If you missed out on e.l.f.’s pickle-flavoured Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balm earlier this year, you’re not alone – they sold out in eight minutes flat. Turns out beauty fans really do want their lip balm tasting like a jar of gherkins, and e.l.f. has clearly been paying attention, because the pickle era isn’t over. It’s expanding.
From tomorrow – 20th August – three new limited-edition pickle-inspired shades are landing, alongside a returning fan favourite.
What’s actually in the drop
- The Real Dill – the original comes back: sharp, classic, unapologetically pickle, in a sheer green shade.
- e.l.f. von Dill – a lighter, sweeter take with a sweet-salty-tangy balance and a glossy pearl finish.
- Spicy Lil’ Dill – the newest formula of the bunch, with a plumping effect and a spicy kick in a deep red.
- Briny Blender – a novelty pickle-shaped makeup sponge, because apparently we’re going all in.
Each balm is £9, with that glossy, buttery finish the Glow Reviver line is known for.
Why this is happening (and why it’s smart)
This isn’t just a gimmick that got lucky once. e.l.f. says the vast majority of people who bought the original pickle balm – over three-quarters – were new to the brand entirely. That’s the kind of number that makes a beauty brand’s marketing team sit up, and it’s clearly why they moved quickly to build out a whole flavour family rather than treat it as a one-off. There’s also a genuine cultural hook behind it: pickle-related content has been having a real moment with younger audiences over the past year, so e.l.f. is essentially meeting an existing craving rather than manufacturing one from scratch.
Where and when to get it
- UK: elfcosmetics.co.uk from August 20, then in Boots stores from August 26
- US: elfcosmetics.com, Ulta.com, and Ulta’s TikTok Shop from August 20, with the full range (plus a gift with purchase) in Ulta stores from August 23
- Germany: DM stores from September 24
There’s also an IRL pickle-themed activation planned at the Minnesota State Fair later this month – which, love it or find it slightly unhinged, is exactly the kind of stunt that gets a beauty launch talked about outside of beauty circles entirely.
The honest take
Will I be trying these the second they land? I’m not sure I am personally a ‘pickle person’, but seeing as the original sold out before I even got near it, I’m not missing this round. Whether “pickle lip balm” is a genius bit of flavour innovation or a fever dream someone greenlit in a meeting is genuinely up for debate, but you can’t argue with an eight-minute sellout. Watch this space for a proper review once I’ve got my hands on them.
