A Wren Says

On my trip to New York, I wandered through the Louis Vuitton store. This was my chance to finally try that obviously overpriced makeup. I gravitated to the lip balms, the LV Baumes. I swatched every shade except for clear. I found they were way more pigmented than I was expecting and may more satisfyingly smooth on my lips. I chose to buy shade 051 – Monogram Touch. It was a browny, burgundy shade that I thought worked well with my undertone and my personality. I could have easily bought the clear or sheer giittery shade, but I wanted something that added newness to my collection.

I took my package to the hotel, opened it up, and admired the construction of the case. It’s beautiful. And that closure! It is a satisfying magnetic force that snaps it shut. I sat there for far too long just opening and closing the cap.

I decided that I would use it regularly once I got home to get a better idea of its quality over its hype. And then I would write a review.

Once I returned home, I set the product away, still in the Louis Vuitton bag. It took me a while to finally put the balm in my makeup bag. And there it sat unused.

I couldn’t get out of my head how pretentious I would look casually pulling it from my bag to moisturize my lips mid conversation. But then too, what if I lose it? Or worse, return to my car to find it melted in the heat of the sun.

Because of my hesitancy to use the product, I can only give you my first impressions. It is a good lip balm. It is smooth and highly pigmented, and glides on beautifully. I will say that it doesn’t magically heal chapped lips. I found that if my lips were already dry, the pigment grabbed on to those spots. Maybe the clear version would be better to use in that case to heal over time. But beyond the balm itself, the packaging is beautiful and changes the ritual of applying the product.

Because of how beautiful the packaging is, I couldn’t bring myself to use it. It just seemed too valuable to let myself get value out of it. That is ridiculous. That mentality needs to change.

There is a place in my life for extravagant packaging. There is a place for pretentiousness, just because. Even it is impractical in the eyes of other people, it brings value to me. I want to create a more beautiful life. I want small reminders that today is the special occasion I have been waiting for. A lip balm this unapologetically luxurious calls to that.

Last Sunday, I went to brunch. I wore my bag that sat in its dustbag, waiting the right time. I put on the earrings that I also put off wearing. I readied myself by gliding on the LV Baume and felt that satisfying snap close. I used all the things I kept saving for that special time in the future. I declared that day to be special. I’m so glad I let myself see that it was.

If you are looking for an elevated lip balm, you can buy the LV Baumes in store at Louis Vuitton boutiques or order online.