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For the past three months, my lips have been going through it. They’ve been flaking, cracking, and experiencing pretty much every winter lip issue you can think of but 10 times worse than usual. My ride-or-die products suddenly stopped working, and the state of my pout got so bad that I went down a spiral in the Google search tab and decided to ditch all of my go-to balms (and even my toothpaste at the time). After losing quite a bit of hope for my dry, crusty lips, I gave Tower 28’s new LipSoftie Lip Treatments a try, and all I can say is they’ve been true miracle-workers.
It seems like almost every brand is venturing into tinted lip balms and treatments—Summer Fridays, rhode, Naturium, and most recently, Ole Henriksen and Tower 28. I’ve been a long-time fan of Summer Fridays’ coveted Lip Butter Balm, making sure I never left the house without my Cherry tube. But one day, something about the brisk weather and my skin’s needs flipped on the product. My pout also started rejecting my Holy Grail Aquaphor Lip Repair (both the stick and the ointment!).
That’s all to say, I didn’t have much hope for yet another tinted lip product. How could Tower 28’s possibly be any different for my dry, irritated, peeling pout? As you can tell from the headline of this review, I was sorely wrong to assume anything about the LipSoftie Lip Treatment.
Whether your pout is also going through it this winter, or you simply want to know if Tower 28’s newest addition is worth the hype TikTok has been giving it, keep reading for my honest thoughts after wearing the LipSoftie for one week.
New
Tower 28 LipSoftie Lip Treatment
Specifications
| Launch Date | February 6, 2024 |
| Shades | 5 (4 tinted, 1 clear) |
| Benefits | Hydrates, heals, repairs, adds tint |
| Vegan? | Yes |
| Cruelty-free? | Yes |
| Gluten-free? | Yes |
| Size | 11g / 0.38oz |
| Price | $16 each |
| Available on | Tower 28 Beauty, Sephora, Credo Beauty |
Benefits
- Provides long-lasting, intense hydration
- Relieves dry, chapped skin
- Adds a sheer tint
Ingredients
- Shea butter hydrates and soothes skin
- Jojoba oil moisturizes and softens skin
- Lysine prevents dryness and smooths skin
Shades
- Ube Vanilla (sheer burgundy)
- Dulce de Leche (sheer nude)
- Blood Orange Vanilla (sheer red-orange)
- Watermelon Kiwi (sheer baby pink)
- SOS (clear)
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Lightweight on the lips
- Provides relief for dry lips
- Not sticky upon application
- Buildable color and good color payoff
- A little goes a long way
- The scents are subtle
- Costs less than $20 a tube
- Recyclable packaging
Cons
- The dome applicator is not the best for precise application
- The lip treatment sometimes gets caught in my hair
My Honest Thoughts
When lip balms and treatments are too thick, it can feel like they’re suffocating your lips and drying them out instead of hydrating them. My pout has felt that way about a couple of the most talked-about lippies on the market right now, but not with Tower 28’s LipSoftie Lip Treatment. They’re not super goopy at all, and once applied, the formula feels lightweight and not sticky. I also love how you only need to squeeze out a little bit of product to bring color to your pout. The sheer wash of color is so pretty and glossy on the lips, and I have a feeling these tubes will last me a while. I’m also a big fragranced skincare hater, but the LipSofties’ subtle scents are not only managable, but contain less than one percent synthetic fragrance. Additionally, the food-grade, non-artificial flavors are, not going to lie, pretty dang tasty. Blood Orange Vanilla reminds me of an orange creamsicle, and I am sooo here for it. Meanwhile, Watermelon Kiwi brings me back to those smoothie-flavored Lip Smacker chapsticks from when I was a little girl.
Going back to the cons, while I love the packaging of these cute little tubes, I wish the applicator was angled and pointed, similar to Summar Fridays and rhode’s alternatives. LipSoftie’s dome applicator is nostalgic and all (Carmex, anyone?), but if I want a precise application, I have to whip out my compact mirror for some extra assistance. Luckily, the formula is sheer, so if you do put on a little too much and it spreads outside of your actual lip line, it won’t be the end of the world. I also noticed that sometimes when I wear the LipSoftie Lip Treatment, strands of hair that blow into my face will get stuck in my pout for a hot sec. It’s certainly not a dealbreaker for me, but I don’t recall having this minor issue when I wear Summer Fridays’ Lip Butter Balm.
Tower 28 LipSoftie Lip Treatment vs. Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm
Regarding shade offerings, reach for LipSoftie in Dulce de Leche if you’re a fan of the Lip Butter Balm in Vanilla Beige. Try LipSoftie in Blood Orange Vanilla if you like the Lip Butter Balm in Cherry, and Ube Vanilla if you like Brown Sugar. This one’s pretty self-explanatory, but LipSoftie in SOS (clear) is the shade to go with if you’re a Vanilla Lip Butter Balm gal. That leaves LipSoftie in Watermelon Kiwi and the Lip Butter Balm in Poppy—these two tubes don’t have recognizable matchups in their rival brand’s shade lineups.
As for their feel on the lips, Tower 28’s lip treatment feels thinner, more lightweight, and more breathable compared to Summer Fridays’ balm. LipSoftie’s scents and flavors are also slightly more subtle, which I prefer. In terms of how these competing lip products look on the lips, they both offer the prettiest, sheer wash of color that leave your pout looking perfectly glossy.
Pricing
Is Tower 28’s LipSoftie Lip Treatment worth it?
Tower 28’s LipSoftie Lip Treatment costs $16 a tube, while Summer Fridays’ Lip Butter Balm costs $24 a tube. $8 is a pretty sizable gap for an everyday lip product, especially if you’re purchasing multiple shades. Tower 28’s other rival formulas will ring you up for anywhere from $10 to $22, so LipSoftie sits right in the middle. I absolutely adore Summer Fridays’ Lip Butter Balm, and probably always will, but if you ask me, the brand-new LipSoftie Lip Treatment is definitely worth both the hype and your coin.
Katie Decker-Jacoby
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