This story first appeared on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, in The Strategist Beauty Brief, a weekly newsletter in which our beauty writers share their must-tries, can-skips, and can’t-live-withouts. But we liked it so much we wanted to share it with all of our readers. If you want more first impressions of buzzy launches, quick takes on what’s trending on TikTok and Instagram, and deep dives into the week’s best beauty launches, sign up here. The Strategist Beauty Brief is delivered every Wednesday.
I’m not much of a lip-balm person. I’ve tried dozens but find them to be unremarkable. I typically grab whatever is nearest to me in my dresser — fancy ones like Laneige and Summer Fridays or the basics like Chapstick, Carmex, and Vaseline. At most, I try to put on one with SPF when I first leave the house. This winter, though, I’ve found my first truly great lip balm, Jordan Samuel Skin The Lip Balm. I realized its moisturizing prowess after a particularly dehydrating night six weeks ago. I had unknowingly slow-roasted in my bed when my humidifier ran out of water. (If you follow this newsletter, you’ve probably noted my radiator-heated apartment and utter dependence on humidifiers.) The next morning, I woke up to riotously crunchy, peeling lips (not to mention a nose bleed and itchy eyes). I applied the Jordan Samuel balm right away. Not because I thought it would do much but because I had to do something. I am a fan of Jordan Samuel Skin’s pared-down product assortment and simple, effective formulas. (His Matinee cleanser has been my go-to for years).
The first thing that stood out to me about the lip balm was its texture. It’s thick and occlusive but neither slippery nor tacky. It’s perfectly balanced. After about an hour, the formula had sunken into my skin and softened the flakiness but was also still there — not completely absorbed. When I went outside, my lips still felt protected against dry winter air. Throughout that day, I reapplied a couple more times, and by the evening, my lips were back to normal, soft, no peeling, not greasy. Since that first tryout, I’ve used the balm pretty much every day. I’ve been able to avoid winter chapped lips. Bonus: A thin layer is a nice base for lip glosses and lipsticks. You get much-needed hydration, and the balm doesn’t change the texture or adhesion of either. Jordan Samuel Skin The Lip Balm is really the best balm I’ve ever used, and this is my PSA to grab some right now, before winter is over.
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