Somewhere in the past five years, we became collectively obsessed with buying $24 lip balms. It’s a weirdly specific phenomenon: we’ll complain about the price of eggs and gas but won’t overthink the premium price tag of the newest pout treatment. Lippies have evolved from a necessity to an accessory—just look at the viral Rhode phone case. It’s fair to say that the lippie economy is booming. As much as I love the hydration, I’m even more fascinated by how these brands convince us that our lips deserve a luxury budget. Here’s a look at my top three lippies and the genius marketing behind them.
- Ole Henriksen’s Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment ($24)
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This one is by far my favorite, specifically the Citrus Sunshine flavor. What I love about it is that you can actually feel it doing the work, rather than just acting as a layer of oil that needs reapplying every twenty minutes. It’s thicker than a regular lip balm, but not sticky like most glosses. And the best part: it survives everything—from your morning latte to your three hour lecture, Ole isn’t going anywhere.
What you may not have known about Ole Henriksen, is that it’s actually a clinical brand. Most other clinical brands have very sterile designs, but Ole’s marketing is literally craveable. With flavors like Vanilla Bonbon, Crème Brûlèe, and Strawberry Sorbet, it’s basically the grown up, science-backed, version of Lip Smackers. With fun flavors and a clinical angle that actually holds true, Ole makes the $24 price tag feel like a worthy investment.
- rhode’s Peptide Lip Treatment ($20)
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While Ole Henriksen wins best gloss, Mrs. Bieber takes the cake for marketing. Since the brand’s launch in 2022, Hailey Bieber has been able to create countless trends that flow seamlessly with her product launches.
Before creating her brand, Hailey established an aesthetic. When she launched her products, it was like she was inviting us into her world.
I feel like I can’t open social media without seeing Rhode ads everywhere. The thing is these aren’t even actual ads. In addition to moisturizing your lips, Rhode’s peptide lip treatment is also the perfect prop for your photo dump. And then there’s the viral phone case—perhaps the most genius marketing of the decade—which essentially turned every mirror selfie into a Rhode billboard.
One of Rhode’s greatest successes is tying affordable luxury into their brand image. With their limited product lines and drops, they are able to create a sense of exclusivity. To add to the exclusivity, it took 3 years before Rhode products started selling in Sephora. Prior to that, you could only get the Peptide Lip Treatment during one of rhode.com’s limited drops.
- e.l.f.’s Glow Retriever Melting Lip Balm ($9)
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E.l.f. was the first make up I ever bought back when everything was basically $1. Even though they’ve raised prices over the years, what’s kept me loyal is their dedication to accessibility. With e.l.f., you’re getting affordable products that are also vegan and cruelty free—basically eliminating shopper’s guilt.
Most brands hate being called dupes, but e.l.f.’s leaned into it so hard it’s basically become their brand identity. While luxury brands spend millions on marketing to convince us that their product matches the price tag, e.l.f. duplicates it and sells it for the price of a latte. The beauty influencer’s claiming “I’ll just wait for e.l.f. to make a dupe,” are the brand’s exact target audience. Once the masses see a side by side comparison of their favorite luxury product next to e.l.f.’s, it’s usually viral overnight.
And another thing I love about e.l.f.: it’s everywhere, from drugstores to Ulta. E.l.f. prioritizes accessibility, not exclusivity. So if you can’t get your hands on the Dior lip oil, just head to the CVS down the street and e.l.f. will have an $8 version waiting for you. My personal favorite is their Glow Retriever Melting Lip Balm in Vanilla Soft Serve—dare I say it’s even better than the Summer Friday’s Lip Butter Balm that it’s duping.