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Top Color Change Lip Products for 2025
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There is a certain kind of magic to watch a thin lip product transform into your perfect pink, especially when it happens in real time with your own smile. That may be why color-changing lip oils, balms and sheen suddenly surged in popularity last year, causing both social media feeds and Sephora’s new release landing page to be crowded.
For example, consider the virus moment when Sabrina’s carpenter swipes Prada’s moisturizing lip balm in astral pink Tiktok Video Last June, it has been viewed over 50 million times. The cameo of coloured lip balms sold out in short order and created a new level of demand for cosmetic categories that were not entirely new (beauty historians recall brands like Tansy, releasing 1.0 versions of PH lip balm almost a century ago).
Much of the appeal of modern times lies in the transformation itself. Color-changing lip gloss, balms and lip oils are essentially satisfying to see, especially on platforms like Tiktok, where visual payoffs are all about. But beyond the aesthetic thrill, these products promise a more personalized experience.
At the core, color-changing lip products rely on pH-reactive technology. In basic terms, these formulas contain ingredients that adjust the hue based on the natural acidity of the skin. result? Just your shades designed to be custom-made at least in theory. In fact, most PH lip balms and oils tend to distort towards the cool tone pink lipstick shade. Differentiators will be texture, shine and overall feel.
We’ve tested over dozens of the most talked about options to find the best PH lip balm formula on the market. After a high shine gloss that changes color at your pH, juicy lip oil that provides pale colour and serious moisture, or anything in between, these three picks stood out for finishing, wear and just right side flash.
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001 Astral Pink Prada Moisturizing Lip Cream
Two WWD Shop editors swearing at Prada’s lip color collection are valuing the product as a premium beauty accessory worth investing in packaging, shade range and lip soft formulations.
This Prada PH Lip Balm is one of the subtle color changing products you can find in the market. Instead of overwhelming your puffiness with fuchsia colour, it acts as a more filter on your lips, blurring thin lines and adding a touch of touch to your natural lip colour.
Prices up to the date of publication of this article: $50
01 Icy Blue’s Tirtir Water Mhellow Lip Balm
A low-take entry point in the color-changing lip balm category, Tirtir’s Water Mhellow Lip Balm is the best affordable PH lip treatment we’ve tested. If the color-changing balm takes a few seconds, it takes a few seconds to completely convert your lips. This will create custom color shades immediately after your application. This is incorrect for the punchy pink side when you choose your favorite blue shade. Our testers have discovered that the product requires some swipes for even applications, but otherwise you will never know that it is under $20.
Prices up to the date of publication of this article: $15
WWD/ Claire Sullivan
Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip pH Power Planch Shift Lip Cream
For Max Shine and Staying Power, use Tarte’s color-changing lip treatment. This product gives your lips a wonderful juicy finish with a great sheen. And the custom colors you get are more pigmented than the similar colors we tried. Our testers have discovered that the shade can last for 3 hours without the need for touch-ups. An additional swipe will then help promote fading.
Prices up to the date of publication of this article: $27
You can try more pH lip balms and lip oils
Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint Freeze
Our editors love the watercolor effect of the coolant jelly shades of milk make-up. It’s not a color that needs to be applied carefully, but generous in product applications, and can be blended for a perfect color flash with a make-up sponge or clean fingertip. The color-changing freeze shade begins when the coral peach fades to a cool tone pink in seconds. Slowly smile with a lip scrub before using it for best results.
Prices up to the date of publication of this article: $24
Winky Lux Flower Balm
Another affordable pick for those who want to test PH lip balm without any major commitment, Winky Lux’s Flower Balm is my favorite, with three translucent shades that shift to pink in the application. We’ve found it to be perfect for a touch of colour, but don’t expect anything transformative in terms of hydration or shine.
Prices up to the date of publication of this article: $17
Haus Labs PhD Hybrid Lip Oil
We’ve found that PH lip balm is the easiest to apply, but Haus Labs makes the best color-changing lip oil for those who prefer silky textures like syrup without licking the stickiness. This product is one of the few in its category and actually nourishes your lips.
Prices up to the date of publication of this article: $26
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Meet the author
Claire Sullivan A contributing commerce editor for WWD and Footwear News, she writes and edits stories of beauty, fashion and lifestyle. She has over eight years of experience as a writer and editor in national media including Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, Instyle and Byrdie. As an editor, she has tested hundreds of products, so she is well versed in choosing products that make a meaningful difference to her skin and hair. Sullivan contributes to product testing and reporting and writes about this article on the best lip balms and oils that change the color.
Source: Shop – wwd.com
