GP on Kissing Some Frogs—
and Finding the Perfect One
Whether it’s a relationship, a job, or even a chic sweater you know you’ll wear till it literally unravels, homing in on exactly what you want often isn’t easy. “You need vision, but also, in many cases, a great deal of work to realize it,” says GP. Creating the ultimate clean lip balm was always something of a holy grail for us here at goop—and it took us three full years to make this, the one we all fell for. “To say we had to kiss some frogs is an understatement,” GP laughs. “There’s so much we wanted to get right: It had to be super cushy, moisturizing, and nourishing. It had to feel amazing and perform even better. It had to have the creamiest slip, a smooth finish, a subtle scent, and just a whisper of a taste.”
“Your senses engage with whatever you put on your lips,” she says. We also consume much of whatever we put on our lips (and absorb some, too), making outstanding clean ingredients more important than ever. Exploring and sourcing those highest-quality ingredients led us to a formula that’s particularly great for chapped, cracked, or dry lips. “It’s full of amazing botanical oils like coconut, argan, castor seed, jojoba, and sunflower, plus it’s got pomegranate extract and shea butter,” says GP. “My lips get so dry in the winter especially, and this balm soothes and moisturizes like nothing else.”
The satin finish leaves a hint of gleam rather than full-on shine. “You notice this subtle glowy something when you smile,” says GP. “Most days, this lip balm is the only makeup I wear.” It’s also great under a mask. “There’s no gloppy lips-stuck-to-mask moment,” she says. “It is the perfect lip balm. I love everything about it—even the rose-gold tube looks so cute in your bag.”
“So it makes the best gift ever,” she continues. “It’s adorable, and it really works.”
The mini graveyard in GP’s office of all the almost-there, not-quite-it, absolutely-definitely-not, and no-way-in-hell versions we worked on is pretty impressive. “I can be a little uncompromising in certain areas,” she says, grinning mischievously. Once we finally had the winning formula, we had it tested, with amazing results.
“Something really great is worth searching for, dreaming of, waiting for, and insisting upon,” says GP. Of course, that applies to much more in life than lip balm, so we asked her to elaborate on some of her favorite this-is-the-perfect-version things; she added in a few people, experiences, and places.
The sweater I wear everywhere
“It’s dressed up and super flattering, even a little flirty—it’s great with jeans (or sweats for a Zoom) and chic with a skirt for a small dinner. And it’s cozy: You feel like you’re in a warm cloud. Wearing it with these Gucci leggings was the ultimate combination of comfort and cool.”
The dream cooking pans
“I love that they’re nonstick and ceramic, so they don’t harm anyone’s health; I love how light and easy they feel in my hand; and of course, I love the goop-exclusive blush color.”
The face cream that changes everything
“I saw a real change in my skin once I started using this cream. I love it in the moment—it’s just so moisturizing that it leaves your skin like silk all day—and I love the noticeable long-term results.”
The world’s most comfortable
bra (and panties to go with)
“I mean. You can’t believe how amazing this bra is until you try it—it’s just the softest and the most comfortable, and the nude is perfect under anything. And it’s made responsibly, of 95 percent bamboo. Even in this time of not wearing bras much, I love it.”
Chic reading glasses
“It sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? They’re the best.”
My incredible children
“Watching these two come into being and grow up into who they are has just been the most rewarding experience. Raising kids isn’t always easy, but it’s one of the most beautiful things in life.”
The best white T-shirt
“This has the ultimate T-shirt shape in my opinion: boxy but not oversize, and a sleeve that’s so flattering on your arms.”
Multiple necklaces
“For me, it can’t be just one necklace; it’s got to be one effing amazing stack. I like to play with length, proportion, metal, and pendants—every day it’s something different.”
Mr. Brad Falchuk
“If you’ve had relationships that failed and you manage to learn from them and truly work to hold yourself accountable, you open yourself up to the best relationship anyone could ever have.”
Truly special earrings
“These are small enough to wear every day and so, so beautiful to wear for a special occasion. They’re subtle but have so much style.”
The slinkiest sweaterdress
“Perfect for a romantic dinner at home, this has got a sexy neckline with a demure length and the prettiest ballerina silhouette. It feels amazing (it’s wool and silk) and looks smashing.”
Machu Picchu
“It takes you an incredibly long time just to get there. Then the hike itself is challenging, and suddenly you’re there, and it’s like, Oh my goodness.”
The forever pans
“You buy these once and have them the rest of your life—and they just get better.”
The no-frills spa
“You hike all day, with serious yoga sessions in between, on super sparse, vegan food. It’s the original tough-love Spartan spa, and it made a real impact on me.”
The cashmere sweatsuit I wore
on a shoot and didn’t take off
“I wore this luxe cashmere sweatsuit for a beauty shoot—and I left the set with it! It’s the classic sweatsuit shape, but the fabric elevates it, and of course, it feels so good.”
The ultimate Ashtanga class
“Eddie Stern’s OG Ashtanga classes were so hard—you had to be so committed, and the payoff was just enormous.”
The Chanel 2.55 in black
“The bag of all bags. Nothing beats it.”
Hair ties that work—
and never leave a dent
“These are pure silk, so they’re easy on your hair, and they also hold a ponytail. And you can wash them out if you get sweaty: I just take them into the shower with me after a workout.”
The most flattering culottes
“These are the go-to jeans around the goop offices, and they’re especially ideal for a long-waisted person like me. The wash is so chic, the fit is just great, and the high rise and the wide leg add this breezy sort of glamour to anything you wear them with.”
Really (really) good knives
“These are expensive, but they make any kind of chopping or slicing an absolute pleasure.”
