Most of discovering my nightly beauty routine has involved a adopting a series of habits only to then ask myself, "How did I never do this before?" First it was moisturizer (seriously, why does no one tell teens to use moisturizer?), and then face oils, and — somewhere along the line — nightly lip balm. Now that I am addicted to all of the above, I feel totally unprepared (even uncomfortable) for sleep every night unless I use the products. And every time I discover something I know I will keep using for a long, long time, it's a little personal victory. I try so many samples that finding a hidden gem amongst all the products is nothing short of a triumph. The latest newly-adopted nightly product? Lip gloss. Well... sort of. Kopari Beauty's Coconut Lip Love is a super shiny, ultra hydrating coconut oil-based product that feels like a balm and looks like a gloss. I only started using it a couple months ago, but since then I have fallen so deeply in love with it that I talk about it on basically an evangelical level.
As soon as I tried it, I couldn't get enough of this stuff in my nightly (and morning, for that matter) routine. It left my lips feeling as hydrated as ever without any stickiness at all. Plus, it looked pretty and glossy. If you're wondering, "Why do you need your lips to be shiny before you go to bed?" The answer is, of course, you don't. But, there is something really relaxing and soothing about doing your entire skin care routine and adding a little bit of shine to your lips. It feels the tiniest bit indulgent — a tiny moment of skin care where you can look at yourself in the mirror after and feel special.
I had been using the lip product for a few weeks when the tinted versions of the product landed on my desk. Needless to say, I was giddy. Now, I have various versions of the product hidden in all easy-to-reach corners of my life — I have one on my nightstand, two on my desk, three in my purse. Plus three stored somewhere else for whenever I run out. I love them. And when I can't find my clear version, I've even worn the tinted versions to bed. It's not sparkly, just the right amount of color and shine.
The gloss is natural-looking with just the right amount of punch to elevate things a little bit, in case you wanted to wear them in the daytime too. The shades are all pretty similar, but vary depending on what exactly you're looking for. Mai Tai is a "coral-pinky" hue, HibisKiss is a "fruit-punchy" shade, and Pinkini is a "sheer, bright pink." What they have in common, though, is that they all manage to look like my natural lip shade, but enhanced, which is hard to find in a stain, gloss, or balm.
Coconut Lip Love, $12, Kopari
At $12 each, and $30 for the set of three tinted shades, the products aren't necessarily cheap, but are one of the few things I know I'll find myself buying again and again and again. Plus, they're petroleum-free, cruelty-free, silicone-free, non-GMO, and vegan. On the Kopari site, there are 163 5-star reviews of the 178 reviews total. Trust me when I say this is an under-the-radar fan favorite that is impossible to let go of once you start using.
Me wearing the shade 'Pinkini.'
Plus, if you're going to be addicted to a beauty product, it might as well be one that's main ingredient is coconut oil AKA nature's greatest beauty hack. The coconut oil (plus some shea butter) is most of the reason that my lips feel so amazing when I wake up every morning... and why I put it on again when I wake up, and mid-morning, and evening and... well, you get the idea.
