I have a lot of lip balms, mostly accumulated from Dior. 😅 I thought it would be fun to do a series of lip balm posts, covering both newer releases and older or discontinued ones so I could see how much I’ve spent unnecessarily. J/k .🤭🤭🤭 I’m going to start with the Rouge Dior Balm. 🙂
It was released in 2022, I believe, alongside other lip products that were “refreshed” with updated packaging and reformulated with natural ingredients. The Rouge Dior Balm comes in sleek refillable magnetic case with a silver cannage motif and “CD” initials.
According to Dior, the lip balm has been reformulated with “95% natural-origin ingredients that hydrates, protects lips from drying, and brings out their natural color.” It claims to provide 48-hour deep hydration, a 24-hour smoothing effect, and an 8-hour plumping effect. Similar to the previous “floral lip care” iteration, this has red peony and pomegranate extracts, but has more modern emollients of sweet almond oil and shea butter.
The Rouge Dior Balm has 3 universal shades: 000 Diornatural, 001 Diormidnight, and 002 Diorgris.
Review
Initially, I thought this new lip balm was simply a refreshed version of the Rouge Dior Colored Lip Balm, which, if I remember correctly, was released in 2021. I remember that time we were still on lockdown. 😅
Anyway, I discovered slight differences in the ingredients, which is why there is a fairly noticeable difference in how the lip balms wear and feel. Compared to the Rouge Dior Colored Lip Balm, the Rouge Dior Balm feels lighter on the lips and has more of a matte-natural finish.
Out of the three Rouge Dior Balm shades, I own 001 Diormidnight and 002 Diorgris. Both feel lightweight and less waxy compared to the older formula.
001 Diormidnight is currently my only deep-colored lip balm. As it fades, it leaves behind a stain on the lips, though unfortunately the stain doesn’t last very long. I personally would have preferred it longer-lasting.
Meanwhile, 002 Diorgris has a very natural-looking finish that helps even out my lip color. I also think it works better as a lip primer compared to 001 Diormidnight. If you’re looking for a lip balm that can double as a primer without affecting the color of your lipstick too much, then 000 Diornatural I assume would be the best choice.
Is the reformulation worth it?
I think Dior made the right move by streamlining the Rouge Dior Balm line to just three shades. Although it was nice that the previous version offered more shade variety, I don’t think it was necessary since those lip balms felt more like sheer satin lipsticks with subpar longevity.
The newer formula has better staying power. I especially like that 001 Diormidnight leaves behind a stain. I also find the Rouge Dior Balm more hydrating overall, and they keep my lips from feeling overly dry. Both my lip balms have been a staple in my bags now that it’s summer weather, where I somehow feel thirsty all the time. 😅
It goes without saying that Dior comes with a luxury price tag, so expect to pay more. Still, aside from genuinely liking the shades I own, I appreciate that the Rouge Dior Balm remains refillable. There’s really no need to buy a full component for every shade when you can simply swap out the refills. I assume the refills to have a lower price tag, though I personally haven’t had much luck finding them locally. I’ve been told “not sold here” or constantly out of stock; I don’t know which is true.
If you’re already into luxury beauty, I think this is worth considering. And if you’re just starting to explore luxury makeup, the Rouge Dior Balm makes for a good starter luxury lip balm, especially one you could realistically keep using and repurchasing for a while. 🙂
Leave a Reply