10 Best Lip Glosses for Lips That Shine

In addition to giving your lips a lustrous shine, lip gloss can moisturize, add color, and make your lips look fuller. But deciding which one gets a permanent residence in your makeup bag can be challenging. In this article, we’ll explore the best lip glosses on the market. 

Whether you’re looking for a subtle shine for everyday wear or a bold, high-gloss finish for a night out, there’s something for you on this list.

Best lip gloss overview:

• Best overall: Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer
• Best budget: NYX Cosmetics This is Juice Gloss Hydrating Lip Gloss
• Best clear: Glossier Lip Gloss
• Best buildable: MAC Lipglass
• Best plumping: Dr. Lara Devgan Scientific Beauty Platinum Lip Plump SPF 30
• Best pigmented: Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss
• Best shade variety: Buxom Full-On Plumping Lip Polish Gloss
• Best gel formula: Pat McGrath Labs LUST: Lip Gloss
• Best moisturizing: Laura Mercier Lip Glacé
• Best non-sticky: NYX Butter Gloss

How we chose the best lip glosses

To compile this list, we researched manufacturer specifications, including texture, ingredients, shade ranges, fragrance, length of wear, pigmentation, packaging, ease of application, price, ethical testing, and more, to create a short list of the top lip glosses. Then, we combed through detailed product descriptions, ratings, and reviews to find the best lip glosses for each category.

Our picks for the best gloss

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna has a high-shine shimmering lip gloss available in seven shades, from clear to rich brown. Each shade is bold without being over the top, making them versatile for most skin tones. This lip gloss adds a playful pop of color and shimmer (aside from one clear shade) and really delivers on high-impact shine.

With the easy application with the XXL wand and a shea butter formula, the gloss goes on smooth, and your lips stay hydrated all day.

On top of all its attractive features, the amount of product you get in a tube (a whopping 0.3 ounces compared to a typical 0.1-0.15 ounces) makes this gloss worthy of winning Best Overall.

Shades: 7 | Main ingredients: Shea butter | Benefits: Hydrating, shining

Like the Fenty Gloss Bomb, the NYX This is Juice gloss gives you double, even triple, the amount of product many other glosses offer — 0.33 ounces. That makes this gloss’s affordable price even more impressive. 

Aside from the great value, this gloss is a solid product on its own, especially if you’re looking for a glassy, non-shimmering shine. And with multiple hydrating ingredients, it’s sure to leave your lips smoother and softer while making you look great in the process.

Shades: 8 | Main ingredients: Rosa canina oil, grape seed oil, jojoba seed oil, avocado oil, squalene, electrolytes | Benefits: Hydrating, shining

Glossier’s lip gloss is emblematic of the company’s minimalist, less-is-more philosophy that gained the brand its cult following. The long-lasting, non-sticky lip gloss moisturizes with vitamin E and is a must-have for many makeup routines, from simple to glam.

It features a fuzzy doe-foot style applicator that makes it easy to glide on the perfect glassy look, whether applying it over bare lips or atop a pigmented lip product.

Shades: 3 | Main ingredients: Vitamin E and jojoba oil | Benefits: Hydrating, shining, shimmering

MAC’s Lipglass comes in 21 hues, from soft to bold, topped with a glassy, high-gloss finish. There are more than enough colors to go around, with rich browns that would look great on warm undertones all the way to peachy pinks.

If you like your lip gloss mixed with highly pigmented colors that you can layer for a more intense look, this gloss brings the boldness you’re looking for.

Shades: 21 | Main ingredients: Jojoba oil, coconut oil, apricot oil | Benefits: Hydrating, shining

Dr. Lara Devgan Scientific Beauty Platinum Lip Plump has earned a cult following and sold out 12 times, making this a coveted wish list item for many looking for a plumper pout. In fact, 98% of users reported improved lip volume. Expect a minty taste and a slight tingling sensation when applying the gloss. Volume and color should last for around two hours.

This plumping gloss also features hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides, plus SPF — all of which can keep your lips smooth and protected.

Shades: 1 | Main ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, peppermint oil | Benefits: Plumping, hydrating, flushing

The Anastasia Beverly Hills lip gloss comes in 10 colors and an impressive three finishes — including high shine, shimmer, and metallic. Reviews praised this gloss for its ultra-pigmented formula, allowing you to get lots of bang for your buck. Also, giving you your money’s worth is the 0.15 ounces of product you’ll get, compared to the standard 0.1 ounces. 

On the flip side, however, it might not be the best formula if your lips tend to get dry. Unlike many of the best lip glosses on this list, it doesn’t contain popular hydrating ingredients like vitamin E, jojoba oil, or coconut oil (though it does contain Limnanthes alba seed oil, a common softener in hair and skin products).

Shades: 14 | Main ingredients: Jojoba oil, coconut oil, apricot oil | Benefits: Hydrating, shining

This lip gloss is available in an astonishing 67 colors and three finishes, from a glassy high-shine to a unicorn-inspired shimmer and metallic. Buxom’s lip polish isn’t just one of the best lip glosses out there with equal amounts of shimmer and shine, but also one of the best lip plumpers.

Vitamins A and E are added to the formula so that the lips not only look plumper but also look and feel healthier. On the flip side, there isn’t a clear option, and the applicator is rounded, which some people find trickier to use.

Shades: 67 | Main ingredients: Vitamins A and E | Benefits: Hydrating, shining

This lip gloss by Pat McGrath is a luxurious product available in 32 colors and three finishes: shimmer, glitter, and high shine. If you’re going for a natural look, there are neutral shades like Dare to Bare, a peach color with gold shimmer, and Flesh 4, a warm mid-tone brown. 

If you’re feeling more adventurous, there are shades like Astral Flashdance, a purple tone with blue shimmer, and Blitz Gold, a bright yellow, glittering shade.

Shades: 32 | Main ingredients: Mica | Benefits: Luster

Laura Mercier’s lip glacé is a great high-shine lip gloss that comes in seven shimmering colors that look amazing alone or layered over another lip product. The overall finish is brilliant, with a soft, never-sticky glaze. 

With several unique, moisturizing ingredients like primrose oil and French rose extract, this gloss promises to deliver 24-hour moisture that keeps your lips feeling soft and looking vibrant.

Shades: 14 | Main ingredients: French rose extract, jojoba seed oil, and primrose oil | Benefits: Hydrating, shimmering

One of the most affordable and best lip glosses, the NYX Butter Gloss is designed to be soft, nourishing, and richly colored. If you can’t stand even a little bit of stickiness, this is the gloss for you. Beeswax helps it nourish and moisturize your lips while retaining a texture like a thicker lip balm rather than a liquid gloss. 

With 32 shades, from Clear to Lava Cake to Blueberry Tart, you can go with a natural or daring look. And since they’re so affordable, you can choose a few.

Shades: 28 | Main ingredients: Beeswax | Benefits: Lubricating, softening

Get that gloss

Finding the perfect lip gloss can be a game changer when it comes to achieving a polished yet effortless look. Our list of best lip glosses has something for you, whether you’re into the subdued look of clear gloss or bold pigmented shades. However you choose to use lip gloss, investing in a high-quality option can elevate your makeup look and keep your lips soft all day (or night) long. 

We chose Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer as the Best Overall lip gloss due to its versatile shades, value, and variety of shimmering and non-shimmering options.  

How to pick the right lip gloss for you

From high-end to drugstore options, the best lip glosses offer a comfortable, non-sticky formula that hydrates and adds shine to your lips. Beyond that, it’s important to find the one that suits your texture, color, and finish preferences. Here are a few things to consider before getting your gloss.

Ingredients

• Vitamin E oil. Antioxidant, moisture-saving properties help this mineral oil protect the skin from damage and dehydration.  
• Jojoba oil. It’s a humectant substance that keeps the skin hydrated by attracting water to the skin’s outer layer.
• Coconut oil. This ingredient is extracted from coconuts and is moisturizing and protective for the lips.
• Shea butter. It contains fatty acids that moisturize and protect skin.
• Beeswax. It’s a humectant substance, which means that it keeps skin hydrated. It also softens the lips and protects them from the sun. 
• Hyaluronic acid. As intense as the name may sound, hyaluronic acid deeply penetrates the skin for intense hydration. Like jojoba oil and beeswax, it’s a humectant. 
• SPF. Like sunscreen for your face, lip products that contain SPF can protect your lips from UV ray damage.

Texture and finish

• Creamy. A creamy lip gloss will be more like chapstick or lip balm, which may be best if you have a hard time with anything even slightly sticky.
• Glossy. A glossy finish is best if you’re looking for maximum shine. 
• Shimmering. Radiance and illumination are what you’ll get with a shimmering formula. Shimmering shades are often used for glam looks but can also be quite subdued, especially if combined with a creamy formula. 

Benefits

• Hydrating. Dry lips can overshadow even the most beautiful lip shade, so it’s important to choose a formula that’ll help you out on the hydration front. Hydrating formulas can keep your lips from cracking in dry or cold conditions.
• Plumping. Ingredients like peppermint oil, capsaicin, caffeine, ginger, and cinnamon can increase blood flow to your lips and temporarily cause them to look fuller. Use caution, though, as the plumping comes from mild irritation. 

FAQ

Which is better: lipstick or lip gloss? 

The Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer is our pick for the Best Overall lip gloss due to its variety of shades, the best bang for your buck, and various shimmering and non-shimmering options. The gloss gets bonus points for its inclusive swatching and shade choices. 

What are the disadvantages of lip gloss?

Due to its shiny, glassy nature, lip gloss can be stickier than some like. If that’s you, consider a buttery, creamy formula like the NYX Butter Gloss. Not all lip glosses contain hydrating ingredients, so look out for ingredients like jojoba oil, shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax.