I Can't Leave The House Without This $16 Lip Balm
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Every day before I leave the house, I go through what I like to call my P.W.G. checklist: phone, wallet, and gloss. Fun fact: Ever since I was a teenager, having a lip gloss on me at all times was just as important as having my ID. So you can imagine how many glosses I've accumulated over the years. However, recently, the Topicals Slick Salve has outperformed all other formulas and remains my top choice.
I can vividly remember the first time I tried the Slick Salve. One day, I was sitting on my living room couch as my roommate walked in excited from having just attended the Topicals product launch event for said gloss. She talked for a while about the evening and how much she loved the formula, and eventually tossed a sample of the balm over to me to try right away.
The first thing I noticed was how the applicator curved to fit my lips. It's soft, silicone curved tip made for easy and smooth application, and before I could even think about the applicator for too long, I was captivated by the minty tingling of the balm. The consistency was thick and smooth with a sticky feeling, which was perfect for a gloss obsessive like myself. After years shuffling between MAC's Lipglass and the one-dollar beauty supply store glosses that are always strategically placed right at the checkout counter, I'd grown to prefer this particular texture of glosses—the stickier the better.
The stickiness is courtesy of the brand's patented cling technology, which uses polymers to bind the balm to the lips, providing long-lasting treatment. Even better, the formula combines nourishing ingredients, like ceramides, peptides, and hyaluronic acid, to hydrate your lips throughout the day. 'It's an innovation that gives you a long-lasting lip balm you don't have to reapply constantly, although you'll want to,' says Dr. Tracey Hicks-Kearse, head of product development at Topicals.
I can agree that I do find myself reapplying the gloss even when I don't necessarily have to. With its glossy look and comfortable feel, I underestimated how moisturizing the formula is. Most days, when I apply the balm in the morning, I can still feel it on my lips well into the day, even after eating meals. Though the initial gloss might wear down after a few hours—which is still a pretty long-lasting shine—my lips never feel dry. The hype is well-deserved. There was such high demand for the gloss that Topicals released a newer iteration, a pigmented deep plum shade called Acai.
While Slick Salve certainly has a legion of fans, a product with that much popularity also has its detractors, many of whom find the consistency a bit too sticky. Even so, the brand founder, Olamide Olowe, eventually took to TikTok herself in a 10-minute video to discuss the Slick Salve formula. 'When we were developing Slick Salve, we focused on those with extremely chapped or dry lips,' said Olowe. 'It's a heavier formula that not a lot of people have tried before. I can honestly say that this lip balm might not be for everyone because of that.' But even for those who weren't attracted to the thick consistency, Olowe invites discourse around her products as she encourages people to research and learn what works best for them while having empathy for others with varying opinions.
In my experience, the balm has been a huge help in repairing my dry lips and is now a signature part of my makeup routine paired with my favorite brown lip liners. At this point, I've purchased so many tubes of Slick Salve that I keep one in just about every bag I own for safe measure. Last year, I even asked for it for my family's secret santa Christmas exchange, so I think I've earned my status as a certified Spottie Hottie (the official name for dedicated Topicals fans). So, just as I always make sure my phone is charged before leaving home, I double-check to ensure I have at least one Slick Salve on hand to complete my checklist.
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I Can't Leave The House Without This $16 Lip Balm
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Every day before I leave the house, I go through what I like to call my P.W.G. checklist: phone, wallet, and gloss. Fun fact: Ever since I was a teenager, having a lip gloss on me at all times was just as important as having my ID. So you can imagine how many glosses I've accumulated over the years. However, recently, the Topicals Slick Salve has outperformed all other formulas and remains my top choice. I can vividly remember the first time I tried the Slick Salve. One day, I was sitting on my living room couch as my roommate walked in excited from having just attended the Topicals product launch event for said gloss. She talked for a while about the evening and how much she loved the formula, and eventually tossed a sample of the balm over to me to try right away. The first thing I noticed was how the applicator curved to fit my lips. It's soft, silicone curved tip made for easy and smooth application, and before I could even think about the applicator for too long, I was captivated by the minty tingling of the balm. The consistency was thick and smooth with a sticky feeling, which was perfect for a gloss obsessive like myself. After years shuffling between MAC's Lipglass and the one-dollar beauty supply store glosses that are always strategically placed right at the checkout counter, I'd grown to prefer this particular texture of glosses—the stickier the better. The stickiness is courtesy of the brand's patented cling technology, which uses polymers to bind the balm to the lips, providing long-lasting treatment. Even better, the formula combines nourishing ingredients, like ceramides, peptides, and hyaluronic acid, to hydrate your lips throughout the day. 'It's an innovation that gives you a long-lasting lip balm you don't have to reapply constantly, although you'll want to,' says Dr. Tracey Hicks-Kearse, head of product development at Topicals. I can agree that I do find myself reapplying the gloss even when I don't necessarily have to. With its glossy look and comfortable feel, I underestimated how moisturizing the formula is. Most days, when I apply the balm in the morning, I can still feel it on my lips well into the day, even after eating meals. Though the initial gloss might wear down after a few hours—which is still a pretty long-lasting shine—my lips never feel dry. The hype is well-deserved. There was such high demand for the gloss that Topicals released a newer iteration, a pigmented deep plum shade called Acai. While Slick Salve certainly has a legion of fans, a product with that much popularity also has its detractors, many of whom find the consistency a bit too sticky. Even so, the brand founder, Olamide Olowe, eventually took to TikTok herself in a 10-minute video to discuss the Slick Salve formula. 'When we were developing Slick Salve, we focused on those with extremely chapped or dry lips,' said Olowe. 'It's a heavier formula that not a lot of people have tried before. I can honestly say that this lip balm might not be for everyone because of that.' But even for those who weren't attracted to the thick consistency, Olowe invites discourse around her products as she encourages people to research and learn what works best for them while having empathy for others with varying opinions. In my experience, the balm has been a huge help in repairing my dry lips and is now a signature part of my makeup routine paired with my favorite brown lip liners. At this point, I've purchased so many tubes of Slick Salve that I keep one in just about every bag I own for safe measure. Last year, I even asked for it for my family's secret santa Christmas exchange, so I think I've earned my status as a certified Spottie Hottie (the official name for dedicated Topicals fans). So, just as I always make sure my phone is charged before leaving home, I double-check to ensure I have at least one Slick Salve on hand to complete my checklist.
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