If you feel like there’s a new glossy lip product launching every week, you’re right. Drop any trendy makeup brand + lip oil into a search bar, and you’ll see an array of juicy, candy-coloured tubes on offer. Nothing like the ancient lip glosses that your hair latched on to with even the slightest breeze, these new hybrids nourish like a balm and have the finish of an oil. For days that need little extra zhuzh, there are ones that come with the lightest hint of colour and flavours good enough to eat.
What we’re seeing right now is probably the biggest shift in lip products since the mid 2010s, when liquid matte lips took over shelves, and our feeds, thanks to Kylie Jenner. After a good decade of leading the space, it looks like they have passed the mantle to lip oils.
Launched late last year, Hailey Bieber’s viral and frequently-sold-out Peptide Lip Treatment is one of the most popular players in the game, but there are many new contenders. Fenty, Rare Beauty, and even prestige brands like Hérmes and Dior have their own version of the lip oil. They’re pricey—far more so than the average lip balm or gloss—but work 10 times harder than either. And they’re one of the few beauty products that have united Gen Z and millennials in their love for it—the latter even stepping away from their trusty liquid matte lipsticks for it.
Next-gen of lip care
According to a report by TechSci Research, the global lip oil market was valued at US$538.4 million in 2023 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.9 per cent through 2029. “Consumers are increasingly seeking products that offer both beauty and skincare benefits, leading to the popularity of hybrid products,” explains Dr Chytra Anand, celebrity cosmetic dermatologist and founder of Kosmoderma Clinics. She advises opting for products with ingredients such as natural oils (jojoba, argan, and coconut), vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and soothing botanical extracts such as chamomile and aloe vera.
Annie Johnstone, senior beauty analyst at In-Trend Ltd, a beauty trend intelligence agency based in London, explains, “The reason for the old-school, stickier textures was that it made the formula more long-lasting, but newer, smarter technologies can provide us with [both] longevity and comfort today. User comfort has been the main driver, as people have seen they can have the colour payoff, care, and lip-hugging features via a lip oil.”
Are they set to become a mainstay in our kits? “[Once the hype dies down], tinted lip oils will become an elevated care product for minimalist make-up days,” believes Johnstone. “Their gesture is what will be long standing—their lightweight, one-swipe, no-fuss application is already influencing the lipstick and gloss categories, including mattes. The ‘comfortable’ matte [lipstick] isn’t going anywhere.” As long as we can expect more and better for our lips, the consumer continues to win.
According to Mumbai-based celebrity make-up artist Arti Nayar, lip oils fit right into the fresh, flushed look that we’re hoping to achieve today. “Lip oils are part of skincare, which is also a focus at fashion weeks backstage today. When I’m working on a client, I would rather use something that’s good for them and gives us the glossy finish we want. It’s dewiness with skincare benefits—what’s not to love?”
Traditional magazines have sold us products that promise to go from ‘day to night’ for decades now, but the lip oils and tints of today truly deliver on that. Finally.
Scroll to check out a few of our favourites.
