James Welsh has reviewed more than 20 lip products, and his approval rate of 62% is a useful starting point. Most products made the cut, but a fair number did not, and his reasons for skipping them are some of the most practical things he has said on record. What he cares about most is whether a product actually hydrates lips, not just sits on top of them.
What does James Welsh recommend in lip?
What keeps coming up in his approving takes is lasting hydration, a texture that feels like it is doing something real, and a formula that does not irritate. He praised the Glow Peach Peptide Lip Balm for its almost jelly-like feel and long-lasting moisture, saying it stays put in a way that basic lip balms do not. The Remedy Lip Balm stood out for what he described as a two-stage effect: it starts watery and gliding, then settles into real hydration. He also rates colour-led products when the formula holds up. He told viewers the NYX Fat Oil Lip Drip glides on, builds colour well, and lasts a long time, all for under nine dollars. His named winners are the Vaseline Lip Therapy Original and the Glow Peach Peptide Lip Balm, both of which he singled out as standout choices.
In his words
"This lip balm is so popular that brands keep trying to copy it and failing miserably. [...] I fully get why people keep trying to copy this brand. It's not one of those very basic lip balms that you put on and it disappears and you have to like reapply within an hour. This is really hydrating almost like jelly-like texture."
"For a little extra cost you can get the Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask, which does everything that the Laneige lip masks do but in this more cushiony, more hydrating, almost more occlusive feeling lip product, it also has squalane, peptides and antioxidants like the Laneige one. The only issue is it doesn't come in different scents or flavors, but I'd rather have nicer lips overnight than like a mango lip mask."
"This is probably for me my favorite product from the brand. [...] I'm really into lip balms that don't just moisturize your lips but actually hydrate your lips as well. There's something to this Lip Balm that feels like it happens in two stages. So you put it on and it feels kind of almost watery, like there's a real slip to it, there's a real glide."
"Love it. Love it"
"The black honey lipstick, which I think has gone viral again, it's had its moment or something like that. Introduced in 1971, the black honey lipstick was relaunched in 1989 as Almost Lipstick. It quickly became a cult favorite with many consumers loving its universally flattering shade and versatile texture. It actually really significantly boosted the brand's visibility and sales during the 1990s, and the same thing happened again just a few years ago."
"It's not sticky on the lips, it doesn't transfer that much, and it lasts a really really really long time. [...] It's only $8.99. [...] You need the tiniest tiniest amount and it does just slide and glide on with a really good immediate color payoff. [...] It's buildable as well. I do like it. I think they're really really decent. I would [...] test the colors because the swatches are a little bit unreliable, but I genuinely think they're really really decent."
How many lip products has James Welsh reviewed?
James Welsh has reviewed 26 lip products, for an approval rate of 62%. 16 approved, 3 mixed, and 7 skipped.
What has James Welsh skipped in lip?
He skipped a handful of products, and his reasons are worth knowing. The Ordinary Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm actually irritated his lips, causing stinging and flaking throughout the day. He skipped The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum too. His explanation: most dry or flaky lips are dehydrated or irritated rather than clogged with dead skin, so adding an acid tends to make things worse, not better. The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm lost him on taste, which he noted unavoidably matters in a lip product. He described it as reminiscent of chicken soup. And the K Skin Lip Balm SPF 30 had a manufacturing problem where the applicator kept collapsing on customers, making it impossible to use.
"I didn't like this. I actually think this irritated my lips. [...] My lips just stung with this. They start to crack all up here. And when I use this, [...] throughout the day I was having to like remove soft, dead skin from my lips because it did that to my skin throughout the day."
"PHAs are a very gentle, nice exfoliating acid, but lips don't usually need chemical exfoliation. Most dry, flaky lips aren't caused by a buildup of dead skin. They're usually just dehydrated or irritated. [...] A regular lip balm tend to work much better than adding acids into the mix."
"Look at that, my lip balm is prolapsing and nothing is coming out. The situation is that a lot of people were experiencing this, not only after being absolutely fine using their product, but also the samples in the shops were prolapsing too. Nothing has been mentioned confirmed or denied by the brand, but it's weird considering that this is such a common applicator type and every brand is launching their own version. It's odd to see a manufacturing issue like this on something so common."
"If you put something on your lips you are going to taste it whether you like it or not. It's one of the main reasons brands add fragrance to lip products and advertise them as different flavors because you can taste it, and unfortunately this one tastes a little bit like chicken soup, which isn't the worst taste in the world, but it's definitely not pleasant."
What should you take from James Welsh's picks?
James Welsh's record on lip products comes down to one straightforward test: does it genuinely hydrate, and does it stay on without causing problems. He is not against spending more for a better formula, as his praise for the Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask shows, but he is just as happy pointing people toward the Vaseline Lip Therapy Original when it earns its place. His skips are never vague. Each one has a specific, practical reason behind it, which makes his takes on this category especially useful.
Watch James Welsh say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Vaseline Lip Therapy OriginalNamed a winnerWatch at 14:55
- Glow Peach Peptide Lip BalmNamed a winnerWatch at 34:15
- The Ordinary Squalane + Amino Acids Lip BalmSkipped itWatch at 13:10
- The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip SerumSkipped itWatch at 20:11
- K Skin Lip Balm SPF 30Skipped itWatch at 15:01
- The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Lip BalmSkipped itWatch at 14:17
- Summer Fridays Lip Butter BalmSkipped itWatch at 9:48
- Rhode Peptide Lip TintSkipped itWatch at 20:48
- Glossier Balm DotcomSkipped itWatch at 5:15
- Tatcha Kissu Lip MaskRated itWatch at 33:30
- Remedy Lip BalmRated itWatch at 17:49
- Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Gloss BalmRated itWatch at 29:23
- Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black HoneyRated itWatch at 15:32
- NYX Fat Oil Lip DripRated itWatch at 5:31
- Gisou Honey Infused Hydrating Lip OilRated itWatch at 23:32
- e.l.f. Squeeze Me Lip BalmRated itWatch at 6:50
- Alternative Stereo Lip Potion Steaming MilkRated itWatch at 16:03
- Rhode Phone Case with Lip Balm HolderRated itWatch at 13:40
- Naturium Phyto-Glow Lip BalmRated itWatch at 23:54
- Tower 28 SOS Lip SoftyRated itWatch at 57:54
- Laneige Lip Glowy BalmRated itWatch at 10:58
- Ole Henriksen Pout Preserve Peptide Lip TreatmentRated itWatch at 7:31
- Naked Sundays Glow + Go Lip Oil SPF 50Rated itWatch at 13:56
About this expert
See everything James Welsh has reviewed
Related guides
This guide reflects what James Welsh said across his videos about 26 products in lip, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products he approved. It is general information, not medical advice.