A few months ago, I saw a TikTok of Glossier’s Balm Dotcoms at T.J.Maxx. Naturally, I knew I needed to go to T.J.Maxx that day. I ended up finding the Mint Balm Dotcom.

The product I found is in the original Balm Dotcom style. It is in a paint tube-style of packaging where you have to use your finger to apply it. I was willing to overlook this slight annoyance. The product itself kept my lips moisturized for hours and gave a nice glossy look while being effective. I had no issue with using my fingers to apply it since the product was so good, but I believed it would be simpler to have an applicator on the tube. 

I was wrong.

Due to my love of my one Balm Dotcom, my mom and I decided to order a three-pack from Glossier. I knew that the brand had switched formulas and tube styles but was hopefully optimistic. I thought the transition to a tube style with an applicator attached would be much easier and less messy. Of course, with the new applicator, the former thick formula would not work. I had seen a few people online say that the formula wasn’t as good. I decided I would have to try it myself.

It was a huge letdown.

Since I didn’t want a duplicate, I ordered the Wild Fig Balm Dotcom rather than the Mint. Despite the inconsistency, I doubt the flavor is the root of the issue.

The new applicator was nice, I’ll admit. I appreciate the clean application by not using my fingers for the tinted Wild Fig. The shade of the product was perfect along with the scent. Neither of these can make up for the formula.

I wanted to love this product; I really did, but unfortunately, I can’t say that I do. The new formula seems to never last me as long as my mint one. I find myself reapplying almost by the hour. Originally, I thought maybe I just wasn’t using the same amount of product because of the new applicator. I then tried using my fingers, but it gave the same results. 

The big changes in the formula are switches from petroleum, beeswax, and lanolin. Petroleum was swapped out for castor oil. Lanolin, which is a wax that comes from sheep’s wool, was simply removed, and beeswax was swapped for a lab-made, synthetic version. These switches made Glossier’s beloved Balm Dotcom vegan. I understand the importance of switching to vegan and environmentally-safe products, but I wish a better job had been done. I’m no makeup-production expert, but there have to be more moisturizing environmentally-safe ingredients to maintain the integrity of the older formula.

I still enjoy the Glossier Balm Dotcom, but I can no longer say it’s my favorite lip product. Ultimately, Balm Dotcom upgrade needs a new upgrade, or rather, a downgrade, if that’s what it takes to bring back the longevity.