Lipstick Iced Iris vs Lustre Lipstick: which is safer?

MAC Lustre Lipstick is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Burt's Bees Lipstick Iced Iris

Burt's Bees

Lipstick Iced Iris

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 63/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

wax, oils, pigments (standard lip color base)

Confidence

78%

PossibleFragrance allergens and essential oils

PossibleFormaldehyde releasers and preservatives

PossibleRancidity and microbial growth in wax-oil base

Our pick

MAC Lustre Lipstick

MAC

Lustre Lipstick

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 67/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

wax, oils, pigments, emollients

Confidence

72%

PossibleFragrance allergens

PossibleRancidity and oxidative breakdown of oils

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Fragrance allergens and essential oils, Formaldehyde releasers and preservatives and Rancidity and microbial growth in wax-oil base on the Burt's Bees and not on the MAC.
  • We flag Fragrance allergens and Rancidity and oxidative breakdown of oils on the MAC and not on the Burt's Bees.
  • The Burt's Bees is wax, oils, pigments (standard lip color base) where the MAC is wax, oils, pigments, emollients, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.

Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More lip balm & long-wear lipstick: see the full ranking