Is Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm worth it?

Mostly yes. 4 of the 5 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 79%.

What is Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm's Guru Score?

Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm holds a Guru Score of 79%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 5 expert reviewers we have collected.

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Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm.

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Moisturizers

About this product

A tinted, glossy lip balm from the Hourglass Phantom line, designed to hydrate lips while adding color in a single swipe.

Full ingredients

Diisostearyl Malate, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Ceresin, Menthyl Lactate, Microcrystalline Wax/Cera Microcristallina, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Tocopherol, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (Ci 15985), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410)

Guru Score

79%

Yay

5 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

Lightweight, glossy and very moisturizing, these tinted balms live in plenty of purses, with a mild minty taste that doesn't burn lips. Several gurus love the shades, from the muted red Mauve to Mist and Haze, though some find the texture hard to pin down between a balm and a gloss. Price is the sticking point, as $38 each is called wild, while another take argues the extra spend beats cheaper dupes.

Synthesized from 5 expert reviews · most recent take August 2026

What they liked

Instant cooling, hydrating feel
Lightweight and moisturizing
Flattering shades for warm and cool undertones

What they flagged

Pricey at $38 per balm

Type

MoisturizersBalm & ointment

Key actives

Vitamin E

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Sephora → Ulta → Amazon → Google →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Robert Welsh

1.11M subs

✓Mixed

"$38 each is wild. They do look nice though, [...] all these look good. But I don't like Hourglass, I just don't like them, I find a lot of their products to be fakely inclusive, like when they released those highlighter palettes claiming deeper shades, they just always look dusty on people. So I'm putting them in at number three for now."

Beyond50Skin

32k subs

✓Yay

"These are one of my favorite balms. They live in my purse. I know it's easy to go through them quickly, but I just think they're so pretty."

All 8 takes from Beyond50Skin

Hourglass Illuminous Glow vs. Veil Skin Tint: Which is Best for Mature Skin? (50+)

"These are one of my favorite balms. They live in my purse. I know it's easy to go through them quickly, but I just think they're so pretty."

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"And then their Phantom lip balms. Love these. Always want to pick one of these up during the sale."

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"I absolutely love these Phantom lip balms. I'm wearing Mist today."

SPRING Mature Skin MINIMALIST MAKEUP Collection! These Must Go!

"I've got these Hourglass Phantom lip balms, I absolutely love them. I discovered them this year. [...] The lighter one is in mist and the darker one is in mauve, which is really more of a red color but it's a beautiful muted red. I love them both. I love the texture of them both. Usually one of them is riding around in my purse. They're super hydrating. They're definitely keepers."

Life Over 50 | Everyday Makeup, Town Walk & Mouth Taping for Better Sleep?

"I love them. They are one of my go-to favorites. I know people say they're overpriced for what they are. They do have a little bit of a minty taste to them. I like it. It's not overpowering like the prequel was. They don't burn my lips. They just sort of give them kind of a fresh feeling. But I love these. They might be a little bit overpriced. I'll give them that. But I love the colors. This is in the color haze. And I just love the texture of them."

Over 50 Skincare & Makeup For Dry Skin (Chatty GRWM: Cataracts, LED , Millennial Skincare Trends)

"I'm really loving it, it's their Phantom lip gloss and or lip balm and it'll really go well with this particular blush. I have a couple of the Hourglass lip balms, this is in the color Mist and it goes so nicely with the Charlotte Tilbury."

Beginner's Guide To Hourglass Makeup Over 50

"They're very creamy. [...] Definitely a lip balm. I love these, they're very lightweight and very moisturizing. I can't decide if they're more like a balm or lip gloss."

Sephora SHOP WITH ME - Over 50 Beauty Must Haves

"I did a recent video on a neutrals-on-neutrals mature makeup look and loved every product I tried, including their balms."

CYoung

95k subs

✓Yay

"This was the it item here in Korea last year. I've gone through three tubes of it and I really love it. Hourglass gives your lips an instant cooling, hydrating feel and full color with just one swipe. For warm undertones try the shade Lucid, for a cool tone there's a stunning cherry pink, and it's stunning either way. Hourglass really delivers, if you're ready to spend more, go for it instead of the cheaper dupe."

Allie Glines

829k subs

✓Yay

"Mentioning these glossy balm tints won an award, she says those are beautiful."

Caroline Hirons

250k subs

✓Yay

"I love the Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Sunscreen filters

Sun protection is the best evidenced way to slow visible ageing, and the filters are what does the work. Mineral and chemical filters both protect when a product is applied thickly enough and often enough, which is where most people fall short rather than on the choice of filter.

Source: DermNet

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine