Move over lip glosses, Y2K has had its moment - and lip oils are finally having theirs. With a hybrid formula between a gloss and a balm, lip oils are bridging the gap between skincare and makeup. From drugstore to high-end, we’ve tried and tested the lot and our lips aren’t sealed about the best lip oils out there. If, like us, you're living in the lip oil moment, here's our round-up of the very best.
Best hydrating lip oil: Clinique Pop™ Lip + Cheek Oil in Black Honey, £23.50
Best for glowing on the go: Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil, £26
Best lip oil plumper: Tarte Maracuja Juicy Plumping Lip Oil - Mixed Berries, £23
Best affordable lip oil: Sephora Collection Better Balm Shiny Lip Oil, £12.99
Best for softening lips: VIEVE Lip Dew Mirror, £21
A: Designed to care for and enhance your lips, lip oils prevent dryness, chapping, flakiness and peeling. Swipe them over the lips with ease in the form of a liquid or gel using an applicator or rollerball. But what is lip oil used for? Promising far more than major shine, lip oils are infused with a host of nourishing, natural ingredients like Shea Butter, Argan Oil, Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sunflower and Grapeseed for long-term care - and all day gloss. The oils and emollients help lock in moisture, keeping lips super soft and gentle.
Though you can opt for sheer oils for a polished, shiny finish, tinted lip oils allow us to swap out our heavy lipsticks and sticky lip glosses for something far more comfortable and lightweight with a touch of colour (and sometimes flavour!). They're very versatile so can be worn alone for a natural look or as a base before layering with other good lip products like lip liners for added dimension.
Not only do lip oils provide a luscious look, they also provide protection. Some contain antioxidants and vitamins like Vitamin E that protect the delicate skin of our lips from environmental damage. If you have sensitive or irritated lips, you'll benefit from the soothing properties found in ingredients like Chamomile or Aloe Vera. Hydrating, healthy, and oh-so shiny. We love.
A: While both products are designed to enhance the appearance of your lips, there are key differences between lip oil and lip gloss. Firstly, the ingredients in lip oils focus on hydrating and caring for the lips. They often have a more fluid, natural feel on the lips due to non-sticky textures. Whereas lip glosses tend to contain lots of oils, waxes, and pigments, which may be thicker or stickier for ultimate shine.
If you're looking for a moisturising lip product with a subtle, natural sheen, choose lip oils. Their main purpose? To add nourishment to the lips. While some glosses may offer a degree of hydration, they're more for aesthetics. You can create a more dramatic, attention-grabbing look with a lip gloss thanks to its reflective quality. For juicy, jelly lips, add a slick of either lip oil or lip gloss as the perfect finishing touch to any lip look.
A: Many of the best lip oils will work to quench dehydrated lips, as they are more oil-rich than a lip gloss or lipstick. So, you’re already in the right place for a super-soft pout.
If you want a lip oil to really soothe dry or chapped lips, then hone in on the ingredients. You’re looking for a nourishing blend of oils like Argan Oil, Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil and Sunflower Seed Oil. These natural oils will work together to deeply hydrate your lips, while those enriched with Vitamin E will go deeper and work to protect the skin, too.
By Sephora UK Skincare Editorial Team
Writers and experts
Updated: 21 January 2025
Shop all Lip Care at Sephora UK.
The cherry on top of your lip care routine? Fenty Lip Oil. With ultra-hydrating ingredients like Wild Cherry Oil, Jojoba Oil and Rosehip Fruit Oil, this super slick formula strengthens the lip's moisture barrier and keeps chapped lips at bay. Did we mention the scent? Reminiscent of our childhood chapsticks with zero stickiness, pair with Fenty Gloss Bomb to take your lips from daytime shine to night-time glam.
Wild Cherry Oil, Jojoba Oil, Rosehip Fruit Oil
“Good for dry lips and for a pretty lippy. This is one of my new favourite lip oils, it's affordable and has a big applicator, it's so pretty, and the cherry taste is amazing. It's nice on dry lips and they're cruelty-free, 100% I recommend.” - Zoey, Customer Review
Already an icon in the beauty world, Clinique’s Black Honey has gone viral for all the right reasons, and its Lip & Cheek Oil is clearly catching on. A two-in-one product in a suits-all shade, it gives the lips and cheeks a natural, dewy colour. Made with a super-hydrating blend of Safflower Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil and Castor Oil, its lightweight formula glides on with ease. Top tip: For a Black Honey look with extra bite, wear it over the Almost Lipstick in the same shade. Just delicious.
Safflower Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Castor Oil
“Amazing colour and hydration. My lips are super dry and this keeps them hydrated for 3-4 hours even outside.” - Leoana, Customer Review
Shiny lips are our go-to, which means so is this Clarins lip oil. It plumps and nourishes lips with a trio of plant oils such as Organic Sweetbriar Rose Oil, Jojoba Oil and Hazelnut Oil. Never sticky, it gives a soft pinch of colour to lips and even has five pH-reactive shades - so your lips shine in a shade unique to you. And if your lips need a little more loving, use shade 01 Honey as an overnight moisture mask.
Organic Sweetbriar Rose Oil, Jojoba Oil, Hazelnut Oil
“Cool and comforting. Not sticky, thick, or tacky. The applicator is very good and easy to use. Loved how it looked, too, not too glossy or sparkly, just hydrating and a light subtle shimmer.” - Customer Review
When the name says it all, what more could we possibly add? Well, we would just like to confirm that Summer Fridays Lip Oil really is as good as it sounds. Super-plush and pretty, it glides on like a dream, delivering high shine, tinted colour and deep hydration. A triple threat and great on the go, try it on its own for a subtle wash of colour, or over your favourite lipstick for added definition. Psst, you’re not dreaming.
Avocado Oil, Apricot Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Squalane, Grape Seed Oil, Raspberry Seed Oil
“Literally my favorite lip oil ever and I have SO MANY!! If you are a person that loves gloss then come on get it now you will be obsessed! After two days of use my lips literally felt like a cloud!” - Customer Review
This is 93% natural and 100% one of our favourite tinted lip oils. Once you’ve tried this, there’s no going back. With Annatto Oil to keep colour from fading and a texture that melts onto lips, we love to use this over the Rouge Is Not My Name Satin Lipstick for a high-shine finish. Did we mention it locks in moisture for over 12 hours and improves your moisture barrier over time? Sounds like a long-term lip investment; one we’re more than ready to make.
Annatto Oil, Squalane, Sweet Almond Oil
“I always keep this to hand for glossy and protected lips. It gives a barely-there blush while making sure my lips are NEVER chapped, I can’t live without it.” - Tassia, Content Assistant at Sephora UK
If you’re looking for a little more glow from your lip oil then you have to try Bobbi Brown. Limited edition and part of the brand’s Polished Grunge Collection, it brings a juicy pop of undone colour to the lips and cheeks. The high-gloss, non-sticky finish mimics the sporty flush of the ‘90s, meaning you get more natural glow than artificial shine.
Castor Seed Oil, Safflower Seed Oil, Olive Fruit Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Turmeric Root Extract, Sunflower Seed Oil, Squalane
“A luxurious lip oil, expensive but the colour is beautiful and lasts much longer than cheaper brands.” - Customer Review
Combining the benefits of a lip treatment with the high shine of a gloss, Tarte Plumping Lip Oil is the finishing touch every look needs. The gel-like oil is made up of more than 15 super-nourishing oils, including Amazonian Marajuca Oil. It glides on like silk, moisturising and plumping with every swipe, leaving lips softer and fuller. Are you ready to plump up the volume?
Amazonian Marajuca Oil
“Just wow! Bought this after watching a TikTok video, I know, but this was worth it. Plumps and hydrates. Colour is soft and lovely.” - Customer Review
Lip Dew is Vieve’s seriously-glossy lip oil, which gives glass-like shine and unrivalled softness. The secret is its moisturising Raspberry Seed Oil Extract and Vitamin E, which deeply nourishes dry lips while the Camellia Oil soothes your pout. Plus, it gives the illusion of fuller-looking lips. Tick, tick. Use the clear Mirror lip oil by itself or over a matte lipstick for added shine.
Raspberry Seed Oil Extract, Vitamin E, Camellia Oil
“I recently tried Vieve’s lip dew for the first time and I’m so impressed! They feel absolutely amazing on the lips and the shades are so gorgeous! I’d definitely recommend it. They’re perfect for winter as they feel really hydrating and nourishing on my lips.” - Customer Review
A high-shine lip gloss-oil hybrid, it's time to pucker up for Too Faced's Kissing Jelly Lip Oil Gloss. It's formulated with a nourishing blend of oils, including Sunflower Seed Oil, to soften your pout, and has a comfortable texture that's non-sticky and non-greasy, too. Treating your lips to sheer candy colours and oh-so juicy scents, enjoy working your way through the collection.
Sunflower Seed Oil
“A must-have lip oil in your collection! I loved how it looked on my lips and the scent. Already restocked.” - Customer Review
The OG of lip stains, Benefit's Benetint gives you the hottest flush you can get from a bottle. This iconic rose-tinted lip stain has earned itself cult status, loved by celebs, makeup artists, you and us! Offering a sheer and buildable natural finish, it's long-lasting, smudge-proof, and takes seconds to apply. Simply glide it across the lips or dot and blend on the cheeks. The final touch? A slick of gloss for kissable colour that really lasts.
Water, Glycerin, Citric Acid
“I'm in love with this product so much. Gives the most perfect natural pink and is perfect as a lip liner and blush.” - Jolie, Customer Review
Flying off the shelves since it launched, this is the best barely-there tinted lip oil on everyone's wish list. We love this lipstick and gloss combination to level up any look. Never sticky, the innovative oil-to-gel formula melts onto the lips for an instantly fuller, plumper pout. If you're after healthier-looking lips, get your hands on this before it sells out (again). It's set to be the lip oil of the season.
Jojoba Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil
“This lip oil is unlike any other lip oil I've tried!!! It gives a long-lasting tint of colour as well as being extremely moisturising and hydrating on the lips so it acts as a 2-in-1 lip oil and lip stain. The shades of this lip oil are absolutely gorgeous and flattering on all skin tones, I'm pale and have all shades in this lip oil and they look great.” - Mia, Customer Review
If there’s one lip oil we turn to time and time again, it’s Gisou Lip Oil. Infused with the brand’s signature Mirsalehi Honey, Hyaluronic Acid and a host of Botanical Extracts, expect long-lasting shine and your most nourished lips yet with this sellout treatment. And with the powder pink lid and Scandinavian dream bottle, our shelfie game just got a whole lot better. Want a little extra sparkle? Try their Honey Infused Lip Oil in Golden Shimmer Glow.
Mirsalehi Honey, Hyaluronic Acid, Botanical Extracts
“This lip oil definitely lives up to the hype! The packaging and bottle is beautiful. The applicator makes for a smooth application with just the right amount of product dispersed evenly. There is no strong scent to the oil, just the very very subtle hint of honey. The oil is long-lasting and definitely hydrates the lips, leaving them silky smooth.” - Amy, Customer Review
Dior Lip Oil on, worries gone. To us, this lip oil is happiness in a tube. Now a must-have for makeup artists, one swipe of mirror shine gloss is instant glamour. Enriched with protective nutrients, Cherry Oil, and Colour Reviver technology, the comfortable formula reacts to the moisture level in your lips for custom colour. Non-sticky and non-greasy, the oil leaves lips beautifully pampered, even five days after application! Smooth over lips to enhance their natural colour, or wear as a top coat over lip liner or lipstick for dazzling shine.
Sweet Cherry Oil
“Super pretty! I love this lip oil. It's pigmented, lasts long on the lips and leaves a pretty tint. It smells like mint which I personally really like and the applicator is so soft. Not sticky at all.” - Customer Review
Nourishing, hydrating, and juicy. This lip oil offers a burst of vitamin-rich oils and semi-sheer colour. Lightweight with a beautiful shimmer, Jojoba Oil and Goji Berry Extract work to hydrate lips so they feel smooth and comfortable. Thanks to Cloudberry Seed Oil, high levels of Vitamin C and E moisturise lips, while Crushed Sapphire and Ruby Gemstones help calm and soothe. Swipe Milk Makeup's Lip Oil Gloss onto bare lips or layer with their Lip and Cheek for a shiny tint of colour.
Jojoba Oil, Goji Berry Extract, Cloudberry Seed Oil, Vitamin C, Vitamin E
“Beautiful colour and texture. I am a fan! First time using Milk Lip Oil Gloss and I am not disappointed. Rich and just perfect colour with a great non-sticky feel. Stays for a very decent amount of time. It's a thumbs up for me.” - Customer Review
We go Gaga for HAUS LABS PhD Hybrid Lip Oil. Glide this award-winning, sheer tinted lip oil over lips to get the shine of a gloss. Delivering lightweight hydration, the Haustech Powered formula with Vegan Collagen and Prickly Pear Oil smooths for a cushiony feel. Its non-sticky shine drenches lips in nourishment, use after use. Wear Lady Gaga's go-to shade, Secondary, or let the pH powered shades transform your lips in a true-to-you tint. Conditioned and comfortable, just how we like it.
Vegan Collagen, Prickly Pear Oil
“Perfect for everyone. I personally have such a hard time finding the right products that will hydrate my lips (and not make them look super cakey) and that suits my skin tone. This product does both. It hydrates your lips to make them plump and then the product uses your pH to adjust the colour of your lips. Haus Labs does it again!” - Anna, Customer Review