We use technologies that provide information about your interactions with this site to others for functionality, analytics, targeted advertising, and other uses. Learn more in our Privacy Notice.
Skip to Content

13 Best Lip Glosses for Non-Sticky Shine

Glass-like shine and tons of shimmer.

By
best lip glosses
courtesy

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

Lip gloss is back and it's way better than what you remember from the early 2000s. Modern lip gloss formulas deliver major shine, color and sparkle without making your lips feel like you smeared honey all over them. In fact, many formulas feel nourishing and hydrating on lips (almost like a lip mask!) rather than sticky or gloopy, making lip glosses the perfect option for when you want to look polished, but don't want to commit to a lipstick.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab regularly tests different lip products, from lip balms to lip oils to lip plumpers. In our most recent lip test, we tested several lip glosses, glazes and oils based on performance, ease of use and overall satisfaction. Testers considered whether the product made their lips feel hydrated, if it added shine, if it had staying power, scent and stickiness. After parsing through dozens of data points and Lab notes, we narrowed down the lot to find the very best.

Below, the best lip glosses of 2021, including Lab-tested picks, editor picks, and some reviewer favorites:

1
Best Overall Lip Gloss

Beautycounter Beyond Gloss

Beyond Gloss

Pros

  • Doesn't feel sticky or tacky
  • Hydrating
  • Adds shine

Cons

  • Doesn't last long

If you're looking for a weightless gloss that provides tons of hydration and shine, this is the perfect option. Testers agreed that this lip gloss didn't feel sticky or tacky, made their lips feel hydrated and added shine.  "This product smoothed my lips and made them feel hydrated without feeling coated and heavy," one tester says. "I like that the formula feels rich, but it is lightweight and not tacky." 

2
Best Value Lip Gloss

NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Butter Gloss

Butter Gloss

Pros

  • Doesn't feel sticky
  • Goes on smoothly

For the price, this gloss is hard to beat. The non-sticky formula goes on lips smoothly and feels like silk. "I have very sensitive lips," one reviewer says. "They break out and dry out on the edges if I try anything 'cheap,' so I was skeptical on purchasing this gloss. It's more pink than it looks in the pic, but it's so buttery and pretty."

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
3
Best Natural Lip Gloss

Sephora Clean Glossy Lip Oil

Clean Glossy Lip Oil
Credit: Sephora

Pros

  • Easy to apply
  • Doesn't feel sticky or tacky
  • Subtle shine

Cons

  • Doesn't last long
  • May smear

For a non-tacky, subtly shiny gloss, try this clean pick from Sephora. "I like that there is zero tack and stick and it doesn't smear or feel goopy. Beyond that, it went on easily and had smooth coverage, it feels good on (not sticky or too tingly), and felt thick and substantial, in a good way. I also like how it was shiny but not too shiny." This lightweight gloss comes in eight shades.  

4
Best Long-Lasting Lip Gloss

stila Plumping Lip Glaze Sistine

Plumping Lip Glaze Sistine

Pros

  • Plumps lips
  • Adds tons of shine

Cons

  • Tingling sensation
  • Not hydrating

You may be familiar with this cult lip gloss —  it's plumping, creates shine, and lasts a long time on lips.  "I like the sweet minty fragrance and flavor and the twist brush application," one tester notes. "This product does give lips a tingly feeling, which I personally enjoy, but some can probably find that irritating. It does plump lips but not nearly as much as my favorite plumping gloss. It didn't migrate and felt like cushion on lips."

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
5
Best Lip Gloss for Sensitive Skin

Clarins Lip Comfort Oil

Lip Comfort Oil
Credit: Clarins

Pros

  • Lip oil formula adds hydration
  • Doesn't feel sticky

Cons

  • Not a traditional gloss

The Lab found that this lip oil stays put without making lips feel weighed down. It is not sticky or tacky, but it also contains ingredients like vitamin E that help smooth and protect lips. This oil looks like a gloss and adds a subtle sheen of color

6
Best Tinted Lip Gloss

Enamored Hydrating Lip Gloss Stick

Enamored Hydrating Lip Gloss Stick
Credit: Marc Jacobs

Pros

  • Easy to apply
  • Hydrates lips

A gloss that applies like a lipstick? Yes please. This innovative formula is packaged in a twist-up stick, making application a breeze.  "It swipes on and feels conditioning like a lip balm with no gooey mess or stickiness,” a tester says. This is also Beauty Director April Franzino's personal favorite gloss. 

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
7
Best Drugstore Lip Gloss

Chapstick Total Hydration Vitamin Enriched Tinted Lip Oil Tube

Total Hydration Vitamin Enriched Tinted Lip Oil Tube
Credit: ChapStick

Pros

  • Hydrates lips
  • Good color payoff

This gives your lips the glimmer of a gloss while delivering the hydration and nourishment of a lip balm.  “No stickiness, and my lips felt hydrated, not parched," one tester notes. Enriched with vitamins and plant oils, it slips easily onto lips and gives good color payoff. 

8
Best Non-Sticky Lip Gloss

Clinique Clinique Pop Splash Lip Gloss + Hydration

Clinique Pop Splash Lip Gloss + Hydration
Credit: Clinique

Pros

  • Doesn't feel sticky
  • Lightweight formula
  • Hydrates lips

Not your average gloss — Clinique's innovative formula is a weightless liquid that gives reflective shine and a hint of color. Testers note it is “not goopy and less sticky than a traditional gloss.” Formulated with vitamin E, it also gives all the hydration of a lip balm.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
9
Best Smelling Lip Gloss

FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer

Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer

Pros

  • Smells good
  • Adds tons of shine
  • Looks good on every skin tone

Chances are, if you ask any makeup artist or beauty editors their favorite lip glosses, this one will be on the list. Designed to flatter any skin tone, these glosses give lips a massive amount of shine and glitter. Bonus: it's not sticky and it smells like peaches and vanilla. 

10
Best Clear Lip Gloss

Glossier Lip Gloss

Lip Gloss
Credit: Glossier

Pros

  • Glass-like shine
  • Long-lasting

Glossier has earned a reputation for making the glossiest lip gloss (as you might hope). This pick delivers a glass-like finish to lips, and it hydrates and lasts for hours. "Super sticky lipglosses bother me but this really sits perfectly on your lips and I'm able to wear it all day (with only 2-3 reapplications)," one reviewer raves.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
11
Best Plumping Lip Gloss

Buxom Full-On Plumping Lip Polish Gloss

Full-On Plumping Lip Polish Gloss

Pros

  • Plumping
  • Tons of shades

Cons

  • Tingling effect

This is Danusia Wnek, chemist at the Good Housekeeping Institute's all-time favorite lip gloss. "It is a thick but not too sticky or tacky gloss that gives shine and ever so subtly temporarily plumps lips. I love that they have so many different shades and the crème variant is also really nice. It’s my go to lip gloss!" This does have a bit of a tingly feeling, but it's manageable. 

12
Best Moisturizing Lip Gloss

ILIA Balmy Gloss

Balmy Gloss
Credit: ILIA

Pros

  • Hydrates lips
  • Lots of color payoff
  • Glassy shine

For a mirror-like shine and tons of color payoff, this lip gloss is the perfect choice. It slips onto lips with ease and is full of hyaluronic acid that provides an instant plumping effect. This leaves lips feeling hydrated and supple. 

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
13
Best Luxury Lip Gloss

DIOR Lip Glow Oil

Lip Glow Oil

Pros

  • "Your lips but better" finish
  • Looks natural
  • Doesn't feel sticky

With just a whisper of color, this lip gloss aims to enhance your natural lip color while giving lips tons of shine. Dior claims that its Color Reviver technology reacts with your lips' moisture level to create a custom natural-looking flush in this gloss-oil hybrid. 

Headshot of Katie Berohn
Katie Berohn
ELLE Beauty Editor

Katie Berohn is the Beauty Assistant at Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day and Prevention magazines, all part of the Hearst Lifestyle Group. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in journalism and minor in technology, arts, and media, and earned her Master’s Degree at NYU’s Graduate Program of Magazine Journalism. In addition, Katie has held editorial internships at Denver Life Magazine, Yoga Journal, and Cosmopolitan, a digital editorial internship at New York Magazine’s The Cut, a social good fellowship at Mashable, and has freelanced for HelloGiggles. When she’s not obsessing over the latest skincare launch or continuing her endless search for the perfect shade of red nail polish, Katie can be found in a hot yoga class, trying everything on the menu at New York’s newest restaurant, or hanging out at a trendy wine bar with her friends. 

Watch Next 
best lip glosses
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below