We're Beauty Editors—Of Course We Created a Master List of Beloved Lip Oils
As beauty editors, we're more than happy to test every product under the sun in order to give you, dear readers, the most informed shopping recommendations. That being said, we do get extra jazzed about some special categories at Who What Wear. Take fragrance, for example. We can go on and on about the best vanilla scents, the designer perfumes worth trying and the niche elixirs that deserve a permanent spot on your vanity.
Lip products receive that same level of verve. Let it be known: We WWW editors take our lip combos *very* seriously. So when I asked my fellow teammates which lip oils they hold dear, I was immediately flooded with formulas I absolutely had to include in this list. It was difficult to whittle them all down, but I managed to compile them into a clean list of 12. (Although, if you're curious about our other favorites, please feel free to reach out; we'd be more than happy to wax poetic via DM!) Here, browse our beloved options.
The Best Lip Oils of 2024, Listed
- Best Tinted: Saie Glossybounce
- Best Non-Tinted: Gisou Honey Infused Hydrating Lip Oil
- Best Sheer: Merit Shade Slick
- Best Splurge: Dior Lip Glow Oil
- Best Budget: SheGlam Jelly Wow Hydrating Lip Oil
- Best Long-Lasting: Ami Colé Hydrating Lip Treatment Oil
- Best Shine: Guerlain Kiss Kiss Bee Glow Lip Oil
- Best Color Payoff: Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil
- Best Plumping: Haus Labs PhD Hybrid Lip Glaze Plumping Gloss
- Best Natural: Typology Paris Tinted Lip Oil
- Best Hydrating: Osea Hyaluronic Acid Lip Booster
- Best Color-Changing: InnBeauty Project Glaze Lip Oil
The All-Time Best Lip Oils of 2024
Best Tinted: Saie Glossybounce
Pros: Silky glide with zero stickiness, incredible shine
Cons: Some reviewers think the formula is too "thin"
Shades: 9
Key ingredients: Jojoba seed oil, hyaluronic acid, shea butter
I will forever and always carry Saie Glossybounce in my bag. The finish is perfect, glassy, and juicy with zero stickiness, and each stunning shade has incredible payoff. I especially love Play (a sheer bubblegum pink that actually looks quite natural) for my everyday lip looks, and I've been using Remix (a mauve shimmer) to dress up my evening makeup routine. I'm truly obsessed.
Customer review: "I'm so glad I tried this Lip Oil! I love that it has a natural hint of a shade without being too bright and distracting. And the consistency is so nice and silky, not sticky and very hydrating!"
Best Non-Tinted: Gisou Honey Infused Hydrating Lip Oil
Pros: Zero stickiness, provides all-day hydration
Cons: Some reviewers don't like the scent
Shades: 6
Key ingredients: Honey, grape-seed oil, sunflower seed oil, hyaluronic acid
A honey-powered formula, Gisou's lip oil is such a low-key hit. There's a reason it won a coveted spot in our inaugural Beauty Awards! Our testers especially loved how it glides onto the lips "like butter" and offers all-day hydration. A new lip oil seems to launch every single week at this point, but WWW Beauty Director Erin Jahns still considers Gisou her ultimate go-to.
Customer review: "Absolute best lip gloss ever! With any other lip gloss, they always need a touchup or multiple coats but with this one it’s one swipe and then perfection! 100% recommend. Worth the price."
Best Sheer: Merit Shade Slick
Pros: Non-sticky and lightweight, buildable, comfortably coats the lips without streaking
Cons: Color is sheer if you're looking for more pigment payoff
Shades: 12
Key ingredients: Rose-hip oil, shea butter, jojoba oil
Merit's tinted lip oil is the definition of light as air. You'll truly forget you even have it on (speaking from experience!). Its sleek, non-sticky finish and gorgeous shade range are just a couple reasons WWW assistant beauty editor Maya Thomas considers it one of her all-time faves. She especially loves the shade Sangria, a deep, juicy berry.
Customer review: "The most flattering thing that I ever put on my lips, and all I can say is I AM OBSESSED, literally don’t walk , run and get yourself one. Because the pigmentation is just on point and it doesn’t feel sticky at all and keeps my lips really hydrated. I just love these lip oils and can’t stop purchasing them."
Best Splurge: Dior Lip Glow Oil
Pros: Gives great coverage, super glossy, pigment lasts a while on the lips
Cons: Glossy shine doesn't last as long as other options (although the tint definitely does!)
Shades: 11
Key ingredients: Sweet cherry oil, mint-vanilla fragrance
Dior's Lip Glow Oil has reached icon status (the hashtag #diorlipoil has 1.3 billion views and counting on TikTok!), and let me just say: The formula is definitely worth the hype. It nails that glossy, never-sticky finish that makes lips look extra juicy, and the tint itself lingers long after the gloss has worn off. It features cherry oil to nourish lips, as well as a minty-vanilla scent that feels fresh and invigorating.
The doe-foot applicator is also nice and plush, so it gives ample coverage with just one swipe. I'm partial to the Poppy Coral shade for some warmth and brightness, while Maya adores Mahogany. You really can't go wrong with any of the 11 stunning options.
Customer review: "Love love love. The applicator and wear is amazing. Expensive but worth the money. I’ve tried dupes for it but none of them are as soft as this."
Best Budget: SheGlam Jelly Wow Hydrating Lip Oil
Pros: Piles on the shine, plush applicator with great coverage
Cons: Doesn't have as much tinting power as other options
Shades: 5
Key ingredients: Strawberry extract, hyaluronic acid, squalane
This $5 beauty delivers just as much juicy shine and moisture as some of the $35+ options on this list. The applicator is very plush and provides great coverage as well. I will say the pigment is very sheer, which is something to note if you prefer more color payoff. But for those looking for just a hint of color, it's divine. It also comes in such fun variations, like translucent yellow and blue.
Customer review: "I've tried all the oils; expensive to drug store. This is my new favorite. Perfect amount of tint. Not sticky, stays a long time & hydrating! Wish there were more tints—I would buy them all."
Best Long-Lasting: Ami Colé Hydrating Lip Treatment Oil
Pros: Nice slip, great color payoff
Cons: Reviewers say it has more of a lip-gloss texture
Shades: 7
Key ingredients: Baobab seed oil, camellia seed oil, passion fruit seed oil
WWW associate beauty editors Shawna Hudson and Kaitlyn McLintock are obsessed with this Ami Colé number. Just look at that shine on Shawna! It's a bit thicker than other options—some reviewers consider it more of a gloss than an oil—but if you're looking for that high-shine finish along with a gorgeous kiss of color that lasts all day long, you'll fall head over heels for this one.
Customer review: "My favorite lip oil on the market, feels amazing on the lips, perfect amount of pigment and lasts so long. I’ve tried every other hyped up lip oil and I gotta say this one does NOT get enough love!!"
Best Shine: Guerlain Kiss Kiss Bee Glow Lip Oil
Pros: Contains 92% natural ingredients, layers well over lipstick
Cons: Some reviewers say it wears off quickly
Shades: 6
Key ingredients: Corsican honey, propolis, royal jelly
Erin is quick to recommend this honey-infused formula from Guerlain. (FYI, celebrity makeup artist Nina Park also considers herself a fan!) It deposits the prettiest pop of color and the most hydrated, glassy shine. Ever marveled at the natural glow from a dollop of honey? This lip oil delivers that same finish, sans stickiness.
Customer review: "Purchased both the pink and coral shades in this luscious lip oil. It’s feather light and gives the lips a beautiful gloss. I wear it over the lip balm, lipstick, and alone with just a little lip liner that matches my lip color. Tres magnifique!!"
Best Color Payoff: Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil
Pros: Glides easily, has great color payoff
Cons: Not as many shade options
Shades: 4
Key ingredients: Vitamin E, castor seed oil, avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, jojoba oil
Leave it to Summer Fridays (which boasts one of the best glossy lip balms, like, ever) to launch a swoon-worthy lip oil. I'll reach for this one when I'm craving extra color payoff, as it has more of an opaque finish (whereas other lip oils read more sheer). That being said, it doesn't ever skimp on shine. Hudson and I both give it our stamps of approval!
Customer review: "This is one of the best oils I have ever put on my lips, I am super picky with lip products because a lot of them dry my lips out but this doesn’t! It’s so moisturizing and the color is beautiful!"
Best Plumping: Haus Labs PhD Hybrid Lip Glaze Plumping Gloss
Pros: Plumps the lips without any sting, prettiest sheer color payoff
Cons: Some reviewers say the packaging can leak over time
Shades: 6
Key ingredients: Blend of Maxi-Lip and Volulip technologies, prickly pear oil, vegan collagen
Kaitlyn calls this glassy number "a special fave," and I can totally see why. Some even say it's a great dupe for Dior! McLintock adores the shade Macaron, a light petal pink, combined with a warm rose lip liner. "I recently wore this combo to a wedding, and three people complimented me and asked for the details," she once told me. Sold!
Customer review: "It’s extremely light weight, not sticky, and it looks so natural yet stunning while wearing it. I was extremely skeptical because it looks heavy and sticky—but it’s far from it!!"
Best Natural: Typology Paris Tinted Lip Oil
Pros: Great for a naturally "blurred lip" look
Cons: Very discreet, if you're looking for more color payoff
Shades: 6
Key ingredients: Squalane, jojoba oil, vitamin E
"This lip oil is one of my all-time favorites," Kaitlyn writes. (And I wholeheartedly agree!) "It's not thick or goopy like other formulas I've tried. In fact, it's quite the opposite. It feels like a cool liquid on the lips, imparts a wash of blurred color, and dries down to a comfortable, moisturizing finish. I'm in love." We're both currently freaking out over the brand's new Black Cherry shade, which imparts the prettiest berry hue. I cannot wait to get my hands on it.
Customer review: "I was looking for a lip product that would enhance my lips without adding too much substance or drying them out. I've done it! This lip oil moisturizes while leaving lips plumped, for a subtle, bitten-mouth effect. Doesn't stick or run. In short, I'm won over!"
Best Hydrating: Osea Hyaluronic Acid Lip Booster
Pros: Ultra-moisturizing formula, subtly plumps lips, smells amazing
Cons: Comes in a glass tube, so you have to be a little more careful with it on the go
Shades: N/A
Key ingredients: Sea fern, hyaluronic acid, castor oil, meadowfoam seed oil
If you're looking for a simply hydrating, non-tinted lip oil, I really cannot recommend this Osea number enough. It drenches—and I mean drenches—my lips in moisture, and it has a subtle plumping effect thanks to hyaluronic acid. It's my personal go-to for no-makeup days or when I need an extra hit of hydration at my desk. Osea products are known for their glorious textures and ultra-moisturizing formulas, and this lip oil totally fits the bill. I'm truly such a fan.
Customer review: "This lip booster is truly luxurious and effective. It makes my lips feel smooth immediately after use. I love that I can use this by itself throughout the day as well as apply it over lip color if I want to. It gives me some shine and makes my lips actually look more plump. It comes in lovely glass."
Best Color-Changing: InnBeauty Project Glaze Lip Oil
Pros: Non-sticky yet has enough "grip" to last a while, makes lips look incredibly juicy
Cons: Sometimes the cap gets stuck and I have a hard time twisting it open
Shades: 10
Key ingredients: Jojoba oil, fermented pomegranate, plant-based plumping complex
Fun fact: This is one of the only lip oils I've actually used till the last drop. That should tell you how obsessed I am! I love each gorgeous shade (right now I can't get enough of Pumpkin Spice Latte), but the color-changing Mystery has a special place in my heart. It has a pH-adjusting technology that reacts to your natural lip color and creates the perfect shade of pink completely unique to you. I earn multiple compliments on my lip combo whenever I wear it.
Customer review: "I’m a lip oil junkie and these are the best on the market. There’s no stickiness yet there’s enough grip to last a while. The shade range is fantastic and they smell amazing."
Is lip oil better than balm?
It depends what you're looking for in a lip product! Lip oils are great for providing moisture, shine, and subtle tint (assuming you choose a pigmented option), but if you'd like to treat your pout to more skincare ingredients and hydration, you should probably opt for a balm. Balms are typically wax-based, so they can provide a moisturizing seal over the lips that keeps water locked inside. They also tend to feature more cushiony emollients, like shea butter, to soften and smooth the delicate skin.
Lip oils, on the other hand, are great at providing a healthy dose of shine. They're more lightweight than balms and leave behind a glossy sheen. So one isn't necessarily "better" than the other; it's really up to personal preference.
Do you put on lip balm or lip oil first?
If you're going to layer them both, I'd apply lip balm first before slicking on a light layer of oil. That way, the balm's nourishing ingredients can penetrate the lip skin, and you'll still wind up with a glossy, tinted layer of shine. Practically speaking, trying to swipe a balm over a glossy product just sounds messy.
How should you choose a lip oil?
First, it helps to consider the type of payoff you're looking for. Do you want a tinted or non-tinted option? If you would like some pigment, what shade(s) do you prefer? How sheer or opaque would you like your lip oil? These visual details can help you decide which lippie to apply (and reapply) throughout the day.
From an ingredient standpoint, you can choose a lip oil based on its key hydrators. If you're hoping for a plumping effect, look for lip oils with hyaluronic acid or peptides. If smoothing lip lines is your main focus, perhaps grab an oil with gentle AHAs or enzymes to lightly exfoliate the skin. Regardless, be sure to select one with loads of nourishing oils, as those give the product its juicy shine.
Jamie Schneider is Who What Wear’s senior beauty editor based in New York City. She has a penchant for trend forecasting, covering everything from innovative skincare launches to celebrity profiles, and her work has appeared in mindbodygreen, Coveteur, and more. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English before moving to NYC, and she's been there ever since. When she’s not writing or testing the latest beauty finds, Jamie loves exploring vintage boutiques, reading mystery books (bonus points for an unexpected twist), and she’s always down for a park picnic in Brooklyn.
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