Rhode’s Lemontini Lip Tint Is Here & The New Formula Impressed Me

If your FYP looks anything like ours, a certain little tube of lip gloss with sunshine-yellow packaging has probably been making the rounds as of late. Yep, we’re talking about the Rhode Peptide Lip Tint in Lemontini, $20, the limited-edition flavor joining Hailey Bieber’s much-loved (and frequently sold out) lip treat lineup. This golden, shimmery shade is inspired by the Lemon Drop Martini — aka Lemontini — a refreshing, citrusy cocktail best enjoyed under the Mediterranean sunshine.

To mark this highly anticipated launch, Rhode has staged a pop-up beach club in Mallorca, Spain, pumping our feeds with glorious shots of rocky beaches, string bikinis, and dove gray sun loungers. But beyond all that FOMO-inducing content, there’s one notable update that caught our attention: this new Lemontini Lip Tint features a revamped formula that improves upon texture and hydration (the rest of Rhode’s Peptide Lip Tint collection will also be upgraded to the new formulation from August 14.)

As someone who also owns the old version of the Rhode Lip Tint, I’ve given Lemontini a fair shake — keep reading to learn exactly how the new formula compares.

I have to admit that I’ve always held a somewhat lukewarm opinion of Rhode’s Peptide Lip Tint, even though it’s highly regarded by my peers, including the rest of the R29 beauty team. I love the glazed texture but don’t find it moisturizing enough as a peptide lip treatment. The product feels conditioning on my lips at first, but the hydration doesn’t go that far beneath the surface, so my lips would still feel dry and flaky by the end of the day. The colors are very pretty (I own Raspberry Jelly and Espresso), but I don’t find myself reaching for them that often.

I was eager to see if Lemontini’s formulation would feel different on my lips. In an Instagram post, the brand explains that the upgrade was inspired by customer feedback on the gritty texture of some of Rhode’s lip products. That’s been resolved by swapping out the shea butter ingredient from solid to liquid format. Upon swatching Lemontini next to Raspberry Jelly (which features the OG formula), I observed a smoother, more cushiony glide on the newcomer; it also feels less sticky, which I appreciate.

I normally find food-scented beauty products overwhelmingly saccharine, but it’s very tastefully done here. Lemontini carries a faint, citrusy aroma that reminds me of sugared lemon peels used in cocktails. The gloss even tastes a bit sweet, which makes it all the more tempting to reapply.

The brand claims to have spent two years developing the ingredient change, and that hard work has really paid off, in my opinion. Compared to the original Lip Tint, Lemontini excels at keeping my lips soft and nourished all day. Since using it, I’ve noticed that the lines on my bottom lip have softened, thanks to shea butter, an emollient that helps lock moisture into the skin. Of course, there are also peptides, a signature ingredient of Rhode’s by this point. Essentially a skin-strengthening protein, the ingredient supports collagen products and helps lips appear plumper.

Even though the lip tint looks yellow straight from the tube, it adds a mostly translucent gloss to my lips and is packed with pretty gold and soft pink shimmers that glisten in the sun. The viscosity is similar to a lip oil, but with far better staying power. I’ve enjoyed wearing Lemontini with bronzing drops and tons of terracotta blush to look like I’ve just been to the beach, and it casts a lovely “your lips, but healthier” shine when I have no makeup on.

My final verdict? I’m sold on this iteration of Rhode’s Peptide Lip Tint, which feels infinitely more wearable, with an appealing scent that smells like sunshine in a bottle. The shine and hydration have really leveled up, and I can’t wait to give the other Lip Tint shades a whirl when the improved formula drops.