There’s just something about lip gloss, isn’t there? While lipstick provides powerful pigment and lip oil gives plenty of nourishment, lip gloss offers your pout the best of both worlds. You can experience the benefits of skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, and squalane while enjoying a high-impact color payoff on your pucker. It doesn’t get much better than that. As mega fans of the lip product, we wanted to share some of our favorites with you. We thought long and hard about which ones to include on this list and it wasn’t easy, but we narrowed it down to our top 12. Scroll below to discover the best lip glosses, according to us (your beauty besties)!
A clear lip gloss is an essential part of any makeup kit. Our tried and true? The ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Crystal Lip Gloss in Glass. Whether you apply it as a smooth base on bare lips or as a high-lacquered shine over a lip color, this product will make your lips look glossy all day long. This is one of those lip products we use to the very last drop, and how could we not with the impact it leaves?
We suffer from dry lips year-round, and this is the one product that we can count on to hydrate them when we need it most. Infused with a nourishing oil blend of hazelnut, peony, vitamin E, and omega-9, we feel the dryness subsides almost immediately after putting this balm on our parched pucker. It also offers a soft pink tint, which our Ipsters love for a no-makeup type day.
The second we swiped this gloss on our lips, we knew it would become a favorite—and we were right. One Ipster raves, “Very, very few lip glosses have left any kind of lasting impression, but this one has! The color looked a bit orangey around the outer edge of my lips for a few moments after applying, but once it sank in, it toned down to a very nice gloss with just a hint of color.” We find the nude shade this gloss leaves behind works for every skin tone. No, really. We’ve shared it with our friends and everyone who has tried it looks stunning in the beauty product.
Gloss tends to lean a little sticky, it’s just the nature of the product. Thankfully, all is not lost. The RARE BEAUTY team crafted this dermatologist-tested, non-sticky lip gloss that gives all skin types the opportunity to experience a soft color payoff without your pout feeling tacky. “I really like the way this feels on my lips! It's not sticky at all, it feels very moisturizing on my dry lips,” shares an Ipster. Non-sticky, moisturizing, vegan, cruelty-free, and long-lasting? We’re never leaving home without this product in our purse.
Looking to plump up your pout? We stand by the E.L.F. COSMETICS Pout Clout Plumping Lip Pen. The lip plumper utilizes vegan and cruelty-free ingredients like blueberry, watermelon, and pomegranate fruit extracts to help visibly plump and moisturize your lips. With its non-retractable click pen applicator, applying the product is a breeze and we never worry about things getting messy—the same can’t be said for some other lip glosses.
Cold-pressed sea buckthorn and plum oils are the star skincare ingredients in this gloss-balm hybrid lip product. One Ipster notes that this is their “favorite lip gloss” and another says “The feel of the gloss is amazing. It lasts and doesn’t dry out my lips.” We’ve noticed it keeps its consistency throughout the day and we often don’t need to reapply, which can be nice when we’re running around and barely remember to drink water. The color payoff isn’t incredibly pigmented but offers a more subtle tint, which all our Ipsters are fans of.
Formulated with avocado and jojoba oils, this lip gloss almost feels like a lip oil with how much hydration you get from swiping it across your lips. The reason why we keep reaching for this gloss is the high-shine finish it leaves us with every single time. While the nude is subtle, it still wows with a full face of glam. And the more you layer it, the more payoff you get.
TikTok has spoken and it is obsessed with the MAC Lipglass, which isn’t all that surprising given makeup artists everywhere have been using the product for ages. The secret to achieving any celebrity’s signature lip look is likely this lip gloss, so don’t be too surprised if it’s sold out at Sephora, Ulta, or Amazon. Subtle or dramatic, we’ve used just about every shade in this line to create an array of looks. Having these glosses is a reminder that makeup is meant to be fun and never to be taken too seriously. It’s also an excuse to go down the rabbit hole of TikTok tutorials trying to recreate our fave celeb’s signature lip looks.
Finding the perfect lip combo is tricky; this set makes it easy by taking the guesswork out of the equation and giving you the whole solution. Get ready to meet your “new favorite lip combo,” says one Ipster. “This is probably the only lip gloss I’ve ever owned that I can wholeheartedly say I love. It’s like a nourishing lip oil, but highly pigmented,” they note. That’s all thanks to the star ingredient: shea butter. It hydrates like no other. Now, let’s give a little love to the lip liner: “I’ve purchased many designer lip liners, but this cheaper alternative has been my favorite. It literally glides on like butter.” We feel the same way, Ipster. Sometimes the drugstore liners are the way to go and this one is all the proof you need. With this mauve brown gloss and liner combo, we always feel like a cover girl ready to strut the runway at New York Fashion Week. Watch out, Gigi Hadid.
With 10 high-impact, high-shine shades, we’ve come to lean on this collection of lip glosses often for nights out. When we want to really wow with our pout, we require a little Lip Service. Formulated with nourishing antioxidants, this lippie leaves behind a silky, hydrating texture and a whole lot of color. We’re not the only ones who notice. “The creamy light formulation is packed with luxe, pampering oils and antioxidants that keep the lips soft and hydrated. The gloss spreads evenly, making the lips look fuller and plumper instantly. And the best part? It doesn’t feel tacky or sticky like other glosses. The color payoff is impressive too, giving a nice, subtle sheen that can be worn alone or over lipstick,” raves an Ipster. Our fave lipstick to pair these lippies with is the IL MAKIAGE Infinity Matte Lip Creams because the two lip products go together like PB&J. Trust us.
Sometimes you want a lip gloss that will change colors. Is that too much to ask? Not according to CIATÉ LONDON. The innovative formula transforms from coral to fuschia pink when you step outside into the daylight. We can confirm from firsthand experience that it does in fact work—magic. So much so that it (almost) convinced one Ipster to part ways with their go-to lip product. “I usually only wear REVLON ColorStay on my lips, but I was intrigued when I saw CIATÉ's UV color-changing lip gloss. The first thing I did was try out this lip gloss and I was not disappointed. The formula is nice and smooth, it smells great, and the colors are really pretty. I'm not sure if it'll replace my ColorStay, but it's definitely a fun lip gloss.” Even better than the color-changing formula is the nourishing ingredients. Fortified with squalene, raspberry seed oil, and hyaluronic acid, it not only makes your lips look gorgeous but hydrates them as well.
Our favorite shimmer topper over a lip stain or lipstick, this gloss adds the perfect amount of shine to complete any makeup look. It lasts through anything, too. “It stays put better than any other gloss I've found so far,” shares an Ipster. And, of course, those aren’t the only reasons we love it. Infused with a biomimetic peptide, the high-shine formula helps support natural collagen production for more defined and voluminous-looking lips over time.