Loreal HIP Jelly Balm Review

So, I've noticed the Loreal Jelly Balms at drugstores, but I could never bring myself to pay $9 for them, because that seems a bit steep for a drugstore product.  But since they were buy one get one free at Walgreens I couldn't resist trying them out.  The reviews on Makeup Alley and Drugstore.com were promising, averaging 4-5 out of 5 stars.  

Jelly Balms come in 4 shades shown in the picture below (clockwise)- Plush, Succulent, Delectable and Ripe.  I chose Plush (pink) and Succulent (a plummy rose) because the Delectable and Ripe (coral and red) seemed too dark for my fair skin tone.

This is my new favorite lip product hands down...and I feel like I've been missing out on something! The color in these is unbelieveable- they have very rich pigment.  Because my lips are very pale in color naturally, I feel like dark colors look clownish on me, and I am always looking for a lip color that enhances my natural lips just a little. The plush gave me the perfect, gorgeous rosy-pink glow that was just a little darker than my lips, and I was surprised because in the jar, it looked very light. The Succulent was a bit darker, and I would wear that one to go out at night.  It's a plummy-rose that is just an amazing color.  Those of you with a darker natural lip color will see more color with this one than with the Plush.

The texture is thicker than a gloss, because it's a balm formula, but it doesn't feel sticky and spreads very smoothly and evenly.  The texture keeps it firmly on the lips, rather than a gloss that slides off after you take one sip of a drink.  This has staying power, and even after the color does wear off, the moisturizing feeling does not.  It makes the lips feel soft and smooth with just the perfect hint of dewiness (it's not super glossy, yet has more shine than traditional lip balms).  Oh, and it smells like vanilla, or maybe it's sugar cookies...  well, whatever it is, it's subtle, yet delicious!  This is going on my favorites page for sure.