13 best lip oils for hydration, plumping and shine
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Slip dresses, chunky flip flops and low rise jeans are back – the Y2K deja vu is real. And the noughties revival wouldn’t be complete without the glossy lip look.
The Juicy Tubes era might have been well-loved, but there were some things about lip gloss we could have done without – remember those loose hairs and the occasional bug sticking to your lips?
So, let us introduce you to lip oils, the lip gloss-lip balm hybrid that sits between skincare and make-up. These pout boosters offer a host of benefits, including hydration and plumping with a pop of colour and no stickiness.
With core ingredients such as jojoba oil, shea oil and added botanicals, these oils work to nourish the lips from the inside out and are slightly more glamourous than your regular lip balm.
Charlotte Tilbury, Morphe, Hourglass and more all have great options, so keep reading below to see which ones feature in our best lip oil round-up.
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How we tested
Our tester used each lip oil for a minimum of 24 hours (yes, some are even advised to be used at night, too), eating, drinking and going about daily life. All were assessed on ease of application, how they looked, felt, smelt and how long they lasted.
The best lip oils for 2022 are:
Best overall – Bad Habit daily fix elderberry and vitamin E lip oil: £14, Morphe.com
Best new release – Clarins lip comfort oil: £20, Feelunique.com
Best for hydration – Gisou honey infused lip oil: £24, Gisou.com
Best for vegans – Lottie London oil slick lip oil: £5.95, Lookfantastic.com
Best for high shine – Morphe 2 glassified lip oil: £10, Boots.com
Best subtle colour – Collection Cosmetics lip spa lip oil: £3.99, Collectioncosmetics.com
Best lipstick imitator – Hourglass cosmetics No 28 lip treatment oil: £48, Feelunique.com
Best for sparkle – Catrice cosmetics power full 5 glossy lip oil: £3.95, Justmylook.com
Best budget buy – Essence ginseng lip oil: £2.10, Parfumdreams.co.uk
Best for softness – Soap and Glory treat my lips oil: £8, Boots.com
Best colour – Sleek Makeup lip volve lip oil strawberry: £5.99, Boots.com
Best Y2K vibe – Ciaté London fruit burst lip oil: £14, Lookfantastic.com
Best over lipstick – Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s magic lip oil crystal elixir: £28, Feelunique.com
Bad Habit daily fix elderberry and vitamin E lip oil
Best: Overall
Rating: 10/10
Bad Habit is part of the Morphe family of brands and is the brainchild of influencer Emma Chamberlain and the Morphe parent company. And, what a collab it has been. This lip oil is similar to many of the others in this round-up, with an impressive ingredient list, including antioxidant-rich elderberry and vitamin E to help combat dryness. The doe-foot applicator is large and soft enough to be applied on even the most cracked and sore lips and gives a shiny, healthy, plumped-up look that hydrates for hours.
Buy now £14.00, Morphe.com
Clarins lip comfort oil
Best: New release
Rating: 9/10
It’s been a long time since we tasted Calpol, but this lip oil took us right back to being a kid again. We know we weren’t the only ones who used to fake being ill to get a dose of the sweet syrup, and now, thanks to Clarins, we don’t have to – not that we’re encouraging you to drink the stuff.
The lip oil is a new release from the brand, made from 93 per cent ingredients of natural origin. Sweetbriar rose, hazelnut and jojoba oils work to deeply moisturise, while the fluffy applicator is gentle enough to glide over sore and chapped lips for instant relief. It’s available in 10 shades and just light enough to be used every day for a subtle touch of colour when you’re not quite feeling a full lipstick.
Buy now £20.00, Feelunique.com
Gisou honey infused lip oil
Best: For hydration
Rating: 9/10
Infused with Mirsalehi honey and hyaluronic acid, the Gisou lip oil is intensely hydrating yet strangely has no honey taste – sorry to anyone looking forward to a sugary sweet lip. Our tester fell in love with the curvy bottle, soft applicator and instant hydration, while the colour made their lips appear more defined, plump and healthy. Slightly yellow in colour, thanks to the honey, it suits any skin tone and leaves lips with a slightly tackier finish that sits somewhere in between lip gloss and lip oil.
This is out of stock at the moment but is due back soon. In the meantime you can sign up with your email to be alerted when it’s available to buy.
Buy now £24.00, Gisou.com
Lottie London oil slick lip oil
Best: For vegans
Rating: 8/10
This Lottie London oil is 100 per cent vegan, thanks to almond oil and vanilla extract being the core hydrating ingredients, and is the ultimate Y2K throwback beauty buy. Everything from the bottle to the font to the vanilla whip whiffs brought us back to the noughties and, of course, it’s having a serious revival right now. There was no sticky or tacky feeling when applying the oil, meaning we could walk around in the wind without fear of hair sticking to our mouths, a definite plus, but it didn’t give as long-lasting shine as some of the other options. We tested the vanilla whip shade, but it is also available in tinted a colourway, sweet extra cherries.
Buy now £5.95, Lookfantastic.com
Morphe 2 glassified lip oil
Best: For high shine
Rating: 9/10
Called glassified, it’s unsurprising that this Morphe oil leaves lips so shiny they look like freshly cleaned glass. Again, similar to a handful of other options in this round-up, it comes in a Juicy Tubes style casing, meaning it’s easy to apply but be careful not to be too heavy-handed and squeeze out more than you need.
At £10, it’s a great price for such a sought-after brand and can be taken around in even the smallest micro-bags and pockets. Moringa, jojoba and coconut oil work together to provide nourishment, and five different shades are available.
Buy now £10.00, Boots.com
Collection lip spa lip oil
Best: Subtle colour
Rating: 8/10
While it may look clear, this lip oil has a subtle pink hue that packs quite the punch. Infused with rosehip oil to moisturise and nourish and mint to plump, it tingles as it works to make lips appear fuller, which our tester definitely noticed. Suitable for vegans, lightweight and with a relatively long stay, this lip oil is a great buy, especially at under £5, but the only note we would make is that it is slightly tacky and sticky enough that hair will stick when the wind blows.
Buy now £3.99, Collectioncosmetics.com
Hourglass Cosmetics No 28 lip treatment oil
Best: Lipstick imitator
Rating: 8/10
The Hourglass lip treatment oil is the closest in style to a liquid lipstick, so anyone after a more hydrating glossy lip need look no further. The number 28 in the name refers to the impressive 14 essential oils, 10 lipid-rich plant oils and four vitamins – A, B5, C and E – packed into this lip oil for an intensely nourishing, anti-ageing treatment. While all of these ingredients add to the price, the 24kt gold-plated tip seals the deal in an oh-so-luxurious way. Available in four shades.
Buy now £48.00, Feelunique.com
Catrice Cosmetics power full 5 glossy lip oil
Best: For sparkle
Rating: 8/10
Named the power full five after a handful of core ingredients – avocado, coconut, jojoba and almond oils and hyaluronic acid – this is a bargain lip oil with impressive nourishing properties. The colours are pH-dependent, meaning the pigments react to the acidity of the lips, creating a different shade for everyone that best suits your skin tone. The sparkle part of the shade includes specks of shimmer for added luminosity. This lip oil is cruelty-free, suitable for vegans and available in five shades.
Buy now £3.95, Justmylook.com
Essence ginseng lip oil
Best: Budget buy
Rating: 9/10
Another lip oil with a plumping effect, this budget buy from Essence is a bargain. The formula includes ginseng oil, which helps increase energy levels, while jojoba oil and vitamin E moisturise and soften. And there’s a subtle tingling feeling that leads to the plumping. It’s clear, so it leaves lips with a high shine without any pigment but can also be applied over a matte lipstick to add shine and moisture.
Buy now £2.10, Parfumdreams.co.uk
Soap and Glory treat my lips oil
Best: For softness
Rating: 9/10
This Soap and Glory lip oil coats lips with a silky finish that instantly softens and has a long-lasting result. The colour is bold enough to give a tint of blush without being strong enough to be mistaken for lipstick.
Rosehip oil and orchid flower extract are the core ingredients delivering results, and long-term use is said to continually improve lip hydration levels and reduce the appearance of fine lines. The brand also encourages use through the night for a more intense lip treatment and even under lipstick for added moisture. We tested the shade sheer pink, but there is a clear option available too.
Buy now £8.00, Boots.com
Sleek Makeup lip volve lip oil strawberry
Best: Colour
Rating: 8/10
Although this lip oil may not look so intense a colour, once it’s on, it acts similar to a lip stain in that it lasts for hours even once the shine has gone. The colour enhances the natural lip colour thanks to tailored pH-reacting pigments for a personalised colour that best suits your skin tone.
The Juicy Tubes-style packaging makes it easy to apply, and it is infused with snow mushroom extract, vitamin E and jojoba oil to intensely hydrate and nourish in a similar way to some of the other options in this round-up.
Buy now £5.99, Boots.com
Ciaté London fruit burst lip oil
Best: Y2K vibe
Rating: 9/10
This Ciaté lip oil gives us serious Y2K vibes, thanks to its Juicy Tubes looks. Similar in design, packaging, colour and even taste, this conditioning lip oil is sure to take you back to the now-trending time. Acai oil, lychee extract and avocado oil make up the main hydrating ingredients for long-lasting nourishment and smoothness. This option, like the bulk of those featured in this round-up, is also vegan and available in different flavours, including watermelon burst and mango and lime.
Buy now £14.00, Lookfantastic.com
Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s magic lip oil crystal elixir
Best: Over lipstick
Rating: 9/10
With a rollerball applicator, this lip oil soothes without nicking even the most cracked lips. Dubbed a lip conditioner by day and a lip mask at night, the crystal-infused oil works alone or as the perfect lipstick topper turning matte and even drying lipsticks into a vibrant, glossy finish.
Swertian leaf extract works to reduce the appearance of lip lines, resurrection leaf locks in moisture, and a blend of sunflower and shea oil works to nourish and hydrate. It’s also available in two shades for a lick of colour on its own.
Buy now £28.00, Feelunique.com
The verdict: Lip oils
While all the lip oils featured are the best in their individual field, the Bad Habit option just snuck ahead with its soft fluffy applicator and long-lasting nourishment. For those on a budget, there is a great selection of options for under a fiver from Essence, Catrice and Collection cosmetics. And those able to spend a little more should take a look at Charlotte Tilbury, Gisou, Clarins and Hourglass.
Voucher codes
For discounts on beauty products and make-up offers, try the links below:
Give your lips even more TLC with the best balms to treat and nourish dry, chapped lips
