It takes a lot for a lip balm to impress a beauty editor, but the first time we saw Maybelline Baby Lips, our whole office let out a collective squeal of excitement. With their bubble fonts and cheery colours, they were so cute and colourful — and affordable enough to stash in every single one of our bags. We've been hooked on them ever since, and we're definitely not the only ones.
Now, one Baby Lips balm or gloss is sold every three seconds in the world, effectively turning this drugstore newbie into a cult classic. We wanted to know how the brand keeps up with all that demand, so we headed to its manufacturing facility to find out. There, Maybelline walked us through every step, from mixing the wax, oil, and pigment powders to hosing the liquid into giant plastic vats to cool (our favourite step). Once it's solid, the mixture is cut into large chunks and placed into a kettle to melt before it's poured into metal molds.
The coolest part of the entire thing? To ensure that the Baby Lips balm can withstand a fall without breaking, Maybelline manufacturers perform an in-lab drop-test. If the balm passes the drop test without a scratch, it's ready to be sealed with a label, boxed up, and shipped off to stores around the country. If not, it's back to square one.
Watch the video above to see the entire production process, which will make you love and appreciate your baby blue tube even more.