I don’t usually write about lip balms. You use them, you lose them, you replace them. It’s a cycle. But then this extremely unproblematic, unscented, unpigmented little tube from LANEIGE came into my life — and now, I get it.

The Vanilla version of their Lip Glowy Balm is… how do I say this… aggressively normal. Like, there’s no glitter, no weird plumping tingle, no menthol burn pretending to be hydration. It’s just balm. 

Good balm. Hydrating, smoothing, quietly luxurious balm.

The texture is kind of the main event here. It goes on like butter but not greasy, not waxy. Just slick enough to make your lips feel protected, but not so shiny that you look like you dipped your mouth in cooking oil. I’ve worn this over dried-out matte lipsticks. I’ve worn it on red-eye flights. I’ve worn it at my desk at 1am while pretending to finish emails. It holds up.

And let’s talk packaging: retro tube? Check. Slanted applicator? Thank god. I’m not finger-dabbing anything in 2025. The tube is sleek, lightweight, and non-embarrassing to pull out in public (yes, that matters).

Scent? Soft vanilla. Not bakery vanilla. More like “there might be a cupcake in the room two floors down.” Subtle. Chill. Endearing.

Would I repurchase? Yes. Would I write poetry about it? No. But not every product has to be a main character. Some are just there to do the job quietly and well — and this balm understood the assignment.