Glossier is now shipping to New Zealand, but who cares?
Last week’s biggest beauty news caused social media meltdowns across the country, as Kiwis celebrated being able to finally tick the ‘Ship to New Zealand’ box at Glossier.com. The US-based online beauty brand has had a chokehold on the viral beauty space since it launched in 2014 and virtually put millennial pink on the map.
Its products have held ‘holy grail’ status for beauty obsessives ever since, and if you’ve visited the US or UK in the past few years, there’s a high chance you were tasked with bringing home a Glossier haul for your girlies.
But when the pandemic and BLM movement gave rise to allegations of a toxic and racist work culture at Glossier HQ, leading to the resignation of billionaire founder Emily Weiss as CEO, some of the shine wore off.
Or so we might have assumed. But the excitement across local Instagram feeds last week painted another picture.
In light of this, we reached out to Mecca skincare education lead Jordan Allomes for her list of the lip balms and glosses that have been at our fingertips all along, as well as expert tips on the products best-suited to your most common lip needs.
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Why is integrating a lip balm into your skincare routine important?
Lip balm is an essential step in your routine! Lip balms work to moisturise, protect, and restore dry, chapped lips, leaving them feeling smooth, soft, and healthy. Lip balms contain nourishing ingredients that work to keep lips hydrated and act as a barrier from the outside world, keeping your lips protected from environmental factors. For makeup wearers, lip balm is also an important prep step ahead of lipstick for smooth and even application.
Does your skin type have anything to do with the type of lip balm you should be using i.e. are your lips and skin linked?
The skin on your lips is much thinner than the skin on your face, and unlike our skin, lips have no sebaceous glands, which are responsible for producing moisturising oils. Because of this, our lips are more prone to dryness, and are more easily affected by environmental factors such as dry air, wind or cold weather. Applying lip balm regularly will help to replenish moisture and keep lips protected.
What are the key ingredients to look for if you’re after a lip balm that will actually make a difference, rather than just a pretty lip gloss?
For softer, more nourished lips, look for lip balms with ingredients like shea butter, lanolin, vitamin E or hyaluronic acid. These will work to smooth and nourish lips, while creating a protective barrier to lock in moisture. If possible, opt for a lip balm with SPF included to keep lips protected from UV exposure.
