Lipstick Iced Iris vs Superstay Ink Crayon Lipstick: which is safer?

Burt's Bees Lipstick Iced Iris is the clear pick. Maybelline Superstay Ink Crayon Lipstick carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Our pick

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

Maybelline Superstay Ink Crayon Lipstick

Maybelline

Superstay Ink Crayon Lipstick

PFAS grade

Poor 30/100

Overall grade

Bad 18/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

wax, pigments, silicones; waterproof long-wear coating

Confidence

45%

PossibleHeavy metals in synthetic pigments (lead, cadmium, chromium)

PossibleFragrance allergens and undisclosed sensitizers in fragrance complex

PossibleMicroplastics from synthetic polymer film-formers and glitter/mica particles

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 Maybelline.
  • We flag Heavy metals in synthetic pigments (lead, cadmium, chromium), Fragrance allergens and undisclosed sensitizers in fragrance complex and Microplastics from synthetic polymer film-formers and glitter/mica particles on the Maybelline and not on the Burt's Bees.
  • The Burt's Bees is wax, oils, pigments (standard lip color base) where the Maybelline is wax, pigments, silicones; waterproof long-wear coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Burt's Bees is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Maybelline grade, at 45% confidence against 78%, because it discloses less.

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