Review of Tatcha's new and reformulated Kissu Lip Mask

Despite living in New Jersey, where the weather seems to change every hour, I rarely experience chapped lips.

However, working in New York City can sometimes take its toll. Maybe it's the city's air quality, or the result of walking outside this winter, but I've definitely started to notice more cracks and peels across my lips in recent weeks.

So, when I heard Tatcha would be relaunching its cult-favorite Kissu Lip Mask, I was excited to try it out for myself.

It's said to do so with a blend of four main ingredients, including squalane, Japanese-peach extract, three-rose extract, and Japanese camellia oil.

Though the lip mask is contained in a tiny jar — and is smaller than I expected — the packaging feels heavy and of good quality, in my opinion. Based on appearance, it also seems to be the same size as other lip balms and treatments I already own.

However, the jar only holds nine grams of product, which is less than other lip masks on the market. Bite Beauty's $26 Agave+ Intensive Vegan Lip Mask, for example, has 15 grams of product, and Laneige's $20 Lip Sleeping Mask contains 20 grams.

When I screwed the lid off the jar, Tatcha's lip mask looked a lot to me like the brand's range of lip balms; I already own the Camellia Gold Spun Lip Balm, and am a big fan.

As soon as I touched the lip mask, however, I could tell that it was a completely different formula than the latter product.

Whereas Tatcha's lip balm has a thin but firm formula, the brand's lip mask feels more like a jelly. The texture feels the same when applied on the lips, and, in my experience, it sits smoothly and doesn't move around too much. Thankfully, it doesn't feel sticky, either.

I found that the product also has a pleasantly light fruity scent.

I was able to sleep fine while wearing the mask, and was excited to see results the following morning.

When I woke up, however, I found that my bottom lip felt more chapped than it did when I went to sleep. My top lip did feel slightly smoother, but I could also still feel some of the lip mask sitting on my skin.

Tatcha's website does suggest using the product for one week, though, so I continued to apply it before bed each night to give it a fair shot.

But my lips only felt drier and appeared to be more chapped after using Tatcha's Kissu Lip Mask. While the product might work for some people, the product didn't seem to seep into my skin, but instead sat on top of my lips.

Doctor Kathleen Cook Suozzi, a dermatologist at the Yale School of Medicine, told Insider that she can understand why Tatcha's Kissu Lip Mask might cause dry lips.

"I am not very familiar with the product myself, but after a quick investigation I can see that it is formulated in a gel base, which contains alcohol, so it is not surprising that it would be drying to delicate lip skin for some patients," Cook Suozzi said.

"In addition, this product is labeled as 'clean,' but clean does not mean chemical free," she continued. "It is possible that complaints related to dryness are actually representing an irritant or allergic dermatitis. For lip products, I recommend bland emollients to my patients, such as Aquaphor or CeraVe ointment."

At the time of writing, 35 people have left one-star reviews for Tatcha's Kissu Lip Mask on Sephora's website. Many of these commenters have said the product sat on top of their lips, and left their skin more parched than it was before.

"Really wanted to love it but it was just an unfortunate experience," one person wrote about the mask. "The one star is for the cute packaging and beautiful color of the product itself. The actual lip mask however dried out my lips."

"Love love love Tatcha but this product sucks," another person wrote. "Tried it for two weeks and the product would just sit on my lips, no absorption, nothing, left my lips drier than before."

While heading to the train station before work one morning, I quickly applied the Kissu Lip Mask and decided to wear it as a balm.

Not only did I love how the mask looked — it reminded me of clear lip gloss — but I also liked how it stayed on my lips for hours. In my experience, the product lasted throughout my commute into New York City, and also stuck around throughout most of the morning. It wasn't until I ate lunch that I needed to reapply the product.

The mask didn't seem to dry out my lips the same way it did while I was sleeping, possibly because I was wearing it during the day and was moving my lips to eat and talk.

Unfortunately, in my experience, the product seemed to dry my lips rather than moisturize them. I also don't think this product is worth its $28 price tag, especially when considering that cheaper lip masks contain more product.

However, if you're looking for a long-lasting clear gloss, this might be a good option for you. When wearing the mask during the day, I found the product stayed on my lips for hours at a time, and felt pretty comfortable on the skin. 

You can learn more about Tatcha's Kissu Lip Mask on the brand's website.

Representatives for Tatcha did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Source: Insider.com

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