Lips are a bit like nails in that people won’t notice when you’re taking care of them, but when you’re not taking care of them… yikes. The skin on our lips is thinner than the skin on the rest of our face, so providing a little TLC in the form of a decent lip balm is the sensible thing to do, as it will help lock in moisture and protect your skin from the elements to prevent ol’ crusty lips. The goal here is not to look glossy-mouthed and pouty, but to keep your lips in good nick (and do a favour for anyone that might be kissing them, the lucky things). So from the deskside saviours to the gym-bag staples, we tested out a range of lip balms – below you’ll find us extolling the virtues of five of our favourites.

For something discreet, easy to use and packed full of good ingredients, look to Le Labo’s signature lip balm. Made with olive oil and shea butter, it might smell of nothing and be pleasingly undetectable (it’s non-sticky with a semi-matte finish), but it’ll leave your lips in tip-top condition.

Warning: you’ll want to eat this one. Slightly sticky but not noticeably so, Grown Alchemist’s lip balm is like a whole watermelon has been condensed into a tiny tube. It’s perfect for your gym bag or bedside table, and is a simple way to make your lips eminently more delicious.

Place this avocado, coconut oil and cacao butter lip balm from Dr. Barbara Sturm in your desk drawer and kiss goodbye to chapped lips at work. It tastes very faintly of honey (again, don’t eat it), and was engineered to help rebuild and strengthen skin at a molecular level.

Baxter of California’s hydro salve lip balm is a no-brainer. It’s mojito flavoured (yup), is infused with a raft of vitamins to nourish skin, and is, frankly, a steal.

Essentially a pot of otherworldly-looking transparent gel, Sisley-Paris’s contour balm is a weird and wonderful product that does everything from reducing the wrinkles around your eyes to revitalising and nourishing the skin around your lips. Yes, it looks a bit alien (and can cause a slight tingling due to its powerful ingredients), but skin looks palpably more nourished. Consider us abducted.