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I tried Supergoop's SPF lipstick: A skin care-obsessed shopping writer's honest review
Spoiler alert: The Supergoop Lipshade 100% Mineral SPF 30 Hydrating Lipstick has earned a permanent spot in my makeup bag.
I'll admit: I'm not a fan of lipstick. The formulas often dry out my already-parched mouth, and because I'm not great at applying it, I usually end up resembling a toddler who got into their mom's makeup bag. That said, I'm obsessive when it comes to skin care — especially sunscreen. Yes, it's important year-round. So when I heard that Supergoop — the sun protection brand beloved by everyone from Brooke Shields to Drew Barrymore — had come out with an SPF lipstick, I was intrigued. While I wear SPF lip balms on the regular, there isn't one I'm really in love with — and I'd never tried a lipstick. Might this 2-in-1 become a new staple in my morning routine? Here's my honest Supergoop Lipshade 100% Mineral SPF 30 Hydrating Lipstick review.
I was almost sold on the cheery yellow packaging alone!
Throwing shade
I'm usually so overwhelmed by lip color options that I wind up choosing the first one that looks like it might work (and often regret it). But because Supergoop only offers their SPF lipstick in four shades, I had no problem opting for one that complemented my skin tone. I went with 'Lucky Me,' a sort of dusty rose that I thought looked closest to my actual lip color, but they also have a vibrant fuchsia, darker plum and rusty peach.
Testing it out
Before I started wearing lip SPF, I was prone to getting freckles on my mouth. Now, I slather something on every time I leave the house. That said, chemical lip sunscreens taste like, well ... sunscreen. Not very appealing. And when I switched to mineral, it left a very strange white cast on my lips. Supergoop's product is a 100% mineral sunscreen — zinc oxide — and I was impressed to find that it left no unpleasant taste in my mouth (it's got a sort of sweet-minty essence). Score one! And I'd much rather have pink-tinted lips than pasty white ones.
As far as the formula is concerned, it's made with hydration-promoting ingredients like mango, shea and murumuru butters, natural peptides and portulaca pilosa extracts, as well as plant-derived oils to help soothe and shine. While it's certainly not as moisturizing as a balm, I will say that I notice way less dryness with this product than with standard lipsticks (though I always apply a layer of Vaseline over my lips when I wake up to give myself a smoother base). The finish has some shine, but definitely isn't glossy; I wouldn't say it's matte, either. The color lasts me several hours, but I always reapply lip sunscreen throughout the day just to ensure I'm still getting ample protection.
Final thoughts
I've now been using the Supergoop Lipshade 100% Mineral SPF 30 Hydrating Lipstick for about two months, and I'm happy to report that once my current stick runs out, I'll happily buy a new one. At $24, I think it's a worthwhile buy, especially given that it's a lip color and mineral sunscreen in one — and I've found that I don't need to apply a ton in order to have full coverage.
In my opinion, it's a little less pigmented than your standard lipstick, but I actually prefer a more natural look. That said, it's easily buildable if you prefer bolder color. I also haven't noticed any new lip freckles popping up, so the sun protection seems to be working!
Sephora speaks
Apparently I'm not the only one who approves of this stuff — here's what Sephora shoppers had to say.
"Love, love, love!" exclaimed one happy buyer. "I purchased this product to take on vacation and protect my lips from the intense sun. It felt very comfortable and kept my lips moisturized. It gave me a pop of color, and there was no SPF taste, which I love. The packaging is cute [and] travel-friendly."
"Not only do these protect your lips, but I have also started applying to my cheeks!" shared another impressed user. "They are extremely pigmented. Can be applied sheer if tapped on or vibrant and bright when swiped on."
"I am constantly hunting for highly pigmented SPF lipsticks and this is among the very best — ever," gushed a final fan. "The color is buildable, long-lasting and the formula is wonderful — not sticky, but creamy — and somehow stays put for a long time. The scent is super mild and pleasant. My only wish is that there were a true red shade available. I have all of them and thought the Raisin shade would be red as it looks in the pictures, but it’s quite a deep shade that doesn’t work as a red. More, please!"
I think my next stick will be in this peachy hue called High Five.
Psst: Here's another Supergoop fave of mine:
Available in four shades (I use the translucent one), this mineral sunscreen powder helps set my makeup while giving my face an added dose of protection. It's lightweight, helps reduce shine and happens to be FSA/HSA-eligible.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
