The 14 Best Lip Oils of 2024—Tested by a Byrdie Editor

Very few beauty items excite me quite like glossy lip products—and I test beauty products for a living. And one that adds shine and hydration and smooths the appearance of lip lines? I can’t get enough. So it’s no surprise that lip oils have started to seep out of every drawer in my room and every bag I own—and I’m not mad about it. Lip oils are the love child of a lip gloss and a lip balm; you get glossy shine and hydration all in one. “I’ve always been a huge fan of lip oils, simply because they act as skincare for our lips while adding the benefits of a nice shine and color,” says celebrity makeup artist, Misha Shahzada.

But as is true with all things, some options are superior to the rest. So, I tested dozens of popular formulas to find the very best ones worth spending your money on (and that’s not counting the hundred others I’ve tried over the years). I evaluated each based on feel, hydration, finish, wear, and shade range. Here’s the lowdown on the lip oils that impressed me the most.

Our Top Picks

Key Ingredients: Cherry oil | Shades: 11 | Size: 6 mL

This is a fairly rare case where the viral TikTok buzz about a product is totally justified. It’s just a hair stickier than most of the lip oils I tested, but not nearly as sticky as your standard lip gloss. In fact, I think the bit of tackiness and richness in the formula help improve its longevity and hydrating benefits. The large doe-foot applicator makes it easy to coat your lips in just a swipe or two, and I love that it almost immediately blurs the appearance of lip lines. The shine lasts about three hours (that’s a lot for a lip oil), and it keeps my lips feeling nourished for about the same amount of time. 

It’s my go-to pick when I want something with a super high shine that will give my lips a boost of moisture and a fuller-looking finish. The luxurious packaging makes it a fun splurge item that you’ll feel fancy pulling out of your bag, but the performance is just as great.

Key Ingredients: Corsican honey, propolis | Shades: 6 | Size: 9 mL

I love this lip oil almost as much as I love the Dior Lip Glow Oil—they’re truly neck and neck. This one comes in fewer shades and is just a smidge less long-wearing (hence runner-up). But, I adore the super-soft consistency, high-shine, finish, and lip-smoothing effect just as much. 

It’s formulated with Corsican honey and propolis to moisturize and soften the lips and doesn’t feel heavy or sticky in the slightest. Each shade has a mild honey scent and a sheer tint that gives the lips a subtle wash of color. Applying it feels like a luxury experience and I’m thrilled to have it in my collection.

Key Ingredients: Squalane, apricot oil, avocado oil | Shades: 7 | Size: 0.25 oz

On the other end of the price spectrum from the Dior Lip Glow Oil is this e.l.f. gem. Despite the low price tag, it offers beautiful shine and a healthy dose of moisture thanks to a blend of nourishing oils such as squalane, apricot oil, avocado oil, and more. It has an oversized doe-foot applicator that distributes the product quickly and feels soft on the lips. I love that it smooths the appearance of my lip lines, feels plush on my lips, and layers well over lip liner. The one thing I don’t love is that while some shades deposit a subtle wash of color, several look essentially clear on the lips. Overall, I’m impressed by how high-end it looks and feels for the affordable price.

Key Ingredients: Cherry seed oil | Shades: 2 | Size: 5.6 mL

Many lip oils add temporary moisture, but this one provides some of the most lasting hydration out of all the options I tested. It has a smooth, lightweight texture with a cushiony feel that envelopes the lips in moisture and shine. The formula contains nourishing cherry seed oil and feels hydrating sans a sticky consistency or greasy residue. It layers over a lip stain or lip liner nicely, though I tend to reach for it when I have dry lips and need something that doubles as a lip balm and a shine-enhancing product.

Key Ingredients: Jojoba oil, hazelnut | Shades: 10 | Size: 7 mL

This is the one that comes to mind when I think of a classic lip oil formula—thin, oily, and nonsticky. It feels utterly weightless when you swipe it on, yet it offers moisturizing benefits thanks to jojoba oil in the formula. It’s the perfect option for those who want a shiny finish but can’t stand the feeling of a heavy or sticky product on their lips.

While most lip oils fade pretty quickly, this one is among the least long-wearing, likely due to how thin the formula is. However, it’s easy to reapply and layer over other lip products, and I love how comfortable it feels on the lips. Plus, each one has a different tint and scent.

Key Ingredients: Baobab seed oil, camellia seed oil, passionfruit seed oil | Shades: 6 | Size: 4.4 oz

As mentioned above, lip oils are inherently transitory due to their thin, slippy textures, but this is the most long-wearing option I’ve come across. It has a bit of a richer consistency than most lip oil formulas (more similar to a traditional gloss), but it’s not too heavy or sticky. It feels quite hydrating thanks to a blend of baobab seed oil, camellia seed oil, and passionfruit seed oils, and it does a fantastic job of smoothing over lip lines to give your lips a fuller-looking appearance.

The glassy finish and lip conditioning benefits last about three hours before I feel like I need to reapply. I love how shiny it is and that the color of each one is visible on the lips.

Key Ingredients: Honey, hyaluronic acid | Shades: 5 | Size: 8 mL

You might think that all lip oils offer a ton of shine—it’s implied in the name—but that’s not always the case. Some have a more subtle, balm-like finish. If you want glassy, wet-looking shine that’s more typical of lip oils, this pick from Gisou is for you. Just one light layer adds a big boost of glossiness and hydration thanks to honey and hyaluronic acid in the formula. It felt comfortable and nonsticky and made my lips look smoother and fuller. I’m also a huge fan of the scents (like strawberry sorbet and watermelon sugar), tints, and adorable wavy packaging.

Key Ingredients: Jojoba oil, fermented pomegranate | Shades: 12 | Size: 6 mL

Okay, I know I just said I loved the scents of the Gisou lip oils, but InnBeauty Project offers a huge variety of scents I adore. With options that smell like candy apples, cinnamon buns, cookies, and more, you’re bound to find one (or a few) that you love. Besides the mouth-watering scents, the formula is lightweight and cushiony and keeps my lips feeling soft and hydrated for a few hours. I also love that the jumbo applicator makes it easy to coat my lips in one swipe.

Key Ingredients: Squalene, quinoa seed oil | Shades: 4 | Size: 7 mL

I’m a sucker for a lip stain, but I love a glossy finish and don’t always feel like applying multiple products to get my desired look; that’s why I’m all for this oil from Merit. It has a thin, lightweight consistency with a shiny finish and a staining quality; you’ll notice that it creates a tint as it warms up on your lips. The tint remains pigmented and even-looking long after the shine fades away. I wish the formula was a bit richer and more hydrating, but it’s a great option for those who want lasting color and that glassy look.

Key Ingredients: Maracuja oil, hyaluronic acid, brand’s hydra-plump complex | Shades: 23 | Size: 2.7 mL

Believe it or not, there’s a non-painful lip plumper that actually works, provides high shine, and is super lightweight. This one from Tarte is formulated with hyaluronic acid and the brand’s signature plumping complex to give lips a boost of hydration and volume. I find it helps blur the look of lip lines, giving them a fuller appearance overall. It provides a cooling and minor tingling sensation that’s never painful, and layers over other lip products beautifully. The formula is creamy, lightweight, and smooth as you apply it, though I think the fuzzy click-pen applicator is a bit finicky.

Key Ingredients: Vitamin E | Shades: 8 | Size: 0.14 oz

While you’re perusing the beauty aisles of your local drugstore, I highly recommend you pick up this lip oil from Milani. Each one has a delicious fruity scent and the formula feels incredibly nourishing and smooth on the lips. It has a gel-like texture that blurs the appearance of lip lines, layers over your lip color seamlessly, and never feels sticky or goopy. The only thing I would change about this one is the pigmentation—I wish I got a bit more color payoff from each one.

Key Ingredients: Jojoba oil, goji berry extract, cloudberry seed oil | Shades: 8 | Size: 6.5 mL

This oil from Milk offers the best qualities of lip gloss and lip oil; it’s as hydrating and lightweight as an oil, and as shiny as a gloss. It’s a product in my oversized collection that I reach for over and over thanks to how comfortable it feels on my lips and the gorgeous glassy finish. Jojoba oil, goji berry extract, and cloudberry seed oil give the formula hydrating benefits, and I appreciate that it’s not tacky or thick. It comes in a great range of shades, from baby pink to rich plum purple.

Key Ingredients: Castor oil | Shades: 6 | Size: 4 mL

The popsicle stain lip look is huge in the Korean Beauty space, and this product emblemizes that; it gives you a stained look with a glossy finish all in one product. The formula oil is lightweight and pigmented; as the shine fades throughout the day, you’re left with a semi-opaque stain. It’s not the most moisturizing option I tested, but I appreciate that it’s not drying like other staining products are. It also never feels thick or sticky.

Key Ingredients: Fig pulp, brand’s signature oil blend | Shades: 15 | Size: 0.11 oz

This luxurious pick is perfect for those who like the application of a lip balm and the feel of an oil. The solid formula gently melts as you press it against your lips, lending a super lightweight and emollient texture with a shiny finish. While I don’t find it the most moisturizing option, it provides temporary relief from dry lips and gives them a healthier appearance. It’s available in 15 shades and the consistency is quite thin, making it easy to layer up for your desired color payoff.

What to Look for When Buying a Lip Oil

• Ingredients: I like to look for a product formulated with hydrating ingredients to ensure I’m getting more than just a shiny finish from my lip oil. “Different lip oils contain different ingredients, but common ingredients include jojoba oil which helps lock in moisture, shea butter which helps to condition and soften, and rosehip oil to create a protective barrier,” says Shahzada.
• Shades: Most lip oils that come in tinted versions offer just a hint of color, though some options provide a more opaque color payoff. Be sure to choose one that comes in a color you can wear on its own or layered on top of other lip products if you enjoy a more full glam look.
• Fragrance: Many lip oil products are unscented, or use mild, natural fragrance ingredients for those who want a subtle scent. Since it’s directly under your nose, you’ll want to be positive it won’t give you a headache.

Why Trust Byrdie

Alyssa Kaplan is an experienced writer in the beauty industry and product tester specializing in cosmetics. She has tons of experience testing and reviewing lip products—everything from lip balms and glosses to lip stains and classic bullet lipsticks. She received a bachelor’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied marketing and product development in the cosmetics industry as well as fashion business marketing. Alyssa has been a commerce writer at Byrdie since 2022, where she covers all things beauty.

To learn more about what to keep in mind when buying lip oil, she consulted with Misha Shahzada, a celebrity makeup artist who’s worked on faces like Millie Bobby Brown, Emma Stone, Lola Tung, and more.