My Honest Review of the Eadem Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm (2025)

Why trust me?

I’ve tested and honestly reviewed thousands of products over the past seven years. You can learn more about my method here, and check out my skin/hair profile here for context.

I purchased this product. The opinions below are my own. You will always receive my honest, in-depth review over here.

This post contains affiliate links that support TheStyleshaker.com, an independently owned company.💜

INGREDIENTS*

1. WHAT’S INSIDE? IS THE BRAND TRANSPARENT?

• This product is vegan, lead-free, and cruelty-free

• The brand focus is on melanin-compatible, high-performance, custom-formulated formulas

• CLAIM: "Three lip products in one: gentle lip peel, lip mask, lip gloss."

• The formula is emollient-packed with peptides (hexapeptide, SpreadIt™ Polymer Technology), antioxidants, and exfoliants (hibiscus enzymes, lactic acid, pyruvic acid) at the end

• Moisturizers inside are acai butter, moringa oil, and mongongo butter

• There are polymers, and the 'subtle' exfoliators may irritate some, but it's going to be a personal call

• Overall, the brand is super transparent about what's inside, but not the packaging (more on this below)

APPLICATION: 5/5

2. IS IT EASY TO APPLY? DOES IT FOLLOW THROUGH ON CLAIMS?

• There are five shades available, named after the brand's favorite French street snacks (Chouchou means ‘favorite’ in French)

• I love that the brand shows the shades on different skin tones on its site; however, the Bissap Glaze shade was a deeper berry tone than what I saw on the model (not swatch)

• CLAIM: "buildable"

• My shade, Bissap Glaze, followed through on the buildable claim. You squeeze and swipe; that's about it

• It has a creamy texture with some rich density to it, but the applicator smoothes it out across lips quickly and easily

• That said, the metal (?) applicator is cool. I love it, but it may not be for you if you’re not into a cool touch

• On the upside, if it is metal (I’ve reached out to the brand about this), I love it even more because it means I’m not sliding plastic on my mouth over and over again

• I prefer a single layer of this balm. A tiny amount does the trick for giving me a subtle wash of hydration and color

• Fun facts from the brand: you can leave it on overnight to be a mask, but I never really got into that since I have go-to masks at this time that aren't colorful (I don't want to waste this balm)

• The brand also says you can apply it, leave it alone for 10 minutes, and then wipe it off to prep the lips. But again, I wouldn't want to waste it (still, the tip is interesting)

PAYOFF: 4/5

3. HOW IS PIGMENT? DOES IT SHOW UP?

• CLAIM: "Adds a glossy finish"

• The payoff was what you'd want from a balm: subtle but absolutely there (my shade is a more pigmented one, so that's what I was looking for)

• I saw a sheen and some gloss. The more you apply, the stronger the pigment and shine will be

• But keep in mind, this isn’t a high-shine, almost wet-looking lip gloss situation

• The only reason it received a '4' is because the images on the site don't line up very well with what I saw in real life (shade-wise)

MOISTURIZING: 5/5

4. HOW MOISTURIZING IS THIS BALM? WHAT IS FINISH LIKE?

• CLAIM: "Plumps and smoothes"

• I feel a bit of plumping, not much, but the smoothing stood out most of all

• I didn't find the soft exfoliators to be irritating at all

• CLAIM: "Immediately masks the appearance of dryness, flakiness, and ashiness."

• I can get dry lips, especially in the dead of winter. I was trying this out during a cold snap, and it significantly improved not only the look of my lips (moisture level) but also got rid of a few dry areas instantly

• I didn’t feel like I was just plopping a layer of balm on; it felt like it was sinking in, if that makes sense. It was weightless moisture for me, and that happens to be one of the main reasons I reach for balms over glosses

• This felt wonderful, like a lightweight, silky layer that isn’t too thick, too thin, and has no tackiness to it

WEAR TEST: 3/5

5. DID IT LAST ALL DAY?

• This is where things fell off just a bit for me

• I run several eight-hour wear tests to make sure I’m giving you the most helpful information possible

• After a few hours, this balm was almost gone, and that was before eating a meal

• So, it’s not the longest-lasting balm I’ve tried in terms of moisture and shine. The color did stick around, though, almost like a soft stain

• And the more I applied, the longer it would last (thanks, Captain Obvious, I know). But that would also affect the shade I’d buy if I were to buy it again

TOTAL SCORE - 17/20

STYLESHAKER 🌎 IMPACT SCAN

🧴 Product packaging: I didn't see information on the product page, so I contacted the brand to learn more.

Update: Well, this is a bummer. The responses I received (the first was a bit vague) were lacking.

First brand response: “We’re proud to share that our packaging is recyclable. While it may seem like a small choice, using earth-friendly materials like glass and recyclable plastic is part of our commitment to sustainability.”

Recyclable is theoretical unless I know what the component is made from. So I followed up…

Me: “Can you please share what materials the lip balm packaging is made of so I know what to recycle locally and what won’t work where I live? Ex. Is the tube mono-material for virgin plastic, metal applicator, and plastic cap? Is it mono-material or not?”

Brand/Eadem: “At this time, we do not have this information available just yet.”

How can you not know what your product component packaging is made from? I do not understand.

📦 Shipping packaging: I didn't see information on the product page, so I contacted the brand to learn more

👎🏼 Update: see above. I’m genuinely baffled right now.

🧪 Ingredient sourcing: "We use clean, safe, US, EU-standard, and Canadian regulations." The brand also goes the extra mile with testing, "going beyond FDA requirements and clinically testing our formulations for Irritation (50 subjects), Stability (equivalent to two years shelf life), and Preservative Efficacy (so it won't develop mold)."

👯 Labor practices: I don't see any information about this on the brand's website. An example is ethically sourced mica

OVERALL: 😕 NOT GOOD

*info subject to change & pulled directlyfrom eadem.co

THE PROS:

• vegan, cruelty-free, female-founded

• the brand focus is on melanin-compatible, high-performance, custom-formulated formulas

• I love the cooling applicator and ease of application overall

• a skincare-boosted formula with peptides, antioxidants, and some really moisturizing oils, as well

• the wash of color with one swipe of Bissap Glaze is beautiful - subtle, but it shows up

• feels great on (I don't even know it's there)

• the texture and way this smoothed out my lips really stood out -- it felt like a treatment and a balm

THE CONS:

• if you don't want exfoliation, lactic acid, or polymers in your formula, this will be a pass

• the shade Bissap Glaze was darker in real life than what I saw on-model on the brand's site (not a dealbreaker, but worth mentioning)

• five shades may not suit your needs

THE OTHER OPTIONS:

• Jones Road The Lip Tints

• ILIA Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balms

• Iris&Romeo Power Peptide Lip Balm

• Olio e Osso Tinted Balms

• Westman Atelier Squeaky Balm

MY FINAL VERDICT:

WHEN I FINISH THIS, WILL I BUY MORE? IS IT WORTH IT?

• I love the shade I have, the cooling applicator, the brand mission, how it feels, and the ingredients

• A very little bit goes a long way, which speaks to overall value. I do think it could be worth the $24 price. I also like to look at it as an investment in a female-founded company that very clearly has integrity and a strong mission statement

• Something about this formula’s treatment element has me thinking I could try it again, probably in a lighter shade, but…

• The wear test has me a little underwhelmed (based on the way I like to wear it, a lighter layer), and I'm waiting to hear about the packaging right now

• The bottom line is it’s a great, multi-faceted lip balm, but I need more information about the brand’s sustainability efforts before I give it the ‘green light’ to buy again

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DISCLAIMER: *Why I don’t assign a score to ingredients: percentage matters and what works for one may not work for another. I’m in no way a cosmetic chemist (probably obvious at this point). This is not medical advice or meant to treat and diagnose. Please seek advice from a medical expert if you have additional questions.