Pritha O.

Jouer Essential Lip Enhancer Shine Balm

TL;DR promises much, delivers little

Jouer Essential Lip Enhancer Shine Balm in Naturel

Quick Scores

  • Effectiveness: 2 (out of 5)
  • Taste: 4
  • Smell: 5
  • Packaging: 5
  • Value: 2

Price: $18.00

Available At: Jouer or Sephora

A Deeper Look

Let’s start with the positives: the packaging is gorgeous. I mean, look at it! It looks as though it belongs in an April fashion spread in Vogue (Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.), casually laid against a handful of multi-colored leaves perfectly shaped and arranged for maximum effect. Gold filigree on rose gold is maybe the best artistic choice ever made in design history. And, as captured in the photo, the beauty continues inside the tube.

On to the negatives. The reviews on Sephora (if only I had read them prior to purchase) don’t lie. This balm is as ineffective as it is beautiful. The trademarked “Maxi-Lip” secret ingredient does not, to my knowledge, cause my lips to appear noticeably fuller (at least, not that my husband has remarked). The shea butter/jojoba seed oil combination sounds appealing, but all it does is leave a gossamer layer of oily water (if that could be a thing) on your lips that promises hydration but leaves you wanting within minutes.

The limited impact of the balm forced me to apply continually, much more than I normally would and even much more than I wanted to (ME! Lip balm-crazy Pritha!). Within days, the tube was down to 2/3 of where it had started. My lips were overly-glossy and still dehydrated.

So that’ll be a no, for me.

Important: Includes something called Maxi-Lip™…?, Includes Shea Butter, Includes Jojoba Seed Oil