Charms + lip balms = a Gen Z winner. Bubble’s latest launch makes a lifestyle play and gets the brand out of consumers’ bathrooms and into their daily lives.Bubble
Gen Z favorite Bubble Skincare is debuting its first-ever lip product, the $9 Tell All Juicy Secret Lip Balm, in a unique keychain format that incorporates five charms to add an element of customization. The launch simultaneously taps two hot trends: charms, which Vogue reminds us are “cool again,” and lip balms, which were a top driver in the color cosmetic space in the first half of 2024 (though this Bubble launch is notably not tinted). Here’s everything we know about the launch.
Bubble’s Accessorized Beauty Approach
“[Many of our consumers and community members have been finding ways to show off their Bubble affinity on their own, prior to us offering our keychain and Bubble charms as part of this Tell All Juicy Secret Lip Balm launch,” says founder Shai Eisenman.Accessories have become a key element of beauty and wellness launches. Earlier this year, Rhode broke the internet with its phone case, which was perfectly designed with a divot to hold the brand’s lip balms.
More recently, Kourtney Kardashian’s Lemme wellness brand launched a charm necklace featuring a pendant locket for holding vitamins. Clearly something is in the air.
Though the launch feels very of the moment, Bubble says the Tell All Juicy Secret Lip Balm was developed over three years.
“[Many of our consumers and community members have been finding ways to show off their Bubble affinity on their own, prior to us offering our keychain and Bubble charms as part of this Tell All Juicy Secret Lip Balm launch,” says founder Shai Eisenman.
She adds, “For our community, this is about more than looking and feeling good; it’s about self-expression. Gen Z, with their passion for individuality, are finding new ways to stand out in an increasingly fragmented and noisy cultural landscape.”
Eisenman concludes, “By offering customizable options, we’re empowering our customers to own their Bubble experience. In addition to prestige products and effective formulas, we’re always striving to offer our fans a statement, an experience, and a reflection of their unique style.”
The brand leveraged its social media communities to build the concept.
“To create this product, the team collected over 3,000 real secrets from our community,” says Eisenman. “Each Tell All box contains one of these Juicy Secrets, offering a hilarious and relatable glimpse into the minds of a generation.”
Bubble’s Tell All Juicy Secret Lip Balm features five initial charms, including Bubble Cloud, Super Star, Lookee Here, Day Facer and Little Slammy.BubbleShe adds, “Making the product an iconic accessory that can be customized with Bubble Charms and hung from clothes, bags, and keyrings, was our strategy to turn our already great lip product into something truly unique.”
The formula is housed within a keychain format for easy on-the-go usage. The chain element can incorporate the brand’s five charms, which offer an opportunity for customization and display of the product. The charms include:
- Bubble Cloud
- Super Star
- Lookee Here
- Day Facer
- Little Slammy
Shoppers can buy a set of the five charms for $9 on the brand’s website, as well as a pared down set of two charms, Slammy and Day Facer, for $4.
The charms can of course also be displayed on bags, belts, bracelets, necklaces, etc., making the launch a true lifestyle concept.
More charm variants are expected to come, per the brand.
Breaking Down the Tell All Juicy Secret Lip Balm Formulation
The balm launch is very much in keeping with Bubble’s consumer demands. It also gives the brand:
- an easy entry point for consumers; and
- a way to get the brand “out of the bathroom” and into the wider world and consumers’ days.
“The Bubble community has been actively requesting a Bubble lip balm for some time,” says Eisenman.
“While we, and the industry at large, are definitely seeing an emerging trend in the lip care category, trends have never influenced our product development pipeline,” says Eisenman.BubbleShe adds, “While we, and the industry at large, are definitely seeing an emerging trend in the lip care category, trends have never influenced our product development pipeline. At Bubble, the wants and needs of our community determine our product and category expansion, and the community has been asking for lip balm since we started developing this product three years ago.”
Eisenman continues, “Clearly they’ve seen this trend coming for quite some time. With lip balm, Bubble will come out of the bathroom and into our customer’s daily life—and the lip balm category provides a low-barrier entry point into the skin care market.”
Bubble’s Juicy Secret balm is designed to be hydrating, plumping and non-sticky/fast-absorbing.
Key ingredients include:
- plumping chicory root extract, which acts as a plant-derived glucosamine
- hydrating and barrier-supporting morninga oil esters
- acacia flower wax for a lush, soft texture
The Tell All Juicy Secret Lip Balm Retail Rollout
The balm is rolling out on the brand’s own site first, followed by both Ulta Beauty and Walmart online and in-store.
“TikTok and Instagram have always been our brand’s playgrounds,” says Eisenman, “so our fans will see consistent content from our channels and from Bubble community members posting around the world. Beyond that, we have partnered with Juice Press and Glowbar to build excitement and social buzz around this new launch.”
Finally, she says, “We’ll be offering a ‘secret flavor’ Juicy Secret Smoothie with Juice Press the week after launch to continue social buzz, community excitement, and reach a new audience.”