6 days ago
Prada's Banana Balm Review: Here's Why The Yellow Lip Tint Has Gone Viral
After years trialling and testing make-up products for a living - from the best foundation for acne skin to the liquid bronzers that cheats 2 weeks in the Riviera - I must admit that there is a special allure that comes with beauty formulas promising to give you a 'bespoke' effect due to colour-changing properties reacting to your unique pH.
The idea of having make-up that not only enhances your natural colouring, but also reacting differently to you feels enigmatic and magical (be honest: how many of us fell for mood rings back in the '90s?).
Beauty brands have embraced this need for a tailored approach for years (in Southeast Asia, you'll find green lip balms that turn pink upon contact since the late '90s), with Prada being one of the latest luxury brands to harness colour-changing technology through its Optimising Care Lip Balm, which first launched in a soft pistachio bullet that promises to bring out your natural lip colour.
2 years on, Sabrina Carpenter teased the latest balm in her Manchild video back in June. In it, Carpenter was seen snacking on Prada-branded Banana Jellies (ELLE's beauty team collectively confirms, it is delicious), before taking to TikTok to showcase the primary yellow lip balm. Applied on top of her lipstick, it lends a gentle rose gold iridescence for a whisper of luminosity.
While the original Prada Optimising Lip Care balm focuses mainly on hydration and the Lip Blushing Balm imparts a soft, rosy tint, this Lip Balm Frosting Care in Banana Yellow delivers the softest tinge of shimmer and shine without the sticky or glossy feel of a traditional lip gloss.
Prada Beauty's global make-up artist Lynsey Alexander created this lip colour as a way to tap into childhood memories of Banana Foam candies while still delivering the luxurious, grown-up, lip colour experience we've come to expect from Prada Beauty. It's an approach that complements the designer brand: serious craftsmanship and science, but with a clever sense of whimsy.
On the lips, Frosting Care feels velvety smooth and balmy without any grittiness nor an uncomfortable, sticky feel. Given its translucent finish, it's easy to apply on-the-go, making it the ideal lip product for a low-maintenance, your lips-but-better effect. It does smell gloriously of jelly sweets (rather than actual bananas), which I'm into, but it is something to bear in mind if you're sensitive to scent. That said, the fragrance doesn't linger on the lips.
As someone who prefers a bit more colour on their lips, I like to wear mine on top of lip liner ala Carpenter, but if you're simply after luminosity but hate the idea of a liquid gloss, the solid nature of Banana Yellow is well worth considering. The light-reflecting quality creates the illusion of a fuller lip, while the jojoba butter delivers enough hydration to get me through the day.
My final verdict? This is an easy breezy, something-but-nothing lip balm that's perfect for the summer months. No fussing with glosses that get caught in your hair, it lends a really pretty shine that'll take you through sun, sea, sand and beyond. And no, it doesn't go on yellow.
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
Medina Azaldin is the beauty editor of ELLE and Harper's Bazaar UK, working across print and digital features. She has more than seven years journalism experience and has previously written for Red and Good Hoousekeeping. When she's not demystifying the latest skincare ingredient, sniffing out the next big perfume trend or uncovering the science behind wellness practices, you'll most likely find her in Hatchards Piccadilly or watching a crime series with her cats. Oh, and she's a competitive cheerleader, too.
