These Lip Oils Are the Definition of Quiet Luxury

Key ingredients: plum oil, triolein, MaxiLip | Shades: 4

Best Splurge: Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil

Why It’s Worth It: When it comes to Dior’s Addict Lip Glow Oil, there’s more than meets the applicator. Despite the finite-seeming shades of this Best of Beauty-winning, TikTok-loved oil, each hue shifts into a custom hue based on your pH, thanks to a nifty ingredient called D&C Red 27. The eight shades of purples, pinks, and oranges are also packed with cherry oil, which protects lips from environmental aggressors with its antioxidants. New York City-based makeup artist and creator Delina Medhin digs the formula for her clients and herself because it’s “sheer and feels comfy.”

Tester feedback: “The entire experience of applying Dior Lip Glow is satisfying. Its doe-foot applicator has a chubby, rounded tip that comes out of the tube with a lovely squish. Gliding it on feels extra smooth, and it leaves my lips looking juicy,” says Forbes. “When the shine inevitably fades—or is rubbed off by my sips of tea or snacking—the pink hue persists, leaving my lips look healthy and moisturized.”

Key ingredients: cherry oil | Shades: 8

Best Budget: E.L.F. Glow Reviver Lip Oil

Why it’s worth it: E.L.F.’s Glow Reviver Lip Oil is a little minty, a lot pigmented, and always ready for a mid-morning, mid-afternoon, mid-evening—or mid-mid-evening—perk-up. At a wallet-loving price that doesn’t skimp on pigment or hydration, this is the perfect pick if you love a glossy finish but want a more conditioning formula. Infused with apricot, jojoba, pomegranate, and avocado oils, plus squalane, it hydrates, locks in moisture, and leaves lips looking (and feeling) really, really good.

Tester feedback: “This lip oil is a nice substitute for gloss. It has a slightly tacky consistency that reassures you you’re actually wearing product, while keeping lightweight,” says Blackman. “I love the minty flavor and the color payoff, too.”

Key ingredients: apricot oil, jojoba oil, pomegranate oil, avocado oil, squalane | Shades: 10

Frequently Asked Questions

How are lip oils different from lip balms?

We like to think of lip oils as the intersection between lip balms and glosses. As the skinification of makeup products becomes more popular, lip oils have become a favorite among beauty lovers, both in skin and cosmetics, for their subtle tints and moisture-replenishing properties. Besides the sheer, often-tinted finish that makes them so loveable, lip oils also double as nourishing treatments without feeling greasy, heavy, or sticky.