I bought the hype. I hate that I bought the hype. But here we are — three tubes deep into Rhode’s Strawberry Glaze, and my chapped winter lips have finally shut up.
The real flex? It’s not the celebrity name. It’s that this stuff stays put through coffee, a nap, and a passive-aggressive phone call.
$18. A glossy, non-sticky lip treatment that smells like a melted strawberry ice pop. The brand claims it “plumps and smooths” — I just wanted something that wouldn’t peel off by noon.
The applicator
It’s a squishy, angled doe foot that hugs your lip curve. Feels like a tiny pillow.
The scent
Spot-on strawberry candy — but fades in 30 seconds, so you don’t smell like a 6-year-old all day.
The finish
High-shine without looking like you dipped your mouth in bacon grease. Glassy, not greasy.
Photo: ibnu ihza / Unsplash
Shea butter and peptides — the boring but reliable duo. No exotic fruit extracts, no fairy dust. Just heavy-duty moisture that actually sinks in, not sits on top.
- Shea Butter: Cocoa butter’s drier cousin — absorbs fast, no slick film
- Peptides: The “plump” trick — they puff up skin slightly, not painfully
- Jojoba Oil: Closest to your skin’s natural sebum. Thinks it belongs there
- Vitamin E: The bodyguard for dry patches
Photo: Content Pixie / Unsplash
First swipe: slippery, sweet, and I immediately understood the TikTok. It glides on like melted butter on warm toast — zero drag, zero tug.
Week two: I stopped needing to reapply every hour. My lip lines looked… softer? Not erased — just less angry. The shocking part? It didn’t break me out around my mouth. Most thick balms do.
My lips felt softer. They looked fuller — but only while the gloss was on. Once it wears off (2-3 hours), you’re back to baseline. It hydrates long-term, but don’t expect permanent plumping.
It’s a really good lip gloss that happens to have a celebrity name. And honestly — I’d buy it even if Hailey Bieber was selling lawn chairs.