I Asked the Coolest People I Know: What Makes an It-Girl Lip Balm?

Beauty has always been a means for connection, but there’s one universal icebreaker that ties us all: What lip balm are you using? It’s no secret that the lip market is capital-N noisy. The categories are increasingly blurred, but still, every time I see a chic individual glide a glossy situation across their pout, I want to know what tint they deem worthy—and why. After all, lip balms easily reflect the personality (and oftentimes the aesthetic) of the wearer given the fact that many don’t leave home without one or two stalwart formulas. These days, it can feel like you’re only as cool as the mysterious, sparkling tube poking out of your jacket pocket or wedged inside a branded phone case. (Yep, you know the one.)

Will I ever stop complimenting strangers on their lip combos? Certainly not, but I did ask stylish experts about the It-girl balms they hold dear and what exactly makes them tick. After cross-referencing my conversations (beauty journalism, folks!), I landed on this criteria—plus 15 viral balms truly worth their salt—below.

What makes a cult-favorite lip balm?

Let’s face it: Gourmand fragrances are having a moment (hell, a year), and while we’ve seen more elevated iterations as of late, edible notes have never been buzzier. Think grown-up marshmallow over vanilla. It only makes sense that we’d see that carry over to the lip category, as lip balm is also a sensory experience. No, you don’t actually ingest your lip product, but you do experience traces of flavor the same way you might catch a whiff of perfume on your sleeve.

Be it birthday cake, hot cocoa, berry crumble, or rich espresso, a sweet flavor can feel quite comforting, evoking positive memories associated with indulgent moments. So you reach for it again and again… and again. As Marianna Hewitt, co-founder of Summer Fridays declares, “when something becomes a part of your daily routine, that’s when it starts to feel like a favorite.”

Lauren Gores Ireland, co-founder of Summer Fridays, says that a cult lip balm must have the “perfect mix of form and function.” It needs a stellar formula as well as a smooth application, a nonsticky finish, and thoughtful, elevated packaging. Bonus points if said packaging includes some sort of accessory component, such as a phone case (hi, Rhode) or kitschy keychain. These extra elements help a lip balm stand out in an oversaturated market and, quite literally, inside an overcrowded tote.

“We added a built-in ring for charms (coming soon!) so you can attach it to your keys, lanyard, or bag because no one wants to dig through their bag for a lost lip balm,” Priscilla Tsai, founder of Cocokind, previously told WWW about the brand’s new tinted balms. It does help that many of these accessories are limited edition, like the Summer Fridays Birthday Cake Keychain, or have amassed wait lists in the thousands, like Rhode’s Lip Case. Scarcity sells—much to the horror of my monthly credit card bill.

“To me, a culty lip tint is one that turns heads, whether someone sees it in person or on your Instagram story and immediately thinks, ‘What does she know that I don’t?'” poses beauty editor Iman Balagam. A chic aesthetic—be it sophisticated packaging, a sleek metal applicator, or a curated social presence—is a huge part of constructing that je ne sais quoi. After all, “[lip balms] are a great way to treat yourself to a little piece of luxury,” Sephora Beauty Director Helen Phillips Dagdag shares. Brands that lean into a “treat yourself” aesthetic (sometimes with a sweet flavor to match) do tend to prove their shelf appeal.

That’s not to say a wallet-friendly formula can’t attain viral status. However, lip balms have long been gateway products into the premium beauty market, and as time has shown, consumers will drop extra coin for an elevated experience.

Of course, the lip balm must, well, work. A lippie can have all the bells and whistles, but if it doesn’t actually enhance the delicate skin, all those pretty elements are for naught. “The consumer is so educated in this day and age,” adds Aly Korchemniy, founder and creative director of Anfisa Skin. “You can’t just have these flashing lights and colors anymore. … It’s [more about] gorgeous packaging in addition to an amazing formula.”

What constitutes an amazing formula goes beyond run-of-the-mill hydration—think collagen-stimulating players like peptides, gentle skin smoothers (AHAs, enzymes) to prevent flakes, and clinically backed plumping complexes that rival the results of filler with, of course, a gorgeous tint to boot. “I think that’s why we’re seeing so many lip ‘treatments’ versus just lip glosses,” shares Daise Bedolla, beauty editor at Into the Gloss and creator of the I Just Want to Talk newsletter. “In order to stand out, brands need to offer something different.”

In the same vein, expert approval is also priceless, especially when it comes to the balm’s longevity as a cult favorite. As someone who tests no less than three new lip balms every single week (I really wish I was exaggerating), I can say that the formulas with staple status are the ones I’ve seen on the desks of my favorite estheticians, derms, and fellow editors. Oftentimes, that expert seal of approval has stronger legs than a super-buzzy collab or giveaway—no matter how chic the merch may be.

“Anfisa is a good example,” Bedolla agrees. “They definitely seed to other people but were careful about sending it to, yes, editors but also facialists, who are regularly seeing clients and also have the knowledge to understand ingredients. They partnered with Elizabeth [Grace Hand] and Ställe, for example, for the launch of [Ân-Gloss in] Berry Crumble. Elizabeth is someone who I innately trust because of her studio’s careful brand selection, so an endorsement in the way of hosting a launch is a big deal to me and signals a product that’s worth having a cult following.” Even derm-led brand Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty prioritized getting its new lip treatment into the hands of other experts (celebrity facialist Ian Michael Crumm, triple-board-certified dermatologist Mamina Turegano, MD, FAAD, and celebrity makeup artist Theo Turner, to name a few) for the highly anticipated launch, which garnered a 2000-person wait list.

The 15 Cult-Favorite Lip Products Worth Their Salt