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17 best lip glosses that offer long-lasting shine

These plumping and pigmented formulas have been put to the test

Ella Duggan
Wednesday 04 September 2024 16:34 BST
Our tester puckered up and tried out each and every gloss they could get their hands on
Our tester puckered up and tried out each and every gloss they could get their hands on (The Independent )
Our Top Picks

Lip gloss is very much in vogue. While it didn’t exactly go anywhere, there’s certainly been a notable shift in people opting for a shiny finish.

Case in point, make-up artist Anna Payne has noted an increased preference for gloss, with people opting to apply high-shine formulas over matte lipstick. The reason? She attributes it to a desire for a “fresh and youthful” finish. A gloss, she says, “adds another dimension to your make-up and can make your lips look bigger, juicier and healthier”.

Thankfully, long are the days of overly sticky formulas, with brands now opting for skin-loving ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and natural oils, to create a shiny sheen, but also help to moisturise and hydrate our lips at the same time.

In a bid to find the ones that are worth your money, we tested a whole host of different lip glosses, trialling plumping formulas, those best suited to dry lips and more. Keep reading for the ones that made the cut.

How we tested

Our tester in action trying out the best lip glosses of 2024
Our tester in action trying out the best lip glosses of 2024 (Ella Duggan)

To bring you the best lip glosses, we tested a whole host of different formulas, assessing colour, shine, consistency and application. Those that were sticky, sickly or drying did not make the cut. We wore each lip gloss throughout a busy day, seeing how well it held up against straws and coffee cups, and noted how often we had to reapply.

The best lip glosses for 2024 are:

  • Best overall – Refy lip gloss: £16, Refybeauty.com
  • Best budget buy – Rimmel London thrill seeker glassy gloss: £6.74, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best for lipstick loyalists – YSL rouge volupte candy glaze: £36, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best on-the-go gloss – Summer Fridays lip butter balm: £23, Cultbeauty.co.uk
  • Best luxury lip gloss – Chanel rouge coco gloss: £36, Chanel.com

Refy lip gloss

Refy best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: Lip gloss overall
  • Size: 13ml
  • Shades: Red, rosewood, papaya, guava, clear, taupe, fawn, sepia, blush and dusk
  • Vegan: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Flattering shades
    • Juicy glossy sheen
    • Refreshing and unique metal applicator
    • Buildable

The cool metal applicator gives it a high-quality feel and it feels refreshing on the lips. Despite being an avid avoider of red lipstick, we were impressed with the rouge shade and found it built on our natural lip colour and didn’t look too bold on the face. The buttery, non-sticky formula is packed full of hydrating ingredients, such as jojoba oil and shea butter, which leave lips feeling nourished and healthy long after application. Owing to the slippery texture, it’s best applied with a mirror.

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Rimmel London thrill seeker glassy gloss

Rimmel best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: Budget lip gloss
  • Size: 10ml
  • Shades: Coco sugar, pink candy, peachy vibes, pink to the berry, pine to the apple and berry glace
  • Vegan: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Great for matching with a lip liner
    • Great price
    • Smell and taste delicious
  • Take note
    • Shades lack variety

The solid chunky applicator wand and non-sticky formula make this lip gloss easy to apply. The colours are not overpowering and layer well with a bold lip liner. But, we would have liked to have seen a wider variety of shades, as they do look fairly similar when applied. That being said, it’s a solid pick if you’re looking for a pocket-friendly pick.

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Summer Fridays lip butter balm

Summer Fridays best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: On-the-go gloss
  • Size: 15 g
  • Shades: Brown sugar, cherry, iced coffee, pink sugar, poppy, sweet mint, vanilla and vanilla beige
  • Vegan: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Super hydrating
    • Easy tube application
    • Subtle but super flattering shades
    • Doubles as a lip balm
    • Buttery gloss-finish
  • Take note
    • Strong scent
    • Not the boldest colours

Summer Fridays is a brand on everyone’s lips, with the hype very much justified. While we love its skincare, this lip gloss is also a firm favourite. The shades are natural, and while not as pigmented as other glosses, each colour adapts to your colouring. A “your lips but better” look, if you will. There was no stickiness and the formula is hydrating and long-lasting, thanks to the powerhouse of ingredients (think seed butter and botanical extracts for extra nourishment).

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YSL rouge volupte candy glaze

YSL best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: For lipstick loyalists
  • Size: 3.2ml
  • Shades: 02, 03, 04 and 05
  • Vegan: No
  • Why we love it
    • Loses the lip gloss side effects
    • Great pigment
    • Includes hyaluronic acid
  • Take note
    • On the pricier side
    • Not vegan

If you’re not sold on lip gloss, this formula from YSL could be just the answer. While it looks and feels like lipstick, it is, in fact, a lip gloss. It has the strongest pigment out of all of the glosses tested and applies perfectly in two swipes. It leaves you with an elegant shiny wet sheen and still feels like lipstick on your lips, with no sticky texture. It claims to have a plumping effect, but we can’t say there were any drastic results. The only downside is the luxury price point.

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Glossier lip gloss

Glossier best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: Clear lip gloss
  • Size: 4.2ml
  • Shades: Clear, holographic and red
  • Vegan: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Perfect for the cool clean girl aesthetic
    • Stays put for hours
    • Pocket-sized
  • Take note
    • A little pricey given the size
    • Sticky

Glossier is known for aesthetically pleasing skincare and make-up, with a focus on all things clean and simple. The lip gloss is the perfect pocket-sized lippy, but considering the size of the gloss, the price is a little steeper than we would like. The gloopy formula means it’s slightly difficult to apply, but it’s this thickness that makes the lips feel sufficiently coated and ensures the gloss stays put for a long time. Our lips looked like glass, giving the perfect final touch to a clean girl aesthetic look.

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Made by Mitchel beam lip gloss

Made by mitchel best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: Glittery gloss
  • Size: 5ml
  • Shades: Coral, milkshake 4 me, loved lacquer - a magenta pink, orange u glad, cream cream, see right thru, the juice, candy cute, nude mood, natural nights, drippin in pink, in between shifts, party pearlzzz, coppa droppa and on the dancefloor
  • Vegan: No
  • Why we love it
    • Bold glitter
    • Compact size
    • Great shade selection
  • Take note
    • Not the best texture

This is a party gloss. This compact little lippy packs a glittery punch. The short stubby applicator took some getting used to, but the small size made it great for chucking in a bag before a night out. The glitter is fun, more than bold enough to stand on its own but also a great way to revamp your lipsticks. Our only gripe is the formula – it was on the stickier side and the glitter did leave our lips feeling gritty. But overall a fun, sparkly gloss at an affordable price point too.

  1.  £12 from Boots.com
Prices may vary
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Nars afterglow lip shine

Nars best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: All-rounder
  • Size: 5.5ml
  • Shades: Orgasm, nympho, aragon, A-lister, Chelsea girls, lover to lover, super vixen, tripple X, Turkish delight and unbroken
  • Vegan: N /A
  • Why we love it
    • Super soft application
    • A perfect pink shade
    • Not too glittery
    • Sits comfortably and effortlessly on the lips

Arguably one of the most famous shades, this Nars lip gloss is a firm favourite. The packaging is slick and glamorous, much like the product inside. A mere two swipes and our lips were perfectly coated in a glossy pink sheen. The formula has gone through many makeovers throughout the years and we are happy to say this latest concoction is non-sticky. Thankfully, it’s lightweight and almost feels non-existent when you’re wearing it – yet, the strong pigment and sparkle still remain.

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Fenty Beauty gloss bomb universal lip luminizer

Fenty beauty best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: Applicator wand
  • Size: 9ml
  • Shades: Cheeky, Fenty glow, fu$$y, fuscia flex, glass slipper, hot chocolit, Riri and sweet mouth
  • Vegan: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Big applicator wand makes applying it super easy
    • Smells and tastes great
    • Super glossy
    • Great range of colours

This lip gloss is a great example of a thick formula that’s easy to apply and doesn’t glue your mouth shut. The extra-large soft applicator wand makes applying effortless and fool-proof, so you won’t need a mirror. The sweet smell and taste are strong enough to make us nostalgic but not so much that it’s sickly. If it’s good enough for Rhianna it’s more than good enough for us.

  1.  £19 from Boots.com
Prices may vary
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Elf sun boss gloss

ELF best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: SPF gloss
  • Size: N / A
  • Shades: Blush much?, it’s you mauve, peachy kween, pink me girl and that’s my jam
  • Vegan: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Lovely coconut smell
    • Built-in SPF coverage
  • Take note
    • Quite dry to apply

We admire the unique attention to detail with this lip gloss from e.l.f. Taking that make-up-skincare hybrid one step further, this gloss actually includes broad spectrum SPF25. A perfect way to maintain a glossy pout for all your summer events or trips away, while also protecting your lips.

Formula wise this was probably the driest lip gloss we tried, and applying did take a fair few swipes. But those looking for strong pigment will appreciate the bright long-lasting colours.

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Trinny London lip glow

Trinny best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: Versatile gloss
  • Size: 4g
  • Shades: Bella, Maddy, Thea, Honor, Freya, Indi, Cordy, Mia, Lyla and Lara
  • Vegan : Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Super moisturising
    • Great for travel
    • Super cool packaging
  • Take note
    • Have to use your fingers

This lip gloss is similar to Vaseline and applies like a regular lip balm yet produces a serious gloss. The lightweight formula imparts a super shiny finish and the colours are perfectly buildable, so you can control the level of pigment. One swipe offers a natural look, making it perfect if you prefer a no-make-up make-up look. Intrigued to see how the colour would transfer on the skin, we also applied some of the balm on our cheeks as a blush, and it worked surprisingly well – so this product is versatile.

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Charlotte Tilbury pillow talk big lip plumpgasm

Charlotte Tilbury best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: Plumping lip gloss
  • Size: 5.5ml
  • Shades: Fair/medium, medium/deep
  • Vegan: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Big chunky wand
    • Instant and noticeable plump
    • Iconic shade
  • Take note
    • Not a fan of the packaging

Our tester is always a little sceptical about plumping glosses because products that promise to be just as good as lip filler tend to land ironically flat. But when you combine lip-tingling, the brand’s signature pillow talk shades and skin-loving ingredients you’re in for a good gloss.

Of all the lip-plumping glosses we’ve tried, this one certainly made the most difference. This is not to say you’ll be having a Kylie Jenner-level pout any time soon, but we certainly noticed decent growth. The tingly minty feeling from the plumping actives is instant, and the formula uses what the brand calls a “3D optical illusion glazed finish” to make lips look plumper and smoother. The pillow talk shade remains unbeaten, the perfect pinky colour for all occasions.

Our only grip is we weren’t fans of the oversized cheap-feeling packaging, but the applicator wand was big and soft, winning our approval.

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Chanel rouge coco gloss

Channel best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: Luxury lip gloss
  • Size: 5.5g
  • Shades: Melted honey, amarena, magnolia,bourgeoisie, tendresse and caramel
  • Vegan: No
  • Why we love it
    • Looks glam feels glam
    • Great way to do glitter in a chic and classy way

Chanel’s rouge coco gloss is the perfect classy touch of sparkle. The shade melted honey is delicate on its own and powerfully sparkly when combined with a liner. While it has a thicker formula, this means it does have long-staying power.

It may be on the pricier side but it adds a sophisticated touch of sparkle to any make-up look and works as a great way to turn your matte lipsticks glossy. And let’s be honest, it doesn’t get chic-er than Chanel.

  1.  £36 from Chanel.com
Prices may vary
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Hourglass phantom volumising glossy balm

Hourglass best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: Fool-proof application
  • Size: 2g
  • Shades: Reveal, wish, rise, trace, sense, mist, desire, slip and impulse
  • Vegan: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Super easy to apply
    • Buttery feel
    • Luxurious
    • Not sticky or too shiny
  • Take note
    • Not much pigment

Certainly the cool girl of the lip gloss world, the packaging alone screams quiet luxury. With an almost buttery texture and fool-proof application, this was one of the nicest-feeling lip glosses we tried. We were expecting it to be slightly more pigmented, especially given the price point, but there are a number of different shades to choose from. The application was fool-proof and it goes on super smoothly.

The brand calls it their three-in-one lippy, as it plumps, nourishes and glosses. While it’s certainly minty in smell and taste, we didn’t notice any plumping benefits. But the balm element is an obvious one, our lips were not sticky and stayed hydrated for hours, even once the appearance of the gloss had gone.

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NYX butter gloss

NYX best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: For shade options
  • Size: 8ml
  • Shades : 34
  • Vegan : Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Perfect glossy finish
    • Amazing range of shades
    • Super affordable price
  • Take note
    • Some wont like the very small wand

Another pocket rocket gloss, this lippy from NYX surprised our tester. Despite its teeny tiny wand, applying it was surprisingly smooth and mistake-free. This is likely due to the formula, the product glides onto the lips perfectly, comfortably coating them in a thick buttery gloss. The high-shine finish is exactly what we want from our gloss, not sticky and overpowering but bold enough and glassy.

If you’re indecisive or simply prefer to have a lippy colour for every mood then the butter gloss has you covered, with a whopping 34 shades it is impossible not to find a colour you’ll love. Our tester particularly liked the brown and purple shades like cinnamon roll, perfect for autumn.

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Maybelline lifter gloss

Maybelline best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: Everyday gloss
  • Size : 5.4ml
  • Shades: Ice, moon, silk, petal, reef, amber, stone, topaz and gold
  • Vegan : Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Loved the XL wand
    • Makes for a great everyday gloss
    • Affordable
  • Take note
    • Plumping claims land flat

Maybelline’s lifter gloss wand applicator is chunky, making applying your gloss easier. The shade topaz has been likened to Fenty’s glass bomb, but it doesn’t have quite the same depth of colour or shimmer, but it still is a great everyday gloss.

While it claims to be plumping, we did not find this to be the case, with hardly any tingle at all. But it was the most hydrating lip gloss we’d tried.

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Kiko Milano 3D gydra lip gloss

Kiko best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: Red lip gloss
  • Size : 6.5 ml
  • Shades : 30
  • Vegan : No
  • Why we love it
    • Wand allows for great precision
    • Bold show-stopping colour
  • Take note
    • Leaves lips dry after uses
    • Not vegan

Kiko’s hydra gloss in shade cherry red is, in our opinion, the perfect red lip. The wand is easy to use and allows for precision application, which is exactly what you need when applying a bolder colour. There’s no need for a lip liner, no smudging or leaking in site, and it leaves lips looking full and plump. Once on, the formula feels glossy, but we were disappointed by how quickly the colour faded, requiring frequent top-ups to maintain, and we did notice a little dryness after a couple of hours of wear.

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Makeup Revolution juicy peptide lip balm

Revolution best lipgloss review indybest
  • Best: Peptide lip gloss
  • Size : 8ml
  • Shades : Clear ice, spice, nude latte and pink strawberry
  • Vegan : Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Great dupe for more expensive options
    • Lovely scents snd flavours
    • Good everyday colours
  • Take note
    • Colour and gloss doesn't last very well

This may walk and talk like a lip balm, but its glossy formula makes it more than worthy of inclusion. Owing to the fact it includes nourishing ingredients such as peptides, vitamin E and squalane, the balm offers a hydration boost for the lips.

Sadly the gloss and pigment did not last very long, as it struggled to face the coffee cup test and needed frequent re-applying, but that’s to be expected from a product that has been designed to be a balm.

While the shades are definitely more on the natural and neutral side, we reached for them often, ideal for top-ups in the office when your lips just need a little something.

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The verdict: Lip glosses

One lip gloss will not suit all, that is a given. What our tester has found is a wide range of options, sure to have something for everyone. But a gloss that excelled in all arenas and really stood out as one to stand the test of time was Refy. Cool and modern packaging combined with carefully considered ingredients and chic mature colours means this lip gloss is one we reach for time and time again.

Rimmel and Elf offered some excellent budget options, each showing quality make-up really doesn’t need to break the bank to look classy. Speaking of classy, Hourglass, YSL and Channel showed how the classic beauty brands do it, proving gloss can be a mature and terribly chic option. Lipstick may last longer but there’s no denying that lip gloss is just way more fun.

Nail the natural look with the best BB creams for glowy, lightweight coverage

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