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Kim Kardashian said she loves this £4.65 lip balm, so I put it to the test
The reality start shared the Starface balm on her Instagram
When Kim Kardashian recommends a lip balm that is less than £5, everyone listens. Granted, I’m guilty of lusting after her premium picks, too – from the Giorgio Armani luminous silk (£39.10, Lookfantastic.com) to the Diptyque choisya candle (£56, Johnlewis.com) as she undoubtedly has good taste in beauty.
Today, Kim took to Instagram to share her appreciation for Starface’s star balm in magic mint(£4.65, Superdrug.com), which is one of the four flavours available: starfruit, very vanilla, watermelon squeeze and the mint mentioned. The star balms were only launched on 22 August and are a new addition to the brand, which specialises, as its name suggests, in star-shaped topical pimple patches.
The patches have been a big hit with gen-Z-ers and gen-Alphas alike, with the latter being the umbrella group under which North West – Kim Kardashian’s daughter – falls. The significance of this? The mother-daughter duo have a joint TikTok page, aptly named @kimandnorth, where in one instance the 11-year-old can be seen schooling her gen-X ‘mom’ on all things Starface and KNC Beauty masks (which, sadly, aren’t in the UK yet). If I were to hedge my bets, I’d put money on North being responsible for this teen-targeted balm making its way onto Kim’s radar.
Nonetheless, the balm is noteworthily affordable when you compare it to similar of-the-moment brands, including Laneige and Summer Fridays, so I got my hands on it to see if it really is as ‘bomb’ as Kim claims. Here’s how I got on.
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How I tested
Testing the balm both on bare lips and as a hydrating top-up to my lip colour of choice, I used the magic mint salve throughout a full day, taking note of its texture, feel and hydrating potency in comparison to some of my usual go-to formulas, including Laneige and Dr Pawpaw. I paid attention to the scent, flavour, staying power and packaging, too, for an all-round overview.
Starface star balm magic mint
- Size: 4.3g
- Key ingredients: Olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter and mango butter
- Cruelty-free: Yes
- Fragranced: Yes
- Flavoured: Yes
- Why we love it
- Thick and nourishing
- Tastes sweet as well as smelling it
- Take note
- Not a very precise applicator if using on top of a lip colour
In cute-as-a-button packaging with a lovely fresh mint scent, the Starface star balm tastes pleasantly sugary and is surprisingly thick upon application. I’d compare it to the Soho Skin lip balm (£15, SpaceNK.com) with its sorbet-esque texture and instant smoothing effect.
While the Soho Skin balm is expensive at £10+, Starface’s is less than a third of the price and performed as well in terms of leaving the lips soothed and quenched. To give you a broader idea of its feel, it’s less slippery than the Laneige lip sleeping mask and less sticky than the Dr Pawpaw.
Read more: This £2 lip balm is better than Clinique’s £22 black honey
It applies well on bare lips and it’s certainly as nourishing and indulgent as formulas that are priced significantly higher – I can see why Kim loves it.
My only real qualm? The size of the balm stick is a bit cumbersome for a neat application, but for £4.65 I can’t complain too much.
The verdict: Starface star balm
The Starface lip balm is affordable, dainty for slipping into a little crossbody bag and tastes as nice as its fresh mint scent. And, what’s more, it keeps lips from drying up with just a few top-ups (as you usually would) throughout the day. Really, for £4.65, you can’t ask for much more in a lip balm. Thanks, Kim Kardashian.