Italian color cosmetics contract manufacturer MPlus Cosmetics used the MakeUp in Paris 2026 exhibition to introduce Essence Nudea new collection that reflects the growing demand for high-naturality, hybrid makeup solutions that combine skincare benefits with premium cosmetic performance.
Presented during the June 17-18 event at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, the collection represents the company’s latest innovation platform for beauty brands seeking products aligned with evolving consumer preferences for lightweight, skin-enhancing formulations. Rather than focusing on heavy coverage, Essence Nude embraces a “less is more” philosophy, delivering products designed to merge seamlessly with the skin while maintaining comfort, sensorial appeal and long-lasting performance.
The collection features 21 vegan formulations developed to blur the boundaries between skincare and color cosmetics. Built with high percentages of natural-origin ingredients, the range demonstrates MPlus Cosmetics’ expertise in creating hybrid textures that combine treatment benefits with makeup performance.
Complexion products form the core of the collection, reflecting the continued market demand for natural-looking skin finishes. The assortment includes multiple foundation formats, concealer, blushes, highlighter and a prep and fixing spray, complemented by products for eyes, lips and body. The portfolio also extends into bronzing and self-tanning solutions, allowing brands to offer consumers a complete approach to natural-looking beauty.
Five hero products showcase the manufacturer’s formulation capabilities.
The Light Fusion Foundcealer combines foundation and concealer benefits in a single formula containing 95.7% natural-origin ingredients. Designed with buildable coverage and an extended blending time, it incorporates sweet almond oil, jojoba oil and a biotechnology-derived active ingredient to provide hydration and skincare benefits alongside complexion correction.
The Blossom Veil liquid blush, formulated with 97% natural-origin ingredients, delivers a lightweight, radiant finish through a carefully balanced combination of natural oils, floral extracts, sodium hyaluronate and glycerin. The formula also features a subtle staining effect to enhance wear time while maintaining a fresh, skin-like appearance.
For the eye category, the Strength Veil Serum targets the growing demand for treatment-infused cosmetics. The transparent lash and brow serum contains 98.5% natural-origin ingredients, combining conditioning actives with sodium hyaluronate and arginine to improve the appearance of lashes and brows over time.
The Volume Veil Mascara pairs performance with care through a vegan formula featuring 93.9% natural-origin ingredients. Enriched with shea butter, panthenol and arginine, alongside biotechnology-derived plant fibers, the mascara is designed to deliver volume, length and curl while maintaining lash flexibility and comfort.
Completing the hero lineup, the Bare Shine Lipstick combines radiant color with lip care. With 94% natural-origin ingredients, the formula blends gloss-enhancing esters, shea butter and a balanced wax system to create a lightweight lipstick that delivers shine, comfort and conditioning.
According to Michela De Frenza, Marketing & Innovation Manager at MPlus Cosmeticsthe collection was born “from the desire to simplify beauty and return to what feels essential.”
By combining advanced formulation technologies with hybrid textures, the company aims to deliver products that adapt naturally to the skin while providing sensoriality, performance and comfort.
I’ve been proposed to three times—that’s not the flex you think I think it is—and somehow, not a single one of them happened on the spire of the Empire State Building. But for fans of heights, peace, and trespassing, one future groom just raised the bar by asking for his partner’s hand in marriage 1,400 feet above New York City’s streets—and it seems she was expecting it because her nails aren’t just miraculously intact after climbing the spire but also beautifully polished.
As I’m writing this, Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus are in custody for as-yet-unannounced potential charges—whatever comes with climbing to the top of the fucking Empire State Building, I guess—so they may not be experiencing the typical engagement afterglow other couples enjoy. The couple, who apparently have a habit of scaling skyscrapers (much to my nausea), spent a sunny Wednesday afternoon just hangin’ out well above the antenna, unfurling a black flag with the Jimi Hendrix lyrics, “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” Great message, but holy crap, guys.
When the couple, who were initially wearing Batman-esque masks, started climbing down of their own volition, they paused on a still gut-churningly high platform, which is when Beerkus appeared to take a selfie stick out of his backpack. Once their perfect content-creation angle was secured, he proposed to Nikolau. It was then that I, watching the live helicopter footage on TV, immediately clocked the classic taking-pictures-of-my-new-ring pose.
And wouldn’t you know it? The couple must have had an assistant on the ground (literally), because a collaboration carousel went up on Instagram around 1 p.m., featuring photos of the proposal and—whaddaya know?—the ring and Nikolau’s manicure.
The long, almond-shaped nails appear to be polished in a glazed white shade with a raised silver cross on her middle finger. Her ring finger (of course) looks to be painted in a chromatic, pale blue, which seems to match the oval stone in her ring.
Lovely, yes, but I have questions. Most of them have nothing to do with her nails, but to keep things relevant to beauty journalism, I’ll stick to my nail-related questions. First: How did she climb in such long nails? I’m on week three of my relatively short gel extensions and I can barely type. Second: What on Earth are her extensions made of? Because damn, that’s durable!
I had been circling Mimetic for at least a year. It kept surfacing online, I kept meaning to look closer, and then I kept forgetting. So many products, so little face.
What finally broke the loop was a friend. She had picked up a few things in Paris and asked if I had tried it yet. That was the nudge. I placed a four-product order on the brand’s site the same day, no samples, no dithering.
I will be straight about what drew me in, because it was two things at once. The marketing and the visual identity got my attention, and my friend’s enthusiasm did the rest. What kept me there, past the packaging, was the philosophy. Most launches I see in a given week chase the same actives and the same buzzwords. This one has an actual idea underneath it.
The look is worth pausing on, because the brand lands a hard balance. It reads pharmacy, but not sterile, fake-doctor’s-office pharmacy. It has the prestige feel of a department store counter, and that shows up most in the textures, which carry real weight here since everything is unscented and has nothing to hide behind. Better still, the results follow through. My skin feels smooth to the touch and looks glowy, never oily.
Consider this a partial tour. I have four products in rotation so far, the Skin Cloud cleansing balm, the CTRL Eye cream, the Skin Restore moisturizer, and the SPF. Those are the four I am walking through here. A few more are already on my list for a test drive: the richer Restore+ moisturizer, the face serum, and the face oil.
The one I am most curious about is the face mask, but the brand tells me it is being reformulated and will not be ready until 2027. So consider this a first look, not the full map.
What Is Skin Mimicry?
A few facts first, because they explain how these formulas behave. Mimetic is French, launched in late 2023 by Fabienne Sebaoun, a cosmetic chemist from a family of dermatologists. She formulated for major houses, then went back to university during the pandemic to study how skin actually works. The brand came out of that, self-funded and profitable fast, and debuted at Le Bon Marché before spreading across Europe and into the US.
The idea is skin mimicry: give skin the molecules it already makes and it recognizes them, absorbs them, and puts them to work. That runs on SMR-C5, a complex of five skin-identical actives developed with the AgroParisTech Chair of Cosmetology. The formulas are short, heavily dosed, fragrance-free, vegan, and over 96% natural origin.
The packaging matches the approach: recyclable metal tubes with screw caps, more lab bench than vanity shelf. Deliberate, and it photographs that way too.
Skin Cloud Nourishing Cleansing Balm
The texture wins me first. A rich balm that isn’t dense, it holds its shape until you touch it, then melts in without a hint of wax or that sherbet finish so many balms default to. It feels expensive, and it cleanses like it. City grime, SPF, makeup, gone in seconds. On contact with water it emulsifies into a soft, milky froth that rinses clean.
Mimetic flags three ingredients on the box and picks the right ones. Squalane, the stable form of a lipid your skin already makes, keeps things from feeling stripped. Bisabolol calms redness. Plum oil does the softening. It’s also fragrance free, a category I’ve been leaning into more lately.
I massage it in, take it off with a Clean Skin Club towel, and skip a second cleanse unless I’m headed into the shower, where a water-based wash is already waiting.
$48 (100ml)
CTRL Eye
This might be the biggest surprise of the whole Mimétique experiment. The CTRL Eye is one of the best eye creams I have used in a very long time, and I do not say that lightly. I turn 46 this month, I have been using skincare for more than half my life, and I measure new things against the ones that stopped me in my tracks.
This sent me straight back to my first eye cream obsession, the original La Mer eye balm, more than twenty years ago. It has that same rare slip. It goes on rich and almost occlusive, then sinks in and leaves a whisper of a veil. Barely there, but you feel it working. No shine, no stickiness, and it sits perfectly under concealer.
The box calls out two things, the SMR-C5 complex and avena sativa, and both are the right picks. SMR-C5 is the brand’s blend of skin-identical actives. The oat sugars are what you thank for the instant tightening on the lid, with silk tree extract and darutoside on de-puffing and hyaluronic acid, squalane, and sweet almond oil on moisture. The claims are de-puff, lift, smooth. I can vouch for all three, subtle but noticeable, in the way that keeps you reaching for the tube.
$54 (15ml)
Skin Restore
Skin Restore is called a face cream, but the texture sits between a gel and a lotion. Squeeze the metal tube and it comes out soft, soft enough to pour if you are not paying attention. Not a complaint, just a heads-up for anyone buying blind.
The payoff lands on contact: a rush of hydration my skin drinks straight in, which matters more than usual with the dry heat of summer pulling moisture from everything. And like the eye cream, it tightens as it sets, comfortably, as if an invisible matrix settled over the skin. A phantom film that just feels good.
The box flags three, SMR-C5, hyaluronic acid, and artemisia abrotanum, the plumping active. Together they make this an instant-gratification moisturizer, one that trades big long-term promises for an immediate difference in how skin looks and feels. It is labeled for normal to combination skin, and that lighter weight is exactly why it works for me in summer. The richer Restore+ is next on my list for when the weather turns.
$85 (50ml)
Everyday 50
This one is phenomenal, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. A friend bought it on my recommendation and texted within days to say he’s obsessed. I get the reaction. Everyday 50 is a lightweight, water-forward lotion that feels almost cooling as it goes on. It blends in completely. No streaking, no white cast, no purple sheen, which is what happens when a sunscreen leans on sophisticated chemical filters instead of mineral ones.
Behind that invisibility is a modern European filter lineup, Tinosorb S, Uvinul A Plus, Uvinul T 150, and ensulizole, chosen for broad UVA and UVB coverage and the kind of photostability that lasts through a real day. Then it does the skincare part: a peptide to brighten and address dark spots, and an algae-derived exosome active for oxidative stress and firmness.
I hate paying fifty euros for an everyday face sunscreen. I mind a lot less when it doubles as treatment. One catch, and it’s a real one for some of you. This is a thoroughly European formula. A couple of these filters aren’t approved for US sunscreens, so my American readers will be admiring this one from a distance, or importing it.
€45 (50ml) in EU only
Mimétique Review: Is It Worth It?
Four products in, Mimetic has done the thing most brands only promise. The formulas feel like what they claim to be, and my skin looks better for them. The eye cream alone would have made me a convert. Next up are the Restore+, the serum, and the face oil, and I will report back once they have had real time on my face. If the mask ever ships, I will be first in line.
For now, this is a yes. If you buy one thing, make it the CTRL Eye.
Available at mimetique.com as well as violetgrey.com.
Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend products I actually use and love. If you shop through these links, I may earn a small commission, which helps keep this site running.
Penélope Cruz has officially entered her bob era, courtesy of celebrity hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos. He’s calling it the “Weekend Bob,” and the name says it all: a chin-to-shoulder length cut with just enough undone texture to feel like you rolled out of bed looking this good.
“I wanted to create for Penélope something fresh and effortless,” Giannetos shared. He added “undone flair with a lot of texture,” embodying “the energy you have on a weekend.”
That’s the appeal of the Weekend Bob in one line: it looks expensive, but it doesn’t look try-hard. Giannetos built the texture by drying the hair with a round brush, then working an 1 1/4″ curling iron in different directions to create loose, irregular bends rather than uniform curls.
For anyone with layers who wants that same boxy, blunt-edged bob shape, Giannetos recommends Great Lengths tape-in extensions. “They instantly add body and dimension, making it easy to recreate a textured, wavy bob like Penélope’s,” he said. It’s a detail that makes the look more accessible than it might seem, since not everyone’s natural density is going to hold a shape like this on its own.
To lock it all in, Giannetos reaches for the ever-iconic L’Oréal Paris Elnett Hairspray ($16). “It keeps the texture in place without making the hair feel heavy or stiff,” he explains, which matters for a style that’s supposed to look lived-in rather than sprayed into submission.
Giannetos, who counts Amal Clooney, Kim Kardashian, Camila Cabello and Gigi Hadid among his regular clients, has built a career on exactly this kind of look: polished enough for a press day, relaxed enough to wear anywhere else. The Weekend Bob might be his most quietly ambitious idea yet, a haircut that asks you to do less and still look like you’re doing more. Some trends peak in a single season and disappear, but this one feels built to stick around.
OLAPLEX Signature Hair & Body Mist is a limited-edition hair and body mist featuring the brand’s signature scent with key notes of grapefruit zest and sugared mint.
To use body mist spray, hold the bottle 6–8 inches away, mist generously onto hair and body, and reapply as desired.
Layer the mist over your favorite OLAPLEX products so it stays the final fragrance step in your routine and can be refreshed as desired throughout the day.
Jump to
Body mist is one of the easiest ways to make fragrance feel like part of your everyday routine, especially when you want a scent you can wear on both hair and body. OLAPLEX® Signature Hair & Body Mist brings the brand’s signature scent into a format designed for just that, making it easy to add to your daily routine, use between wash days, or bring along when you want a quick refresh on the go. Learn how to use it, where it fits in your routine, how much to apply, and how to layer and refresh it throughout the day.
What Is OLAPLEX Signature Hair & Body Mist?
OLAPLEX Signature Hair & Body Mist is a limited-edition hair and body mist featuring the refreshing OLAPLEX signature scent, with key notes of grapefruit zest and sugared mint, plus ginger and crushed sage. In other words, it’s an easy way to wear the scent you already know from OLAPLEX in a format made for both hair and body that doesn’t weigh hair down.
Because this is a fragrance mist, not a hair treatment or skin treatment, OLAPLEX Signature Hair & Body Mist is designed for scent and does not offer hair or skin benefits.
How to Use OLAPLEX Signature Hair & Body Mist
Use OLAPLEX Signature Hair & Body Mist as the final fragrance step in your routine for an instant boost of that just-left-the-salon feeling in every mist. Here’s how to use it:
Hold the bottle 6–8 inches away and mist generously onto hair and body.
Reapply as desired whenever you want to refresh your scent.
As with any mist, avoid contact with eyes.
Where Does Hair and Body Mist Fit in Your Routine?
Hair and body mist typically fit into your routine once everything else is done, which is part of the appeal: it’s an easy finishing touch when you want to wear scent on both hair and body without adding another complicated step. It’s easy to fit hair and body mist into daily life: you can make it the final go-to in your routine at home, use it between wash days, and bring it along in a travel bag or handbag when you want a quick scent refresh on the go.
How to Layer Hair Products with OLAPLEX Signature Hair & Body Mist
Layering hair products with OLAPLEX Signature Hair & Body Mist is straightforward: use your usual OLAPLEX products first, then finish with the mist as the final fragrance step. This keeps your routine simple while letting the OLAPLEX signature scent sit on top.
How Much Body Mist Should I Use?
Use OLAPLEX Signature Hair & Body Mist generously and reapply as desired. In practice, that means you can adjust the amount based on how noticeable you want the OLAPLEX signature scent to feel. For a lighter scent, start with fewer sprays. For a more noticeable scent, build with more sprays as desired.
How to Make Body Mist Last Longer
Making body mist last longer is less about applying more all at once and more about how you work it into your routine. A few simple habits can help body mist last longer:
Use it as the final fragrance step in your routine.
Mist generously onto both hair and body.
Reapply as desired when you want to refresh the OLAPLEX signature scent.
Mist over pulse points, such as the wrists, behind the ears, or inside the elbows, where body warmth can help intensify scent.1
Avoid rubbing mist into your skin after spraying, which can make top notes fade more quickly.
Wear, Layer, and Refresh the OLAPLEX Signature Scent at Home and On the Go
OLAPLEX Signature Hair & Body Mist makes the brand’s signature scent easy to wear, layer, and refresh wherever you are. Use it as the final fragrance step in your routine, mist it onto hair and body, and reapply as desired whenever you want to that straight-out-of-the-salon feel all day long.
Dealing with razor burn, ingrown hairs, and post-shave irritation? It might be time to invest in one of the best electric razors. Even if you’re a longtime shaver, swapping out your standard razor can be worth the adjustment: Not only can an electric razor save you the hassle of constantly reupping on refill blades, but they also spare your skin from some of the most common shaving issues out there, too.
Electric razors are kind of a double-edged sword: They don’t shave as close to the skin as manual ones, Vidya Shivakumar, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Chicago, tells Allure. But as a result, they don’t cause as much irritation. You’re less likely to develop razor burn, irritation, or ingrown hairs with an electric razor—and you probably won’t come away with as many nicks and cuts. “They are also quick, convenient, and can often be used without shaving cream or water,” Dr. Shivakumar adds.
Our Top Electric Razors
If you imagine a clunky, corded behemoth (that doesn’t even shave that well) when you think of an electric razor, we can’t blame you. Old-school trimmers left a lot to be desired. Luckily, the latest models make the process dramatically more convenient and efficient, with blades that can hack through ultra coarse hair, long-lasting battery life, and clever attachments that let you tailor your trim to your liking. Editors and experts clued us in on the best electric razors, shavers, and trimmers you can try. Scroll on to find your tool of choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Overall: Meridian The Trimmer Original
Meridian
The Trimmer Original
After riding a high of TikTok popularity in the early 2020s, The Trimmer Original from Meridian won a 2024 Best of Beauty Award for its waterproof design (shower shavers, rejoice!) and gentle, long-lasting ceramic blades (which last up to four months before needing a replacement). It’s technically designed for men’s body hair, but it can groom pretty much any part of the body, whatever the gender. It clears thick hair and navigates tricky curves without clogging, and it comes with a built-in nick guard and two guide combs that let you choose between four lengths.
Our testers found that it works best on legs, pits, and arms, but it can clean up your bikini line in a pinch, too; it’s a great option to tide you over between waxes. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that The Trimmer is the rare body maintenance tool that performs well and looks nice: It comes in several cute colors, including powder blue and sage, as well as patterns like camo.
Are your lips looking more parched than plump? When most of us apply sunscreen, we cover every inch of exposed skin except our lips. But regular lip balm isn’t enough when you’re spending time in the sun. Your lips need broad-spectrum SPF to help prevent sunburn, dryness, and long-term sun damage. In this post, I’m sharing my favorite mineral-based SPF lip balms that keep lips soft, hydrated, and protected.
**This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you—I only recommend products and brands I genuinely trust and use myself.
Best Lip Balms with SPF – Quick Picks
Can your lips get sunburned?
Yes, your lips can get sunburned and unfortunately your lips are more vulnerable than much of the rest of your skin.
Why You Need an SPF Lip Balm
Lips need a little extra TLC especially during the summer. Unlike the rest of your skin, your lips contain very little melanin, the pigment that helps protect against UV damage. They also have a much thinner outer layer and fewer oil glands, making them more susceptible to dryness, chapping, and sun damage. That’s why a moisturizing lip balm with broad-spectrum SPF is an essential part of any summer skincare routine.
What To Look For In The Best SPF Lip Balm
Mineral Sunscreen Filters
This includes options like zinc oxide or zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Zinc oxide offers complete broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Titanium dioxide is highly effective against UVB and short-wave UVA, but doesn’t provide long-wave UVA protection. Together they offer excellent broad-spectrum protection along with a lighter texture thanks to titanium dioxide’s lightweight consistency.
SPF
Look for a rating of 15 or higher.
Moisturizing Ingredients
Options like shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, squalane, and castor oil soften and replenish the lips, while beeswax or plant waxes help seal in moisture. Vitamin E provides antioxidant support, and soothing ingredients like aloe vera can help calm dry or irritated lips.
Water Resistance
This is created in a lip balm usually as the result of a combination of ingredients such as waxes (Beeswax, Candelilla Wax, Carnauba Wax, Rice Bran Wax, Sunflower Wax) and film-forming ingredients (Polyhydroxystearic Acid) that help the sunscreen adhere to lips better. Re-application is still recommended after eating, drinking, or being in the water.
Broad Spectrum Protection
This guards against both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays can cause premature aging and UVB rays can cause sunburns.
Tinted SPF Lip Balm
Tints can mask a white cast from zinc oxide while still providing sun protection.
Ingredients to Avoid In SPF Lip Balms
1. Chemical SPF’s
2. Menthol, Camphor, Phenol
3. Petroleum
4. Artificial Fragrances
5. Drying Alcohols
So many great options, with clean ingredients, for a lip sunscreen.
Chemical vs Mineral SPF Lip Balms
Benefits Of Mineral SPF
Mineral SPF is a great option if you want a broad-spectrum sun protection that’s gentle on sensitive skin. Made with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide, mineral sunscreens start working as soon as it’s applied. It also is less likely to irritate the skin or eyes, and offers reliable defense against the UV rays that contribute to sunburn, premature aging, and skin cancer.
Benefits Of Chemical SPF
One of the greatest attributes of a chemical SPF is its texture and application. Chemical-based sunscreens tend to be lightweight and invisible on the skin. Their water resistant formulations offer strong protection, while swimming, sweating, or during any other water activities.
Why I Choose Mineral SPF Lip Balms
I choose a mineral SPF for all of my sun protection needs including my lip balm, because I prefer mineral UV filters over chemical ones. Since lip products are easily licked or swallowed throughout the day, I prefer not to use chemical UV filters on my lips when a mineral option works just as well. I also love that a mineral SPF offers immediate protection. It makes my job as a Mom that much easier when I can apply mineral sunscreen on my kids and don’t have to make them wait 20 min before going out in the sun.
If you are looking for more clean sunscreen options, check out my picks for Best Natural Sunscreens for the Whole Family!
How I Tested The SPF Lip Balms
I tested the lip balms and rated them on a scale of 1-5. 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. I used the following criteria:
White Cast – I wanted to see if the lip balm left a white hue on my lips or not from the zinc oxide- the SPF in the formula.
Hydration – I was testing to see how nourishing the formula was overall throughout the day, did it last, did I have to re-apply.
Texture – Is the texture gritty, smooth, or oily.
Wear Time – How long it lasted overall.
Clean Ingredients – Were the ingredients clean and minimal overall.
Price – Was it budget friendly or did it break the bank.
Why Trust My Recommendations
I’ve been a clean beauty blogger for the past 11 years and an esthetician, hair stylist for over 20 years now. Beauty is in my blood! I’ve been testing clean beauty products since I started my own clean journey back in 2010. Ingredient safety and quality is more important now with young daughters than ever before! While I’ve tried many SPF lip balms I wanted to share the ones that really are the best of the best and actually meet my standards. Nobody wants to waste time reading about products that were a total flop!
Don’t miss the Best Natural Lips Balms here!
Best SPF Lip Balms
Primally Pure Sun Lip Balm SPF 15
Active Sunscreen Ingredient – Non-nano Zinc Oxide 10%
SPF Rating – 15
Price – $14.00
What I Liked
I really love that this lip balm doesn’t have any seed oils in it. It has minimal ingredients and they’re all so pure and clean. It’s made from grass-fed tallow. Mango butter, and beeswax. It feels really nourishing on the lips. Also super chic packaging! It goes on clear, even with the zinc oxide in the formula.
What I Didn’t Like
It’s on the spendier side overall. You can get several lip balms for the price of one of their lip balms. But you get what you pay for! I did feel like I needed to reapply if I was outside for the morning and going to be outside again in the afternoon.
Product Rating–
Did it go on clear? 5/5
Was the formula hydrating? 4/5
How was the texture? 5/5
Was the wear time long? 4/5
Were the ingredients clean and minimal overall? 5/5
Was it budget friendly? 2/5
Use code GULRGONEGREEN10 to save 10%
Badger Mineral Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF 15
Active Sunscreen Ingredient – Zinc Oxide 8%
SPF Rating – 15
Price – $4.99
What I Liked
I liked how it went on clear- no white residue after applying it. I also liked the price point. They come in a pack of 4 and it evens out to about $4.25 per lip balm which isn’t bad. The ingredient list is also great too- super clean and minimal. Easy to find on Amazon too. I did need to reapply if I was outside the whole day. Most lip balms I’ve found I need to re-apply when the weather is especially warm.
What I Didn’t Like
I wish they didn’t have sunflower oil in the formula.
Product Ratings–
Did it go on clear? 5/5
Was the formula hydrating? 4/5
How was the texture? 5/5
Was the wear time long? 4/5
Were the ingredients clean and minimal overall? 5/5
Was it budget friendly? 5/5
Overall Rating – 4.67/5
Portland Bee Balm Solar Eclipse All Natural Handmade Beeswax Based SPF 15 Lip Balm
Active Sunscreen Ingredient – Zinc Oxide 8%
SPF Rating – 15
Price – $12.00 for 3 pack
What I Liked
I love that this is made in the Pacific Northwest- my neck of the woods! It’s also made with Pacific Northwest honey. Organic cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil Organic California extra virgin olive oil, and Zinc Oxide (8%). It’s so clean- just 4 minimal ingredients. It actually has a slight honey sweet scent that’s so good. It feels super nourishing on the lips and rubs in clear. I also loved the price on these! You can get 3 in a pack from Amazon for $9.99 (and during Amazon Prime days you could save $2!) This lasted the longest when it came to nourishing my lips the longest without needing to re-apply.
What I Didn’t Like
There is nothing I didn’t like about it. Really hit all the marks!
Product Ratings–
Did it go on clear? 5/5
Was the formula hydrating? 5/5
How was the texture? 5/5
Was the wear time long? 5/5
Were the ingredients clean and minimal overall? 5/5
Was it budget friendly? 5/5
ATTITUDE SPF 15 Lip Balm Duo, Mineral Sunscreen with Non-Nano Zinc Oxide
Active Sunscreen Ingredient – Zinc Oxide 10%
SPF Rating – 15
Price – $10.95
What I Liked
I liked that it was easy to find on Amazon, and it did feel moisturizing. It was also a budget friendly option overall- not the cheapest but not horrible.
What I Didn’t Like
It left a noticeable white hue on my lips. It had more ingredients overall than the other formulas- I prefer more minimal ingredient lists overall. I did feel like I needed to re-apply even though it felt nourishing going on, it dissipated quickly on my lips.
Product Ratings-
Did it go on clear? 2/5
Was the formula hydrating? 4/5
How was the texture? 4/5
Was the wear time long? 4/5
Were the ingredients clean and minimal overall? 3/5
Was it budget friendly? 4/5
All Good Organic SPF 15 Lip Balm
Active Sunscreen Ingredient – Zinc Oxide 3.5%
SPF Rating – 15
Price – $5.00
What I Liked
I like that it went on clear on my lips. It did feel moisturizing on my lips, but not as nourishing as some of the other formulas. I felt like I needed to apply more often. It comes in a pack of 3. It has an original flavor, a coconut scented lip balm and a spearmint lip balm. I felt like the coconut was a little strong for me personally. I prefer just the original that is unscented.
What I Didn’t Like
Not as moisturizing as the others, needed to re-apply more often. Didn’t love the scents, especially on my lips.
Product Rating–
Did it go on clear? 4/5
Was the formula hydrating? 4/5
How was the texture? 5/5
Was the wear time long? 4/5
Were the ingredients clean and minimal overall? 4/5
Was it budget friendly? 5/5
Check out How To Use A Lip Scrub + Best Lip Scrubs here!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is SPF lip balm really necessary?
Yes, an SPF lip balm is necessary if you spend any meaningful time out in the sun.
2. Are mineral SPF lip balms better?
SPF lip balms are better if you value gentle ingredients that are safe for sensitive skin and offer broad UVA protection.
3. How often should I reapply SPF lip balm?
It’s a good idea to reapply SPF lip balm every 2 hours when you’re out in the sun. Lips are used for eating, drinking, and talking, so lip balms don’t stay in place for long, hence the need for frequent application.
4. Can SPF lip balm prevent lip aging?
SPF lip balm can reduce the cumulative sun damage that leads to visible aging over time.
Did I miss your favorite SPF lip balm? Share it below!
If you liked this post, check out these past posts:
*Affiliate Disclosure: I do have affiliate links in this blog post. If you purchase something from my link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. This comes at no cost to you, but is paid by the company. I do not take becoming an affiliate with any company lightly. If I am, it’s because I believe in the company and their product.
*Suzi(Gurl Gone Green) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Why it’s worth it: While parents with young kids will appreciate Veer’s Flex Fan to clip onto a stroller during summer walks, its flexible legs make it useful far beyond kid duty. The soft, grippy arms can wrap around everything from camp chairs and folding tables to tents, hammocks, and beach gear, making it a versatile accessory for outdoor adventures of all kinds. Unlike most tripod-style fans that top out at a couple of speed settings, the Flex Fan adds a fourth Turbo mode for particularly hot, humid days when a gentle breeze just won’t cut it. Despite packing plenty of power, it’s smaller and lighter than many comparable fans and can run for up to 12 hours on a single charge, making it easy to toss in your bag and wield through long days in the sun.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to skin when we’re exposed to heat for prolonged periods?
When you’re exposed to heat for prolonged periods, skin can experience both short-term irritation and longer-term damage. One of the most common acute reactions is heat rash, or miliaria rubra, “which occurs when heat and humidity block the sweat glands, leading to small, itchy bumps that typically appear on the neck, arms, trunk, and groin,” says Dr. Scherl.
Over time, chronic heat exposure may take a toll on the skin’s structure as well. “More chronic heat exposure can cause premature skin aging due to the degradation of collagen and elastin,” says Dr. Scherl.
Why does hot weather seem to trigger issues like redness and irritation?
Heat doesn’t just make us sweat—it can set off a cascade of skin reactions. “There are several mechanisms involved with flare-ups of inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea and eczema when exposed to heat,” says Dr. Scherl. With rosacea, heat can activate certain receptors in the skin, causing blood vessels to dilate and increasing blood flow to the surface. The result is the redness, flushing, and sensation of warmth many people experience during hot weather. Eczema can flare for different reasons: “Sweat can be a direct irritant to the skin, and heat can affect the skin barrier, creating transepidermal water loss (TEWL),” she explains. Heat can also activate the immune system and increase inflammation, which may intensify itching. In addition, “moist skin is an ideal environment for bacteria to grow,” says Dr. Scherl, and that can further drive the inflammatory response, leading to more irritation, breakouts, and flare-ups.
Can airflow from a fan increase transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and contribute to skin dryness?
Sitting in front of a personal fan for a few hours isn’t necessarily to blame for dry, tight skin. “Short-term use of fans does not directly affect TEWL,” says Dr. Scherl. That said, fan airflow may contribute to dryness and irritation indirectly in certain situations. “Airflow from a fan combined with the use of certain skin products can impair the barrier effect of the skin and cause irritation,” she explains. “One example is cleansers or soaps containing sodium lauryl sulfate, which may become more irritating when skin is exposed to continuous airflow afterward,” says Dr. Scherl. She also notes that factors such as low humidity, co-existing irritants, and underlying conditions like atopic dermatitis—which already involves barrier dysfunction—can make skin more prone to feeling dry. “Fan airflow contributes to skin drying not by disrupting the barrier but by indirect mechanisms,” she says.
To help counteract that dryness, make sure you’re applying a moisturizer after cleansing to seal in hydration, especially if you’re spending long hours in air conditioning or with a fan pointed at you.
Meet the expert
Sharon Scherl, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology based in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best personal fans, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
Anyone with thick hair knows it can feel like both a blessing and a burden. There’s the extra drying time and the seemingly endless packages of hair ties sacrificed to the cause. On the other hand, when it’s time to create an updo on thick hair—whether formal or just for the hell of it—that abundance actually becomes your best friend.
“Thick-haired girlies often complain about how much work their hair is, but when it comes to updos, it is a definite advantage,” says Billy Hannam, hairstylist at Anushka Spa and Salon in Palm Beach, Florida. “Thick hair provides natural volume and fullness.”
In other words, the very thing that can make washday feel like an endurance sport is what opens the door to some seriously stunning updo options. Whether you’re inspired to wear a polished chignon, a romantic bun, or a runway-ready beehive, thick hair offers the kind of built-in body that hairstylists love to work with.
“One of the biggest advantages of thick hair is that it provides built-in volume and hold,” says Marcos Diaz, a New York City-based hairstylist. “The key is choosing styles that work with that density rather than trying to control it too much.”
Ahead, we’ve rounded up the best updos for thick hair that make the most of every last substantial strand.
Hannah Berner’s candor has officially come for cosmetic treatments. The comedian and Giggly Squad co-host, 34, is known for her unfiltered humor alongside Paige DeSorbo, 33, but this week, the duo’s latest topic hit a little closer to the treatment chair: Berner’s recent masseter neurotoxin mishap.
During the Friday, June 26 episode of Giggling About an Emergency Press ConferenceBerner was, in fact, the emergency. She opened the episode by explaining what happened: Two weeks earlier, she had “innocently” gone in for masseter neurotoxin injections for TMJ—a popular off-label treatment that can help relax the jaw muscles and ease clenching, grinding and jaw tension.
“I did not know there were risks to this procedure,” Berner told her co-host, admitting that she could have done more research before the appointment, which was with a new provider she hadn’t seen before. A few days later, she said she woke up, tried to smile and noticed her mouth felt “kind of tight.” She later realized she couldn’t lift the corners of her mouth into her usual full smile. The result: a shortened, held-back smile that Berner and DeSorbo have, naturally, turned into a bit.
Ahead, we spoke with two dermatologists for their take on what may have happened, why smile changes can occur and what patients should know before booking masseter neurotoxin.
What May Have Happened to Berner’s Smile
Most likely, the neurotoxin affected the risorius, a nearby muscle involved in smiling, making Berner’s grin feel shorter than usual. Omaha, NE dermatologist Joel Schlessinger, MD, says masseter neurotoxin injections require particular precision because the target is the jaw, but the surrounding facial anatomy is close by, leaving little room for imprecision.
Can Unwanted Neurotoxin Effects Be Reversed?
Unlike filler, neurotoxin can’t be dissolved once it kicks in; its effects gradually wear off over about three to four months as muscle movement returns. Berner did see another provider in Westhampton, New York, who injected saline to try to help while it wore off. When DeSorbo asked if it made a difference, Berner said, “I don’t think so.”
That said, saline isn’t entirely off the table. Dr. Daniel Schlessinger says some recent evidence suggests flooding an area with saline may help with certain unwanted neurotoxin effects, particularly brow heaviness. “While I haven’t ever had to use saline for this purpose in the masseter area, it does seem promising for other areas like the forehead,” he says.
How Long Might Her Neurotoxin Effects Last?
Omaha, NE dermatologist Daniel Schlessinger, MD, says the reassuring part is that changes like this are temporary. The less convenient part for Berner: as on-air talent, she may have to make more than a few appearances while her smile looks a little off.
All of which is to say, maybe don’t schedule masseter neurotoxin right before your face has somewhere important to be. Dr. Daniel Schlessinger adds that he always tells patients their smile can look uneven for the first week or so after masseter injections, even when the treatment is placed correctly.
“For this reason, if someone is going to be at a very significant event, like a wedding or reunion, it isn’t a great idea to get the masseters done within a week or two before it,” he says. “It generally resolves, but can take a little time.”
What to Take Away From Berner’s Experience
None of this means masseter neurotoxin injections are something to fear. It means even the treatments that seem casual still deserve questions and a look at the possible side effects, even if they’re rare. Berner made the whole thing funny, because of course she did, but it’s a reminder to know who is injecting you, ask about placement and dosing and maybe give your face the same level of research you’d give a dinner reservation.
.jpg "8 Updos for Thick Hair That Make the Most of Your Volume")
