have the La Mer The Lip Balm which retails for roughly around P3,000+ and the Nivea Lip Butter which is only P129.
Here's what I think.
Not gonna mince my words: La Mer The Lip Balm is hella expensive for something that has petrolatum as its base. You could buy Vaseline or any nameless petroleum jelly and that would already be what, 80-90% of what La Mer's lip balm is made of? Naturally these dirt cheap options won't feel as nice on the lips nor smell as good as La Mer's minty, honeyed notes. They also won't taste pleasantly sweet. They also won't come in a classy glass jar, nor with the smug pleasure of owning a lip balm worth over three grand.
La Mer also features seaweed and aloe leaf extracts with antioxidants, powdered semi-precious stones like Malachite and Tourmaline, and a variety of seeds like sesame, almond, sunflower, and alfalfa. These ingredients are intended to nourish the lips a lot more than your typical lip balm can. La Mer does take care of my chapped lips very well, but not more than a good drugstore lip balm IMHO.
I love the texture of this La Mer balm. It packs in moisture but doesn't feel slippery, goopy or overly waxy. It coats my lips snugly and has a matte finish, too. I love using it under lipsticks as its drier texture acts as a sort of primer for the color! It's a really, really good lip balm. I will probably use it until the last swipe. But is it worth the cash?
Yes if you love and can afford surrounding yourself with luxury beauty products. No for every other circumstance. It's a great balm, but P3,000 can get you nice things from other high-end brands.
For a fraction of the price, the Nivea Lip Butter performs pretty well. It has a berry scent but has no taste; I keep thinking it has a tint because of the packaging, but it's completely transparent. This has a glossier finish compared to La Mer, but once dry, it's also matte.
You get 16.7 grams of Nivea versus La Mer's 9 grams. The Lip Butter also packs in some serious moisture, and like La Mer has a petrolatum base. It's a bit heavier though due to its shea butter and castor oil content. In other words if you have Sahara-dry lips the Nivea Lip Butter may actually be a better choice!
It has a tackier feel though, and has a greasy slip to it. Definitely far from La Mer's drier, snug feel.
So who wins? If we're talking about being practical, the Nivea Lip Butter is a better choice. It performs like a pro and all for 129 pesos! But if you like your balm with a refined taste, texture, and brand equity, La Mer The Lip Balm is the standard.
Actually, if you want the same-ish scent, texture, and flavor, the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick is a closer dupe to La Mer. It's not as cheap as Nivea's lip butter but it's still waaaay less expensive than LM. I believe it's around P600 in Beauty Bar!
What do you think? What's the biggest amount you've ever spent on one piece of makeup or skincare?
