HAYLEY SCHUENEMAN FOR TASTE OF HOME
It’s the restaurant’s first foray into the beauty world.
I love Panera Bread more than anyone I know. In college, my roommate and I had a radio show. Our DJ names were DJ Ellie Grillz, after a sandwich called the “Elegant Grill” at a local restaurant, and DJ Sierra Tofurkey, a vegetarian-friendly spin on Panera’s iconic Sierra Turkey sandwich. Panera, now that I have your attention: Please put the Sierra Turkey back on the menu!
One of Panera’s best menu features is the “You Pick Two” option. It was basically girl dinner before girl dinner became a thing. Half a Caesar salad and half a bowl of mac and cheese? I would eat this every day if I could.
Since the Panera menu has always had this air of collaboration, I think it’s natural that the brand has partnered with Holler and Glow to launch its very first beauty product: lip balm. And what classic Panera flavor did they choose? Mac and cheese, baby!
What is the Panera Mac and Cheese lip balm like?
HAYLEY SCHUENEMAN FOR TASTE OF HOME
The lip balm duo comes in very cute packaging that makes it look like a little egg. There are two flavors: S’Mac My Day is mac and cheese scented, and Get That Bread is toasty bread scented. While one is a creamy yellow and the other is a warm brown color, neither of them transfer any color onto your lips. They’re totally sheer.
Once I opened the lip balms, I did get a little nervous that they would be gross. But to my surprise, both scents were mild and very pleasant! They literally smell exactly like the Panera foods they’re inspired by. The S’Mac My Day was subtle and reminded me a lot of noodles, both in color and scent. The entire launch is very reminiscent of the Lip Smacker heyday of the ’90s, so it was also a little nostalgic.
What really surprised me was the Get That Bread lip balm. The scent was incredible, and I think I preferred this one more. When I layered the two scents together, it did remind me of eating Panera mac and cheese out of a bread bowl.
Now I’m wondering if a bread-scented perfume or cologne would be fun. Or if that is too intense, maybe just some top notes of sourdough would be pleasant. Or perhaps the Cinnamon Crunch Bagel could be a nice jumping off point. Panera, consider this my official plea to enter the fragrance space next!
Related: