I Tested Two Viral ‘Glass Balm’ Lip Favourites: Which One Delivers the Best Glass-Lips Finish?
Why 'dessert beauty' is still everywhere..
The Beauty Ed®’s Note: THE LAB Contributing Editor Gia was kindly gifted these glass balms, and with the values that I have stuck with my whole 25+ year career in beauty journalism, she chose to review them honestly and thoughtfully for you reader! We hope you find this review helpful!
If there’s one category that has refused to peak and disappear, it’s the glass lip. In 2026, it has evolved far beyond the original glazed-doughnut moment into something more textural, more skincare-led, and, increasingly, more dessert-coded than ever.
With strong K-beauty influence filtered through sweet treats: lip oils that smell like macaroons, balms inspired by desserts, and formulas that promise shine and hydration in equal measure. The result is a category that sits somewhere between makeup and skincare, and is now one of the most saturated (and genuinely competitive) corners of beauty.
I tested two of the most talked-about ‘glass balm’ launches: Glow Recipe’s Glass Balm in Fig Bingsoo (£19) and Laneige’s Glaze Craze Tinted Lip Serum in Rose Jam (£18.50), over multiple wear tests to see which one performed better.
Glow Recipe Glass Balm🍧
Glow Recipe’s ‘Glass Balm’ sits firmly in the ‘skincare disguised as gloss’ category. The specific shade ‘Fig Bingsoo’ is inspired by the Korean shaved ice dessert, which makes sense once you understand the texture: cooling, smoothing, and restorative rather than overtly glossy.
The formula combines hyaluronic microspheres and glycerin, designed to draw moisture into the lips and improve surface texture over time. In practice, it doesn’t act as a traditional lip gloss at all. There’s no aggressive shine or lacquered finish; instead, it melts into the lips and leaves a soft sheen.
Sarah Lee, Glow Recipe’s co-founder, describes the process as microscopic spheres moving across the lips, ‘filling in the dry gaps.’
Glow Recipe Glass Balm Review: Performance & Wear Test:
No stickiness whatsoever
Sheer-to-medium muted mauve tint
Subtle sweet scent that doesn’t overpower
It also wears longer than expected for something so lightweight. On me, it faded evenly without the usual dryness that often comes with glossy formulas.
*If there’s a critique, it’s that the ‘plumping’ claim feels more conceptual than visible. You get softness but not plumping.
Rating: 8/10🌟
Laneige Glaze Craze Tinted Lip Serum Review (Shade: Rose Jam) 🍩
The new Glaze Craze Tinted Lip Serum shades are a limited-edition spring collection featuring a sheer black, a lavender, and a rosy pink. As frequent readers will know, I have a longstanding loyalty to Laneige, I religiously use their lip sleeping masks and base products, and it’s also a brand that seems to be a favourite of fellow LAB students too, which made testing this release feel particularly exciting!
The new doughnut inspired shades include: Rose Jam, Lavender Frosting, and Black Plum, although, predictably, Rose Jam was the one I was most drawn to from the outset. In my opinion, it is the most wearable of the three: a rosy pink that captures that glazed, dessert-coded finish.
Rose Jam is also the only shade in the line-up that isn’t glittery or shimmer-heavy; instead, it’s a true glassy gloss, smooth and reflective.
Texture-wise, Laneige is doing something noticeably more substantial than Glow Recipe. It’s thicker, more cushiony, and feels like a gloss-serum hybrid rather than a balm. The shine is stronger on application, more overt, and the pigment is also more immediate, particularly in Rose Jam, where the colour actually holds its own against the gloss.
The scent, however, is where Laneige fully wins. It’s sweet, rose, macaron scent truly embodies that dessert fantasy. It’s the kind of product you notice before you even apply it, which, depending on how you feel about fragrance in lip products, will either be part of the appeal or slightly overwhelming.
I also have to mention the applicator, which is a soft, circular applicator that is reminiscent of a glazed doughnut shape, and actually makes application more controlled than you’d expect from such a glossy formula. It’s a small detail, but it does reinforce Laneige’s strength in packaging-led sensorial design.
In wear, Rose Jam gives you that immediate ‘done’ lip, glossy, slightly plush, visually impactful, but it does soften and fade more quickly than Glow Recipe, particularly after eating or drinking. What remains is more of a stain-like tint rather than the original glass effect.
Still, within the context of a limited-edition drop, it feels very aligned with Laneige’s current direction: skincare-adjacent, highly sensorial, and designed as much for aesthetic pleasure as for functional wear.
Rating: 7/10🌟
Head-to-Head Wear Test Comparison: Glow Recipe Vs Laneige
I wore both products on separate days under similar conditions, with some lip liner and repeated reapplication checks across the day.
Hydration & Formula Lip Treatment: Glow Recipe 💕
It feels like a treatment balm first and a cosmetic second.
Glass-Like Shine Finish: Laneige 🍩
It is significantly glossier on first application. If your priority is a visible glass effect, it delivers more immediately.
Long-Wear Comfort & Texture: Glow Recipe 💗
Both formulas are non-sticky, but Glow Recipe excels for long-wear comfort and ‘forget you’re wearing it’ texture.
Longevity & Fading: Glow Recipe 💗
It lasts longer in a wearable, more evenly textured way.
Sensory & Fragrance experience: Laneige 🍩
The rose-macaron scent is strong and nostalgic.
The Verdict: Which Viral Glass Balm Is Worth It?
Personally, I reached for Glow Recipe’s glass balm more often. It moisturises the lips well throughout the day, sits well under everything, and looks gorgeous layered over the nude lipsticks I wear most days. It feels like a product you finish entirely and immediately consider repurchasing.
That said, Laneige wins on pure sensory pleasure. The scent, the pigment, the glass-like finish.
So, which one wins?
Choose Glow Recipe Glass Balm for everyday wear and hydration.
Choose Laneige Glaze Craze for glossy impact and makeup looks.