My mum and I have very different approaches to our beauty routines, especially when it comes to makeup. Whilst I could sit for hours trying out different products and application techniques, my mum won’t spend more than five minutes tops applying tinted moisturiser, mascara and lipstick. Every time we go on holiday together, we laugh at how my makeup bag is about five times the size of hers, and it’s a running joke in our family about how much longer I take to get ready.

That being said, there’s one thing we do agree on when it comes to makeup, and that’s how hard it is to find a hydrating lipstick that doesn’t leave our lips feeling dry and chapped. I can’t count how many lip balms, lip oils and lipstick formulas we’ve both been through, desperate to find one that actually delivers on the formula and the finish. At least that was the case until we discovered the Estée Lauder Pure Colour Melt-On Glosstick.

Deputy beauty editor Grace Lindsay testing the Estée Lauder Pure Colour Melt-On Glosstick

Housed in a chic gold vessel, this glossy lip balm feels like everything we’ve been waiting for. When samples landed on my desk a few months ago, I sent a few shades to my mum to try, and we both texted each other a few days later raving about the launch. Since then, every time we’re together, at least one of us has pulled this product out of our handbag, and my mum even told me she hasn’t used anything else since getting her hands on it.

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What makes it so great, I hear you ask? It’s all in the formula. As the name suggests, this velvety lipstick starts as a solid gloss that heats up on contact with the lips, practically melting in like butter. It’s incredibly hydrating, formulated with 41% conditioning oils. However, unlike other hydrating balms we’ve tried, this also gives a gloss-like finish. I mean, it’s so shiny that it’s practically reflective.

Deputy beauty editor Grace Lindsay testing the Estée Lauder Pure Colour Melt-On Glosstick

The hydration! The shine! The plumping effect! Everything about it is perfection. Plus, thanks to the buttery formula and easy-to-use applicator, it’s so easy to throw in your handbag and apply on the go. Not that you need to top it up that much, as for once, this hydration actually lasts.