Shoppers Say These Under-$5 Lip Finds Get Them ‘5 Compliments a Day’ — So They’re Buying Backups

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There are cheap beauty buys, and then there are the ones that make people start talking like they are preparing for a discontinuation emergency. That seems to be the energy around Essence’s Hydra Kiss lineup, specifically the under-$5 Lip Tint and the equally affordable Lip Oils.

The tinted option is the one getting all the “wait, what are you wearing?” attention. One shopper said they get “like 5 compliments a day because of the color,” while another called it “one of the best I’ve ever tried,” adding, “Gorgeous color, wears well, feels nice on lips. Stains well & lasts hours!” That tracks with what makes this formula useful: it goes on light, leaves a soft glossy finish at first, then hangs around as a subtle stain instead of disappearing 20 minutes later.

That stain effect is also what makes the tinted lip oil feel more expensive than it is. One reviewer wrote, “Most lip tints are drying. This one is not, and it lasts a long time on my lips. The price is perfect.” Another said the creamy texture stays comfortable for a couple of hours before drying down to a tint that “didn’t budge” even with gloss layered on top. For anyone who wants that easy tinted lip oil look without babysitting it all day, that is a pretty convincing pitch.

The shades help. Vintage Rose and Berry Crush sit in that wearable pink lane, while Classy Red gives a brighter, fresher pop. Chocolate Brown goes deeper and moodier.

Then there is the Hydra Kiss Lip Oil, which seems to be pulling in a slightly different crowd: people with chronically dry lips, and even people who do not usually care about lip products at all. One reviewer said, “I bought this a month ago and my lips have never been this soft.” Another no-nonsense convert wrote that after trying his wife’s tube on badly chapped lips, he bought his own because it kept them “hydrated, smooth, and comfortable for much longer than anything else I’ve tried.”

That makes sense given the ingredient mix here. Hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, vitamin E, and meadowfoam seed oil are all the kind of additions that help lips feel softer and less rough, while the texture stays plush instead of tacky. One shopper called it “nice and thick (in a good way) but still super smooth and hydrating,” adding that it leaves behind shine without “that horrible sticky feeling.”

For less than $5 each, these are exactly the kind of lip products that make a backup tube sound less dramatic than it probably is. And honestly, based on these reviews, maybe it isn’t dramatic at all.

Read more for lookalikes to Clinique’s Black Honey.