KAJA Mood Balm Color Changing Lip Moisturizers Review

 

If I had it my way, I’d buy every single product from KAJA. From the products I have tried from the brand, I’ve loved them. Every. Single. One.

I bought these four balms when Sephora had their VIB Rouge 20% off sale and I’m so glad I did. They are so hydrating and the colours are so flattering too. At this point, KAJA has become one of my favourite brands, equal to Milk Makeup on my most loved brands’ tier.

Because I want to be as confusing as possible, the colours above are 03, 02, 01, 04. 

 

For ease of reading, I’ll be referring to the four lip balms by their numbers and not their names. Here are their names with corresponding numbers:

• 01 Twilight: Baby Blue to Baby Pink
• 02 First Thing: Orange to Peach
• 03 Late Night: Fuschia to Pink
• 04 Blackout: Black to Plum

 

Now onto the review!

The Specifics: 

Lip condition: Chapped and dry. 

Lip prep: None. 

What is it?: A sheer, buildable and moisturizing coloured lip balm that shifts colours based on your body’s temperature. 

Ingredients: Found here.

Packaging: While I love gimmicky packaging, my absolute favourite aesthetic is minimalism. Glossier, Milk Makeup and KAJA do simplicity to perfection. 

Affordability: Regular price is $18 CDN (0.15 oz/ 4.5 g) on Sephora’s website, I paid $43.20 (not including GST) for all four during Sephora’s 20% off sale. 

Considering I alternate between these and Laneige’s Glowy lip balm (review here) whenever I leave the house, I think these are worth it.

Affordability is subjective but you get so many different looks and uses from these balms. If you want a swash of colour, a quick swipe will do. If you want to go bolder, swipe two or more times. Oh, you want a lip tint? This can work as a lip tint as well.

 

Smell: A subtle but a pleasantly fruity, slightly peach scent. If you happen to taste them, they don’t have a taste and thankfully, you don’t taste the emollient either. 

Texture: These are buttery but not greasy and they don’t slip or bleed or cling to any dry patches on your lips. My lips were so dry when I was testing these but they really are hydrating. KAJA should make a regular, no scent, uncoloured lip balm because I would use that every day. 

My lips felt so hydrated, I quickly forgot I was wearing a tinted lip balm. There are some lip balms out there that dry out the lips as they disappear and you have to constantly reapply just to keep your lips moisturized. You don’t need to do that with these balms. As they wear away, your lips will remain plump and moisturized. All four had the same texture.

Finish: All four had a slight lustrous sheen, not glossy but not matte either. They were all sheer.  

 

 

(Swatches top to bottom: 01, 02, 03, 04)

Colour intensity: I wasn’t expecting these to be as pigmented as they are. In my head, when I think ‘lip balm’, I think a very sheer, almost undetectable colour. Not with these. The first time I had worn 04, I was taken aback by how bright and dark the colour was. 

01 was the sheerest and very subtle. If your lip pigmentation is fair to light, you might be able to see the baby pink. Might. On me, it barely tinted my lips, only evening my lip tone.

02 had a peachy, coral tint to it and it was noticeable but not as intense as 03 and 04. This was my favourite colour out of the four. It adds a lovely wash of colour, can be built up to be a statement lip but can also wear down to a flattering peachy tint.

03 had great colour intensity and pigmentation. This is definitely noticeable and bold. It begins as a bright fuschia but finishes as a deep pink. I usually don’t reach for pink lip products that often but the shade was flattering on me and I will definitely be using 03 when I need a bright pop of colour.

04 was intense! It was the most intense out of the four. I mean, it’s a “black to plum” so I should’ve known it would be the most opaque out of the bunch. This is a vampy, plummy berry that is a statement colour, very in-your-face and bold. Despite the intensity, the colour is still sheer.

 

Wear test: As a balm, all were moisturizing and stayed on my lip for the first hour (no eating or drinking). Past the 2-hour mark, they had disappeared but my lips were still hydrated. As a tint, except for 01 because it was so light, 02, 03, and 04 left a pretty tint to my lips and didn’t accentuate any dry patches and wore evenly. 

Longevity: As balms, on the lips, they lasted around an hour. Past that, they disappeared/were absorbed into my lips and left my lips hydrated and smooth. 

As tints, they blew my mind.

I wasn’t expecting these lip balms to become lip stains/tints but I’m not complaining since I adore lip tints. 02, 03, and 04 had the same amount of colour longevity but differing colour intensities.

01 (pictured above) had the least amount of colour longevity and didn’t tint my lips. The first two pictures are with the balm on. The last picture is the stain it leaves behind.

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02 left a flattering peachy coral tint to my lips that lasted for three/four hours. The first two pictures are with the balm on. The last picture is the stain it leaves behind.

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03 started as a fuschia but wore down to deep pink, the stain lasted all day (I was out of the house for more than six hours). The first two pictures are with the balm on. The last picture is the stain it leaves behind.

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4. Bottom stain

04 started as a deep fuschia but wore to a berry plum. The stain lasted beyond the six-hour mark and only came off when I used makeup remover. This colour had the longest wear. The first two pictures are with the balm on. The last picture is the stain it leaves behind.

 

What I love: I love 03 the most but I’m also partial to peaches, oranges and corals. 

All four of them were so moisturizing on my lips and I don’t have to worry about dry patches or doing any lip prep when I reach for these. They also don’t settle into the lip lines and the most important part, they don’t flake or leave a weird line on the lips (near my mouth).

Aside from the product, the tube is minimal and understated but chic and…okay, I adore it. Simple enough. The box is brightly coloured and I love that too.

What I don’t love: I’m the most disappointed in 01. It’s so light that on my lips, it barely shows up. I wish it would’ve been more pigmented but I still use it when I need to even out my lip tone. 

Possible dupe: So far, none. 

Repurchase: YES. 

Recommend: If you are looking for a lip balm, a lip tint, a pop of colour, a fun gimmick (that actually works), or something to grab on your way out of the house, this product is for you. Highly recommend. 

 

Final thoughts: When I don’t want to bother with a liquid lip stain or I’m running late, these lip balms are my go to. They even beat out Laneige’s glowy balm for the best wear, best sheer tint of colour and packaging (sorry, Laneige). I hope KAJA expands this line to include reds and oranges but I’m still happy with their current selection. 

Rating: 5/5

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Note: I am not affiliated, sponsored or paid by the brand to write this review. I am just a person online giving my opinion.

Note: Note: If you like my glasses, they are called ‘Japan Morning’ and are from EyebuyDirect. If you want to check them out, they can be found here. Use my code: IFCYSISUD5 for $10 off your order.

While I am not being paid for this post, please note that I will receive a commission from Eyebuydirect for purchases made through the links. I’m in no way telling you to use the links above if you choose to buy glasses from them but I would really appreciate it if you did.