Ariana Grande’s lip oil costs $22. A tube of NYX Fat Oil costs $9. So what exactly are you paying for — besides a cloud-shaped bottle that’s cute on your nightstand?
The real answer: a surprisingly non-sticky formula that actually stays put through iced coffee. Most lip oils evaporate in 20 minutes. This one held on for an hour before I needed to reapply.
It’s a clear, high-shine oil that feels more like a thin gloss than a treatment. The claim? “Weightless hydration.” I rolled my eyes — but then my lips didn’t peel after a day of wearing it.
The Wand
Big, flat, doe-foot applicator. Picks up too much product honestly. You’ll be tapping off excess on the rim.
The Scent
Faint vanilla-coconut. Not sweet. Not artificial. It fades in 30 seconds.
The Shine
Mirror-level glossy. Not sticky — but not slick either. It’s a weird middle zone that somehow works.
It’s fine. Not groundbreaking. The hero here is castor oil — which is thick and occlusive — plus jojoba for actual absorption. R.E.M. Beauty leans hard on the “clean” label, but this is basically a pretty, well-formulated gloss-oil hybrid.
- Castor Oil: Thick barrier, keeps moisture in
- Jojoba Oil: Closest to skin’s natural sebum, actually sinks in
- Vitamin E: Antioxidant, prevents the oil from going rancid
- Tocopherol: Fancy name for a basic stabilizer
First swipe: feels like warm butter on a pancake. Smooth, a little heavy, then suddenly weightless. The shine is immediate and stays glossy for about 45 minutes before settling into a soft sheen — not that crusty ring some glosses leave.
Week two surprise: I stopped reaching for my Laneige lip mask at night. This stuff actually hydrated overnight. Not a “holy grail” moment, but a genuine “oh, that’s useful” one.
My lips stayed soft for 4 hours after a single application. No peeling. No weird film. But the shine? Gone in under an hour. It’s a moisturizer that happens to look pretty — not a statement gloss.
It’s better than Rhode’s lip treatment for daily wear — less sticky, more comfortable. But it’s not the revolution TikTok wants it to be. It’s just a really good lip oil that costs a little more because of the name.