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If you haven’t thought about lip gloss—let alone worn it—since your last middle school dance back in 2008, it’s probably time to revisit the long-forgotten former favorite. The glosses that graced the days of our youth were sticky, tacky, and so heavily scented that they were an affront to our noses.
But lip gloss has come a long way in the years since, and today’s formulations are nothing like the ones we banished from our makeup bags more than a decade ago. “Lip gloss can instantly freshen up a look because of the light-reflecting properties in the shine, and if you find a lip gloss that’s pigmented, you can get color payoff with the shine built in,” explains celebrity makeup artist Neil Scibelli.
Many of the most popular glosses today not only look great but also feel great on your skin, and are filled with beneficial ingredients to leave your lips plumped and hydrated, even when the gloss is off, so that your lips don't feel stripped of moisture afterward. “There’s a great range of glosses with lipstick-like colors and even textures,” Scibelli says. “If you’re less concerned with color and more on formula, I always suggest going for glosses that contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid, fruit oils, shea butter or any humectants, as these will both plump and hydrate the lips.”
For these qualities and more, check out the 15 lip glosses that we’re loving right now, from affordable drugstore finds to indulgent splurges.
1
Best Plumping Gloss
Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath Gloss
Now 42% Off
As if the name didn’t give it away already, this Charlotte Tilbury gloss is packed with collagen and other helpful skincare ingredients to give your pout some serious plumping.
Marine collagen hydrates and smoothes, while mustard sprout extract increases lip volume. The Collagen Lip Bath Gloss comes in five shades, from a clear shine to a delicious berry, but they all boast a sheer finish that works great alone or atop a lipstick.
2
Best Moisturizing Gloss
Kosas Clean Wet Lip Oil Gloss
Like everything from Kosas, the Wet Lip Oil Gloss is a marriage of skincare and makeup, and it actually doubles as a lip treatment. The gloss is formulated with a long list of active ingredients, including hyaluronic acid to lock in hydration, avocado oil to cushion and moisturize, shea butter to soothe and soften, and konjac root to create a layer of protection from environmental harms.
A contoured doe-foot applicator hugs the shape of your lips for seamless application, and whether you opt for the glossy clear “Jellyfish” hue or spring for blood red “Jaws,” the lip oil gloss is sure to deliver a long-lasting, slick finish.
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If you’re a newbie to lip gloss and want to do a trial run without breaking the bank, look no further than Maybelline’s Lip Lifter Gloss. The affordable gloss is unbelievably moisturizing (thanks to hyaluronic acid) without being sticky, and it visibly smoothes lips’ surface. Lifter Gloss’s angled applicator gives you color in just one swipe, and you can choose from 15 wide-ranging shades.
4
Best Pigmented Gloss
PATRICK TA Monochrome Moment - Silky Lip Crème
For anyone seeking the coverage and matte color of a lipstick but the ease and shine of a gloss, Patrick Ta’s Monochrome Moment Silky Lip Créme was made for you. The gloss captures the softness and finish of a traditional lipstick in a buttery, liquid formula, and with just one stroke, lips will be coated with intense color that lasts for hours.
Available in four richly-pigmented shades, the creamy gloss is the perfect addition to any look and leaves yourlips with a velvety, silky finish.
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Lip gloss may be the one product in our makeup bags that’s truly capable of delivering shine, but often, that shine comes at a sticky price. With The Lip Bar’s Lip Gloss, though, you’ll get all the shine with none of the hassle. Lightweight and nourishing, this gloss will cover your lips with silkiness and bold color in one of 17 gorgeous shades.
If you hadn’t guessed already, radiance is the name of the game with this Clé de Peau lip gloss. With a smooth, non-sticky finish, the gloss offers medium coverage with a reflective shimmer that’s halfway between an added sparkle and a natural sheen. The twisted applicator lets you apply a generous amount of gloss to the center of your lips and use the tip for precision along the outer edges, and you can choose from eight colors to find the perfect shade.
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MAC’s Lipglass has been a staple in makeup regimens everywhere since it first launched, and it’s easy to see why. The wide range of 24 shades includes everything from freshwater pink and peachy beige to dazzling plum and deep red. Depending on the color, you’ll get a glassy shine or a more subtle sheen.
Formulated with jojoba oil to soften and condition lips, Lipglass is the key to creating lasting shine, whether it’s on its own or layered on top of a lipstick or pencil.
8
Best Long-Lasting Gloss
Armani Beauty Ecstasy Lacquer Lip Gloss
The Ecstasy Lip Lacquer is the best blend of every great lip product: It has the color and comfort of a lipstick, the hold of a stain, and the shine of a gloss. The lacquer is formulated with the highest possible concentration of water-soluble pigments, meaning you’ll get vivid color and maximum longevity. The Armani gloss is available in 30 shades and two different finishes: pure, intense color or high-impact metallic.
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Inspired by powerful working women, AJ Crimson’s Office Politics collection of lip glosses brings a little humor, and a whole lot of shine, to your pout. From “Per My Last Email” to “Reply All,” these five shades work hard to bring a glistening, dewy shine to your lips, lips, cheeks, or wherever you choose to use them. The creamy gloss moisturizes lips with the help of vitamin E, and the plush doe-foot applicator makes swiping itacross your lips smooth and easy.
With a super soft formulation that melts into your lips, this gloss from NYX really does live up to its name. Supple and not sticky, the Butter Gloss comes in 21 shades, from pale pink to berry blue, and it delivers the ideal dose of long-lasting color and shine to any set of lips.
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Made with jojoba and avocado oils, aloe extract, and vitamins C and E, Bobbi Brown’s signature lip gloss is as hydrating and practical as it is lustrous. The high-shine gloss gives lips a sultry but subtle sheen and can be worn on its own or over your favorite lipstick. Choose from six beautiful shades, including a sheer, bright rose and a deep scarlet red, all of which go on smooth as can be.
12
Best Shade Range
PAT McGRATH LABS LUST: Lip Gloss
Pat McGrath’s eponymous makeup line is known for its sexy colors and mindful formulations, and her Lust Lip Gloss is no exception. A blend of nourishing oils soothes and smoothes lips, but the real star of this gloss is its color range. Available in 32 scintillating hues in four collections: High Shine, Shimmer, Glitter, and Divine Rose, there’s truly something for every taste and every skin tone.
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13
Best Throwback
Lancôme Juicy Tubes Original Lip Gloss
Now 30% Off
If you were born any time between 1980 and 2000, your teenage years were likely littered with one thing: Juicy Tubes. After nearly two decades as a middle-school staple and everyone’s first lip gloss, Juicy Tubes were discontinued in 2018, but Lancôme relaunched the iconic product last year with the same look and an upgraded formula with four-hour hydration.
Alongside the classic shimmer finish, the tubes now come in jelly and creamy textures, and the color range has expanded from eight to 20 shades.
14
Best Glassy Finish
FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer
Shade inclusivity is priority number one for Fenty Beauty, so it only makes sense that this fan favorite gloss be impossibly flattering on all skin tones. The seven shades have all bases covered, from clears, to pinks and nudes, to browns, and the peachy-vanilla-scented formula delivers a glassy, non-sticky shine that feels as good as it looks.
The lip luminizer is designed for on-the-go use, so its tube is compact and perfect for throwing in even the smallest of purses, and the applicator is extra-large, making it a breeze to swipe on your lips.
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This plumping gloss from bareMinerals features an ultra-creamy formula that glides on smoothly and provides medium, buildable coverage with a soft shine. With 15 pearl and non-pearl shades, there’s a nude for everyone, whether you favor a pink undertone or a deep chocolatebrown. Use the cream gloss on its own or layered on top of your fave lipstick.
Gabby Shacknai
Gabby Shacknai is a New York-based journalist and editor who produces high-quality content for a wide variety of outlets and brands across various industries.