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It’s tough out there for a gloss: Between high-shine lip oils and long-wear lip stains, even the best lip glosses on the market have overcome some stiff competition. Despite the onslaught of excellent lip color options, there’s nothing that really delivers the reflective sheen and instant plumpness of a classic gloss formula.
Lip glosses have enjoyed something of a renaissance to boot—and now, instead of the typical sticky residue or gloopy feel, the latest formulas deliver a mirror-like finish while actively nourishing the lips and, in some cases, feeling like nothing. And, no shade to your go-to matte lipstick, but some formulas stay put for hours, too. Bottom line: You’re going to want one for your purse, work bag, desk, car, and anywhere else you can think of. Here are our favorites.
Our Top Lip Glosses
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Overall: MAC Lipglass Air in Casual
Why it’s worth it: MAC’s Lipglass Air feels weightless and invisible—in the best possible way—while packing moisturizing ingredients (coconut, meadowfoam, and jojoba oils) to keep your lips feeling pillowy soft and hydrated. And, without staining your lips or using drying ingredients like a liquid lipstick usually does, it manages to stay put (and ultra-shiny) for hours. It comes in 10 opaque colors that you can sheer out for a more subtle tint or layer on for a brighter look. And did we mention it’s actually not sticky?
“This lives up to the ‘non-sticky’ claims better than any other lip gloss I’ve tried in recent memory. It’s so lightweight that it feels closer to an oil, but the color actually sticks around for more than an hour. All of that plus the fact that Casual, a ‘deep dirty peach,’ is pretty close to my natural lip shade means this has officially become the lip product I reach for most often out of the hundreds in my stash.”
Key ingredients: coconut oil, meadowfoam seed oil, jojoba seed oil
Shades: 10
Best Plumping: Valentino Puffer Complex Plumper Gloss
Why it’s worth it: The Valentino Puffer Complex Plumper Gloss volumizes your lips using a “Valentino Puffer Complex” that, based on our close-read of the ingredient list, includes a plumping peptide and peppermint oil. Meanwhile, hyaluronic acid hydrates, lactic acid gently exfoliates, and vitamin E softens. The results? Your smoothest lips yet. You can grab it in four shimmering finishes or two high-shine ones—in either case, they’ll pack a pigmented punch.
Tester feedback from Allure commerce editor Sarah Han
“Valentino puffer gloss is so brat—and by that, I mean, Charli XCX (the face of Valentino Beauty, duh) can convince me to try just about anything, including a plumping lip gloss. I’m usually not a fan of tingly formulas but I like how this one isn’t super spicy right off the bat and, when it does reach its peak, it’s not too numbing to the point where I have to wipe it off after a few minutes. (Yes, I’ve done this many a times.) I’m really into the shades, too—I’m not a clear lippie girl at all, not even when it comes to topping off lipsticks—and 122A Warm Up (deemed a ‘milky rose brown’) is my shade of choice for a natural lip-accentuating wash of color.”
Key ingredients: palmitoyl tripeptide-1, peppermint oil, hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, vitamin E
Shades: 6
Best Smoothing: Lawless Forget the Filler Lip Gloss in Rosy Outlook
Why it’s worth it: Lawless’ Forget The Filler Gloss is another plumping option, but this one goes the extra mile to smooth out fine lines that might otherwise make detract from the glossy finish. Its star ingredient is Maxi-Lip, a proprietary plumping blend that’s been shown to increase lip volume by 40%. Dramatic? Yes. Painful? Not at all. You’ll feel a slight tingle while it’s taking effect, but no burning or stinging.
“I get lip filler, but Lawless Forget The Filler Gloss is my go-to between appointments—it visibly plumps thanks to peptides and hyaluronic acid. The light pink shade gives my lips that juicy, effortless look—like I’m trying, but not too hard.”
Key ingredients: Maxi-Lip, shea butter, rosehip oil
Shades: 17
Best Long-Wearing: Make Up For Ever Super Boost Moisturizing & Plumping Lip Gloss
Why it’s worth it: Need your gloss to stay put for the long haul? Don’t sleep on Make Up For Ever’s Super Boost Moisturizing & Plumping Lip Gloss. It’s super hydrating on the lips, thanks to hyaluronic acid and a blend of oils from camellia, cotton, and meadowfoam flowers, and imparts color that lasts for hours (although you may have to touch it up after eating). It’s a little on the thicker side, but that helps amp up the shine and lock in the all-day moisturizing effect.
“This high-shine gloss has a curvy doe foot that fits the contours of my lips, making it feel so satisfying to put on. Its formula is a little gooey, but not at all sticky, and deposits just the right amount of color. (My go-to shade is Fiery Love, which tints my lips with a warm cherry.) I love how it makes my lips look ever-so-slightly plumper.”
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, camellia japonica seed oil, cotton seed oil, meadowfoam seed oil
Shades: 11
Best Moisturizing: Makeup By Mario SuperShine Lip Gloss
Why it’s worth it: If you typically gravitate toward oils or balms over glosses, the Makeup By Mario SuperShine Lip Gloss feels like a hybrid of all three. Unlike a lot of other glosses, this one actually hydrated Allure contributor Sophia Panych’s lips, which is why we named it a One to Watch debut last year. Its key ingredients are pomegranate extract, jojoba oil, and hyaluronic acid—all of which give it the silky, hydrating formula that sets it apart. “I’d say the best word to describe this formula is ‘”cushy’”—it’s super comfortable to wear throughout the day,” says features director Dianna Singh. “And the applicator—a wide, flatter-than-normal doe-foot—picks up just the right amount of product.”
“Call me a Makeup By Mario stan, because I love almost everything from their collection, but their SuperShine Lip Gloss has become one of my favorite go-tos for that ultra-glossy finish without feeling tacky on the lips. I love the shade range, with rosewater becoming my #1 pick for a simple lip combo.”
Key ingredients: pomegranate extract, jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid
Shades: 11
More lip glosses to consider
- If you want something shimmery, Chanel’s Rouge Coco Gloss Moisturizing Glossimer Lip Gloss gives you your pick of several glimmering shades. Without feeling gritty, these pack tons of sparkles to reflect light beautifully off your lips and give them a fuller look. Plus, palmitoyl tripeptide-1 will smooth your lips while coconut oil and vitamin E moisturize them.
- If you’re on the hunt for your perfect nude shade, Hera’s Sensual Nude Gloss comes in several pink and brown hues to match your natural lip color. “I’ll admit nude lipsticks are never my first choice—rather, I’ll always go to bat for a bold lipstick,” says Han. “Hera has managed to win me over with its shade selection, as ‘nude’ shades tend to wash me out or lean too warm.” The K-beauty brand’s gloss is even endorsed by Jennie from Blackpink, in case you need more convincing.
- If you want a cooling formula, the Best of Beauty-winning Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Icy Cooling Lip Luminizer uses peppermint oil to instantly wake up your lips and leave them feeling pleasantly tingly, like you just chewed on your favorite mint gum. It also packs nourishing jojoba seed oil, shea butter, and vitamin E to boost your lip’s moisture levels. The lippie is only available in clear, but it now comes in four refreshing, fruity scents in addition to the OG called Cold Heart’d. “The blue goo glides on to feel balmy, never tacky,” Calaor says. “It creates a cooling sensation, thanks to its use of peppermint and menthol in the formula, and imparts a glassy shine.”
- If you’re on a budget, the CoverGirl Clean Fresh Yummy Gloss proves that you don’t need to spend much to get a truly great lippie. The Best of Beauty winner feels moisturizing on the lips and brings plenty of shine to the equation. Plus, we love the fruity scent. “It’s hydrating and glossy without being tacky, and it’s a great value,” says senior business director Eilish Morley. What more could you want?
Frequently Asked Questions
Which ingredients should you look for in a lip gloss?
Many of our favorite lip glosses have a high-shine finish and a gooey texture that glides across the lips. But how do you know you’ll get that by looking at an ingredient list? “You typically find a combination of hydrocarbon ingredients in lip oil and gloss formulas because they are excellent gelling and thickening agents for anhydrous applications,” says cosmetic chemist Amanda Lam. The ingredient blend she’s referring to includes hydrogenated polyisobutene, ethylene-propylene-styrene copolymer, and butylene-ethylene-styrene-copolymer—the combination of these ingredients gives our favorite lip products their yummy texture.
Meet the experts
How we test and review products
Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?
For our review of the best lip glosses, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, and contributors. We considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For more on what’s involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
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