Every time I go make-up shopping, there’s a brand new lip mask on the shelf, whether its a new Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm or the latest Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. The cosmetics industry is booming with expensive lip products promising plump and glossy lips. So when I heard that Kylie Jenner’s lip treatment of choice was available for under a tenner, I had to try it out for myself.
Kylie Jenner, of modelling and make-up entrepreneurial fame, has ditched the A-list treatments in favour of a cheap alternative: Lansinoh’s HPA Lanolin Nipple Balm, £7.90. Yes, you read that right: nipple balm, or as I like to call it ‘lipple balm’. I was so surprised that I’ve been talking non-stop about it to everybody who will listen.
In a video uploaded to social media, Jenner applied the cream to her lips, telling her followers: “Nipple cream for your lips, it’s like the best secret.”
Lansinoh’s Nipple Balm is made with 100% lanolin, which is a waxy substance derived from sheep’s wool. It’s commonly used in cosmetics for its emollient properties, as its brilliant at keeping skin hydrated.
I’ve been testing the product day in day out for ten days. Ahead of putting the balm to the test, I was warned that the product – lanolin – was exceedingly cheap to make, and therefore would damage my lips irreversibly. You get what you pay for right? Well, not exactly.
At just under £8, I have rejuvenated my winter-chapped lips in under two weeks. Irritable cracks have disappeared, leaving a hydrated lip ready for a swipe of bright lipstick for summer. I’m already planning which Lisa Eldridge lipstick I’ll be pairing with my lipple balm for my holidays.
The nipple cream is a thick balm that melts to an oil-like texture with the heat of your fingers. I have a mix of dry and combination skin, so I’m wary of any heavy oils that may clog my pores, but I didn’t experience that in my test usage.
On first go, I over applied and it melted into my foundation, giving me that Claudia Winkleman concealer lip look. Although, if rumours are to be believed, concealer lips are making a come-back with the release launch of MAC’s cult favourites lipsticks like Fleshpot. So maybe I was right on trend with that beauty fail.
Lessons learned from my first user error, I then began by applying the balm as I would with my regular lip-balm, by sweeping on a light layer while sat at my desk in the day. Lansinoh left my lips feeling much more hydrated than my other balms at triple the price, so I didn’t find myself reapplying throughout the work-day.
In the evenings, I used a generous squeeze from the tube to apply to my lips as a sleep mask and also to my cuticles and anywhere that I had dry, cracked skin. I woke up in the morning with fresh, smooth lips which made a huge difference from the dry lips I usually wake up to.
It’s become a handbag staple for me, as I use it for everything from cuticle oil to lip balm on the go. The packaging is a cute purple, so unless anybody is standing really close, they won’t know you’ve whipped out nipple balm in the cinema.
Lansinoh Nipple Balm can be bought over the counter at pharmacies for the treatment of dry and sore nipples which comes as a result of pregnancy and breastfeeding. Though, if Kylie Jenner has anything to do with it, it will be a sold-out cult favourite with beauty fans soon. Get ahead of the hype by purchasing the multi-use balm at Amazon, Boots, John Lewis and Superdrug.
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