Winky Lux Lip Balm Review: Affordable, Cruelty-Free Luxury Makeup

Price:  $18 each

Winky Lux was founded in 2015 by longtime friends Natalie Mackey and Nate Newman. Natalie had a finance background, and after realizing that she couldn’t find anyone in her field she aspired to be like she quit. After dipping her toes in the beauty industry as a consultant, she co-founded Winky Lux with Nate.

In its first eighteen months, Winky Lux generated $4 million in sales and within five years partnered with big retailers such as Target, Nordstrom, Ulta, Macy’s, and more. So far there are only two physical Winky Lux stores, but with their products available at several big box stores and online they’re still available nearby. The brand focuses on creating beautiful, quality products that enhance your beauty and are kind to animals and your skin.

Uni-Brow Universal Eyebrow Pencil

Price: $16 each

With over a million units sold, Winky Lux’s brow pencil is one of their top sellers. And for good reason–with a universal formula that blends with nearly every shade of brow, there’s no need to guess which shade is the right one. The spoolie is custom made for the pencil, seamlessly blending the product into your brows without leaving patches.

White Tea Tinted Veil Moisturizer SPF 30 in Medium

Price: $28 each

Shades: Fair, Light, Medium, Medium/Deep, Deep, Deep/Plus, Rich

This White Tea Tinted Moisturizer is a lightweight formula packed with powerful yet gentle ingredients such as tea, pomegranate, and vitamin E. It comes in various shades and provides enough protection that doesn’t feel heavy, and helps block UV rays.

Watermelon Set

Price: $25 each

The Watermelon Set comes with the Watermelon Jelly pH Balm and the Sugared Watermelon Lip Scrub. The Jelly pH Balm applies clear, and its pigment adjusts to your body’s pH for a unique shade. Lips needing some TLC? The Sugared Watermelon Lip Scrub not only smells great but gently exfoliates your pout.

So Extra Mascara

Price: $18 each

The age-old mascara dilemma: volume or length. How about both? Winky Lux’s So Extra Mascara is able to do it all with its butterfly bristle brush without flaking or clumping. With just a few sweeps, your lashes will transform into voluminous lengths for the perfect look.

Petal Cleanser

Price: $22 each

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A gel cleanser with a gentle scent, the Petal Cleanser melts away all makeup, including mascara. A small pump of the formula is more than enough to leave skin feeling clean and refreshed. It’s infused with vegan glycerin petals, kiwi fruit extract, vitamin C, and rose water.

Cheeky Rose Blush in Tea Time

Price: $20 each

Colors: Tea Time, Crown, Dodgy, Knickers, Brilliant

This Cheeky Rose Blush is a creamy formula that gives you a natural flush of color with the swipe of your fingers. Carnauba and vitamin E add to the creaminess, and the five shades have enough variety for almost every day of the week.

Peeper Perfect Under-Eye Concealer in Medium

Price: $16 each

Shades: Fair, Light, Light/Beige, Light/Medium, Medium, Medium/Plus, Medium/Deep, Deep, Deep/Plus, Rich

A small bottle that packs a punch, this under-eye concealer is powerful enough to cover dark circles but light enough to not crease or feel cakey. Collagen, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E help create a more awake look and cover up blemishes flawlessly.

Like most women, I was already pretty set in my makeup routine before trying out the brand. I fill in my eyebrows, use some mascara, and occasionally line the top of my eyelids or use a moisturizer or concealer. I’ve had this routine for years so adding something new that I would like was unlikely.

I was quickly proven wrong, however, and even changed up my routine to incorporate Winky Lux products. The Uni-Brow Universal Eyebrow Pencil is as universal as it claims: one pencil and shade for nearly all brow shades, it does everything you need it to with just a few strokes. By adjusting the pressure of the strokes you can achieve your desired brow look within a couple of minutes.

Another one of my favorites is the White Tea Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 30. I’m an athlete, so any type of tinted makeup is usually a no-go for me because it comes off right away. I went to practice with a full face of the moisturizer, Peeper Perfect Under-Eye Concealer, So Extra Mascara, Neapolitan Balm, and the Uni-Brow Universal Eyebrow Pencil which felt weightless.

When I did start sweating, they came off with a wipe of my shirt and didn’t stain. What’s great about these products is that a little goes a long way, without dramatically changing your appearance or feeling heavy.

The Cheeky Rose Blush and Watermelon Set are both fun to use. Although I didn’t use them as much, I love the beautiful cream color of the blush and the unique color on my lips from the watermelon balm. The watermelon lip scrub also feels great against tired skin with a beautiful scent.

A big standout for me was the Petal Cleanser. I have combination skin so gel cleansers work better for my skin, but even then they leave a trail of makeup residue.

With the Petal Cleanser, very little of the product is needed and it literally melted away the day’s makeup and impurities. It’s unclear whether it’s also for treating blemishes, but replacing this with my normal cleanser and continuing my skincare routine as normal did not give me any breakouts. My skin felt clean and refreshed without overdrying or tightness.

I ended up loving several Winky Lux products so much that I threw out what I was previously using. It’s safe to say that I am now a Winky Lux stan, and will continue trying out their products.

There are several factors that led to my positive experience with this brand, including:

• How simple the products are to use
• The durability of each product, particularly the tinted moisturizer, brow pencil, and mascara
• How the makeup melted off at the end of the night with the Petal Cleanser
• All products lived up to their claims

Winky Lux has worked endlessly to provide products that are inclusive of all shades. It can be particularly difficult for women with very light or deeper complexions to find concealers and primers that blend into their skin.

From Fair to Rich, there are several shades in between to choose from. Personally, I’m medium and olive toned, and I noticed that the foundation blended and adjusted to my skin tone after a minute or so. This allowed the product to sink into my skin, and left a flawless look that wasn’t heavy or itchy.

Other products such as the Whipped Cream Face Primer and Matte Point Powder only offer one shade, but the Diamond Powder Foundation (infused with real diamonds!), White Tea Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 30, and the Peeper Perfect Under-Eye Concealer all have several shades to work with.

As I previously raved, I was beyond impressed with the quality of the products. With so many makeup brands and products to choose from, finding what works for you can be difficult. It’s no secret that even the biggest brands have products that miss the mark, which is why it’s important to do your research.

Flaky mascara, smearing eyeliner, greasy foundation–we’ve all been there, and it’s embarrassing walking up to a mirror and shocking ourselves with makeup that hasn’t stayed put. Not only did these Winky Lux products last all day, they lasted throughout a brutal cardio session in over 100 degree heat.

Even then, when I used my shirt as a towel to keep the sweat from my eyes it didn’t sink into my clothes, and I didn’t look like another person with half my makeup off. The shades blended flawlessly with my skin, and my shirt didn’t have to suffer a casualty.

Winky Lux has a rather wide range of products that are almost all vegan, and all are certified cruelty-free. They take pride in creating makeup and skincare products that are not only beautiful but are also free of parabens, sulfates, gluten, and phthalates.

Firstly, all users will encounter a lovely 15% discount pop-up valid on an entire order after entering their website. All you need to do is trade your trusty email address for the code.

Winky Rewards is a program for diehard Winky Lux fans who are looking to gain points and rewards with their purchases. Earning points is easy–each dollar is equivalent to one point, and you can accumulate points by taking the Skincare Quiz, learning about their skincare, following them on Instagram and TikTok, uploading receipts, and more. 

There are even more discounts for VIPs: the Silver category earns a dollar per point and 50 for birthday points; the Gold tier receives 1.25 points per dollar, 75 birthday points, free shipping, early access to sales, and is able to redeem points for exclusive products. The top tier is Diamond, where each dollar earns 1.5 points, and they receive the same perks as Gold members plus exclusive discounts offered throughout the year and exclusive eventt access at Winky Lux locations.

In addition to having this great program, Winky Lux is partnered with Student Beans to provide a generous 25% student discount.

Cruelty-free, paraben-free, and an (almost) entirely vegan line of products that last all day without smearing? There isn’t much to complain about when it comes to Winky Lux. The affordable luxury brand sounds like an oxymoron and it feels like it is: I often wondered how is it that everything is lasting all day, blends well with my skin, and isn’t irritating?

Not only are the products of the highest quality, but they’re also customer service driven and are constantly looking to evolve. If you missed the release of a palette that’s now sold out then you’re out of luck.

Winky Lux could’ve gone the “luxurious New York-based brand” route and priced their products at an expensive rate, but they instead decided to hone in the quality of their products without having to be yet another expensive New York brand. Winky Lux is for everyone and wants you to feel as beautiful as you are.