The week of her wedding anniversary, Jennifer Lopez and I sit down to talk lips.
The timing feels fortuitous—Lopez is known her for frequent public displays of affection with her husband of one year, Ben Affleck—making the new J.Lo Beauty launch is a simple practicality in her life. Available today, Beso Balm is her “dream balm:” buttery, plumping, and glossy, with the scent of “flan de vainilla, which smells like I’m back in my mom’s kitchen.” And yes, the name translates to “kiss,” of course, because Lopez says the results are “kissable, PDA-ready lips.”
Back to the singer, actress, and entrepreneur’s PDA partner of choice, Affleck, who she was engaged to in the early 2000s and reconnected with again in 2021. While he hasn’t totally reinvented his skincare routine since they reunited (“I do put That JLo Glow Serum on him!”), he has helped change her mindset when it comes to beauty.
“I’m finally at the point in my life where I love every part of myself unapologetically,” she says. “Every part of me, my body, my voice, my choices, even like my mistakes. All of it made me who I am and got me to where I am today. Ben wants me to understand my worth and know my value. I feel even more relaxed and comfortable, which makes me feel even more beautiful than I have ever felt with someone else.”
On the topic of feeling beautiful, there are a few trends she’s excited to try out for fall, incorporating the new balm. “I’m really into the ‘90s throwback liner and gloss,” she says, basically referencing beauty looks of her own from the era. “My modern twist is using a lip liner thats only slightly darker than my lip shade, instead of a dark brown. Line the lips, shade the corners to get some dimension, then top with the balm for a natural sexy look.”
When it comes to nails, there isn’t a plan for her to debut Beso Balm nails—yet. “Wait, that’s a good idea,” she says. “I might need to invent that.”