If the last decade was all about matte lipstick, this decade is all about gloss. Glazed lips – a beauty that’s become particularly indelible in a trend cycle moving at breakneck speed – are set to stay. And it reads just as well offline as it does on; whether you like full-on glow or minimal makeup, day or night.
“It’s all about glazed lips right now, a trend we’ve predicted will be big this year for several reasons,” Lisa Payne, head of beauty at trend forecasters Stylus, tells us. So what is it about that shiny, almost wet texture that feels so good right now? “Firstly, in fashion and beauty, a lot of what we’re seeing in style is driven by ’90s nostalgia with a contemporary twist,” she points out – so in this case, think Lancôme’s Juicy Tubes and Dior Addict 2.0 glosses . “Secondly, when matte is the lip texture of choice on the runways and in new product development for so many years, the contrast of luscious, dewy and glossy lips is refreshing and youthful.”
Payne adds that their trend intelligence study shows that younger consumers are far more likely to pull a gloss or lip butter out of their bags than a pigmented bullet, “inspired in part by beauty influencers and ‘It’ girl models like Hailey Bieber, who prefer a pouty, pouty lip look”. Given Bieber’s influence on “glossy” skin and nail trends over the past year, rebranding “gloss” as “glaze” in the context of lips speaks to the zeitgeist.
She points out that what makes the resurgence of this trend feel relevant and – most importantly – affordable is the development of formulation technology, which allows for products that are much more sophisticated, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing “than the overly sticky , rubbery and smudging glosses of the past.” “Now we’re seeing gloss formulas packed with nourishing skin care ingredients like peptides that benefit lips while they shine,” she says. “Nourishing lip oils that come first place in skin care, also provide benefits in addition to shine.” In terms of color, “mineral pigments are now so refined and adaptable that gloss and oil products can be marketed in a range of shades and textures,” giving us allows us to experiment with everything from sheer to nude, metallic to berry and inky tones.
Victoria Beckham Beauty Posh Gloss High Shine Lip
Originally launched in a sheer shade, Posh Gloss Ice hydrates and smoothes while leaving a crystal shine.
Chanel’s non-stick gel texture hydrates lips with high shine. Shades range from barely there to bold.
Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath
This best-selling formula comes in six sheer shades—all with skincare ingredients for conditioning properties.
Christian Dior Dior Addict Lip Maximizer
Dior’s signature lip gloss provides shine and a volumizing look.
MAC’s aptly named Lipglass is a cult classic; distinguished by both intense pigment (with different shades) and strong shine.
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer
A highly addictive lip balm, Fenty’s Lip Luminizer smells as good as it looks.
Letizia Sofia, make-up artist for Maya Jama – Britain’s poster girl for the look – confirms that you can customize the glossy lip look to suit your sense of style. “If you’re more into a simple no-makeup look, you can apply gloss to your lips without lip liner or lipstick – or, if you like dramatic bold lip colors, you can add an extra high gloss, making the trend work for you own way.” She says it’s an “instant lip statement that’s so easy for anyone to pull off” — and below, she explains how…
How to achieve a glossy lip look
“Using a lip scrub first to make sure your lips are exfoliated and smooth is ideal,” says the makeup artist. “I love using Lush Lip Scrubs because the ingredients are vegan and they smell great.” Next, she likes to use a lip balm to really nourish your lips before applying gloss. “A great one that I use day and night is the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask.”
Next, she suggests applying a lip liner to frame your mouth, the shade of which will depend on whether or not you prefer colored lips. If you are, try to match the colors of your pencil and lipstick/gloss. If you’re going for a neutral look, “the tone of the liner will depend on your skin undertone,” she advises.
For medium skin tones, MAC Cork Lip Pencil (a muted golden brown) is her personal pick, while she recommends the brand’s sister shade Chestnut (an intense brown) if your skin tone and lips are darker. Those with light to medium complexions should try Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Iconic Nude (nude-beige) or Pillow Talk (nude-pink), or MAC Lip Pencil in Spice (cinnamon-pink).
“Finally, use a high-shine gloss on your lips and reapply as many times as you want to achieve the ultimate glazed lip.” Her favorite? “MAC makes a great clear lip gloss called Lipglass.” I light up.
MAC Lipglass Clear
