Favorite Lip Balms

Not all lip balms are created equal. During winter in Indiana my lips would chap and crack, and it was an ordeal to find something that would get them back to normal. Then, I moved to the desert. The winters are glorious, but all the dry air takes a toll on skin and that precious pout. Here are my top 4 favorite moisturizers for lips -- keep 'em silky smooth.

1. Vaseline Lip Therapy: $1.99. Petroleum jelly, a gift from the Gods! This stuff is simple and works so well! Vaseline helps to heal dry skin, is fragrance-free, and reduces the appearance of fine lines. This little Lip Therapy tub is adorable, but not super user friendly. Get the large size regular Vaseline since it has a ton of uses. (Tip: when dying your hair at home put some around your hairline so you can easily wipe off any misplaced dye from your face).

2. DHC Lip Cream: $8. I received this Lip Cream as a gift from my sister, Emily, and now request it each year for my birthday. This stuff is amazing! The "secret" ingredient is olive oil. It goes on so smooth and is perfectly packaged. DHC is a company out of Japan and has a slew of skin care products. Let's be real, Asians have youthful, fabulous skin. Check out their website for a listing of all products they offer.

3. Mary Kay's Satin Lips set: $18. This is a great duo I've been using since high school. The lip mask is a gentle exfoliator. Follow it up with the lip balm. Your lips are silky smooth for hours! The downside, you must contact an Independent Beauty Consultant to get it. If you don't want to invest in the lip mask try using a face scrub like St. Ives or do a once-over on your lips with the Clarisonic.

4. Sugar Advanced Therapy: $25. This stuff is great, but a little pricey. It's an anti-aging lip treatment that doesn't have a bunch of yucky ingredients, fills wrinkles, and plumps your lips. It smells phenomenal and the packaging is heavy duty! There are other Fresh Sugar lip treatments in a variety of shades available at Sephora.