Blurred Lips Are All I Want to Wear Right Now, And These 7 Balms Deliver It

If I'm being honest with you, I've never been much of a lipstick person. It doesn't matter if it's matte or satin finish, most of them just feel A) too fussy and "done" on my lips, and B) they're too high-maintenance to top-up throughout the day. Instead, I've always been more of a lip balm or lip gloss person. They just feel much more effortless and low-maintenance.

However, with the rise in the blurred lips trend, pioneered by makeup artists such as Nina Park, like many others, I've fallen back in love with lip products again. And alongside the makeup trend has come a new wave of sheer matte-tinted lip balms that deliver a soft-focus effect to the lips. One swipe delivers a sheer wash of colour (think just-bitten colour) with a matte finish that mimics the natural texture of your lips. Because of their blurred finish, you don't have to be precise about the application like you would with a standard lipstick. You can swipe them on without a mirror, and they gradually diffuse as they fade for a natural-looking tint throughout the day. Perfect for "no makeup" makeup.

Makeup artists have long created the effect by applying lipstick and blotting the excess off with a tissue. However, these sheer, matte-tinted lip balms create the blurred look in just one swipe. And they speak to my low-maintenance heart, bridging the gap between a traditional matte lipstick and a lip balm for a veil of colour that feels very French-coded and a way more modern way to wear lip colour. I've swatched and tested all the best sheer matte lip balms around, and I'm sharing my all-time favourites ahead.

Best Sheer Matte Lip Balms

• Best Overall: Merit Signature Lip Blush (£25)
• Best Luxury Balm: Violette_Fr Bisou Balm (£31)
• Best Hydrating Balm: Glossier Generation G Lipstick (£20)
• Best Affordable Balm: Max Factor 2000 Calories Mellow Blur (£10)
• Best Multi-Purpose Balm: Refy Lip Blush (£16)

1. Merit Beauty Signature Lip Blush

Merit Beauty's Signature Lip Blush is possibly the comfiest lipstick-balm hybrid I've tried. It feels just like a lip balm on the lips, but with a chic matte finish that drapes a sheer tint on your lips. Think of it as lip blush in a lipstick bullet. One swipe gives a soft-diffused tint, but you can easily layer it up for more intensity. My favourite shades are Bespoke (a neutral brown, which I'm wearing above) and Archival (a soft neutral pink), but there's also an array of brighter shades that are so much more wearable than their lipstick counterparts, thanks to their delightfully lightweight and sheer texture.

2. Violette_Fr Bisou Balm

You can trust a French beauty brand such as Violette_Fr to create one of the best sheer matte tinted lip balms. Founder and makeup artist Violette Serrat was inspired by the concept of "bouche mordue" for this balm, which translates as "just-bitten lips", and Bisou Balm was born. It's been a staple in my makeup bag ever since I first tried it for many reasons. Firstly, it feels just like a cushiony balm on application, and whether you apply it in one sheer swipe or layer it up, it still feels so effortless and never heavy like a lipstick would. Oh, and it also smells delightfully of French bonbons. Mon Cheri is one of my favourites for a chocolate-cherry tint, but I'm finding myself reaching for Bonbon Myrtille for a blurred raspberry lip come summer. It gives your lips a pretty flush of colour.

3. Glossier Generation G

Prefer something that's still matte but more on the hydrating side? Allow me to point you in the direction of Generation G. Balmy in texture, it glides onto the lips with the hydrating, sumptuous feeling of a lip balm and is enriched with skin-softening vitamin E. But it looks matte to the eye. The bullet delivers a translucent tint of colour, and it's also easy to build up from a sheer to a bolder intensity if you wish, all whilst having that enviable soft-focus blur. There are a lot of shades to choose from, from bright, jammy shades (such as Like, which I'm wearing above) to everyday neutrals that you'll want to reach for every day.

4. Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mellow Blur

The new Mellow Blur lipsticks have become one of my favourite new beauty launches. This formula has more of a slip on the lips when you're wearing it, so if you want something a bit more hydrating, this is a great bank account-friendly option to try. Like the others, it's layerable, but takes on a slightly more satiny finish if you're applying multiple layers, but a couple of swipes gives a subtle sheer matte tint. I like to pat the bullet onto my lips to gradually build up the colour for a just-bitten effect. My shade recommendations? Try Mochi Mauve for an everyday neutral, or brown butter for a '90s-inspired brown lip.

5. Refy Lip Blush

Refy was one of the first to bring out a lip blush, and the buttery texture bestows a soft, sheer velvety-ness to your lips. It's a little more opaque compared to the others on this list, so if you want more colour payoff, this is a great choice. The twist-up stick format makes it easy to swipe or pat onto your lips, but it's brilliant as a blusher too if you want a harmonious look on your lips and cheeks. I own the shade orchid, which is a medium pink that's perfect to wear year-round.

6. Beauty Pie Unlipstick Modern Matte Lip Tint

7. Nyx Smushy Matte Lip Balm