Glossy, popsicle-stained lips are the perfect low-maintenance option for Spring. But if you don’t want the hair-trapping stickiness of a gloss, try one of the latest lip oils.
If you thought these were a slightly weird and unnecessary addition to your make-up bag, you’d be wrong.
We get it – lip oils are a funny beast. But simply put, they marry the best parts of a colourful lipstick, the moisturising benefits of lip balm and high-shine finish of gloss.
But what’s also nice about lip oils is that the ‘oils’ in the name refer to nourishing jojoba or essential oils, which cushion dry skin.
Take Charlotte Tilbury’s new Magic Lip Oil. It’s packed with hyaluronic acid, a super moisturiser that seriously plumps up skin. As well as boosting lip volume by up to 70% in 28 days, it also reduces the appearance of lip lines and can be applied as a mask overnight for chapped lips.
Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Magic Lip Oil Crystal Elixir Lip Oil, £28
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Also lip-smackingly good is Dior’s Lip Glow Oil. ‘Its intense lip care formula is infused with cherry oil,’ says Peter Philips, Creative and Image Director for Dior make-up. ‘Its flattering shades and its mirror shine leave lips radiant.’
One sweep delivers an extremely glossy and smoothing film that hugs the lips. Also nice: special technology ensures the rosy tint adapts to all lip shades so you get a custom shade.
Dior Lip Glow Oil in Cherry, £28, Feelunique
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With more and more brands jumping on the lip oil train, here are a handful of the best we’ve tried…
Our Pick Of The Best Lip Oils
Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Nighttime Rescue Lip-Oil Serum, £25, Lookfantastic
Infused with natural lavender, camellia and rose oils, it creates a protective barrier as you sleep. The gentle botanicals also ensure the formula is kind to even the flakiest skin, leaving it feeling baby soft. Spoiler alert: the applicator wand is highly addictive, like you’re contouring and coaxing your lips into a pillowy pout. You've been warned.
Milk Makeup Glow Oil Lip & Cheek, £12, Cult Beauty
Think a very subtle tint but a helluva lot of glow. It wouldn’t be Milk Make-up without good-for-skin vegan ingredients, too, like antioxidant-rich rice bran oil. Plus the stick applicator makes it ideal commuter make-up as you don’t have to worry about accidental spillages.
Hourglass No28 Lip Treatment Oil, £45, Cult Beauty
The 28 in the title refers to 28 beneficial ingredients: 14 essential oils (including rose and lavender); 10 lipid-rich plant oils, including jojoba, and four vitamins (A, B5, C and E) to repair and soften. Add in actives that plump up your lips plus an antibacterial 24ct gold-plated tip and you can totally justify the higher price tag.
Christian Louboutin Beauty Rouge Louboutin Loubibelle Lip Beauty Oil, £55, Net-a-Porter
Naturally the bougiest lip oil of the bunch. The shade is inspired by Louboutin’s legendary red soles, while the crystal-like vial is designed to look like a mermaid’s tale that can be worn as a pendant.
Kiehl’s Love Oil for Lips in Neon Pink, £18
We love how this creates a ‘just-been-snogged’ flush to the lips. Of all the lip oils featured, this one has more of a stained effect but the coconut and moringa oils ensure lips never feel parched.
Yves Saint Laurent Volupté Tint-In-Oil in No.22, £18
This nude shade is great for cheating a fuller lip. The colour pigments are captured within the jojoba and macadamia oils, so when they are absorbed, they plump up your lips and the pop of colour stays true.
Lancôme Juicy Shaker Pigment Infused Bi-Phased Lip Oil, £20
It looks like a cool mini cocktail shaker – and the premise is the same. Using Korean ‘shaker’ technology, you mix up vibrant pigments suspended in the oil base and then dab it on with the felt-tip applicator.
Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil, £19, Feelunique
There’s a lot more to this lip oil than meets the eye. First, there are no fewer than 7 different shades in the range. Then there’s the cocktail of two plant oils in the base – organic jojoba and hazelnut – plus one additional oil specific to each shade. All of which makes this product feel more like a mini treatment.
