Lip Glosses

Lip gloss is one of the top-selling makeup categories in the world, and has spawned a million variations. Tinted, plumping, long-lasting, flavored, shimmery... the list goes on. As a general rule, the thicker and shinier the lip gloss, the "stickier" it will be. Softer, more balm-like formulas give a more natural sheen, but also wear off more easily. Lip gloss is like lipstick’s partner in crime, adding a little extra oomph to lips with lots of shine. Tinted lip glosses add a touch of color to lips as well, though not at much as lipstick, and wear just as well over the top of lipstick or on its own. We love lip gloss paired with lip liner for an understated, off-duty ’90s model look.

 

The latest formulas are made with skincare benefits to nourish and hydrate lips. Our Honeyd Lifter Lip Gloss Makeup is infused with hyaluronic acid, which visibly smoothes lips and enhances lip contours for plumped, fuller-looking lips, in the most decadent warm brown shades.

The benefits of using lip gloss are many, including hydration, a shiny finish, plumping, and more. Lip gloss, because it imparts a high shine appearance, has the power to make lips look fuller. Many lip gloss formulas also include plumping ingredients that will give the pout some temporary fullness. Whereas matte lipsticks and traditional bullets can sometimes be drying, lip gloss ensures that the lips are moisturized, keeping them looking their best.

Lip gloss comes in several different finishes, including high shine, glossy, and shimmery. Within these categories, there are also some lip glosses that are more pigmented than others. A high shine finish is gorgeous on top of lipstick or on its own for an editorial feel, while a shimmery finish can be more youthful and fun.

In addition to different lip gloss finishes, there are also different types of lip gloss, including regular, plumping, and pigmented, with some even acting as a stain. If you just want a shiny finish, opt for a traditional, clear gloss, but for plumping, look for one that promises a fuller pout. As for pigmented glosses, find the shade that flatters you most and pair it with a matching lipstick or liner to pack the most punch.

Lip balm is a hybrid of makeup and skincare. It adds a sheen to lips—sometimes clear, sometimes with a subtle tint—but is also formulated to nourish and hydrate dry, chapped lips. It will provide some shine to lips, but won't be "glossy" per se. Lip gloss is pure makeup, a shiny, reflective topcoat that makes lips look wet and gleaming. However, our Lifter Lip Gloss does have the extra addition of hydrating hyaluronic aci,d which helps to add healthy moisture.

Lip gloss is different from liquid lipstick, though their packaging tends to look similar. Whereas liquid lipstick is a creamy color that you apply with a wand to shade in lips, lip gloss is an ultra-shiny, clear or tinted topcoat that you can wear alone or over lipstick.

The difference between lip gloss and lip oil is that lip gloss tends to be a little thicker and more about the glossy, high shine finish. Lip oil tends to be more lightweight, nourishing, and might have a more subtle sheen to it. Lip gloss is great for evenings out and special occasions, especially when you want to call attention to your lip look with its highly reflective finish, while lip oil is more low-maintenance and can be worn as an everyday, treatment product, but you can’t go wrong wearing either a lip gloss or oil whenever you want.

You should wear lip gloss when you want your lips to look shiny and appear fuller. You can wear lip gloss on its own or on top of lipstick and/or lip liner. Lip gloss is the perfect addition to any lip look. Maybe you went for a matte lipstick, but want to make your lips appear shinier, so you can opt for a clear gloss to wear on top, instantly changing the finish of your lip look. Or, maybe you want to define and enhance your lip shape with lip liner, but don’t want to go all out with a lipstick, too, so you can opt for gloss instead. There are so many ways to wear lip gloss! Maybe match it to your outfit with a tinted gloss, or stick to the basics with clear; either way, you’ll achieve a catch-the-light sheen.

Lip gloss is great to wear to give your lips a fuller, shinier appearance, helping to enhance the shape and size of your pout. Some lip gloss, such as our Lifter Gloss, which comes in 20 flattering  shades, also offers skincare benefits. Lifter Gloss is infused with hydration-boosting hyaluronic acid, so not only do you get an immediate shine boost, but lips will also feel nourished and pillowy soft. 

Applying lip gloss couldn’t be easier thanks to its built-in applicator. Most lip glosses come with a doe foot applicator, so all you have to do is remove it from the tube and swipe it on your lips. For a more pigmented look, you can apply a second layer of your tinted lip gloss. This can be done on bare lips or over the top of lipstick or lip liner. And because it’s so foolproof and most lip gloss shades range from clear to subtly pigmented, you can likely apply your lip gloss without even looking in a mirror.

The lip products that pair best with lip gloss include lip liner and lipstick. Our Lifter Liner and Lifter Gloss are the perfect combo, helping you create a natural, yet polished look. And the liner also has hyaluronic acid in it, too, lending itself to a fuller, more hydrated pout. As for lipstick, for a super pigmented look, go for our Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick, which looks gorgeous on its own, but doesn’t have the “wow” factor of a shiny finish, which is easily achievable by adding a gloss on top.

Each time you swipe your gloss on, it should last on your lips for a few hours, but this will vary between different formulas, and of course, is dependent on what you’re doing while wearing your gloss. If you’re eating and drinking, you will need to apply your lip gloss more often.

Plumping lip gloss works by using mild irritants that cause the lips to swell, and therefore appear fuller. Depending on the formula, you may find menthol, cinnamon, or capsicum, which cause this temporary reaction. There are also longer term plumping ingredients such as peptides and hyaluronic acid, that are often paired with these instant plumpers for enhanced effects over time. Our Lifter Plump has capsicum, derived from chili peppers, so you can expect a spicy, tingling feeling for immediate plumping, plus Maxi-Lip™, a peptide that encourages fuller lips with continued use. 

Yes, lip gloss can be good for your lips. Not only does it give lips a healthy, full, and shiny appearance, but when infused with skin-loving ingredients, lips will become more moisturized and healthier as you wear your gloss. Hyaluronic acid, found in our Lifter Gloss, is a great example of an ingredient that hydrates the delicate lip skin and improves the look and feel of them.

Yes, Maybelline offers a virtual try-on tool for lip gloss (and all of our other products) that uses your computer or phone camera to show you what each lip gloss would look like on your lips, so you can “try” before you buy. This can help you choose a particular product as well as find the shade that will be most flattering for your skin tone and overall coloring.

You can find the best lip gloss for your skin tone by considering your undertones and overall coloring, plus knowing what kind of look you’re going for. Clear lip gloss is always an option, which will enhance the color of your lips and add a high shine finish, but if you want a subtle tinted gloss, most gloss shades are wearable because they’re not not super pigmented. For instance, our Lifter Gloss in Toffee is a beautiful nude that’s universal, and much more forgiving than a traditional nude lipstick. If you’re going for more of a statement-making red, try our Vinyl Ink in Red-Hot, which is just as pigmented as it is shiny.

For a fuller look, you can apply a plumping lip gloss like Lifter Plump that will give you a temporary plumped up effect. But, you can also use lip liner to fudge the size of your lips, too. To get fuller looking lips, choose a lip liner such as Lifter Liner in a color that’s about a shade darker than your natural lip color, then draw slightly outside of the borders of your lips, especially around the Cupid’s bow. Next, fill your lips in with lipstick for a more pigmented look, or go right for the final step which is applying your plumping gloss.

Yes, you can recycle Maybelline lip gloss packaging, specifically through our partnership with The Recycling Partnership. As a brand, Maybelline is committed to sustainability and is consistently implementing new and better initiatives to formulate and package our products in more thoughtful ways in an effort to minimize our footprint.