This Age-Old Beauty Product Is Now a Symbol of Luxury!

Whether it’s on the bathroom shelf, in a purse, or tucked into a coat pocket, we all keep this small beauty product somewhere. It’s been a staple for ages, kept more out of necessity than glamour, thanks in part to its clinical packaging. However, it has recently undergone a glamorous transformation, featuring delightful scents and ultra-glossy finishes.

Indeed, the lip balm scene has significantly changed in recent months. Leading brands like Summer Fridays, Ole Henriksen, Laneige, and Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skin have introduced sophisticated new formulas. These are enriched with proven ingredients previously thought exclusive to creams—peptides, hyaluronic acid, a variety of vitamins, as well as nourishing butters and oils. The purpose of lip balm has shifted from mere protection to enhancement, aiming to achieve that “your lips but better” effect that is now highly sought after. Consequently, these products are being released in a wide range of shades to suit everyone’s tastes.

Of course, just because a lip balm is therapeutic, doesn’t mean it has to be dull. No, when you pull out this prized item from your bag, it should be beautiful and distinctive, truly a desirable object. As such, packaging is becoming increasingly colorful and original, always with a handy applicator. Brands are constantly innovating, not only by launching new products frequently but also by introducing accessories to go along with them, such as a phone case that holds the balm or a chain to attach it to your keys.

However, this growing popularity comes at a cost: while typical drugstore lip balms are only a few dollars, these new entries often feature double-digit price tags. Prices can range from twenty to over forty dollars for brands like Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. Much like a designer handbag, lip balm has truly become a luxury fashion item. Show it off in front of your friends or at a party, and you’ll likely spark conversations about its quality, value, and the effect on the lips. Yet, despite the high costs, beauty enthusiasts and consumers are not deterred. On TikTok, searches for “lip balm” have surged by more than 85% in recent months. The platform is flooded with hundreds of thousands of videos of users praising their latest purchases or testing them, gathering millions of views. Any new product quickly goes viral within weeks.

The ultimate proof of this craze, if any were needed, came during the Oscars 2025 ceremony. On the red carpet, celebrities sporting vibrant lipstick were few and far between. Instead, many opted for a nude lip, sometimes enhanced with gloss or a tinted lip balm. For instance, alongside her meticulously penciled lips, Lily-Rose Depp wore Chanel’s Rouge Coco Baume in Blushing Pink, resulting in a naturally highlighted and stylishly understated look. Ladies and gentlemen, the lip balm frenzy is real and it’s well underway.