Your first love. Visiting a foreign country. Seeing your favourite band live and weeping tears of happiness. Eating at a Michelin star restaurant. The moment when your first-born grips onto your finger and holds on for dear life. All of these things will change your life, for sure…but they pale in comparison to discovering the difference a lip sleeping pack can make in your life.

Forgive the exaggeration, but honestly – if you don’t have a sleeping pack for your poor parched lips yet, you should. It’s sincerely one of my favourite steps in my routine these days. These magical masks ensure you don’t wake up with your lips feeling like the inside of a worn leather shoe. Lip sleeping packs, if you didn’t know, are basically very thick lip balms that give lasting hydration throughout the night, keeping them soft and smooth through mild exfoliation (removal of dead skin cells) so they feel well and truly cared for.

Two of the greats in the world of Asian skincare are the Laneige Special Care Lip Sleeping Mask, and the Aritaum Ginger Sugar Overnight Lip Mask, and it’s these that I will be reviewing and comparing here today. I do own the special edition version of the Laneige, which they released as a holiday edition over the Christmas period in 2016. It is no different, however, from the original mask, except for in scent and colour.

I’ll be comparing the texture, packaging, scent, ingredients, effects and price in this review. Let’s start with the Laneige, seeing as it is possibly the more popular of the two.

Laneige Special Care Lip Sleeping Mask (Vanilla)

Ingredients:

Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Hydrogenated C6-14 Olefin Polymers, Polybutene, Microcrystalline Wax, Shea Butter, Synthetic Wax, Candelilla Wax, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Hydrogenated Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Mica, Aromatics, Astrocaryum murumuru Seed Butter, Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Methicone, Carnauba Wax, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, CI 19140, Water, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Potassium Alginate, Propanediol, Glycerin, Alcohol, Raspberry Fruit Extract, Strawberry Fruit Extract, Sapindus mukurossi Fruit Extract, Blueberry Fruit Extract, Cranberry Fruit Extract, Rubus chamaemorus Seed Extract, Coffee Extract, Chenopodium quinoa Seed Extract, Lycium Fruit Extract, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Glucan, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Ascorbyl Glucoside

Gosh, that’s long, isn’t it? What you can see, however, is a lot of ingredients with a butter/wax base, such as shea butter, candelilla wax, astrocaryum murmur seed butter, and carnuaba wax. Candelilla and carnuba are plant/vegetable-based waxes, and are a little thicker than beeswax. They provide a ‘glossy’, shiny look, with slip…lubrication, basically. Shea butter is well-known for its moisturising properties, and is frequently used in lip products because of the protection and care it provides. Beta-glucan is also frequently used in skin care thanks to anti-oxidant and moisturising properties. There are some solid moisturising ingredients in this product, and with a list like that it’s safe to bet that it provides lasting results. But does it?

Texture

The lip pack is very buttery and smooth in texture, naturally being a bit sticky, but not excessively. When I swatched this to show the texture, it clung to my skin and made it feel very soft, almost like it had an oil film layer protecting it when I tried to wash it off. Just using water wouldn’t remove it. However, it did come off with an oil cleanser. When you wear the product and rub your lips together, it’s incredibly smooth and not sticky at all – for example, if you were to press them together, and then open your mouth, there would be no sticking together. When I wake up in the morning, the smooth film is still there. It feels luxurious and thoroughly pampers your lips.

Packaging

The holiday editions were very nicely packaged on this, but as products go, it’s not the most exciting packaging you’ll ever see. It comes in a nice sturdy jar, that is easy to carry around, and is nice and small so you can take it with you on your travels. It also comes with a small applicator, so you don’t have to dip your fingers into the product. Very hygienic and well-thought out. The applicator even has a little plastic case so you can take it with you and not get it dirty in your pouch. The jar will last you a long time, too. I bought mine with the release of the holiday edition and I still have over half left.

Scent

The original version of this pack smells like berries, but each of the holiday editions has a different scent – I plumped for vanilla, and have since repurchased the product but chosen grapefruit this time. The scent is quite strong, and while you’re applying it you can really smell it in the jar. However, it doesn’t last, and it’s mostly just for a pleasant experience while you apply. The only scent that was too strong for me when I tested in the store was the apple lime. I don’t really like synthetic apple smells, so it was a no-go for me, but if you like that kind of smell I assume it would be pleasant.

Effects

In the morning, when waking up, there is usually still a layer of the product on your lips. It lasts all night long, so its staying power is very impressive – you are then supposed to wipe off the product in the morning with a pad or tissue, etc, removing the dead skin cells and leaving you with a smooth soft lip. It does indeed do this, and when I use this product I feel that my lips are well and truly pampered. This mask really does have a luxury feel to it.

Price

The price is the only thing that is hard to swallow when it comes to this product – in Korea it retails for 18,000 won, which translates to roughly $16 (USD). It’s not the worst price in the world, but it kind of hurts when it comes to a lip product. Considering, however, that it lasts so long and works so well, it’s definitely worth the money. I’ve repurchased, and would again, for sure, so it’s not that off-putting when you consider the benefits. For those who wear a lot of lipstick or lip products, this is a product you really should have in your arsenal, so it’s totally worth it. Your lips will thank you.

Yesstyle have it for $13.96 (roughly, I don’t know if it fluctuates), and StyleKorean have it for $15.93.

Now, moving on to the Aritaum product.

Aritaum Ginger Sugar Overnight Lip Mask

Ingredients: Polybutene, dextrin palmitate, phytosteryl/isotearyl/cetyl/stearyl/behenyl dimer dilinoleate, diisostearyl malate, phytosteryl isostearyl dimer dilinoleate, hydrogenated polyisobutene, mineral oil, butyrospermum parkii butter (shea butter), microcrystalline wax, glycerin, candelilla wax, tocopheryl acetate, astrocaryum murumuru seed butter, triethylhexanoin, beeswax, caprylic triglyceride, dimethicone, hydrogenated styrene, sucrose tetrastearate triacetate, butylene copolymer, ethylene copolymer, polyethylene, ozokerite, polyhydroxystearic acid, polyglyceryl-2 dipolhydroxystearate, disteardimonium hectorite, sorbitan isotearate, isopropyl palmitate, isostearic acid, lecithin, ethylexyl palmitate, dehydroacetic acid, BHT, polyglyceryl-3 polyricinoleate, trehalose, zingiber officinale root extract, citrus aurantium dulcis, citrus aurantium bergamia fruit oil, lemon peel oil.

So, shea butter is another ingredient, along with the solid ingredient of beeswax, often used in lip products. The butters/waxes used in the product moisturise deeply and help the lips feel smooth and soft. Ginger and orange are often used for vitality, and the orange oil is noted in the scent of this product. Sugar provides mild exfoliation, much like in the Laneige mask.

Texture

This product is much more sticky than the Laneige mask. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, having tried the Laneige first. The texture of sticky rather than smooth wasn’t as pleasant for me, and it doesn’t spread quite so easily. However, sticky texture aside, once I got used to it, it really didn’t bother me. It’s just different, that’s all. It doesn’t feel quite so luxurious, but it again lasts through until morning, and pretty much feels the same as it did when you applied it at night. The Laneige, in my opinion, absorbs a little more and sometimes isn’t as present in the morning when I come to take it off. It’s still there, but a layer of this will last you completely through the night, as good as new.

Comparison of the two – Aritaum at the top, Laneige on the bottom.

Packaging

I actually really like the packaging on this one. It’s a simple, flatter tub, which again is easy to carry and is lighter than the Laneige, so it’s also great for travelling. Generally I’ll take this over the Laneige when it comes to going away or staying out for the night. The design on the lid is quite nice, with a little drawing of some ginger, and the name of the product prettily printed. Functional, simple, and sturdy. Just what you need.

Scent

The scent of this product isn’t as strong, but it smells faintly of oranges. Sadly not of ginger, which I was a little disappointed about, as it’s one of my favourite scents. The orange, however, is nice, and really doesn’t linger. It doesn’t matter. You don’t need a strong scent with a product, it’s just all for the sensual experience. This has enough of a scent to be pleasant, but nothing special.

Effects

Thanks to its stickiness, this product is a little harder to remove than the Laneige. You will wake up with more of a film in the morning, but once it’s off, your lips are equally as smooth as they would be with the Laneige. I honestly don’t find much difference between the effects of these products. They’re much of the same, providing moisture, slight exfoliation (which actually, now I think about it harder, I feel more often with the Aritaum than the Laneige), and the feeling of a smooth lip. You will never wake up with chapped lips with either of these products. They both offer decent lip care, but I still need to use lip balm throughout the day with both. I have pretty dry lips half the time – however, if I didn’t wear a lip pack, I know I would have chapped, red skin around my lips, making them really sensitive and painful. So while they don’t help me in the day, they improve the general condition of my lips and make them much less likely to dry out.

Price

This is the cheaper of the two, and price varies a lot online, but you shouldn’t be paying much more than $12 for it. It retails for 9,000 won in Korea, so it’s not that expensive. You get a fair bit of product and it’ll also last you a while. I’ve barely touched mine. You need much less of the product than the Laneige for it to fully cover, so it will really last you a long time. It’s really good value in my opinion, and I would definitely repurchase at that price.

KoreaDepart have it at $8.11 (but with frequent sales).

Final thoughts

Both of these products are solid, and there isn’t much difference in the results that they provide. The rest of it boils down to personal preference, and how much you want to spend on the lip mask. The Aritaum is better value, and is better for those who are on a budget. It is a functional product with no bells and whistles. The Laneige, however, feels more luxurious and the buttery texture is beautiful. It is a product I’d be more likely to gift someone. The price is higher, but the experience is very different. However, when it comes to what both products do, I really don’t think there is a significant difference to say that one is better than the other.

Have you used both of these products? Which do you prefer? Let me know in the comments! And if you’ve only used one of them, let me know about your experience!