From One Lip Balm Girlie to Another: We Need to Talk

There comes a time in every lip balm girlie’s life when she opens her purse, her backpack, her nightstand drawer, her jacket pocket, and she faces the hard reality: she has a problem. 

In recent times, a lot of us have succumbed to the lip product craze. Every month, there is a new lip product sensation that pops up on Instagram or TikTok, and there’s some influencer saying this is the one that changed their life. Let me ask you something: Have you ever come across a lip product that you can say changed your life? No? Yeah, me neither. And trust me, I have burned a hole through my pocket paying for too many $25 lip products. There have been too many times when I’m halfway through an Instagram reel of someone reviewing a new “must-have” lip gloss, and without even thinking, I’m adding it to my cart. 

So, as a fellow lip balm/serum/gloss enthusiast, let me say it gently: we need to talk.

Why Are There 57 Versions Of The Same Thing? 

If I’m being honest, I think it’s obvious that the only major difference between any of the numerous lip products on the market is advertising, packaging, and hype. Let’s see, we have:

→ Lip balm for hydration

→ Lip gloss for shine

→ Lip oil for…glossy hydration?

→ Lip serum because we need yet another confusing category?? 

And don’t even get me started on the lip plumping glosses and serums that make you feel like your lips are gonna catch on fire and fall off your face. 

We Know Our Weaknesses, And So Does The Beauty Industry

The brands know what they’re doing. They use new words like juicy, buttery, glazed, etc, to entice us to buy a duplicate of something we already own. In this era of overconsumption, it’s easy to fall prey to such marketing, and with social media, it’s even easier. I can honestly say that if I did not have Instagram, I would not own half the lip products I do. There’s always a new limited edition product (yes, yes, the birthday cake flavor) that makes you feel like you need to rush to order it, even though you already have a vanilla flavored one. Come on, they’re both basically twins. Resist, walk away. 

Do We Ever Finish Any Of Them? 

When was the last time you actually finished a tube? Not lost it. Not melted it. Not ruin it in the washing machine. Actually finished it. 

Yeah. Thought so. 

The thing is, when you have that many options sitting in your backpack, it is not easy to finish any of them, because choosing one is hard enough. And when you finally decide you’re going to commit to one, a new shinier one comes along. 

Okay, But We All Still Want To Be A Lip Balm Girlie

I am not saying abandon your passion for lip products. I am simply saying that maybe we finish the stash we already have before buying the 20th tube. Try and challenge yourself to finish one before opening up a new one. And maybe we don’t need the third $5 dupe of the Dior Lip Oil.

What Is The Bottom Line?

You are not alone in this lip balm madness. I see you, and I am you. 

The point is, just think for a second before buying a new tube: Do I really need this? We need to stop the scroll and take a deep breath to remind ourselves that the perfect lip product does not exist, but we do own some pretty amazing ones. And that’s enough. 

After all, the best lip balm isn’t the newest one, it’s the one you actually use and love. Let’s learn to cherish the little luxuries we have instead of chasing after the next big thing. Both our lips, and our wallets will thank us. 

• beauty
• lip products
• makeup