Let’s take it back to the early 2000s when lip gloss was having a major moment. Which gloss was your vice? I was a MAC Clear LipGlass ($18) kind of girl and would go through tubes every two weeks like clockwork. Fast-forward to now—gloss is having a major resurgence. Brands are coming out with new and improved formulas that are hydrating, non-sticky, and will give your lips a gorgeous shine. Believe it or not, I’m a freshly converted gloss girl. I’m admittedly addicted to matte textures that I don’t have to touch after I apply them. But get this—good lip glosses are the same and take minimal effort.
For so long, I had this false impression that glossy textures were more high-maintenance and would require me to apply them over and over again, which is not my style. But I was wrong. There are long-lasting lip glosses out there that will stay put and are comfortable to wear. Learn more about it below, plus more of our favorite long-lasting lip glosses that will outlast summer’s sweltering heat. Plus, we have pro makeup artists Merav Adler and Kate Synnott weighing in on the formulas.
Ahead, we share the best long-lasting lip glosses you’ll want to add to your makeup stash ASAP.
This Pat McGrath Lust Gloss in Flesh 4 feels like it was made for me. Any time I post a selfie on Instagram wearing it, my DMs go crazy full of girls wanting to know the shade ID and men complimenting me. I’d like to call it my signature gloss for a fire selfie.
Pat McGrath Labs Lust: Lip Gloss in Flesh 4
The mother of makeup hit the nail on the head again with this winning formula that’s far from sticky. Imagine a silky veil of color swept across your lips that lasts for hours.
Glossier Lip Gloss
Sometimes you want a glossy lip sans glitter. This crystallized finish will give your lips a light-catching shine and is filled with skin-first ingredients. “This is like a lip stain and a gloss love child,” says Synnott. “It leaves a hint of color on the lips with a super shiny finish.”
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer
Fenty Beauty is inclusivity at its finest. The first and most popular iteration of this high-shine gloss is a universal rose nude that works on all skin tones. RiRi and her team have since released more shades for all skin tones, including clear for people who just want a little bit of shine. Not even the glittery shades are gritty, and the texture locks onto your lips for hours. Adler touts the gloss as being one of her favorite day-to-day lip glosses for its conditioning, non-sticky formula. “The applicator is great, too, so you don’t need a separate brush to apply,” she says.
Kopari Coconut Lip Glossy
Kopari created a hydrating formula full of coconut oil and shea butter. This one is more like a balm than a gloss, and not because it doesn’t deliver on its glossy promise. It has a gloss effect, but the primary benefit of this product is that it packs a serious moisturizing punch. It’s perfect for any time it’s dry out—it won’t melt off, smear, or dry up.
Nyx Butter Gloss
This cult-favorite line of glosses is super inexpensive but offers a major color payoff. In an array of neutral, wearable shades, this texture lives up to its smooth name.
Laura Mercier Lip Glacé Blush
“This is one of the few lip glosses that doesn’t make your lipstick (especially darker colors) bleed when applying it on top,” says Adler. “I like to use this with a small lip brush when applying.” Plus, it’s versatile: wear it layered on top of matte lipstick for extra shine, or wear it alone for a sheer, high-shine look.
Buxom Full-On Lip Polish
Blended with vitamins A and E, this lip gloss has a serious plumping effect. It’ll give your lips a lustrous shine. Just know that the plumpers are definitely real—you might get a surprise with how tingly your lips are.
Nars Lip Gloss
This nourishing formula has a doe-foot applicator that makes gliding it on simple and easy. It also has moisturizing ingredients and is very long-lasting. “One of my favorite shades is Orgasm,” says Adler. “It’s so pretty on its own or under a pinky coral lip.”
Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Plumping Gloss
Touch up your lips with this enhancing gloss that’ll give you instant volume with its pumping powers and a noticeable shine. It’s a makeup kit staple for Synnott, who says you can wear it with or without liner and it’ll still look gorgeous.
Roen Beauty Kiss My…Liquid Lip Balm
“This is my go-to gloss for the red carpet because it looks shiny like a gloss but feels more like a balm on the lips,” says Synnott. “The formula isn’t sticky so it’s are perfect for special events. Plus, it’s are clean and full of nourishing ingredients that hydrate the lips.”
Hourglass Unreal High Shine Volumizing Lip Gloss
If juicy lips are the goal, this pick by Hourglass is a game-changer. “The formula is so highly pigmented that it’s like a lipstick, lip gloss, and lip liner all in one,” raves Synnott.
Smashbox Gloss Angeles
For that L.A. cool-girl look, look to this gloss pick from Smashbox, which features a light-refracting sheen that fakes plumper lips all while keeping you hydrated with conditioning ingredients like vitamin E.
Jane Iredale PureGloss Lip Gloss
Gone are the days of gritty lip glosses. Meet Jane Iredale’s take on an ultra-creamy formula that offers just a hint of color in all the right ways. PureGloss lasts all day—through breakfast meetings to Happy Hour—and even quenches dry lips when temps drop.
Be a 10 Belong to Me Lip Gloss
We can’t decide what we love more about this gloss: its angled tip for seamless application, the opaque color, or the no-feather formula that doesn’t budge.
