I can still remember buying my first original Glossier Balm Dotcom. I was in New York to interview a celebrity, but I’d arrived 24 hours early with the sole purpose of stocking up on those beauty buys that were still only available in the US.
This was 2015 and the Balm Dotcoms had already gained a cult following among beauty editors who spoke in excited whispers about its sheer tints and how sometimes they smelt of birthday cake and cool mint. Pulling out the shiny laminated tube in their company was like joining a secret club.
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These were smart women who could tell you the difference between ascorbic acid and hyaluronic acid in a heartbeat. But for them, and for me, the original Glossier Balm Dotcom held a different appeal.
It allowed your inner child to play and do beauty purely for fun; swiping on something colourful, something that smelt nostalgic and left sprinkles of shimmer in its wake but that still did the serious job of hydrating your lips (and cuticles).
When Glossier landed in the UK in 2017, I could feed my lip balm addiction with abandon as I emptied and repurchased on a loop.
There was the unscented, untinted, Original Balm Dotcom in its millenial pink packaging. Coconut joined the ranks with its scent of holidays and piña coladas; Rose with its your-lips-but-better soft pink tint and Mango, a peachy shade, which felt like you had graduated to the grown up version of The Body Shop’s lip butter.
But then something changed. In 2023, Glossier Balm Dotcom got a Gen Z refresh. The do-it-all balm now had an applicator to make it more hygienic and easier to apply. The sleeve was also sturdier so there was no longer the risk of the seam splitting. All welcome upgrades.
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But the iconic formula, which had been a staple since the very beginning of Glossier, had also changed. It had always been cruelty-free, but the lanolin – a hydrating wax from sheep’s wool – was replaced with a synthetic version to become vegan.
Try as I might, I couldn’t get on board with the new formula. It just wasn’t the same.
While Glossier’s Instagram posts were telling me that the new formula would leave my lips feeling feeling hydrated, I begged to differ.
I loved the moisturising-but-never-sticky feeling from the original Glossier Balm Dotcom and missed smacking my waxy, glossy-coated lips together.
The new formula felt too lightweight, too watery and I just didn’t feel that it moisturised my lips as effectively, which meant that I was applying it by the truckload throughout the day. My favourite Cherry flavour with its sheer red tint was also discontinued, a loss only made bearable because the insanely fruity Wild Fig made a permanent comeback.
But for this devotee, there was no substitute for the original.
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I wasn’t alone. The reformulated Balm Dotcom divided opinion, with some applauding the vegan update. But loyal fans of the original product shared their disgruntled opinions on social media and created entire threads devoted to the subject on Reddit.
Glossier was one of the original brands to put community at the heart of its business, crowdsourcing products from its customers. So when loyal fans pleaded for the original Balm Dotcom to return, Glossier listened.
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Today the original Balm Dotcom formula (featuring lanolin, antioxidant vitamin E and natural emollients such as beeswax and castor seed oil) is back, in all nine flavours.
Birthday, Rose, Wild Fig, Coconut, Mint, Lavender, Mango, Strawberry and the Original, will replace the vegan options, which will only be available to purchase while stocks last.
Glossier Strawberry Balm Dotcom
In a teaser, tongue-in-cheek Instagram post on May 16, Glossier staff read out critiques of the refreshed Balm Dotcom from its Comment Section. “I’m on my hands and knees begging you to bring back the original formula,” one consumer wrote.
It’s a timely move for the brand. According to beauty retailer Space NK, sales of lip treatments, largely driven by balms, is up 283% vs 2023.
Glossier already has a much-loved balm, with one being sold every 20 seconds globally, so giving the people what they want will no doubt cement its cult status once again. It’s a Glossi-yay from me.
Glossier Balm Dotcom Original Formula, £14, is available to buy on May 17.