Is this the world’s best lip treatment?
Beauty director Katherine Lalancette on why this $30 Kiehls product is worth every penny
I get about two good lip weeks a year, when the humidex soars and my hair threatens to take over the world (lip smoothness is inversely proportional to hair smoothness). The rest of the time, my mouth is a battleground of cracks and crevices.
I am a compulsive slicker of lip balm; I keep an arsenal of tubes within reach at all times and slip into a low-key panic when I digging for one at the bottom of my bag and don’t immediately feel the comforting caress of curved plastic.
So when an unassuming jar landed on my desk, promising to cure my condition, my expectations were, shall we say, conservative. I have scrubbed, I have balmed and yes, I have masked. Hit me with your best shot, little jar.
But to my surprise, that little jar prevailed. Kiehl’s Buttermask for Lips is to balms what hair masks are to conditioner: a supercharged upgrade you call on in times of need. The secret to its success resides in the formula’s ability to repair the moisture barrier. Instead of slapping a band-aid of hydration over lips, it treats the underlying issue, helping sensitized skin retain moisture and defend itself against aggressions. The formula starts out thick but quickly melts into a slippery oil, wrapping lips in a blanket of hydration. Coconut oil and wild mango butter then go to work mending damage so you can wake up to a softer pout.
So step aside, lip balm — I’ve found my one and only. The flakes that were once permanent residents of my mouth have packed up and gone, leaving behind baby-smooth skin that just won’t quit. And now, when I fish around in my purse for gum and stumble upon a familiar cylindrical object, my heart doesn’t even skip a beat.