The Best Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balms, Ranked by 2 Beauty Editors

Beth Gillette for CosmopolitanI had been wanting to try this one since it first dropped, but saved it until this experiment. Hyman and I agreed it’s similar to Pink Sugar (which we tested first), but with a slightly fainter smell. “The scent is more confectionary, but it doesn’t have vanilla to balance it,” she says. I wish it was more strawberry ice cream, rather than all focused on the sweetness.I’d tried this one before and knew it wasn’t exactly my favorite. But it was definitely better upon a second test. “It’s a combination of vanilla and straight-up coffee bean,” Hyman says. To me, it’s an extremely strong scent, but the brown tint is very weak. I wish it either had a deeper brown tint or a softer scent.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below“It’s vanilla, if it were Funfetti,” says Hyman. “It’s very sweet, obviously; it’s in the name,” she adds. But there’s an artificial scent in there that’s making me not obsessed with it.I love that this is a sweetened minty flavor rather than true peppermint. But it’s quite strong and does leave a slight tingle on my lips. “It’s not a clinical scent, which is great, but because it’s not plumping or doing anything else, I’d almost rather have a sweet or juicy scent instead,” says Hyman. If you like mint scents, you’ll love this. But it’s probably too much if you don’t usually go for that style of flavor.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below“It’s almost like a sherbet smell, but I can’t tell what fruit,” says Hyman. “I like the color, though. It looks more orange, but on the lips, it’s nice and pink.” I enjoyed this one, but I found the smell to be basically nonexistent. But I really enjoyed the tint and would wear it often for that purpose.Jasmine Hyman for CosmopolitanAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowI keep a tube of this in my gym bag, so I knew I loved this one already. But once I compared OG Vanilla with all of these other scents, I was a bit underwhelmed. The scent is subtle and not too sweet, which is great when you don’t want to smell anything on your lips. There’s also no taste, which is nice. For me, it’s just a really good lip balm.This was the biggest surprise. Pink Guava has a teensy tint, but you would barely notice it on your lips. “It’s fruity and smoothie-like,” says Hyman.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowThe color is a bit more cool-toned than the other browns, but that’s precisely why we fell in love with it. On my lips, the tint turns into a berry tone. And the scent and taste are so good. It’s warm, a little spicy, and perfect for dreaming up a fall day.Beth Gillette for CosmopolitanAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowI had never even heard of this one, but it quickly became one of my absolute favorites (and already is a go-to in my bag). This one has a slight mauvey, brown tint with a smooth, warm vanilla scent. “It’s not overly sweet,” Hyman notes, who isn’t really a fan of sweet scents. When she declared this one of her favorites, I knew it was a winner because she ordinarily hates anything vanilla-scented.Jasmine Hyman for CosmopolitanAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowImmediate “oohs” and “ahhs” came from both Hyman and me as we swiped this on our lips. “I fear we have a winner,” Hyman says. “Cherry is so universal; no one hates a cherry flavor.” It’s a syrupy cherry that’s pretty seasonless (not too juicy and summery, nor is it boozy and deep like a winter cherry). Easily, this one became our #1 favorite with one wear.Beth Gillette for CosmopolitanBeth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months. Mary Honkus is a freelance writer who covers beauty, home, fashion, health, and wellness (just call her a jack of all trades!). She has held staff roles at Real Simple, People, and InStyle, and her bylines can be found in numerous other publications. When she's not testing the latest and greatest products, she can be found chilling on her Hell's Kitchen rooftop, checking out NYC's hottest new restaurants, or recording her podcast Good Trouble NYC. Follow her on Instagram.