Avon’s Beyond Color Lip Recovery Cream promises softer lips with allantoin, vitamins, jojoba oil and beta carotene in a formula with a “Moisture Lock System” that even contains a sunscreen.

The lipcolor delivery system is something like the one they used on a liquid eyeliner that “exploded” on me, so I was a bit wary of that. This twist-up color works a bit more smoothly so perhaps they have ironed out the kinks in the system. The color is dispensed via a brush at the end of the tube through which it seeps as you twist the wand. The two remaining difficulties with this delivery system is that you don’t know how much product is in the brush until it comes through in a large blob and that the product remaining on the brush gets hardened bits in it after a time of no usage. You do get used to the wand and after a few applications you will no longer get either too little product or a goopy blob.

This lip cream does have very intense color for a liquid formula and it is creamy and smooth-feeling on your lips, much thicker than I expected. I tried Creamy Nude which was a lovely neutral but not invisible. The color wears a decent length of time, making the need for reapplication less frequent. It has a nice, fresh scent reminiscent of cucumber and melon, which lasts a short time after application.

I noticed a bit of exfoliation of dry skin the first time I used it, which worried me about getting into a cycle of use such as you get with medicated lip balms, but this dissipated with each use until it was no longer noticeable. The allantoin in the formula promotes new, healthy skin growth and this may have been a by-product of that process.

After three days my lips definitely feel softer but I think I would continue wearing this just for the color, which I love. It comes in a host of shades, so finding one you like is not a difficult task. One caution is that I would definitely recommend that you apply lip liner first to keep the color where you want it.

Overall, I liked this product and will continue to use it. I have added it to my little bag of essential neutrals.