When you're already so enchanted by an existing product, hearing the news that it's gone through a refresh can be... concerning. The question isn't "what if it's not the same?" You know it won't be! It's "what if it's worse?"
What I've learned through the highs and lows of reformulation is that it's best to trust that your favorite brands will do right by you and themselves. A slight update doesn't have to change the essence of something. Pamela Anderson is herself whether or not she decides to wear makeup, and the same goes for her brand Sonsie Skin's bestselling Basic Balm.
After their gentle introduction to the world in summer 2023 (Anderson joined the brand as co-founder in January 2024 after making their skincare her go-to red carpet glam) Sonsie is making a couple of brand changes this week. Their Moisture Mask is becoming Multi Moisture Cream, while Basic Balm—my very favorite lip balm, mind you—has received a peptide-powered upgrade after being completely sold out for the last six months.
Ahead, learn everything there is to know about the new (and, spoiler alert, improved!) formula—including my honest review.
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The Inspiration
The decision to update Basic Balm was mostly to do with the product's sheer importance in the brand's lineup. When a glossy balm is the only makeup you wear, it might as well do all the tricks. And peptides are full of tricks.
“Our Basic Balm is a life saver… my lips are prone to chapping, and this stays on like no other—whether in dry, cold climates, or in the heat," explains Anderson. "It provides a pleasant shine that you don't have to constantly reapply to achieve."
The Formula
Still vegan, cruelty-free, and fragrance-free, the new formula includes 25% bio-based squalane to boost cell turnover and smooth texture, sunflower seed wax to lock in hydration with a natural glossy finish, and—most importantly—a one-percent hydrating peptide complex to increase volume and moisture. Made up of amino acids, polypeptides work by creating proteins with a whole lot of benefits:increased collagen production, damage repair, and improved skin elasticity are just some of their charms.
In a clinical test of the new balm formula, 69% t of users reported visibly fuller lips after using the product for one month while 83% reported softer lips, and 97% experienced improved lip hydration, with that good, freshly moisturized feeling lasting up to 20 hours.
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My Review
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Let's get this out of the way first: my new Basic Balm still feels and smells (I love the touch of citrus) and ultimately rules my world like my old Basic Balm. But I don't think I ever woke up in the morning after applying the old stuff and found my lips *this* plush?
The most important thing to know about Basic Balm is that it's exactly what it says it is: a basic balm. This little black-and-white tube (isn't that logo, now a little bigger, so pretty?) isn't posturing; it does what it says it does and feels how it says it feels. Though it's naturally glossy, the formula doesn't feel oily on your lips. It's not grainy, either. It's simply a solid, steadfast balm that you'd be pleased to have handed to you if you found yourself purseless and said you were feeling dry. After a smooth, clean application—it's so creamy and comes out of the tube nice and slowly thanks to its rich formula—you'd feel better. You'd hand it back because you're nice... but you might think about sneaking it into your pocket first.
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Just heavy enough, Basic Balm offers that great cocoon-like feeling where you know your lips are wrapped in moisture. While the formula sinks in, the air of protection sticks around. I'm not great at remembering to reapply, but my pout felt soft, smooth, and ultimately loved up hours after coating it.
Lastly... I think it looks gorgeous. I'm enrolled in Anderson's "nothing can be everything but also do what you want" school of beauty, and I love the look of Basic Balm applied to my lips straight up or paired with liner/stain to add a boost of hydration and slight gleam. I know, I know—it's a clear balm. So basic. But if a little upgrade doesn't have to change the essence of something? My smile will gladly accept some nourishment and a little extra visible shine.
