I found a way to grab the Summer Fridays Iced Matcha balm from the US and ship it to the UK with zero effort

Why the Iced Matcha balm is everywhere in 2026

I didn't think I needed another lip balm until I saw the first swatches of the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Iced Matcha. It is that perfect, sheer mossy green that looks incredible on everyone, and let's be honest, the 2026 aesthetic is all about that soft-girl matcha vibe. We have seen this shade sell out in minutes across Asian Sephora locations, and the hype on Little Red Book in Hong Kong has made it nearly impossible to find anywhere in the Eastern hemisphere.

While everyone else was refreshing pages on the UK sites hoping for a restock, I decided to look at where the stock actually is—the United States. I spent some time looking at us trends and realized that while it is a fight to get one here, the US stores still have occasional restocks that stay live a lot longer than ours do.

The struggle of buying viral US drops from the UK

I have tried the direct approach before. I went to the US Sephora site, added three of those Iced Matcha balms to my cart, and tried to check out. My UK credit card was declined immediately. Most of these big US retailers like Sephora, Nike, and Apple have systems that automatically block international billing addresses or flag orders sent to known warehouse addresses. It is incredibly frustrating when you just want to buy a product that isn't available in your own country.

I also realized that even if my card worked, the shipping costs offered by some retailers are either nonexistent for international customers or so high it makes no sense. I knew I needed a better way to handle the logistics without spending my whole weekend filling out customs forms.

How I used BuyForMe to skip the checkout headaches

This is where I opted for the lazy method. Instead of fighting with the checkout page, I used the BuyForMe service. I have used comGateway as a freight forwarder before, but their assisted purchase service is what actually solved my problem this time.

The concept is simple. I just provided the link to the Summer Fridays Iced Matcha balm, told them how many I wanted, and they handled the rest. Because they use a US domestic credit card and a US-based purchasing team, the order didn't get cancelled. They bought the item on my behalf, and I didn't have to worry about my UK card being rejected again. It is easily the safest way to guarantee an order actually goes through at stores that are notoriously difficult for international shoppers. If you are ever unsure about a store, you can always check the FAQ on their site to see how the assisted purchase process works.

Getting my package from the US to my UK doorstep

Once my balms arrived at my tax-free us address, I got a notification that they were ready to ship. The beauty of using a professional service is that I didn't have to deal with any of the paperwork myself. We all know that shipping to the UK can sometimes be a bit of a gamble with wait times, but I was able to track everything from the moment it left the US warehouse.

I was worried about how long it would take to get to London, but the process was surprisingly fast. I chose an express shipping option because I was impatient to try the matcha scent. I recommend looking at the international shipping rates before you commit so you can choose the speed that fits your budget. My package was consolidated with a few other items I bought from different US stores, which helped me save a bit on the total cost.

What I spent on shipping and fees

I like to know exactly what I am paying before I click 'ship'. I used the shipping calculator to get a rough idea of the international shipping costs to the UK. Since lip balms are small and light, the cost was very reasonable, especially since I combined them with a hoodie I bought from a US-only brand.

My total experience was seamless. I didn't have to argue with a customer service bot about why my card was declined, and I didn't have to wait for a UK restock that might never come. If you are looking for those 2026 limited edition shades, going through a US proxy is definitely the path of least resistance. I will definitely be doing this again for the next drop.