True to its name, LipSoftie is seriously hydrating. No matter how crackled my lips look and feel, one coat of this stuff smoothes all of those pesky lines and leaves my lips with a gorgeous sheen that perks up my complexion. The formula itself is smooth without feeling heavy or sticky (my biggest pet peeve for balms). That being said, I can’t say the moisture is comparable to that of a lip mask. No matter how you spin it, balms are much thinner and more slippery in texture. They don’t last long on my lips and LipSoftie is no exception, but that’s nothing a quick reapplication can’t fix.
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Angela Trakoshis, shopping market editor, wearing Dulce De Leche
“This mauve-y nude was meant for me and layers perfectly over my everyday lip combo,” she says of Dulce De Leche. At the time of writing, that combo is Skkn by Kim Lip Liner in Warm Nude Brown and Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment in Thunder Kiss (the latter shade might be discontinued, just FYI).
She notes that Dulce De Leche tastes like a sweet treat, so reapplying throughout the day is, well, also a treat. She enjoys the round applicator, too, adding that “you get the most even application by using less product.”
Shanna Shipin, commerce director, wearing Ube Vanilla
Shipin zoned in on Ube Vanilla because it “reminded [her] of childhood desserts from [her] extended Filipino family.” As an Asian-American and a self-proclaimed foodie, Liu said Ube Vanilla was easily her favorite shade to develop. Fun fact: “I also love the ’90s so we were inspired by Clinique’s Black Honey for Ube Vanilla,” she tells Allure.
In terms of pigment she notes that she has “naturally pink lips, so despite this being a deep purple out of the tube, the color payoff was a little skewed.” Two coats were necessary but she says that the color may materialize sooner on people with naturally more neutral lips. Another thing to note: “Especially in the Ube color, this isn’t a product you can apply without a mirror, which does make it more high-maintenance than I was expecting,” she says. But all in all, she gives high marks for the “sweet, playful, and rich” flavors and loves the “smooth and comforting” feel of this treatment.
Sarah Hoffmann, commerce producer, wearing Watermelon Kiwi
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Look no further than Watermelon Kiwi for a subtle “my-lips-but-better” balm. “It adds such a nice sheen and a natural-looking pop of pink — I’ve been reaching for it constantly since I got my hands on it,” Hoffmann says. “It’s thicker than a regular lip balm without entering sleep mask territory, which is ideal for days when my lips need some extra defense from dryness, but I don’t feel like gooping on a full-fledged lip mask.”
Pricing and Value
Since its debut, Tower 28 has been one of the more affordable brands in Sephora’s lineup, especially in the makeup department. Available in five shades, Blood Orange Vanilla, Dulce de Leche, Ube Vanilla, Watermelon Kiwi, and Clear, each 11-ounce tube retails for $16, which comes out to $1.45 per ounce. That’s not too shabby, considering that other popular picks in the category go for anywhere from $24 to $40.