Caturday cravings: a gourmand lip balm from Paul & Joe and a purr-fect curveball from Loewe

I didn’t intend to fall for a lip balm today, yet here I am thinking about candied orange peel like a woman possessed. Paul & Joe just put out Lip Conditioning Balm in Orangette, and that name alone tells you exactly what lane it’s driving in. Sweet, tart and just a pinch bitter - the edible fantasy we keep pretending we don’t want, until a tiny pot whispers otherwise.

Orangette is one of those notes that makes fragrance lovers twitch in a good way. It’s the grown-up gourmand, the one that trades cupcake frosting for a bite of citrus peel and a memory of dark chocolate on your fingertips. No cloying avalanche, just a quiet hum that says you know the difference between syrup and zest. A lip balm isn’t a perfume, sure, but it’s a clever way to wear a mood on your face. Think of it as aura maintenance for people who like their sweetness with structure.

What I appreciate is the restraint. We’ve all been bludgeoned by dessert-in-a-tube before. This reads like a citrus study with a twist - a little bitter to keep the gloss from getting coy. On days when I’m living in fresh shirts and clean skin scents, this kind of micro-gourmand does the soft-power work. It won’t fight your fragrance. It will make your coffee taste like a date.

And because Saturdays belong to cats, Loewe is out here serving an unscented kitty moment. The irony is delicious. A luxury house that understands materials and texture chooses silence and fluff. It’s a reminder that not every launch needs a foghorn. Sometimes the smartest brand flex is to let our brains fill in the scent - fur, sunlight, a clean room, the quiet pleasure of just looking.

Two very different gestures, one shared message: intimacy is trending. A pot of Orangette that leans close, a Loewe video that says nothing and still says everything. If that’s the mood for the season, I’m not mad at it. I’m just reapplying and pressing play.