Can you recall the last time you reached for a lippie? No? Us neither. With the new mask-wearing norm, lipsticks have retired to the bottom of our makeup stashes. We’ve instead deviated to safe, smudge-proof territories. Lip stains on the days that demand a wash of colour and a rotation of balms on others.
We might’ve been coping just fine but with the party season in full swing, our lips beg for a pick me up when the masks come off. But with lipsticks off the table, we’ve had to look elsewhere. While lip stains and balms do the job on the daily, they don’t match up in the glam department. Lip glosses, on the other hand, bring the megawatt shine but topping off glossed-up puckers with a face mask spells a sticky disaster.
Meet lip oils – our best bet. Boasting high-shine, lip oils are the mask-friendly, non-sticky alternative to glosses. Some, even so pigmented they could possibly fill the gaping lipstick-loving hole in your heart for a night. An added plus, these nourishing formulas hydrate your lips leaving a smooth canvas behind for when we can eventually return to our favourite reds. We’ve rounded up the best lip oils in our arsenal ranging from ones that are clear to others that lend a generous tint.
Dior Lip Glow Oil
Our introduction to lip oils came by way of Dior’s Lip Glow Oil. We’ve waxed lyrical about Dior’s range of lip products on numerous occasions and this adds to the count. As the old adage goes, good things come in small packages. It might be a pretty penny to part with for a relatively teeny tube of product but we’ve gone back every time we’ve ran empty. The deeply hydrating formula, with a very slightly tinted sheen, is an instant pick me up for the pout. It’s the effect of a lip gloss that we like but without none of that sticky after feel. You’d catch us liberally swiping this over our lips multiple times through the day.
Hourglass Nº 28 Lip Treatment Oil
The Hourglass Nº 28 Lip Treatment Oil is the priciest of the lot. With that being said, we’d park this under skincare rather than cosmetics. As the name suggests, the thick oil formula leans towards a concentrated night treatment – we don’t take this out with us in the day. If you’re sensitive to scent, however, we suggest skipping this one.
Marc Jacobs Hydrating Coconut Lip Oil
The latest addition to our arsenal of lip oils but easily a favourite, the Marc Jacobs Hydrating Coconut Lip Oil leaves the lips glowing even after the oil has been completely wiped clean by meals throughout the day. You’d see the difference on the lips almost immediately. We don’t even mind that the formula is completely clear. You get the shine for days!
Clarins Intense Lip Comfort Oil
If you’re one who enjoys having colour on your lips, Clarins Intense Lip Comfort Oil is delivered to you by the makeup gods. If you have dry lips, lippies don’t always work in your favour. They dehydrate further, leaving you with sheets of peeling skin – not a pretty sight. But you can hardly achieve the same colour pay off with lip tints or balms. The Clarins Intense Lip Comfort Oil is a gamechanger if you’re one of those people torn between having moisturised lips or a pretty wash of colour. Intense is just the word to describe how pigmented and hydrating the formula is. It’s the best of both worlds.
Rodin Luxury Lip & Cheek Oil
If you’ve deep-dived into the realm of oil-based makeup, Rodin would be no stranger to you. It’s what the luxury beauty brand is known for – its category of enriching oils. Rodin’s Luxury Lip & Cheek Oil is a blend of ingredients like the moisture-rich safflower seed, jojoba seed, and sunflower seed oils, on top of conditioning ingredients like turmeric extract and ceramides. Perfect for no-makeup makeup days, Rodin’s lineup of hues give your skin and lips a touch of colour and that healthy, natural glow.
What To Read Next: Beauty Wars: Shimmery Eyeshadow Palettes that Aren’t Just for the Holiday Season, Conversations: The ABCs of Feminine Care with Two Lips’ Cynthia Chua and What Exactly Is Skin Resurfacing? | Cover Image: Qide Sim.