The 12 best lip oils of 2023, per celebrity makeup artists

Aug 03, 2023

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

We’ve tried lipsticks, lip balms, lip glosses and lip masks. The latest craze? Lip oils.

It’s like a lip gloss, but glossier, less sticky, and much more moisturizing. It’s categorized as skincare over makeup due to ingredients that provide deep hydration and protection from environmental aggressors like weather and pollution. Mega-moisture hero ingredients may include hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, shea butter, and plant oils like jojoba seed, sunflower, grape seed and rose hip fruit oil.

“While a lip gloss would provide a glossy barrier, a lip oil goes deeper,” celebrity makeup artist Lauren Child, who does glam for Megan Thee Stallion, told the New York Post. “It provides a thinner, non-sticky shine while working to keep your lips healthy and plump.” Child uses lip oils at the beginning of her makeup or skincare routine as a base. It delivers the shine of a lip gloss but the hydrating benefits of skincare.

Unlike lip glosses, lip oils are generally more lightweight and comfortable to reapply throughout the day. “This undone-skin-but-better look is currently dominating the space, and lip oil is a perfect accompaniment to that aesthetic,” said celebrity makeup artist Alexandra Rutkay. Rutkay, who has worked on set of the new Gossip Girl, used oils instead of glosses on the girls for a fresh and modern look.

We asked celebrity makeup artists their favorite lip oils — from tinted to honey-infused formulas — so your pout can shine. Get the 411 below.

The cult classic lives up to the hype. With a pillowy soft applicator, this lip oil protects against environmental aggressors using the antioxidants from cherry oil. It comes in eight sheer shades including raspberry, cherry and mahogany. Despite its oily texture, it’s not greasy or sticky.

“This formula is slightly thicker than others, which helps the shine last a bit longer on the lips,” Child said.

We love this lip oil like a love song. The product from Selena Gomez’s beauty brand starts off glossy and leaves a stain when the shine subsides. It comes in eight natural shades, including the rose brown “delight” and muted berry “affection.”

“It’s one of my favorite products to use on my clients because of how hydrating it is,” said celebrity makeup artist Danielle Parkes, whose clients include Lea Michele, Emily Alyn Lind and Dylan Mulvaney. “I like to line the lips and use this lip oil on top of it to make my clients’ lips look plump and glossy.”

Sweet like honey. Formulated with Mirsalehi honey and hyaluronic acid, it’s lightweight and moisturizing for your pout. Not to mention, it’s fragrance-free and 99% natural. (Unfortunately, it doesn’t actually taste like honey.)

Get luscious lips, Lady Gaga style. The superstar’s makeup brand highlights a pH-adjusting lip oil that adjusts to your body’s natural chemistry. Ingredients include collagen, squalene and prickly pair oils that plump and hydrate. Child praises the product for its non-sticky shine and lightweight feel. It comes in five sheer shades: cherry, pink, orange, berry and universal clear.

Shine like a celebrity. This bestselling lip oil from Rihanna’s skincare brand delivers a subtle cherry glow (and taste!). It leaves a hydrating barrier on the lips thanks to sweet cherry seed, jojoba seed and rosehip fruit oils.

Take care of your skin without breaking the bank. Rutkay recommends this budget-friendly bestseller for the ultimate high-shine pop. The squalane and raspberry oil-infused formula provides up to 12 hours of hydration and protection. It comes in eight shades, including dark berry hue “that’s chic” and bubblegum pink color “missed call.”

Leave it to Clarins to revive even the driest of lips. This product features three plant oils, including organic sweetbriar rose oil, to plump and protect your pout. Wear it during the day for a glossy lip tint or in the evening as an overnight lip mask.

“This is such a holy grail product in my makeup kit,” said celebrity makeup artist Maria Cumella, who does glam for “Real Housewives” stars Teresa Giudice and Sonja Morgan. “The color payoff is more sheer but has high shine and a super hydrating feel. The applicator is huge, so it glides easily on your lips. Plus, it smells like candy.”

This gloss-oil hybrid is packed with 100% plant-based ingredients for optimal hydration. It’s formulated with castor oil, which contains essential fatty acids for moisture. The product comes in five shades including cherry hue “make some noise” and grape shade “sound stage.”

It’s so glossy, you can almost see your reflection in it. Condition lips with “squeaky clean” ingredients: almond oil, organic jojoba oil, plant-based seed oil and shea butter. “It’s not sticky, it layers well and gives an almost gloss-like shine,” said celebrity makeup artist Rae Smith. Smith, who recently glammed Victoria Justice, pops it in the center of a matte lip for extra shine sans pilling.

It looks like a lip gloss but feels like a lip treatment. Soak your lips in hyaluronic acid, shea butter, avocado oil and more softening ingredients. The product, which comes in 11 colors, plumps your lips without tingling or over-drying. “I like using the light pink shade, ‘Revealed,’” said Smith. “It adds a good amount of pigmentation to your lips without looking overdone.”

Get deliciously glossy lips. This lip oil contains natural red root oil (known for its healing properties) that coats and conditions a chapped pout. Fermented pomegranate and apple extract further ensure lips remain soft and flake-free. Cumella recommends the product for a “your lips but better” look that smells as good as it feels.

Ensure your lips feel silky soft. This cost-friendly lip oil works all day to hydrate your lips—moisture lasts beyond the moment when you apply the product. Squeeze it onto your finger to apply; it’s infused with jojoba, sesame oils and vitamin E. Child said that because this product has a stronger pigment, a little goes a long way in applying it. Choose from three shades: blossom, fig and ruby.

Lip oils are a high-shine, makeup-skincare hybrid for your pout. They’re made with natural ingredients to both moisturize and protect your lips against environmental factors that can dry them out. Lip oils can be used as a treatment to nourish your lips or a tinted lip gloss with extra shimmer.

Lip oils function like skincare. While they may appear like a tinted lip gloss, they soothe, soften, moisturize and protect your lips from weather and pollution. Use a lip oil as makeup while simultaneously combating chapped lips.

Lip oils are more hydrating and less sticky than a lip gloss. “They provide a nice, slick, sheer wash of color instead of that sticky, thicker formula that glosser are known for,” said Rutkay. Like a lipstick, though, lip oils can leave over a tint with all-day lasting power.

Lip oils are packed with natural, ultra-moisturizing ingredients. You can find ingredients including but not limited to sunflower oil, argan oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, rosehip oil and hyaluronic acid.

For more content, check out the New York Post Shopping section.