The Best Of Lip Balms

I have a confession. I'm addicted to lip balm. If there was a Lip Balm Addicts Anonymous, I'd be first in there. I can't go to a supermarket, a Boots, or even the corner shop without coming out with another lip balm, I'm on a constant quest for the perfect lip-nourisher. 

Because of this, I've amassed quite the collection, and I'm pretty well versed in what works and what doesn't, so I'm rounding them all up for you. Because you obviously need more than one...

The One to Apply Before Your Makeup: The requirements for this are pretty straightforward, a lightweight but moisturising lip balm that sinks in during the 10 minutes it takes to apply my face, and doesn't require me sticking my finger in a pot, it's too early for that. Insert stage left, the Maybelline Baby Lips Intense Care, a straightforward stick balm that's a little more hydrating than the standard Baby Lips, but absorbs quickly so that by the time you want to apply lipstick, it's all soaked up.

The One For Your Handbag: This one was easy, The Body Shop Aloe Lip Care. It's in a squeezy tube, so no sticking your finger in a pot along with all the germs from everything you've been touching, but it's incredibly hydrating and repairing on the lips, it fixes things fast, so you don't have to keep reaching for the balm while you're out.

The One With Colour: I've waxed lyrical on the Kiko Kiss Balms before, so I'll keep it brief, gorgeously hydrating lip balms with a wash of sheer colour, that smell incredible. Pictured above is the shade Tutti Frutti, but I have a few of these now and I love them all!

The Boyfriend Friendly One: Does anyone else's boyfriend always steal their lip balm? I try not to complain too much because otherwise he will just chew his lips and that drives me up the wall. I like to keep a good industrial strength one on hand just in case, and the Blistex Moisture Max* does the job nicely. The boyfriend likes this because it's got an unoffensive smell, it absorbs in nice and quick and it doesn't leave his lips looking shiny or sticky. This is the lip balm I reach for if I'm spending a lot of time outside in the cold. It's industrial. 

The One For Your Desk: I am the Queen of Procrastination, so I quite often have a strong hold of beauty treatments on hand to fill time when I'm putting something off. This is where The Body Shop's Honeymania Lip Balm comes in, a gorgeously hydrating lip balm that literally smells INCREDIBLE. This stuff is so good, I half want to eat it when I apply it.

The One For When Your Lips Are Sore: Sometimes, chapped lips go to the extreme where they are painfully dry, and that's when I whip out the Blistex Soothing Splash, which has a cool metal rollerball that really helps to soothe sore lips, whilst the lightweight balm inside helps repair them. This stuff has saved me more times than I can count.

The One For The Bedside Table: Would it be anything other than the one and only Nuxe Reve De Miel?! This stuff is like the Holy Grail, thick and creamy, it hydrates like a dream, and helps totally repair your lips overnight.

What's your favourite lip balm?