Lips · Top 3 picks
The 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.
Read the guideLip 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.
Lip oil vs lip gloss is a fair question, because the two are easy to confuse. Both are glossy, and Amazon files popular lip oils in its Lip Glosses category. But they are built for slightly different jobs.
The short version, according to NYX's own guide: lip gloss is designed mainly for shine, while lip oil is designed to help hydrate lips and give them a subtle reflective sheen. Below, we break down the differences and suggest one product from each side, plus a hybrid that sits in between.
What lip gloss is
Lip gloss is used primarily to give lips a glossy luster, and sometimes subtle color, according to Wikipedia's overview (opens in a new tab), which names lanolin and polybutene as principal components of many glosses. NYX's guide notes that a gloss may contain oil but does not have to, and says glosses are designed primarily for shine.
Want more color than a gloss gives? Our best lipstick guide has three picks.
What lip oil is
A lip oil, as the name says, is based on oils. NYX's own guide to the two categories (NYX makes two of the products below) says every lip oil contains oils such as squalane, avocado oil or other plant oils, and that lip oils are designed both to help hydrate lips and to give them a subtle reflective sheen.
Real Simple describes lip oil as lower in viscosity than gloss — in plain terms, it is thinner. NYX's guide likewise says lip oils tend to feel lighter on the lips.
The differences that matter
Feel: lip oils tend to feel lighter, while glosses, especially full-coverage ones, can feel thicker, according to NYX's guide.
Shine: both are shiny. NYX says glosses may be slightly more reflective than oils.
Color: NYX's guide says pigment payoff is typically sheerer in lip oils.
Purpose: gloss is mainly about shine; lip oil is pitched as shine plus hydration. If moisture is your main priority, NYX's guide suggests a gloss made with ingredients like squalane or avocado oil, or a moisturizing balm layered under your gloss.
Why they get mixed up
Part of the confusion is labeling. The products themselves borrow from each other: NYX's Fat Oil Lip Drip calls itself a "lip oil gloss," and Amazon files both it and e.l.f.'s Glow Reviver Lip Oil under Lip Glosses. So when you shop, read the listing rather than the category: look for named oils if you want an oil, and for a finish or coverage description if you want a gloss.
Planning a full look? See our setting spray picks, and if you are styling your hair too, our curling iron guide.
3 to try: an oil, a gloss and a hybrid
- Best Lip Oil
e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil
Check price on Amazon for e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil (opens in a new tab) - Best Classic Gloss
NYX Professional Makeup Butter Gloss
Check price on Amazon for NYX Professional Makeup Butter Gloss (opens in a new tab) - Best of Both
NYX Professional Makeup Fat Oil Lip Drip
Check price on Amazon for NYX Professional Makeup Fat Oil Lip Drip (opens in a new tab)
How we chose these three
We browsed Amazon's Beauty department for lip oil and lip gloss, set aside sponsored results, and chose three of the most-rated listings, all shipped and sold by Amazon.com: one tinted lip oil, one classic gloss, and one product that calls itself both. Every product detail below comes from the Amazon listing as captured on October 1, 2026.
Want more gloss options? See our best lip gloss picks.
1. Best Lip Oil
e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil
Shipped and sold by Amazon.com
This is a true lip oil by its ingredient list: e.l.f. names squalane plus apricot, avocado, jojoba and pomegranate oils. The brand describes a sheer wash of ultra-glossy color with a non-sticky feel, and it carries 4.6 stars from more than thirty-six thousand ratings.
It comes with an oversized cushion applicator, has a fresh minty scent, and can be worn alone or over lipstick, according to the listing. We captured the shade Pink Quartz.
What the listing says
- Named oils: apricot, avocado, jojoba, pomegranate
- Sheer, ultra-glossy tint, per e.l.f.
- Non-sticky, according to the brand
- Wear alone or over lipstick, says the listing
Keep in mind
- Has a minty scent
- "Nourishes and hydrates" is the brand's claim
- Amazon files it under Lip Glosses
Best for: a light, glossy tint from a formula built on named oils.
Check price on Amazon for e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil (opens in a new tab)2. Best Classic Gloss
NYX Professional Makeup Butter Gloss
Shipped and sold by Amazon.com
With 4.5 stars from more than 126,000 ratings, Butter Gloss is the most-rated product in this guide, and it was listed at #1 in Amazon's Lip Gloss category when we checked on October 1, 2026.
NYX describes it as buttery soft and never sticky, and says the line delivers sheer to medium coverage across a wide range of shades. The listing we captured is the clear shade, Sugar Glass.
What the listing says
- Never sticky, according to NYX
- Sheer to medium coverage across the shade line, per NYX
- Shades range from mauve pink to brown, per the listing
- Buttery soft, silky texture, says NYX
Keep in mind
- The listing does not name moisturizing ingredients
- Our captured shade, Sugar Glass, is clear; NYX describes other shades by color
- The sheer-to-medium coverage line describes the range, not this clear shade
Best for: glossy color with a buttery, non-sticky feel, per NYX.
Check price on Amazon for NYX Professional Makeup Butter Gloss (opens in a new tab)3. Best of Both
NYX Professional Makeup Fat Oil Lip Drip
Shipped and sold by Amazon.com
Cannot decide? NYX calls this a "lip oil gloss," and the listing reads like both: it is infused with squalane and rich in shine, and NYX says it delivers up to 12 hours of hydration.
It comes in eight shades and can be worn alone for a hint of color or over another lip product for more intensity, according to the listing. The shade we captured, My Main, is clear.
What the listing says
- Squalane-infused, per NYX
- Brand claims up to 12 hours of hydration
- Non-sticky, according to the listing
- Eight shades, per NYX
Keep in mind
- The title says "tinted formula" but our captured shade is clear
- The 12-hour figure is the brand's claim
- Amazon files it under Lip Glosses
Best for: shine plus a hydration claim, from a formula NYX calls a lip oil gloss.
Check price on Amazon for NYX Professional Makeup Fat Oil Lip Drip (opens in a new tab)Side by side
| Product | Our pick for | Amazon rating | Type (per listing) | Sold by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil | Lip oil | 4.6 (36,397 ratings) | Tinted lip oil | Amazon.com |
| NYX Butter Gloss | Classic gloss | 4.5 (126,591 ratings) | Lip gloss | Amazon.com |
| NYX Fat Oil Lip Drip | Both | 4.5 (39,997 ratings) | Lip oil gloss | Amazon.com |
Figures are taken from each Amazon listing on October 1, 2026. Ratings change over time.
Questions, answered
Is lip oil better than lip gloss?
Neither is better overall. NYX's guide says lip gloss is made mainly for shine, while lip oil is designed to pair a subtle sheen with hydration. Choose by what you want most.
Is lip oil just clear lip gloss?
No. A lip oil is based on oils — e.l.f.'s Glow Reviver lists squalane, apricot, avocado, jojoba and pomegranate oils. NYX's guide notes a gloss may contain oil, but it does not have to.
Which is more sticky, lip oil or lip gloss?
It depends on the formula. All three products in this guide are described as non-sticky by their brands. Real Simple describes lip oil as thinner, and NYX says lip oils tend to feel lighter.
Can you wear lip oil over lipstick?
Yes. e.l.f.'s listing says Glow Reviver can be worn on its own or over lipstick, and NYX says Fat Oil Lip Drip can be paired with another lip product for added intensity.
Which gives more color?
NYX's guide says pigment payoff is typically sheerer in lip oils. NYX describes Butter Gloss shades as delivering sheer to medium coverage.
Sources
Product details and ratings were captured from Amazon on October 1, 2026 and can change. General facts are drawn from the sources listed above, read the same day. NYX, which publishes one of our sources, also makes two of the products shown.
Keep reading
Lips · Top 3 picks
The Best Lipstick: 3 Picks for Every Kind of Lip Day
One creamy classic, one long-wear matte and one rich formula pitched at dry lips. Here is what each listing actually promises.
Read the guide
Face · Top 3 picks
The Best Liquid Blush: 3 Picks for a Fresh Flush
A buildable dewy blush, a formula with two finish options and a liquid that doubles as bronzer. Three jobs, three picks.
Read the guide