Why have lip oils replaced lipstick tubes in our handbags?

This is a gesture that has become almost commonplace in women’s daily lives. Wearing lip balm, colored or not, has become one of the most important makeup habits of the past five years. A resounding success that puts this new makeup partner among the best sellers of many brands. Starting with Clarins with its Lip Comfort Oil, or even Typology and its tinted oils. The success of treatment with Nuxe’s ​​Rêve de Miel oil cannot be denied even in pharmacies.

But how can we explain that this hybrid product between makeup and skincare has become a staple on everyone’s lips? “Precisely because we have this dual dimension. Yes, our oils beautify the lips with their pigments, but it remains primarily a care product when this need is paramount. And compared to the classic balm, it has more of this make-up focus with a more visible result. Hence, also its success on social media,” explains Nasim Hamek, Product Development Director at Typology.

Turn up the volume

In the conditions of imprisonment and, above all, mandatory wearing of masks, “women learned to wear less make-up, but spent more time taking care of their skin. There was real awareness,” he continues. As a result, lipstick sales collapsed. For Nasim Hamek, today we no longer want to reconnect with a lipstick that can be drying for a long time, but rather appreciate the feeling of applying oil. “The latter will soften the lips with its cocoon-shaped applicator. It turns out that it is very comfortable to wear. the more you wear, the more you moisturize. The mouth is more nourished, it will be thicker, so we get volume,” adds Clarins makeup expert Magali Marks. Moreover, the two experts emphasize the fact that one does not prohibit the other. On the contrary, the oil can be used in addition to matte lipstick, for example, to prevent the drying effect. “You can absolutely put a touch of oil on top of your lipstick to give it more comfort but also shine, with a bit of ‘candy apple’ spirit, really delicious,” explains the makeup artist.

When used alone, if the shade is much lighter. It can be reapplied several times during the day,” adds the Typology expert. And this practicality of the gesture (you don’t even need a mirror to apply it, because we’re less afraid of a clumsy line) is perhaps what makes it a cross-generational product. “Oil can be bought at any age. Everyone joins because it’s easy to use,” explains Magali Marks. And if we were to announce a great return of brilliance, especially among the youngest, in the end, oil was able to impose itself with greatness. “The gloss is very sticky, which is quite unpleasant, especially when hair accidentally ends up in the mouth. Meanwhile, the oil will penetrate immediately,” emphasizes the Clarins make-up artist. Hence, less tacky but just as brilliant, it also makes a weighty argument; its composition is generally much cleaner than its shiny cousin. “We must not forget that the products we put on our lips eat the most. Hence the importance of an impeccable formula with vegetable oils (we avoid mineral oils) and especially without nanoparticles,” insists Nasim Hamek. “At Clarins, for example, it’s vegetable oils with 93% natural ingredients,” adds Magali Marks. The oil launched this year at Les Filles en Rouje focuses on avocado, argan and apricot oils. Emollient and antioxidant coconut oil has been selected in Le Rouge Français.

Treatment, extension and coloring

Available in clear or colored versions, the oil is even more successful in its tinted versions. “Pink and red are definitely top sellers for us,” analyzes Typology’s director of product development. Same observation in Clarins. “There’s also the shade Pitaya, which is very successful because it’s a very natural pink that responds to the pH of the lips.” And therefore personalize yourself. And still with that in mind, the brand has even launched its Lip Oil Factory, a lip oil layer that concentrates seven different pigments, allowing for 64 possible shades, from blues and greens to yellows and oranges. “Certain shades like blue allow for a cool undertone that will create a slightly raspberry color with pink lips.” But the transparent version also has its advantages. And in particular, the possibility of wearing a mask before going to bed. “With its very nourishing side, it will offer a wonderful moisturizing bath to the lips during the night when the restoration takes place,” concludes Magali Marks. Day and night, lip oil is good.