La rivincita del Labello

With a little time and the right coverage on TikTok, everything shines back to its original splendor. As happened to Clinique's Black Honey, a product in the range for decades that has returned to sell-out status for its wraparound coloring, the Italian Gen-Z's new fetish is Labello, the iconic lip balm of the 1990s. If it was once considered that somewhat underrated and cheap cosmetic, forgotten inside bags and ski suits but a valuable winter ally for chapped lips, today it is back to claim its functionality with an added value, that of nostalgia for the 2000s. It is precisely the most beloved social platform of the new generation that is responsible for the so-called Labellomania where the hashtag #Labello that has reached as many as 200 million views. 

The phenomenon of Labello's comeback started thanks to influencer and content creator Alessia Morelli, who offers make-up and beauty-themed content to her more than 220 thousand followers. She would proclaim herself the "Queen of Labello," as her bio reads, thanks to the success of her favorite lip combo. To outline the cupid's bow and the lip contour, she uses a tinted pencil, while as a gloss, to give a touch of intensity and definition to the curve of the face but maintaining a natural effect in full 90s style, she chooses Labello in blackberry or cherry tint. Unlocking a memory to the entire Millennial generation and reevaluating a cheap product with decades of proven efficacy for Gen-Zers used to seeing Labello at the supermarket, the content creator has given birth to Labello Mania. Lip balm sticks began disappearing from the shelves of supermarkets and perfumeries, especially in the colors she used, becoming almost unobtainable. 

The Labello case is the result of three main aspects: the now official validity of the 2000s trends as current fashion, both in the fashion and beauty fields, but above all the sensitivity of the public to whom the product (albeit without product placement initially) was proposed. What makes the Labello so popular are the wide accessibility for the very young and not so young who populate TikTok Italy, who in search of beauty directions, find a painless solution for their pockets with an extremely cool end effect. Could the Labello be considered the beauty dupe of the previously mentioned Clinique Black Honey? Perhaps, if one considers the dark but non-covering finish and the moisturizing texture but still leaves a trace of color. Once again, TikTok's strength lies in dredging up old content, trends and products from the past and talking about them in a new way, perhaps with the right faces, but more importantly to the right people, who are able to finally point out the hidden treasure that has been lurking on the shelves of the supermarket around the corner.