by Sarah Wu, Teen Vogue
Photo: Courtesy of CNP Montrose
Few things are more exciting than innovative beauty concepts with the potential to upgrade our makeup game. Cue instant joy when we first caught on to the peel-off lip tint trend sweeping Instagram (see #peelofflipstick and #berrisom) and YouTube. The product comes in a squeeze tube, goes on like a thick gloss, and dries to a rubbery consistency over the span of 15 minutes. After peeling it off, you're left with a stain that lasts for 8-12 hours without budging or smudging. The most popular brand on social media seems to be Berrisom, a K-beauty import that offers a spectrum of shades -- with the idea that you can go from a popsicle-hued wash to something more vivid. Genius, right?
Well, that's what we thought until we started chatting with the experts.
"I'm a little wary of the product because there are enough people who have commented about the fact that sometimes it can cause some damage to lips, especially if lips are chapped or not in the greatest shape," says Peach & Lily founder Alicia Yoon. Always remember that the skin on your lips is thin and delicate, so in extreme cases, you might even cause bleeding -- never worth it just for extra hours of wear time.
Alicia isn't the only K-beauty expert to caution against the trend. "It's not a popular product in Korea because it can be painful to peel the product off the lip," notes Charlotte Cho, Soko Glam cofounder, board-certified esthetician, and author of The Little Book of Skin Care: Korean Beauty Secrets for Healthy, Glowing Skin. Charlotte describes the formula as one that embeds color pigments on the outer layer of skin, which is what provides the product's staying power. The problem is the harsh tugging that occurs when you try to separate the layers.
Curiously, Alicia echoes Charlotte's words regarding the tint's lack of popularity in the Korean market. "The no-makeup-makeup look is still going strong there," she comments. In other words, darker, matte shades don't sell as well as sheerer tones of peach, nude, pink, and orange. When you add the painful, potentially harmful risks of using the product, it's easy to see why this particular invention may not be gaining traction. "It's not a trend as ubiquitous as the sheet mask or snail filtrate as a skincare ingredient," she sums up.
Still enamored with the idea of a long-wearing lip tint in cool packaging? Skip the peeling process, and you've got several options. Alicia's favorites are the Peripera Tint Markers, which impart a watery, matte stain as you scribble them all over your pout (all of the fun, none of the unpleasant side effects). Charlotte recommends the Skinfood Tomato Jelly Tints and the Tony Moly Delight Tony Tints, which have a more moisturizing feel, but will give you a similar finish.
While we definitely don't recommend that you test out the peel-off trend, there's something to be said for searching out the latest concepts in beauty. This iteration might not work perfectly, but who's to say the upgrade isn't just around the corner? As Alicia told us: "If a gentler peel-off tint is developed, I'd be very excited to test it out!"
Hear that, beauty brands? It's time to get inventing.
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