Is Drunk Elephant’s Lippe Balm a Handbag Essential?
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Everyone loves a lip balm (don’t they?) and in the shifting seasons my lips are more in need of some moisturising goodness than ever.
Enter Drunk Elephant’s Lippe Balm, an alcohol, silicone and fragrance-free balm promising to turn my slightly chapped lips into a peachy pout.
Created by cult beauty brand Drunk Elephant, this soothing concoction boasts avocado, cranberry and marula oils, as well as sea fern algae, to inject serious moisture when needed.
Meanwhile, mongongo oil provides antioxidant protection to help ward off sun and environmental damage, while tripeptide-1 provides a very (very) slight plumping effect.
Found in *almost* all Drunk Elephant products “marula oil is lightweight” and “it absorbs easily. This makes it an effective moisturiser for dry or aging skin.
“It may be beneficial for smoothing and softening fine lines, preventing stretch marks, and keeping skin hydrated and well-nourished. It’s also an effective lip moisturiser,” Healthline confirms!
This is new, up-to-date information. We updated this article in April 2024 to add our further thoughts on the balm, complete with updated prices.
Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm review
Despite the host of skincare-friendly ingredients, though, for me, the key to whether I love or hate a lip balm generally lies in its texture… Too waxy and the product lies on top of the lip without absorbing or adding much benefit, while too thin a formula can end up slithering about all over the place (most irritating).
I’m pleased to report that, for me at least, Drunk Elephant’s offering represents a happy medium – feeling hydrating enough that lips feel comfortable, but equally not so oily that the balm travels where it’s not wanted.
The result is a softer, smoother pout that takes lip colour really well.
Oh, and if you want to know more about how to look after lips – especially post procedures like fillers – take a look at our guide here.
Image – Drunk Elephant
How to use it
As a lip balm, simply swipe this over your pout as needed- either before lip colour or post lip scrub. This can also be slathered on at night to work as its own mask.
As with lots of other great natural lip balms, this can also be used to soften dry cuticles, tame split ends, as a natural highlighter on cheekbones, and for on-the-spot moisturising.
What other people have to say
It’s a mixed bag of reviews for this lip balm, with one customer on the Sephora website saying “Wasn’t as hydrating as I though it would be, it feels chapsticky and by that I mean there is a film type feeling on your lips that comes with using this product.
“Honestly, caramex [sic] works way better, but I also have unusually dry lips that get chapped easily”.
Others have commented on the high price tag, while another customer over on Cult Beauty says “I totally love this product! Gives my chapped lips a boost of hydration and relief, also smells really good”.
The takeaway
While I’m normally slightly sceptical about the hype-iest products, I have to give full credit to Drunk Elephant; this definitely lives up to its glowing reviews.
Non-irritating, nicely moisturising and easy to use, this balm pretty much ticks all my boxes.
Its unusual shape – short and wide rather than a tube or a tub like most balms – also makes this product extremely easy to fit into even the teeniest handbag, ensuring that I can top up on the go.
Great for: Natural ingredient fans as well as seriously dry pouts. Also for buying into a little of the Drunk Elephant brand without too much of a price tag.
Not-so-great for: Budget buys, since this is almost twice the price as one of my other lip-nourishing favourites, Frank Body’s Lip Balm. Having said that, this isn’t anywhere as expensive as some of the most designer brands (I’m looking at you Dr Barbara Sturm).
Drunk Elephant’s Lippe Balm is £18 for 3 g, Cult Beauty UK and $19 for 0.13 oz/ 3.8 g, Sephora US
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