I finally tried this cult-favorite $20 overnight lip mask, and I don’t know why I waited so long

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Sephora

Lip sleeping masks are thick balms you apply before you snooze for soft, hydrated lips the next morning.
Normally, I’d use a ton of lip balm overnight to treat my lips, brush it off in the morning, and then re-apply every few hours the next day, which could get really annoying.
I finally tried Laneige’s best-selling $20 lip mask, and wow, I don’t know why I waited so long. My lips were hydrated and plumped the next morning, and I didn’t need to re-apply my usual balm as often as needed.

My skin-care routine is a little involved. I’ve got a six-step nightly regimen that includes two cleansers, a toner, essence, serum, and moisturizer, and if my skin still needs a boost after all that, I’ll use a sheet or sleeping mask. For my lips though, I’ll just slather on my trusty Smith’s Rosebud Salve and brush it off in the morning. It wasn’t until I tried the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask recently that I realized what my lips were missing, and for that, I apologize.

I’ve known about the K-beauty product for years (we’ve previously covered it in our lip balm buying guide) and have used the brand’s sleeping mask even longer (which we’ve also covered), but always thought lip masks were a novelty. My Rosebud Salve technique had been working for so long, why bother changing it for such a small thing as dry lips? Well, because the sleeping mask is actually life-changing. Seriously, I woke up with cushion-y soft lips that stayed that way for hours before I applied balm out of habit and not necessity.

There are two versions of the lip mask — the original housed in a pink jar and a newer version in a yellow jar subtly scented with vanilla, which is the one I used. Both have the same hydrating formula with hyaluronic acid and minerals, along with antioxidants and vitamin C from a farmers’ market haul of berries — blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, and goji berries — all in an eight-hour, time-release formula so you can maximize your beauty sleep.

The mask comes with a teeny-tiny silicone spatula for more hygienic application, though you can definitely use your fingers if you want. The mask is solid in the jar itself but once you dip the brush or your fingers in, it melts into a buttery-soft texture that coats and clings onto your lips like a thick balm. You just apply the mask like you’d do with lip balm and yeah, that’s kind of it. I realized quickly that you need just a tiny bit otherwise the mask can feel too thick and get inside your mouth.

In the morning, gently wipe it off with a towel and you’re good to go. With my old routine, I would sometimes OD on brushing with my toothbrush and give myself raw lips that I’d have to immediately soothe with more balm. It was a small but annoying thing that I thought I just had to deal with every day for soft lips.

After my first use of the Laneige lip mask, I couldn’t stop touching my bare lips all morning — they were just so soft, hydrated, and had almost a cushion-y plumpness to them. They definitely don’t feel slick as if I was wearing lip balm, but they weren’t pruny and dry like they usually are during the winter. I’ve even used a tiny bit after rinsing off the mask in the morning because I love the texture of it so much.

$20 might be a lot to pay for what’s essentially a thick lip balm, but the formula hydrates so intensely that it’s worth the price of five balms that I’d lose in the dark depths of my tote bag or jacket pocket.

Buy the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask from Amazon for $14 (original)

Buy the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask from Amazon for $14 (vanilla)

Buy the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask from Sephora for $20 (original and vanilla)