Dry, chapped lips are common in the winter so it’s a good idea to invest in a decent lip balm if you expect to be kissing anyone this fall. Lip balms provide moisture to dry lips as well as a protective coating against wind and cold. Below is a list of some of the best lipbalms available to men, the criteria is simple; a man’s lipbalm must have a natural shine-free finish, unassuming packaging and – while not necessary – a good measure of sun protection always get a plus point.

Chapstick

This old staple is as good as it ever was. Cheap, no frills moisture for lips and a nice matte finish. There are a multitude of chapsticks to choose from including cold sore therapy, medicated treatment for cracked lips, all-natural, suncare and the classic. Be aware that coloured chapsticks leave behind a slight tint.

Jack Black

The award winning Intense Therapy Lip Balm from Jack Black is a fantastic little lip balm for dry lips. The moisture sinks right into your lips instead of feeling as though it’s sitting on top of them. This gives a very natural sheen on the lips, far from shiny or glossy. The balms come in refreshing Mint and Shea butter or soothing Lemon and Chamomile.

Uvistat Lipscreen

This one’s for you skiers out there. Uvistat is an ultra high protection lip balm that manages not to look pasty or white on the lips unless you cake it on. Tea tree oil and Vitamin E help to repair sore and cracked lips. You can buy this at Boots in the UK. La Roche Posay makes a similar lip balm.

Anthony Logistics for Men

These lip balms are soothing, moisturising and come in either mint or citrus. To be honest, these are very similar to flavoured Chapstick but without the tint.

C.O.Bigelow

A cult favourite for their women’s mint gloss that has certain um…stimulating properties in the bedroom, their Mentha Lip Balm Stick-No-Shine SPF 15 is slightly less exciting but still a fantastic lip balm. The addition of 2% peppermint oil makes for a very tingly and refreshing balm, totally matte.

and for our prestige brand…

Jean-Paul Gaultier

From his ‘Monseiur’ line of Men’s cosmetics, these moisturising, non-shiny lip balms come in three shades: clear, light and dark. The light and dark versions contain a barely-there sheer tint and give the lips a healthy wash of tint that looks 100% natural. This doesn’t look like lipstick or lipgloss, you could apply these balms with your eyes closed and not worry how they’d look. These are a particular hit with smokers who find that their lips look rather dull or dark.