The best lip oils are a dream for those with dry lips, adding hydration and softness. You might be thinking that if you’ve tried one version, you’ve tried them all. However, they can be distinct in their benefits, texture and level of pigment. From our top pick the Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil to our favorite drugstore formula the NYX Fat Oil Lip Drip, there are plenty of great options to suit a variety of preferences.
The best lip oils provide long-lasting shine, hydration and a hint of color without any stickiness.
Illustration: Forbes / Photo: RetailersMakeup artist Kirin Bhatty is a fan of lip oils for their skincare-like focus: “A lip oil still has that glossy effect but feels less dense,” she says. “So, you get the effect of a gloss but the hydration that you’d crave from a balm.” Many of our top picks have even been tested firsthand by myself and Bhatty, too. Below, the best lip oils that offer shine, hydration and a hint of color.
Summer Fridays
There’s a solid chance that if you’re on #beautytok, you’ve seen this of-the-moment superstar on your feed. The plush, velvety lacquer leaves just a hint of color on lips, while castor seed, shea and jojoba seed oil keep your pout soft and supple. Vitamin E and squalane also work to deliver long-term hydration. Available in four berry tints, the two darker shades are a bit more sultry, while the lighter shades bring out your natural lip hue. Users love the applicator and say the formula is smooth and never sticky, unlike other lip oils they’ve tried.
Ulta Beauty
It’s great that this lip oil is under $10 because chances are you’ll like the formula so much you’ll want to grab multiple shades. Available in eight color options ranging from clear to bubblegum pink to deep chocolate brown, there’s a nude for every skin tone. I personally love the juicy red shade—it gives lips that juicy post-popsicle hue with more shine and none of the stickiness.
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Tom Ford
I’m a sucker for the ultra-luxe packaging of Tom Ford’s Lip Oil Tint. Pulling it out of my bag feels like I’m making a statement, and the formula inside is just as luxurious as you would expect. It initially has a gel-like feel, coating the lips more than most lip oils do for longer wear. Infused with coconut oil and vitamin E, it gives a glowy sheen when worn alone, but I also love wearing it over a tinted lip balm to add some extra shine to my look.
Estee Lauder
If the fear of a greasy or sticky formula still makes you oil-averse, consider Estée Lauder’s formula the gateway to your nourishing, oil-rich beauty journey. Technically, the serum-oil hybrid is meant to be applied at night as a collagen-infused treatment, plumping your lips while you sleep. However, I like wearing it any time of day because it’s lightweight and delivers instant hydration. And since it’s a day-to-night product that cuts down on the number of lip products you need, it makes an excellent travel companion.
Polite Society
From the founders of popular makeup brand Too Faced comes Polite Society. The brand’s B.I.G. Mouth Lip Plumping Oil Gloss is different from traditional lip oils in a few ways. It delivers a nearly opaque tint (unless you opt for the clear shade), but what attracts most people is the plumping effect. After it’s applied there’s a tingling sensation (from the capsicum). It only lasted a few minutes before I was left with more of a refreshing, minty feel that made my lips look a lot more full than usual. If you have sensitive lips, I suggest trying this with a lip balm underneath.
Kosas
Available in 11 shades, you’ll find everything from a rich ruby tone to a bright red to classic pink. Each shade features a shimmery, satin finish for plenty of shine without a heavy feel. Packed with hyaluronic acid, peptides and evening primrose oil, this product doesn’t just look good—it feels good, too. One of my favorite formulas on this list, it has a velvety, lightweight and barely-there feel after application. While you may want to layer some lip oils with a balm for extra hydration, you won’t need to with this option.
Fig.1 Beauty
Fig. 1’s no-frills lip oil delivers nourishing benefits with dermatologist-approved ingredients for a smooth and hydrated pout. It’s formulated with vegan squalene, hyaluronic acid and collagen-heavy tripeptides, and it improves lip texture the moment you apply it. It leaves a cooling and refreshing feel behind, and the tripeptides help to naturally plump your lips over time. It’s vegan and cruelty-free, and if sustainability is important to you you’ll appreciate that the brand is transparent about the carbon emissions and waste impact each product carries.
Ulta Beauty
Perhaps the most famous option on this list, Dior’s Lip Glow Oil is a popular and well-reviewed formula that Bhatty loves. There are eight different shades to choose from, ranging from clear to mahogany, which is a deep brown with mauve undertones. Users say you’ll need to reapply throughout the day, but the packaging is beautiful and the formula does a nice job of enhancing your natural lip color. Because it includes cherry oil, it has a fruity scent with a hint of citrus that is refreshing without being overpowering.
Sephora
Not only is Gisou’s lip oils one of my favorite options, but it also happens to have one of the most impressive ingredient lists as well: honey, hyaluronic acid, bee garden oil and evening primrose oil. There are also two shades to choose from: Shimmer Glow, which includes golden flecks, and Honey Gold, which is more of a subtle golden tint. The golden flecks in Shimmer Glow look like bigger pieces of glitter in the tube, but provide a glamorous high-shine effect when applied.
Stila
Lip oils are meant to feel comfortable and non-sticky (and they hydrate lips beautifully), but the sheen and color won’t last as long as some balms, stains and glosses. However, this product has major staying power. I wore the gold-hued shade Galaxy through a night of slurping noodles and still had product left on my lips after dinner. The tiny tube fits into a compact purse with ease, but you probably won’t need to reach for it very often.
Tower28 Beauty
I know this is technically labeled a lip gloss, but hear me out. It has apricot oil as one of the hero ingredients and also includes castor seed oil, rosehip oil, avocado oil and more. A good value at $16, this vegan, cruelty-free pick comes in two finishes (glossy and milky), which both look gorgeous on the lips. My favorite way to use this product? Start with one of the milky shades, then layer a glossy one on top for a long-lasting coat of hydration and color.
Sephora
The aptly named Odyssey Hydrating Non-Sticky Lip Oil Gloss delivers deep hydration thanks to jojoba oil, goji berry extract and vitamin E without any stickiness, which glosses can be notorious for. Plus, the brand offers unique color options that you won’t find anywhere else: Just peep the shimmery blue or deep mauve, and have them on hand for days you want to mix up your go-to look.
At Forbes Vetted, we’ve researched and written dozens of makeup stories. Author of this piece Neha Tandon is a regular contributor with over six years of experience covering beauty and lifestyle topics. As someone who has personally dealt with dry, chapped lips for most of her life, she has tested many of these products firsthand to gain real-world insights. This story was overseen by deputy editor Jane Sung, who has covered everything from the best neck-firming creams to the top foundations for mature skin. In addition, Tandon gathered key insight and guidance from professional makeup artist Kirin Bhatty.
To select the best lip oils, we first took into account each product’s active ingredients—we sought out hydrating ingredients like jojoba seed oil, evening primrose oil and hyaluronic acid that effectively plump, moisturize and smooth lips. Our final list is inclusive of different textures and finishes, and features a range of price points for various budgets. Additionally, our expert chimed in with recommendations based on her own experiences, and customer reviews were examined for standout product traits and real-world insights.
These lip balm-gloss hybrids come in either clear or tinted formulas, and they're packed with moisturizing ingredients like collagen and squalane, as well as moisturizing oils galore (think jojoba, avocado and rosehip). But the best part? They also pack some serious colour payoff. Here, the best lip oils to add to your makeup routine for fall.