This post contains affiliate links. Product provided by YesStyle.
I’m Meme I’m Pep! Balm is advertised as a long lasting balm for lips and cheeks that will nourish the skin. It comes in several colors, mine is 001 Recharger (I got it from a YesStyle advent calendar and didn’t get to choose the color). The balm is available on YesStyle (reward code KBHOBBIT), Amazon, and Olive Young.
How to use
Apply a moderate amount to lips and/or cheeks
These are the official instructions - I tend to use a small amount personally.
I’m Meme I’m Pep! Balm comes in a squeeze tube meant to look like paint packaging. Mine doesn’t come out smooth like the marketing images - it’s a little grainy looking (most likely because of the temperature in my house and the shea butter in the ingredients - the product isn’t old or expired) but spreads just fine and looks even after application. I do not notice a scent or flavor.
My impressions
This is definitely an interesting product, but I have mixed feelings. On one hand, the packaging is cute and somewhat unusual, and application is pretty quick and easy. Plus, I like that I don’t have to be super precise with it - a few dabs of color and some massaging around give me a nice color without the need for sharp outlines (I use the balm on my lips only - the color is too intense for my cheeks).
One massive drawback is having to use fingers for application, which is what’s keeping me from carrying I’m Meme balm in my purse. I don’t always have the means to wash my hands right before and right after, which to me is a requirement if I’m going to touch my face / mouth. Cotton swabs might be the answer, but again - I don’t want to carry those around and I don’t enjoy the sensory experience of having cotton pieces potentially left on the lips.
The brand uses essential oils in the ingredients as a selling point, but to me that’s a drawback. Essential oils shouldn’t be ingested and can be potentially irritating to sensitive skin. I didn’t have a reaction, but I also don’t see these as beneficial. I think shea butter in the ingredients provides more of a concrete benefit to the lips.
The color is not long lasting (which is advertised). It stays ok if I’m just going around my day, but if I eat or drink anything warm / hot, it fades. One nice thing is that the fading is even and not patchy, so if you don’t want to touch up, your lips should still look just fine. Another positive is that the balm doesn’t highlight dry areas the way some lip products tend to do.
Overall, I’ll keep using this, but I don’t have any desire to get more colors or to take this with me outside of the house. I hope I can finish it before the “best by” date.
Want more content? Find me on YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and in my private Facebook group. Subscribe below to receive blog updates via email. And read this post for my favorite shops and discount codes or check out my Amazon favorites.
I’m Meme I’m Pep! Balm ingredients: Triethylhexanoin, Silica, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Microcrystalline Wax, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Tocopheryl Acetate, Dimethicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, BHT, Fragrance, Citral, Limonene, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850:1), Diisostearyl Malate