Review: CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balms in Spice and Cabernet

Of all the new CoverGirl products to release so far this year, the NatureLuxe Gloss Balms were the ones I was the most excited to try for myself. I was fortunate enough to receive two shades for review a few weeks ago, and now that I've had some time to fully test them, I'm excited to give you my detailed review.

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balms in Spice and Cabernet

(retail: around $7 each, .076 oz)

Right off the bat, I want to let you know that I am a sucker for any type of packaging that's light green, seafoam green or mint green. I don't know why, but these shades always appeal to me. Add a bit of shimmer to the green, a cute botanical graphic and a clear lid? Well that's just enough to send me over the edge. I love love love the packaging of these lip colors.

I also want to address this since some of you expressed concerns about the tube: the lip product does NOT extend beyond the tube, folks! I know it's a pet peeve of so many of you when a stick extends beyond the tube, because it's so easy to nick the stick with your lid, etc., so rest assured, these do not do that! See:

In the above pics, I had already used Spice (left) twice, and you can see that after just one or two uses, the stick sits nicely inside the tube, eliminating all chance of you nicking the tube with the lid when you open or close this balm. Yay!

NatureLuxe Gloss Balms come in 16 shades (I've heard that some contain more shimmer than others, while others are matte, and I've also heard that some border on almost metallic, so I just want you to be aware that the finish can vary from shade to shade). According to the CG website, they contain mango and shea butter and provide "a luxurious, sheer color with a hint of shine". These balms are also SPF 15.

I have to say, I think CG's description of the texture of these balms is spot on. They really do provide a luxurious, sheer color with a hint of shine on my lips! Let's take a look.

In the below pics, I first wanted to show you my bare lips (which are very dry and chapped right now). I thought it was important to show you my bare lips first, so that you can really get an idea of how pigmented these Gloss Balms are, and also how they will look if YOUR lips are dry and chapped as well:

Color me impressed! I'm quite happy with the pigmentation and moisturization of these balms, and I LOVE how even though there is shimmer in both shades, it's not garish or over-the-top on my actual lips. Also, both shades are so much more wearable than I thought they'd be. Looking at Cabernet in the tube, it looked like it had the potential to go too pink for my skintone, or much too dark, but I found it to be neither. I adore sheer reds, and this one's just about perfect for my NC20 skin. It's not too warm, it's not too cool--it's really just right.

Spice is a sheer, warm, coppery-bronze but it doesn't veer into being too orange or too brown when I wear it. I LOVE pairing Spice with an earthtone eye and I find it looks great with my olive green shades as well as all of my rich bronzes and browns that I wear so often on my eyes.

The texture of this balm is quite light, yet I find it to be nice and emollient. It's not sticky, heavy, greasy or waxy on my lips--it feels almost weightless for a balm. It has really helped my dry, chapped lips, and I was pleasantly surprised that the pigmentation did not accentuate the dryness of my lips (don't you hate it when color sticks to dry flakes even after it has worn off the rest of your lips? Ew!).

I find the shine of this balm to be moderate (definitely not as shiny as a gloss, though shiner than other balms I own). The staying power is also impressive--it tends to last much longer (by a few hours!) on my lips that the new Burt's Bees tinted lip balm I showed you here.

There is a light fragrance to these balms, and to my nose it smells like a nondescript mixed-berry type of fragrance, with a little note of generic "lipstick" thrown in. I don't find it bothersome, and it fades very quickly for me. And there is really no discernible flavor to these balms--at least that I can detect.

If you're curious to know how Gloss Balms compare to CG Lip Slicks, I think Gloss Balms are lighter in texture, more moisturizing, go on a touch more smoothly, have better pigmentation and more shine. I was obsessed with Lip Slicks a few years back, but I always found that I had to go over and over my lips to get the pigmentation just right. This is definitely not the case with Gloss Balms--a few swipes and you should be good to go.

FINAL VERDICT: The $7 price tag may scare some of you off, but if you're looking for a moisturizing tinted lip balm that has a bit more shine than others, stronger pigmentation and wearable shades, CoverGirl NatureLuxe Lip Balms might be worth considering. As we all know, CoverGirl products go on sale quite frequently at the drugstore, and you can always find coupons for CG in the P&G insert in the Sunday paper, so there will be plenty of opportunities to get one of these for a good price. I am very impressed with both Spice and Cabernet, which I find extremely wearable and very emollient without being heavy, greasy or waxy. These are both great colors to keep in your purse at all times for when you need a quick dash of color when you're on the go. I think they're a sound investment if you gravitate toward sheer, wearable shades that require little to no maintenance, since I find that both shades wear off evenly (no ring-around-the-lips). The fragrance wears away quickly if you are fragrance-sensitive, and I find no discernible flavor to these balms. And of course, who doesn't love SPF 15 in a tinted lip balm, right?

Do you already own any NatureLuxe Gloss Balms? What do you think of them? If you don't own any, do you think they sound like they may be a good fit for your particular needs? I'd love to hear from you!

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.