Lips · Guide
Lip Oil vs Lip Gloss: What's the Difference, and Which Should You Wear?
They look almost identical, and Amazon even files lip oils under Lip Glosses. Here is what actually separates them.
Read the guideThe Best Lip Gloss: 3 Picks for Shine, Moisture and a Plumper Look
A hyaluronic acid gloss, a gloss Revlon pitches for moisture and a plumping gloss balm. Pick by the job you want done.
The best lip gloss depends on what you want it to do besides shine. Some glosses lead with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, some with an oil-and-butter blend the brand calls moisturizing, and some are built to make lips look plumper. We picked one strong listing for each.
Each pick shows its Amazon star rating next to the number of ratings behind it, and every benefit is labeled as the brand's claim when that is what it is.
Our 3 picks at a glance
- Best Overall
Maybelline Lifter Gloss
Check price on Amazon for Maybelline Lifter Gloss (opens in a new tab) - Best Moisture-Focused Formula
Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss
Check price on Amazon for Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss (opens in a new tab) - Best Plumping Gloss Balm
tarte maracuja juicy lip plump
Check price on Amazon for tarte maracuja juicy lip plump (opens in a new tab)
How we picked
We searched Amazon's Beauty department for lip gloss, skipped sponsored results, and opened well-rated listings from established brands, all shipped and sold by Amazon.com. Two popular NYX glosses are already featured in our lip oil vs lip gloss guide, so we chose three different products here.
Want color on your cheeks to match? See our liquid blush picks, and for a bolder lip, our lipstick guide.
1. Best Overall
Maybelline Lifter Gloss
Shipped and sold by Amazon.com
Lifter Gloss has the deepest rating base of our three — 4.5 stars from more than fifty-seven thousand ratings on the listing page we checked, for the shade Ice, which Maybelline describes as a translucent pink.
Maybelline says the formula is made with hyaluronic acid to visibly smooth the lip surface and enhance lip contour, with a high-shine, non-sticky finish and an XL wand. The description adds that 90% agreed their lips felt hydrated in a consumer test, though the listing gives no details on that test.
What the listing says
- Formulated with hyaluronic acid, per Maybelline
- XL wand; Maybelline says it works in one swipe
- Non-sticky, high-shine finish, says the brand
- 20 shades, per the listing
Keep in mind
- The 90% figure comes from a consumer test with no details given
- "Fuller looking lips" is the brand's claim
- Ratings were checked on the Ice page
Best for: everyday shine with a sheer tint, by Maybelline's description.
Check price on Amazon for Maybelline Lifter Gloss (opens in a new tab)2. Best Moisture-Focused Formula
Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss
Shipped and sold by Amazon.com
Revlon's listing leads with moisture: it says the gloss is made with agave, moringa oil and cupuacu butter to hydrate lips while adding shine, and calls the formula lightweight and non-sticky.
It has an oversized reservoir applicator, and the listing counts 24 shades, including a clear gloss and reds, pinks, purples and browns. The listing we checked is for 200 Crystal Clear, with 4.5 stars from more than twenty-two thousand ratings.
What the listing says
- Agave, moringa oil and cupuacu butter, per Revlon
- Lightweight and non-sticky, says the listing
- Oversized reservoir applicator
- 24 shades, including a clear gloss
Keep in mind
- The shade we checked is clear, though the listing's first bullet promises "lush color"
- Hydration and plumper-looking claims are Revlon's
- Smaller rating base than our top pick
Best for: a clear or tinted gloss with a moisture-focused ingredient list, per Revlon.
Check price on Amazon for Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss (opens in a new tab)3. Best Plumping Gloss Balm
tarte maracuja juicy lip plump
Shipped and sold by Amazon.com
If plumper-looking lips are the goal, this is the pick. tarte calls it a lip plumper gloss balm with a non-sticky, stained-glass shine, and says it smooths the look of lip lines.
tarte reports that 100% of subjects saw more plump lips after 10 minutes and 100% saw immediate hydration, based on a clinical study of 30 subjects. It is made with hyaluronic acid in what tarte calls its Cushion Comfort XL Complex. The listing we checked is for the shade mixed berries.
What the listing says
- Plumping gloss balm, per tarte
- Hyaluronic acid in the formula
- Plumping and hydration results from a 30-subject study tarte cites
- Non-sticky, stained-glass shine, says the listing
Keep in mind
- Amazon files it under Lip Plumpers rather than Lip Glosses
- The 100% results come from tarte's own 30-subject study
- Smallest rating base of our three picks
Best for: shine plus a plumper look, by tarte's own clinical claim.
Check price on Amazon for tarte maracuja juicy lip plump (opens in a new tab)Side by side
| Lip gloss | Our pick for | Amazon rating | Standout listing detail | Sold by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maybelline Lifter Gloss | Overall | 4.5 (57,589 ratings) | Hyaluronic acid, XL wand | Amazon.com |
| Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss | Moisture-focused formula | 4.5 (22,732 ratings) | Agave, moringa oil and cupuacu butter | Amazon.com |
| tarte maracuja juicy lip plump | Plumping gloss balm | 4.4 (3,067 ratings) | 30-subject study cited by tarte | Amazon.com |
Figures are taken from each Amazon listing on October 1, 2026. Ratings change over time.
What to look for
Feel
All three listings call their gloss non-sticky. That is each brand's claim.
Ingredients
Maybelline names hyaluronic acid; Revlon names agave, moringa oil and cupuacu butter; tarte names hyaluronic acid in a plumping formula. Pick the list that matches what you want.
Plumping claims
tarte backs its plumping claim with a 30-subject study; Maybelline and Revlon describe a fuller or plumper look without a study. Read these as the brands' statements.
Shade on the listing
We checked each listing on one shade's page. Check the shade name before you buy.
The bottom line
- Best Overall: Maybelline Lifter Gloss, the deepest rating base here, with hyaluronic acid and an XL wand.
- Best Moisture-Focused Formula: Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss, with agave, moringa oil and cupuacu butter, per Revlon.
- Best Plumping Gloss Balm: tarte maracuja juicy lip plump, with plumping results from a study tarte cites.
Questions, answered
What is the best lip gloss for dry lips?
Revlon says Super Lustrous The Gloss is made with agave, moringa oil and cupuacu butter to hydrate lips, and Maybelline says Lifter Gloss is formulated with hyaluronic acid. tarte reports immediate hydration in its own 30-subject study.
Which lip gloss is not sticky?
All three brands describe their gloss as non-sticky: Maybelline, Revlon and tarte each say so on their listings.
Does lip gloss make lips look bigger?
Some glosses claim it. tarte reports that all 30 subjects in its clinical study saw more plump lips after 10 minutes, and Maybelline and Revlon both describe a fuller or plumper look. These are brand claims.
How many shades are there?
Maybelline's listing says Lifter Gloss comes in 20 shades and Revlon's counts 24 shades of Super Lustrous The Gloss. tarte's listing does not give a shade count.
Lip gloss or lip oil?
It depends on what you want. Our lip oil vs lip gloss guide explains the difference, with three more products to try.
Ratings and listing details were captured from Amazon on October 1, 2026 and can change. Brand claims are quoted or attributed; we have not tested these products ourselves.
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