The Best Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balms, Ranked by 2 Beauty Editors
We completed a very scientific study to determine the best flavor and tint.
Last year, I tested over 60 lip balms to narrow down the best nine. It’s hard work, but somebody’s gotta do it. Gone are the days when a strawberry-flavored $5 stick could get the job done. Now, lip balm is far from simple. It’s a skincare step (often packed with peptides, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter), and also a status symbol. Pulling certain tubes out of your bag is just as much of a flex as a brand-new iPhone 17 or a new Oura Ring 5, the most common of them all being the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm.
It’s not just editors and beauty insiders who are obsessed (although, you’ll likely find at least one tube in the bags of all of Cosmo HQ). But since it launched in 2020, it’s become one of the best-selling lip balms at Sephora and has found its way into the bags and hands of virtually all of my friends, strangers on the subway, and even my 12-year-old cousins. This
lip balmhas basically everyone in a chokehold. Why?
What's so special about the Summer Fridays lip balm?
was developed as a lip balm/lip gloss hybrid, offering up a hydrating feel with a glasslike shine. And best of all, it shouldn’t leave behind a sticky or gloopy feel on lips. The Lip Butter Balm completely changed the game with its vegan formula that uses ingredients found in many skincare products—hi, shea butter and murumuru seed butter—as well as vegan waxes to soothe, soften, and nourish lips. And, beyond just making lips look shiny, this multitasker also repairs and heals to ward off cracks and dryness. Now, the brand offers it in nine permanent scents (some with a tint), plus constantly releases limited-edition options.
The best Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balms, ranked
Last week, I rallied Cosmo assistant beauty editor Jasmine Hyman into a conference room in the office to try on every single permanent shade/scent in the
Lip Butter Balmon our lips (plus, we tried this summer’s newest limited edition one,
Strawberry Soft Serve). I thought it’d go one way, knowing that I had a few favorites already. But there were multiple flavors I’d never tried before, and our ranking turned out so different than what I expected, with many of my usual favorites dethroned.
We applied each one to our lips, talked it over, then created a full ranking of our favorites. It took some time (mostly because we have differing opinions on some things, with her being a fan of fruity scents while I’m a sweet lover), but I feel confident that our result encompasses truly the best-of-the-best. Listen, this doesn’t mean we didn’t not like any of them (on the contrary, actually). But some were better than others. Here’s our full ranking, from least favorite to favorite:
I had been wanting to try this one since it first dropped, but saved it until this experiment. Hyman and I agreed it’s similar to Pink Sugar (which we tested first), but with a slightly fainter smell. “The scent is more confectionary, but it doesn’t have vanilla to balance it,” she says. I wish it was more strawberry ice cream, rather than all focused on the sweetness.
I’d tried this one before and knew it wasn’t exactly my favorite. But it was definitely better upon a second test. “It’s a combination of vanilla and straight-up coffee bean,” Hyman says. To me, it’s an extremely strong scent, but the brown tint is very weak. I wish it either had a deeper brown tint or a softer scent.
“It’s vanilla, if it were Funfetti,” says Hyman. “It’s very sweet, obviously; it’s in the name,” she adds. But there’s an artificial scent in there that’s making me not obsessed with it.
I love that this is a sweetened minty flavor rather than true peppermint. But it’s quite strong and does leave a slight tingle on my lips. “It’s not a clinical scent, which is great, but because it’s not plumping or doing anything else, I’d almost rather have a sweet or juicy scent instead,” says Hyman. If you like mint scents, you’ll love this. But it’s probably too much if you don’t usually go for that style of flavor.
“It’s almost like a sherbet smell, but I can’t tell what fruit,” says Hyman. “I like the color, though. It looks more orange, but on the lips, it’s nice and pink.” I enjoyed this one, but I found the smell to be basically nonexistent. But I really enjoyed the tint and would wear it often for that purpose.
I keep a tube of this in my gym bag, so I knew I loved this one already. But once I compared OG Vanilla with all of these other scents, I was a bit underwhelmed. The scent is subtle and not too sweet, which is great when you don’t want to smell anything on your lips. There’s also no taste, which is nice. For me, it’s just a really good lip balm.
This was the biggest surprise. Pink Guava has a teensy tint, but you would barely notice it on your lips. “It’s fruity and smoothie-like,” says Hyman.
The color is a bit more cool-toned than the other browns, but that’s precisely why we fell in love with it. On my lips, the tint turns into a berry tone. And the scent and taste are so good. It’s warm, a little spicy, and perfect for dreaming up a fall day.
I had never even heard of this one, but it quickly became one of my absolute favorites (and already is a go-to in my bag). This one has a slight mauvey, brown tint with a smooth, warm vanilla scent. “It’s not overly sweet,” Hyman notes, who isn’t really a fan of sweet scents. When she declared this one of her favorites, I knew it was a winner because she ordinarily hates anything vanilla-scented.
Immediate “oohs” and “ahhs” came from both Hyman and me as we swiped this on our lips. “I fear we have a winner,” Hyman says. “Cherry is so universal; no one hates a cherry flavor.” It’s a syrupy cherry that’s pretty seasonless (not too juicy and summery, nor is it boozy and deep like a winter cherry). Easily, this one became our #1 favorite with one wear.
Full Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm review
At the beginning of 2024, the majority of my lipstick stash consisted of highly pigmented products—you wouldn't catch me dead without rich color on my lips. But as more natural beauty looks gained popularity during the year, I found myself ditching my high-impact lippies in favor of neutral glosses.
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balmfelt like a no-brainer swap. Finally owning a
Lip Butter Balmfor myself made me understand the hype. Sure, I swiped it on every once in a while with my friends, but I was able to experience the long-term effects with my very own.
I already knew that I loved the thick yet weightless texture that immediately coated my lips in plush comfort. However, what surprised me was how my lips maintained a soft suppleness with continued wear. My lips tend to dry out pretty quickly, and it's not uncommon for me to experience a few cracks here and there. I had zero hint of dehydration or cracking once I began applying this daily.
The application also feels super luxe, thanks to the curved tip that hugs the contours of my lips. It doesn't require much product at all to get a glassy sheen, either, which made me realize a tube would last me a very long time. To put it into perspective, I've been using my go-to flavor almost daily since April, and there's still a decent amount left.
My most-used Lip Butter Balm is by far
Cherry, which leaves behind the most gorgeous just-bitten hint of red. I love that it can be built up for more impact, although one coat is usually enough for me. The hue completely livens up my complexion, and I consider it the non-negotiable finishing touch before I leave the house, regardless of the occasion.
When I'm feelin' nude, I grab
Iced Coffeefor a tint, or
Pink Sugarfor a peachy/pink hue.
Final verdict
I now understand why the
Lip Butter Balmis considered the GOAT of lippies. To sum it up, the formula effectively nourishes and repairs lips to keep them kissably soft; the glassy finish is *chef's kiss*; every iteration smells heavenly; and the slim tube holds a solid amount of product so it lasts for months. I may have been late to the Summer Fridays party, but now that I'm here I'm never—ever—leaving.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
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