Summer Fridays Lip Balm Review: Do We Love It?
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Lip balm is getting a glow up, and it comes in the form of a chic, buttery formula from Summer Fridays. These days you can go into any beauty store and see lip balms, lip oils, hydrating lip tints, and lip masks front and center because it’s all about the juicy pout. So say goodbye to dry, matte lips and hello to a shiny smile!
The Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm has everything you want in an everyday moisturizer and more. It’s a two-in-one mask and balm that can be used as needed throughout the day or overnight for a restorative mask. This is sure to be your ultimate transition product as summer turns into crisp, fall days and inevitably drier skin.
Summer Fridays Lip Balm Review: The Formula
This unassuming product is jam-packed with natural, hydrating ingredients. The first and most recognized ingredient is shea butter–a hydrating element naturally found in nuts and packed with fatty acids and vitamins for softening skin. Shea butter even has anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe chapped, cracked lips.
You’ll also find the lesser-known murumuru butter in this lip product, which is an ingredient similar to cocoa butter derived from tall palm trees. It’s also full of fatty acids as well as lauric and myristic acids, which help restore and defend your skin’s natural moisture barrier.
Together these seed butters condition lips for hours on end, so you won’t need to apply the product hundreds of times throughout the day.
Another important element in this formula is vegan wax, which Summer Fridays has customized for a non-greasy, shiny texture to their lip balm. You’ll find that this ingredient coats your lips nicely without leaving a sticky residue. And let’s not forget that since this is a lip balm, the last thing you want is the product melting into your mouth.
The brings us to the last key ingredient – the flavoring! Summer Fridays added a subtle vanilla scent to their lip balm, which produces a perfect, calming waft of vanilla sweetness. Even if you’re sensitive to scented products, you’ll likely find this one pleasant and non-irritating. Plus, the sweet, warm scent adds to the feeling that this is more than just a lip balm – it’s a mask!
How to Use It
This product truly is multi-functional and can be used as an ultra-hydrating lip balm or an overnight lip mask for a more intense treatment. In the winter months, I really do find the lip mask functionality to be quite nice, as it’s an easy way to ensure you don’t wake up with a cracked, dry mouth.
I will warn you, though, if you’re a stomach sleeper, you may want to think twice about smooshing your masked lips into your pillow. I like to apply a nice thick layer for an overnight treatment, which can leave my mouth feeling a bit sticky for a while.
However, if you’re someone who’s always armed with a tube of chapstick, then you’ll probably enjoy using this throughout the day on an as-needed basis.
It’s certainly thicker than your average chapstick and will leave you with a wet, glossy smile, but if that sounds right up your alley, you’ll love this product. Apply as little or as much as you like and enjoy the feeling of soft lips all day long.
And if you’re looking to add a little color to pout in addition to moisture, you might try the new Vanilla Beige version of the product, which is tinted with a subtle, nude pink. It’s a great everyday option for those of us who want a “your lips but better” type color option. It can even be layered on top of your other favorite lipsticks or matte lip tints for an extra dose of hydration.
My Experience
I’ll first note that I’ve been a long-time fan of this particular product from Summer Fridays and now consider lip masks to be an essential part of my skincare routine. I’ve gone through a couple of tubes of this product, which is where I will bring up my first point of contention.
This is ultimately a very fancy lip balm, and it’s definitely something you want to last a bit longer than your drugstore version. However, I found that if I used it every night, plus once or twice throughout the day, my little tube ran dry pretty darn fast.
But price point aside, you really can’t beat this lip balm’s effectiveness. From the moment you squeeze it out of its sleek tube, the product reveals its true colors…or lack thereof.
It’s a thick, jelly-like substance with a pleasant but subtle vanilla scent. It’s easy to apply either with your finger or straight from the tube – my personal preference so long as I’m not sharing – and won’t attract every single dust particle that might be floating around like some other lip products.
It will leave you with a fairly wet feeling on your mouth for about an hour before settling into more of a smooth, soft finish. If you’re wearing your mask all day or are prone to flyaway hairs, I’d recommend starting with a thin layer and building from there.
I do also find this product to be nice for dry patches around the corners of my mouth, though I tend to reserve that usage for overnight masking.
Finally, I can’t talk about any Summer Fridays product without mentioning their sleek, chic packaging. The unassuming box contains an equally unfussy tube of lip balm, which underwent a makeover of its own. The original packaging pictured here was swapped for an easy-to-use squeeze tube with a plastic tip that glides easily over the mouth.
The product used to be contained in a hard, metallic tube which was actually quite difficult to squeeze and left a lot of product left behind. Now, you can apply as often as you like without having to worry about a hand cramp – a very real struggle with the old packaging. And don’t worry, this tube is still recyclable!
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Can be used as a mask or lip balm
- Non-sticky formula
- Leaves lips feeling moisturized for hours
- Excellent for dry, sensitive skin
- Easy to use packaging
Cons
- Pricey
- Product does not last a very long time
- Offered in both a tinted and non-tinted formula
The Summer Fridays Brand
Summer Fridays is a relatively new brand founded by Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores. Both women were busy, successful, and looking for an accessible skincare brand suited for their on-the-go lifestyles. Of course, they also wanted the products to be clean and natural, so customers wouldn’t have to worry about the ingredients list.
So it was suiting for the duo to drop the Jet Lag mask as the first product. As the name implies, this is a mask that’s great to use while traveling, on a plane, or just as needed for a skincare pick-me-up. Like the lip mask, this product is meant to be ultra-hydrating, good for sensitive skin, and overall reviving in its formula.
Summer Fridays slowly rolled out its full line of products, starting with the masks and skincare basics like the CC Me Serum.
The brand now has a full range of clean, beautiful products from body lotions to cleansers. However, the face masks may always remain the truly iconic parts of the Summer Fridays collection, and as such, you should feel good about having the Lip Butter Balm in your skincare routine! It’s sure to be a cult classic, and it’s easy to see why.
Alternative Options
Even though Summer Fridays did start out by building on the “mask” trend, they certainly weren’t the first to come up with the concept of a lip mask. If you’re a fan of these types of super thick lip products or even just overnight lip treatments, you might try some alternative options to see which you like best.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
This lip mask is the same price, though it is 0.7 ounces instead of the 0.5 ounces Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm. The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is packed with antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C for nourishing, refreshing lip treatment.
It’s not as thick as the Summer Fridays lip balm, and without all the rich shea and murumuru butter, it’s not quite as hydrating either. However, it’s a great option for summer as it feels a bit lighter on the mouth but still gives you soft lips when you wake up in the morning!
Ilia Lip Wrap Sleeping Mask
This is another option from a clean beauty brand that promises to deliver a hefty dose of hydration with both morning and nighttime applications.
This formula also contains hyaluronic acid to help smooth lips as well as hydrate. That smoothing effect is also bolstered by papaya enzymes that help clear dead skin and gently exfoliate the lips. While it’s a bit pricier, this option is great if you struggle with rough patches on your lips.
Milk Makeup Melatonin Overnight Lip Mask
As the name suggests, this mask is packed with melatonin for a calming effect on the skin. This formula is meant to soothe irritated skin, restore skin’s natural melatonin levels and provide a relaxing nighttime experience with lavender and chamomile extracts. Milk also touts a plumping effect to this product, which is always an added bonus when searching for that full lip look!
Clinique Superbalm Lip Treatment
For a product that’s a little more versatile, try Clinique’s Superbalm Lip Treatment, which can be used as a lip balm or gloss as well as an overnight treatment.
It’s hydrating and soothing without feeling too heavy on the mouth, and it offers a more glossy finish which can be a great way to enhance a very natural makeup look. Plus, this product is cheaper than any of the others and can be carried around with you for all-day protection!
FAQs
Question: Is Summer Fridays Lip Balm Gluten-Free?
Answer: Like most Summer Fridays products, this lip balm is full of clean, natural ingredients and is vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free.
Question: What is a Buttery Lip?
Answer: With so many cosmetic buzz words floating around, it’s a relief to know that “lip butter” is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a lip balm or lip product that contains a base of natural butters, and as mentioned earlier, this one is made from shea butter and murumuru butter.
Question: Which Lip Balm is Best for Summer?
Answer: There’s really no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing a lip balm, though I will say this particular product is one I tend to reach for more in the winter months. It’s ultra-rich, which in the hot summer months can make my mouth feel a bit sticky and goopy. It also doesn’t contain any sort of SPF, which is always a plus when you’re spending an increased amount of time in the sun.
Question: Is Summer Fridays a Clean Beauty Brand?
Answer: Yes! Summer Fridays is a clean beauty brand, and all of its products are free of parabens, sulfates, and synthetic dyes. That’s great for a variety of reasons, including the fact that those with sensitive skin can still enjoy these products.
Summer Fridays Lip Balm Review: Conclusion
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm is not entirely unique or original in its formula, but its effectiveness comes from its versatility and practicality. It’s a perfect option for anyone suffering from dry, chapped lips, and it’s a portable product that you can carry with you and use wherever you are – truly a hallmark of the Summer Fridays brand!
Unlike other lip masks, this one is meant to be used. However, you see fit, not just as an overnight treatment, and that versatility makes it a great two-in-one option. So definitely add this one to your winter skincare routine, and you won’t be disappointed!
