Hydrating, protective, and beautifying are just a few words to describe Allure’s Best Of Beauty award winner, Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm. While the brand does have many competitors like Tower 28’s LipSoftie and Laneige’s Lip Glowy Balm, nothing beats the moisturizing effects accompanied by a light tint that never fails to complete my look. To be honest, my expectations weren’t high when I first started using the lip balm, as every other lip balm I have used possesses a feeling of unnecessary weight and unpleasant adhesiveness. Contrary to my expectations, I was more than pleased when it delivered the opposite, making me feel as if I had nothing on while still providing the glam I couldn’t find in any other lip product.
The lip product contains a variety of vegan ingredients, providing a clean product and resulting in a clean look. Packed with hydrating ingredients like shea and murumuru seed butters, the Allure product provides a sleek and smooth look on the lips. It is also made of vegan waxes and natural vanilla flavors, ensuring that what you put on your face only benefits what you put out in the world in positive ways. Besides the moisture, the variety of tints and shades from vanilla to poppy and brown sugar ensures that everyone has a shade that suits them best. When I first got this product, I was afraid of the gloss being overly pigmented for my face, but I was pleased when I found the Vanilla Beige shade, which provided a natural but prominent look for my tan complexion.
Although the product contains desirable features, the volume doesn’t match the steep price. On the Sephora and Summer Fridays official websites, the lip balm retails for $25, which would be reasonable if there were more than 15 grams of product. However, many users have said it lasts them two to three months, but that varies depending on the amount of product you use. The shelf life itself can last you between six to twelve months. It just comes down to the amount of product you use on a daily basis; if you go over your lips only once using a singular sheer layer, three to four times a day, it might last longer. I myself have been using thick layers of the product for three months and am now nearing the end of the tube, wishing it would stretch over at least one more month for the dent in my wallet.
The packaging itself is as inviting as it is minimalistic, aesthetic, and informational. It provides all the necessary information, such as ingredients and allergens, as well as directions and application tips. The tube itself is the color of the shade of the gloss, and the applicator is a clear rubber chiseled tip that allows for easy use.
Overall, I enjoy this product as it fulfills my lip gloss requirements, even if it is on the pricier side. I appreciate the brand’s transparency and dedication to clean products that can only work toward my well-being. Not only is the gloss advancing my look, but also creating a cleaner, vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable brand with products aside from their promising butter balm.
This product works to be the perfect day-to-day essential that never lets me—or my smile— down.