I think my alternative title for this post would be “Buying Exceedingly Expensive Lip Products Against My Better Judgement: A Skincare Addict’s Tale.” I absolutely got caught up in the Instagram hype with this product. When it was first released, I saw this all over the ‘gram with many a skincare influencer singing its praises. Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm was the product quite literally on everyone’s lips. I was strongly curious to try it for myself. I went to the Sephora website, took a look at the price, and quickly dropped all thoughts of buying it. But the curiosity remained in the back of my mind: could this perhaps be the most amazing balm I’d ever tried? Was I missing out on something? Serious FOMO began to take root.
I held off for months until finally I reached a place that I felt my budget could allow such a purchase. My anticipation was high as I eagerly awaited my lip balm’s arrival. Would the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm render all others that I had tried pale in comparison? I’ll give you my brutally honest opinion, but first, a little info about the balm:
Ingredients
Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polybutene, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Microcrystalline Wax / Cera Microcristallina / Cire Microcrystalline, Octyldodecanol, Synthetic Wax, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Mica, Vanillin, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Propylene Carbonate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate.
Summer Fridays is a cruelty-free brand. This balm is formulated using vegan waxes ( synthetic wax and microcrystalline wax). They incorporated shea butter and murumuru seed butter to help soothe and condition dry lips. Other emollient ingredients in the formula include hydrogenated polyisobutene, hydrogenated poly(C6-14 olefin), diisostearyl malate, and octyldodecanol. Summer Fridays utilizes vanillin in their lip balm to give it that natural tasting vanilla flavor.
Usage
Strap on your seatbelts guys, because I have some WORDS about this one.
When I pay a price like $22 for .5 oz of lip balm, I will hold it to a certain standard. I expect the packaging to be functional, and I will want the product to live up to its claims entirely. Summer Fridays products, as a whole, tend to fall more on the luxury side of skincare. There are likely others with differing budgets who might see it otherwise! But when compared to similar products that are as effective, but much cheaper, I think that their prices are on the high end.
As I mentioned before, I had high hopes for Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm. But alas, I was disappointed with what I got.
When it arrived in the mail, the cap was at an odd angle, and there was product beginning to leak out of the top. The tube is metal, and I’ve had this issue before with other products in similar packaging. If they get squeezed even the slightest bit (or if there is a change in pressure, which I think is what happened to mine) the product will uncontrollably start to come out. I’m glad that I had a plastic container leftover from another balm that I could put it in, otherwise, I might have been forced to throw away valuable product. Even after cleaning the first spill (not without difficulty, as the formula is extremely sticky), I still had to deal with the balm pouring out if I left it open for more than a second. I have to be careful to barely squeeze the tube whenever I get any out.
As I mentioned, the balm has this insanely sticky glueyness to it that I didn’t anticipate. The Summer Fridays site describes the balm as “silky”, but that isn’t an adjective I would easily assign to this product. I will say, it feels better on my lips than off of them. It can be annoyingly difficult to get the feeling of it eradicated from my fingertips once it is there. I expected it to be somewhat meltier and that there would be more oiliness/fattiness to it, given that “butter” is in the name. However, I probably should have looked at the description on their site beforehand, because they describe the balm as “never greasy.” Why call it butter then?? Personally, I don’t mind there being a sort of slippery oil feel to lip products. I feel like lip balms actually soak into my lips a bit better this way! (I like to put a light oil on my lips too, like this favorite from The Ordinary!)
The one positive to this balm is that it smells delightful. The vanillin gives it a yummy vanilla pudding scent that I love! However, could I find cheaper balms that have a vanilla scent that is just as good? Probably so.
Results
Sadly, the Lip Butter Balm seems to just sit on top of my lips, doing little to hydrate or nourish them. My lips tend to be more dehydrated than anything, and they really need a balm that will both nourish and protect them from further dehydration. Unfortunately, I think the waxes in the balm cause this to not penetrate well into my lips.
I could see myself using this more in the summer when my lips are generally in a less dehydrated state, but for winter this just doesn’t work. I feel like I have to apply a different product under it to have it feel even somewhat comfortable.
The look of this while it’s on my lips is not flattering since there is little hydrating or conditioning happening. It looks gloopy, thick, and extremely shiny. If you like a good shine to your lip balm then this might be your thing, but I have a hard time getting past it.
Overall, I don’t think Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm is worth its high price point. It’s difficult to use, and it isn’t effective at all, at least not for me. You (and your wallet) will be better off skipping this one!
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