If you read my blog, you know I don’t normally write about beauty products. Except on the extremely rare occasion that I do, because I’ve discovered something I believe some readers might like.

And yes: first world problems. I get it. Nothing about this post will help make the earth a better place. The most it could possibly achieve is reducing the number of “wrong” lipsticks bought and discarded. Then again, you might hate my new favorite lipstick; thus, your tube will end up in the trash, increasing the amount of junk on our planet. Therefore, I think it’s fair to say that this post has negligible value.

But for the record, this lipstick has made my life a little more stress-free, and perhaps it’ll do the same for you.

Let me start by saying I’m not a person who feels the need to wear lipstick every day, but ever since elementary school, I’ve appreciated a good lip balm. In the old days, it was basic cherry Chap-Stick, but as I grew older, I discovered that I preferred balms made with more natural oils like safflower, argan, and castor seed (rather than petrolatum). They went on more smoothly and seemed to moisturize better.

But somewhere around the time I got out of college and started working, I also realized I wanted to add some color to my lips at times. And anyone who’s ventured into the world of lipstick knows there are lots of options. I started out with basic, inexpensive drugstore brands, only to find that most were too waxy, gooey, pasty, or shiny to wear on a regular basis. I’d buy one, use it for a few weeks, then either get sick of it or lose it. Or, on a really unlucky day, it would melt in my purse and make a terrible mess.

Eventually, I decided to “go professional” and seek out the assistance of beauty consultants in department stores. But even then, I was never able to find the “perfect” one. One memorable experiment was a Chanel product that smelled amazing and came in a little case with a paintbrush for easy application. I loved the dark-but-neutral color, but every time I’d wear it, I’d find myself desperate for a glass of water after about an hour. To this day, I don’t know what it was about that lipstick, but it seemed to dry out both my lips and my mouth.

Then, I went through a Mac Russian Red phase. If you know Russian Red, you know it’s a great-feeling lipstick in an iconic color, but it was too much for me. I guess I’m just not fancy enough for something so bright and noticeable, because every single time I’d go someplace wearing that lipstick, I’d end up in the restroom, wiping it off with a tissue.

Next, I tried lip stains. I walked into Sephora one day and asked the makeup consultant for a good one, because I’d heard stains were the “next generation” in lip color. The woman suggested one made by Tarte, and it seemed to serve all my lipstick needs. Then, one day, after wearing it for a few hours, I noticed it was fading in blotches. Yes, like I said, first world problems. I continued to use that stain and even bought a new tube when the original ran out, but it wasn’t particularly cheap, and I didn’t love it.

Hence, I reached the conclusion that lipstick was one of those things that just couldn’t be perfect for me. It was always going to be problematic in one way or another, and if I chose to wear it, I’d need to deal with the consequences. Most of the time, I’d just slap on some natural mint lip balm from Trader Joe’s and go about my business.

But over the summer, my daughter suggested that I might like a certain drugstore brand called NYX Butter Lipstick. Of course I was skeptical—especially since this stuff retails at stores like CVS and Target for about five or six dollars a tube, but I figured it was worth a try. The shade my daughter suggested was called Pops, which has recently been changed to Root Beer Float.

Well, I can’t even tell you how much I love this stuff. It contains no petrolatum, and feels much more like a lip balm than a lipstick. It doesn’t dry my lips at all; in fact, it actually seems to moisturize them. And the color is nice and subtle. I know everyone’s lips are a slightly different color, but this one seems fairly universal. It doesn’t bleed, so no lipliner is necessary—not that I’ve ever mastered the art of lipliner—and it stays on for hours without getting blotchy.

And it costs about six dollars! Once I discovered how great it is, I actually bought two tubes: one for home and one to keep in my purse, and it’s possible that this will be my brand for life. (Unless, of course, this brand gets discontinued, which I’m sure will happen someday). Until then, though, I’m a satisfied customer!

Above is a picture of the tube if you’re interested, and here’s a photo (lip selfie?) of me wearing it. Maybe none of this sounds appealing to you, but if it does, check it out. And if you do, please let me know what you think! Muah!!