Product Review -- Maybelline Baby Lips Color Balm Crayons

While I've gotten more swept up in the matte lipstick craze than I ever expected to, I always prefer a creamy, slightly shiny lip product.

They're just easier to wear because you don't have to worry about your lips being perfectly smooth and you don't wind up with dry, chapped lips after a day of wearing them.

So I was interested to try the Maybelline Baby Lips Color Balm Crayons. The original tinted Baby Lips Balms are a favorite of mine -- I always have one in my purse so I have foolproof lip color to throw on during the day -- so I liked the idea of a product that combined the comfortable, moisturizing feel of those balms with some more intense color.

The Baby Lips Color Balm Crayons come in thick twist-up pencil packaging. The caps of the crayons are the same color as the shade inside so it's easy to see which one you're grabbing.

The crayon itself has a fairly wide, rounded tip, so you have to be careful to get a precise application, but I haven't had any issue with them bleeding outside my lip line.

I purchased the Balm Crayons in two shades: 05 Toasted Taupe, a beige nude with slight peach undertones, and 10 Blush Burst, a light rose pink.

Maybelline Baby Lips Balm Crayon in Blush Burst

Maybelline Baby Lips Balm Crayon in Toasted Taupe

Maybelline claims that they offer 12-hour hydration -- I'm not sure about that, but the Balm Crayons feel extremely comfortable on the lips. They give the lips some shine as well, which I think is always a flattering look. Though they are somewhat sheer, hey are decently pigmented too, offering more vibrant color that the standard Baby Lips Balms.

Despite their shiny, moisturizing formula, the Balm Crayons have pretty decent staying power. I think it's because they have a thickness to them that allows them to cling to the lips longer than most hydrating lip products. If I'm not drinking or eating, I can get 3 or 4 hours of wear without having to touch up.

Maybelline Baby Lips Balm Crayons in Blush Burst (l.) & Toasted Taupe (r.)

Toasted Taupe is a little bit difficult for me to wear on its own because it's such a nude shade. However, if I layer a nude pink or peach liner under it to give it some depth, it can actually be quite flattering.

Blush Burst is a shade that I feel like would work for most skin tones because it offers some brightness without being too harsh for lighter skin.

I would definitely purchase more of the Balm Crayons, though there really aren't any other shades in the range that grab me (They're all a little too bright to fit into my comfort zone). But I will keep an eye out to see if they add any more...

They retail for approximately $6.99 wherever Maybelline products are sold.

Have you tried the Maybelline Baby Lips Color Balm Crayons? Which shades are your favorite?