Clear Lip Gloss Is Back! The 10 Best to Try, and Why You Need Them
If the last time you reached for clear lip gloss was in seventh grade, we have to talk. The newest formulas have come miles since the ones you picked up at the drugstore back in the day (think: hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and rosehip oil). Plus they’re surprisingly versatile beauty products in your routine. Sure, you can use them to add shine to your natural lip, but you can also layer one on top of a matte lipstick to turn it into a gloss (makeup artist-approved tip: Use your finger or another applicator to apply in order to keep the brush—and therefore the rest of the gloss—clear). They can also be applied to other parts of the face. We’re big fans of a little gloss on top of eyeliner or shadow, and a dab on the cheekbone is the highlighter you never knew you needed. Now that you’re all in on this must-have product again, continue reading below for the 10 best clear lip glosses and why you need them in your makeup bag.
1. COMPLEX CULTURE POWER POSE LIP GLOSS IN CLEAR
Best moisturizing lip gloss
Vegan, cruelty-free, and made with nourishing raspberry seed oil, this gloss both looks great and feels fantastic on chapped lips.
2. MICABEAUTY Lip Gloss
Best long-wearing lip gloss
For a classic glossy lip, this lip lacquer has a doe-foot applicator and non-sticky formula that hydrates and adds shine for hours, without the need to reapply.
3. TOO FACED COSMETICS Lip Injection : Power Plumping Lip Gloss
Best plumping lip gloss
The slight tingly sensation lets you know it’s working, while the barely-there pink tint flatters every natural lip color. Try pairing with a lip liner, such as MAC COSMETICS Lip Pencil, for an even plumper-looking pout.
4. NAILS INC. Rolling It Back Roller Lip Gloss
Best roll-on lip gloss
Your favorite lip gloss from the ‘90s is back. The stickiness you remember is gone—replaced with a nourishing B12-infused formula—but the strawberry-flavored nostalgia hasn’t gone anywhere.
5. WE ARE FLUIDE Mini Elsewhere Lip Gloss
Best smile-brightening lip gloss
That subtle blue tint? It helps make your teeth look whiter. (Genius, we know.) That, paired with a hydrating formula made with vitamin E and jojoba oil make this gloss an absolute must-try.
6. HAUS LABORATORIES LE RIOT LIP GLOSS Entranced
Best “near-clear” gloss
This gloss from Lady Gaga’s epic makeup collection is translucent in the best way, adding a pearly finish to your natural lips, or on top of the lip color of your choice.
7. 19/99 BEAUTY High-Shine Gloss
Best multi-purpose gloss
Sure, most clear lip glosses can be used on the eyes and cheeks, but some are scented (peppermint oil by your eyes? Yeah, we’ll pass). This product was designed to be multi-use, giving a gorgeous sheen to all your makeup looks.
8. LOVE+CRAFT+BEAUTY Cyber Glare Gloss
Best shimmer gloss
This vegan gloss has just the right amount of shimmery, iridescent pigment to be worn day or night. It’s great on its own, but we love it as a topcoat over a bright lip like red, or even blue.
9. BOBBI BROWN Extra Lip Tint
Best gloss balm
Do you ever apply lip balm and think to yourself, “I wish this were shiny?” Good news: The perfect combination of these two MVP lip products exists. And while these are ever-so-slightly tinted, you can still expect the polish of a gloss plus the hydration of a balm, all in one convenient tube.
10. WANDER BEAUTY Lip Retreat Oil
Best lip oil
Think of a lip oil as a gloss, only with more skincare benefits. This one is made with moisturizers like apricot kernel oil and avocado oil, and leaves lips as shiny as your favorite lacquer.
Bonus:
Best shine: FENTY BEAUTY Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in Glass Slipper
Courtesy of FENTY BEAUTY
We can’t decide what we love most about this ultra-glossy formula from none other than Rihanna: the shea-butter-infused formula, the peachy scent, or the slick—not sticky—feel.
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