Sticky Lip Glosses Are My Biggest Beauty Ick—See the Roster of Alts That Never Get Gloppy

Pros: Super-thick and moisturizing formula, available in sheer and shimmer shades

Cons: Color payoff is not as intense as other options

Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, shea butter | Shades: 12 | Flavored: No

Whenever someone asks me to recommend lip gloss, I start with Saie's Glossybounce. (It won Best Gloss in our WWW 100 Beauty Awards this year!) It's marketed as a lip gloss oil since it has such a hydrating, glorious slip, and IMO, the brand absolutely perfected the entire formula. It has a thick texture that comfortably hugs my lips in moisture and shine, and each of the shades offers a sheer, juicy tint. I have four different colors in my bag at all times, but my favorite has to be Play, a bright bubblegum pink that pairs perfectly with every lip color I own.

Customer review: "One of my favorite lip glosses! Such a pretty tint of color and a staple in my routine. Not to mention, it feels great on the lips!"

Pros: Has a cooling metal applicator, beautiful shades with a rich color payoff, formula isn't too thick or too lightweight

Cons: Packaging can leak

Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, jojoba-seed oil, caprylyl glycol | Shades: 11 | Flavored: No

I love this Refy gloss so much. The only reason I didn't crown it as "best overall" is because I do prefer a doe foot to a tube applicator, even though I do love how this cooling metal tip feels on my lips. Each time I use it, I'm floored by how smooth and plump my lips look, especially when I pair it with the brand's Lip Blur Liner. The shades aren't too pink, either, which I love. I'm much more of a mauve, earth-tone gal than someone who gravitates toward bubblegum pink.

Customer review: "I didn't want to buy another clear gloss, but I caved in and I am so glad I did. This lip gloss is fantastic and is so shiny and beautiful! The applicator also is super unique and gives an extra little cooling effect!"

Pros: Amazing and rich color payoff, pigment lasts a long time

Cons: Not a ton of product in the tube

Key ingredients: Shea butter, jojoba oil, almond oil, argan oil | Shades: 7 | Flavored: No

WWW Beauty Director Erin Jahns and I both adore this Westman Atelier formula. The color payoff is incredible, and I don't even need to layer a lipstick or tinted balm underneath the gloss. With just one swipe of Garconne (my go-to shade), my lips appear lusciously rosy, and they stay that way for hours, even after eating and drinking! Not for nothing, the sturdy, high-quality packaging is such a little luxury. I feel fancy every time I take it out of my bag to apply.

Customer review: "My favorite lip balm, the texture is amazing, the pigment is great, and suits many skin tone complexions. Definitely worth the price."

Pros: Subtly plumps lips, pigment is soft and buildable, easy-to-use applicator

Cons: You can't roll the applicator back down

Key ingredients: Menthyl lactate, mango-seed butter, avocado oil, shea butter | Shades: 20 | Flavored: No

The TikTok crowd is right—this glossy balm is worth the hype. It's moisturizing, buildable, and so easy to apply. "It gives you a really flattering wash of color that's noticeable but not too intense, and it immediately makes your lips look full, juicy, and extremely glassy—without the stick," Jahns says in a review. "It has a light, cooling, and refreshing feel after you apply it, which I liked, and it's also one of those no-fuss formulas you can swipe over your lips in two seconds without a mirror." You can't go wrong with any of the 20 stunning shades, but Secret 85 (a deep rose with shimmery gold pearl) has my heart.

Customer review: "The Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm exceeded my expectations. The packaging and product are sleek. The balm has a nice sheen of color, is extremely glossy, and leaves my lips looking and feeling voluminous. I love it!"

Pros: Plush doe-foot applicator covers a lot of surface area in one swipe, delicious scent

Cons: All tinted shades have shimmer

Key ingredients: Shea butter, peach-vanilla scent | Shades: 12 | Flavored: Yes

If it's good enough for Rihanna, it's good enough for me! The shade $weet Mouth—a shimmery, soft pink—is particularly stunning, as it gives your lips just a hint of tint with megawatt shine. "I made it because I wanted the girls to get kissed more," Rihanna herself says about this conditioning gloss. A sticky lip situation is not ideal for makeouts, so rest assured this one was formulated specifically for pillow-soft comfort.

Customer review: "Smells amazing, looks amazing, feels amazing… She is an icon, and she is the moment."

Pros: Oversize and curved doe-foot applicator, rich color payoff, thick and moisturizing formula

Cons: Some people don't love a huge applicator

Key ingredients: Shea butter, Maxi-Lip technology, rosehip oil | Shades: 19 | Flavored: Yes

Lawless's Forget the Filler range is known for its Maxi-Lip technology that visibly increases lip volume by 40%—sans stinging. I love the curved, oversize doe-foot applicator, which hugs your lips for maximum coverage and an even glide. The formula is thick and viscous yet not sticky. (Otherwise, it wouldn't have made this list!) I'm partial to Cherry Vanilla, which gives your lips just a kiss of red pigment.

Customer review: "Like many others, I saw this going viral on TikTok and I just had to try! I had Watermelon first which had a great scent to it and a cute tint, but I live for this Cherry Vanilla. It's definitely more cherry forward, but do not fear if you're not a lip plumping fan! It feels like you have a slightly minty feeling on the lips but it goes away quickly. It is super moisturizing, a beautiful, barely there red tint. Beware using because it will run out fast!"

Pros: Hydrates and softens chapped lips, shiny and smooth enough to layer over lip color

Cons: Only a couple tinted shades, and they're very subtle

Key ingredients: Jojoba-seed oil, shea butter, cloudberry-seed oil | Shades: 4 | Flavored: Yes

"I​​'m kind of obsessed with the Kylie Cosmetics Lip Butter," says Jahns. While it's definitely more of a balm than a gloss (lip-product categories are pretty nebulous anyway), it deposits a weightless, clear shine that easily layers on top of any lip color. As you can expect, it's ultra-moisturizing. Multiple reviewers even consider it better than Aquaphor, a staple for chapped, wintry lips. That's impressive!

Customer review: "This is my absolute favorite lip treatment! I have already used one and am on my second in about a month's span. It's a staple in my handbag (or pocket if I'm lounging in my house). I love the vanilla/caramel scent and the applicator. It's not sticky or thick, but also not greasy… just the perfect consistency and keeps my lips moisturized (especially while it's cold) and feeling smooth. I can't get enough of this lip treatment!"

Pros: Smooth and hydrating formula, subtly plumps lips

Cons: Not as pigmented as other options

Key ingredients: Liquified jojoba wax, avocado oil, glycerides, sodium hyaluronate | Shades: 5 | Flavored: No

Another balm-gloss-oil hybrid, this Make number delivers a hint of pigment for a "my lip but better" look. It also contains a high-tech lip-volumizing ingredient extracted from pomegranate flowers, so it works as a sting-free plumper too. Jahns considers it one of her all-time favorites.

Customer review: "I'm in love with this lip serum. It's very hydrating and lasts. The price point might keep some away but I do feel like it's worth it."

Pros: Makes lips look noticeably plumper, basically a high-tech lip treatment with color

Cons: Not flavored but tastes a little funky

Key ingredients: Shea butter, AHAs, peptides, ceramides | Shades: 13 | Flavored: No

Let's get it out of the way: Yes, this lip treatment is pricey. The $68 price tag is certainly nothing to scoff at, but allow me to wax poetic about the volumizing, line-smoothing benefits. It contains AHAs to gently exfoliate the skin, ceramides and shea butter to soften and soothe, special peptides for a 3D pillow effect, and the brand's signature Siren Capsule technology to usher those nourishing players deep into the delicate skin. As Jahns once gushed, it's "the next best thing to filler."

Customer review: "This is the best lip oil type of product I've tried. The colors are fantastic as well. Fawn and Rose are great everyday shades. I may pick up the untinted to sleep in since this is such a comfortable, healing product. Love it!"

Pros: Long-lasting, thin and lightweight, super hydrating

Cons: Applicator doesn't pick up a ton of product

Key ingredients: Sodium hyaluronate, pomegranate extract, jojoba oil | Shades: 11 | Flavored: No (but it does smell slightly sweet)

If you want lips so shiny they resemble a pane of glass, this is the gloss for you. I swiped it on as soon as I received a sample in the Who What Wear office, and when I left at the end of the day, my lips looked just as juicy and hydrated as they did upon application. The custom doe-foot applicator is nice and plush with a divot in the center to comfortably hug your lips with each swipe, which is a major bonus. I personally love a big, cushiony applicator.

Customer review: "I'm a mascara and lip gloss girly, and this is such a nice neutral color that gives a ton of shine! Not sticky, minimal residue transfer on my coffee cup, and a great applicator. New go-to gloss."

Pros: Innovative double-sided wand, creates a personalized shade of pink unique to your skin pH

Cons: Some reviewers say the applicator is too small

Key ingredients: Jojoba-seed oil, castor-seed oil, sodium hyaluronate | Shades: 12 | Flavored: Yes (vanilla)

PH-adaptive lip glosses are just neat, aren't they? This one from Ariana Grande's R.E.M. Beauty appears blue in the tube but transforms into a 100% customizable pink unique to your own skin tone. "I love watching it evolve in real time," Grande told Who What Wear about the color-changing gloss. I also love the high-tech dual-sided wand with a paddle side to coat lips evenly and a curved side to hug the lips with precision.

Customer review: "This is the greatest lip product of all time. The smell and texture [are] divine. I am my best self with this on my lips. It's magic."

Pros: Small size is easy to take with you on the go, XXL cushiony applicator, refreshing minty scent, velvety color payoff

Cons: Doesn't last as long as other options

Key ingredients: Squalane, apricot oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, pomegranate oil | Shades: 8 | Flavored: Yes (mint)

Okay, this is also technically a lip oil, but as I said, the lip-product categories are quite nebulous these days! If you're looking for a sheer wash of color and juicy shine, you really can't go wrong with this $8 pick. I love the oversized cushion applicator and the refreshing, minty scent. Jahns also considers it an ultimate steal.

Customer review: "I absolutely love this item they definitely went above and beyond! I might have to say it's better than the Dior lip oil! I love it's very long lasting! And smells so good!"

Pros: Light-as-air consistency with a plumping formula

Cons: Payoff is more sheer than other options

Key ingredients: Maxi-Lip and Volulip technology, prickly pear oil, vegan collagen | Shades: 6 | Flavored: No

This is WWW beauty editor Kaitlyn McLintock's go-to lippie. "I always get asked what my lip combo is whenever I wear this," she once shared. She's not alone in her infatuation; many reviewers consider this Haus Labs number a dupe for spendy designer options. It's lightweight, hydrating, and gorgeously sheer. What else could you want in a gloss?

Customer review: "Obsessed with the shade Fig! The perfect fall/winter shade. I purchased this lip glaze after trying the Guava shade, and LOVED how hydrated my lips were after applying. It is non-sticky and lasts!"