If I had to choose only one makeup product to wear for the rest of my life, it would be lip gloss, hands down. I’ve always been a gloss girl, and I can say with the utmost confidence that this part of my identity will never change. This means that I have three or more lip glosses in my purse at all times, and I can count how many times I’ve worn a matte formula on one hand. If you couldn’t already tell, the obsession is real—so real that I often message my co-workers about my latest purchases, turning our Slack channel into a hub for product links and comments like, “OMG. You need to try this.” (I swear swapping beauty notes is a bullet on my job description. It’s just written in invisible ink.)
Whenever I receive a makeup product in the mail, Caitie Schlisserman, our beauty director and my manager, is the first person I message. I know that I can count on her for an honest review and top-tier product recommendations. Our latest Slack conversation was on the topic of lip gloss (shocking, I know), and we bonded over our hatred for sticky glosses. We love the look of a shiny and hydrating formula, but we hate the feeling of our hair getting stuck to our lips or the glue-like sensation when our lips rub together. We’ve made the executive decision to ditch these glosses in 2022 and replace them with our top 20 non-sticky lip glosses below.
If you want next-level shine, this is the gloss for you. It’s one of my favorites when I want to add a pop of shine that’s easy and feels lightweight. The oversize doe-foot applicator is also a total game changer. Bonus: It smells like a cherry.
Honestly, I’m not a huge berry-lip person, but this actually gives the perfect just-bitten color. It’s formulated with rose-hip oil and shea butter, so not only will it give your lips some shine, but it’ll keep them healthy and hydrated all day.
This is a seriously shiny and plumping gloss that not only helps smooth lines but makes lips feel pillowy soft. It comes in many swoon-worthy shades, but I have a soft spot for “George,” which is a warm honey nude that’s rich and satisfying. The best part? There are instant and long-term benefits to the formula: Use it regularly, and the gloss is shown to visibly increase lip volume and decrease lines over time.
This has five stars on Sephora for a reason—it’s that good. It feels like an oil but keeps your lips hydrated like a balm, and it’s infused with a biomimetic peptide to help plump lips. It’s a true star.
Don’t let the word “balm” fool you—this stuff packs a serious color punch. The formula is super buttery and can easily be layered to achieve an even bolder color. I just use my fingers to dab it onto my lips. It’s perfect to wear on days when I want to feel a little fancier while working at home.
You’re not going to find a better $5 gloss, I promise. I have this in multiple colors but always come back to “Eclair.” It’s the perfect pinky nude that looks just as good on its own as it does layered over lipstick. It glides on smoothly, isn’t sticky, and conditions lips while giving them a hint of color and shine.
Colourpop always kills it in the lip department, so it should come as no surprise that this made the list. It’s a lightweight gel-oil formula that’s infused with a blend of chamomile and calendula oils, meaning it leaves lips seriously soft. Plus, it’s loaded with shimmer, so when the light hits, it’s really good.
When it comes to how deep my love runs for this gloss, obsessed is an understatement. It’s super hydrating and plumping because it’s formulated with tons of good-for-skin ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, avocado oil, shea butter, konjac root… You get the idea. If your idea of fun is swiping on a juicy slick of color, this is the jackpot.
Think of this as a liquid lip balm—a tube that provides the shine of a gloss but the nourishment of a balm. It’s formulated with mango and grape-seed oils, which help nourish, regenerate, and repair lips. There isn’t a shade of this that I don’t like, but “Charlie” hits different. It’s the prettiest dusty-rose color ever. There are also some shimmer options that are equally as pretty.
This stuff is no joke—it’s one of my all-time favorites and definitely lives up to the hype (and is worth the hefty price tag). It’s made with an innovative peptide complex consisting of hyaluronate, niacin, ceramides, and palmitoyl tripeptide, all of which help hydrate and visibly plump lips. I love how lightweight the formula feels, and my lips always look and feel super juicy after using it. It’s a no-brainer.
I often wear lip gloss under my mask just to feel something, but only some glosses are worthy. I’ve been wearing this lifter gloss nonstop since I got it. I love the applicator and natural sheen it gives me.
The Fenty Gloss Bomb is always my first recommendation when someone is in the market for a new gloss. I own almost every shade, and I love them all. The touch of shimmer is just enough to make your lips stand out in a dimly lit room without feeling uncomfortable or sticky.
Most days, I stick to my nude and brown shades, but every now and then, I go for a pop of color. Balmy gloss is the perfect way to describe this Ilia lip oil. It glides like a balm but builds up to a high-shine gloss with every swipe, and the color payoff is incredible.
I’d like to thank the TikTok algorithm for introducing me to my new everyday lip product. Despite being named a butter balm, this product has the shine of a lip gloss and thrives without the help of a top layer. I find myself applying this multiple times a day during the winter for extra hydration.
Five-star reviews are hard to come by, so I take them as a sign to head to checkout. This lip-jelly gloss is buildable, moisturizing, and pigmented. The almond shade is the ultimate nude for deeper complexions.
If you’re looking for an opaque gloss, this one is for you. It’s long-lasting, it applies smoothly, and it doesn’t leave any sticky residue. There’s also a hint of glitter if you’re going for a glam look.
This may be controversial, but I prefer a red gloss to a red lipstick. There’s something so powerful about a bold and shiny look at an evening event. I can rely on this gloss for a full glam moment without the stress of having to constantly reapply or check my lips in the mirror.
They don’t call this gloss “So Juicy” for nothing. My lips feel so plump and juicy after a quick application. I rarely use plumping glosses because they’re often uncomfortable, but this cooling sensation is painless.
Caitie’s review of this butter gloss is spot-on. You won’t find a better gloss at this price point. “Ginger Snap” is my go-to shade for the fall and winter when I opt for darker makeup looks, but I turn to “Madeleine” in all seasons. Glide this over a brown lip liner, and you have the perfect nude lip.
Are we surprised that TikTok influenced my beauty purchases once again? I stumbled upon this small biz and ended up finding my favorite clear lip gloss. It feels like a nourishing lip oil but looks like a juicy gloss, and it can be worn as the first and only or final step in my lip combo for the day. PS: It smells amazing.
