The '90s makeup item that's trending hard again

Lipstick may still reign supreme within the makeup world, but high-shine gloss has made a full-fledged comeback. Case in point: lacquered lips were key to big makeup moments on celebrity red carpets this year, like the Grammys and Cannes Film Festival, and they were spotted all over the spring and fall 2019 catwalks. 

But if your mind is darting back to the sticky, gloppy, hard-to-reapply formulas that once dominated the '90s, then forget everything you know. Happily, today's vinyl revival has grown up a lot since then. Delivering an incredible dose of shine, these modern players feel lightweight and way less tacky, and come in an array of colours. Many are infused with nourishing ingredients that will leave your lips quite comfortable too. Like a lip balm.

"I personally always treat lip gloss like a shiny, tinted lip balm," says Susana Hong, a Toronto-based makeup artist. "Just keep it simple, and apply as needed throughout the day like you would your lip balm." 

Traditional gloss formulas aren't credited for their staying power, but, if you're looking for a lip look that won't completely disappear as soon as you have something to eat, or that will simply last throughout your morning meetings, Hong has a trick. "I would recommend applying lip liner first and feathering it in towards the centre of lips, and apply[ing] the gloss after, avoiding the very edge of the lip liner," she says. "This will help keep the gloss locked in and prevent the gloss from bleeding outward."

From household names to brands you've probably never heard of before, we've rounded up twelve of the best lip glosses available, both new and old faves, and for every budget. 

Vivid swipes

If you want high colour payoff from your gloss, this new NYX formulation will be right up your alley. Available in 12 candy-inspired hues, from tangerine to berry to even offbeat blue, this lippie applies completely opaque.  

NYX Cosmetics Candy Slick Glowy Lip Color in Sweet Stash, $8, NYX Cosmetics

Revlon's just-launched range of lacquers is the right move for those who want a highly pigmented formula matched with vinyl-like shine. This rich burgundy shade feels like the perfect statement lip for a night out. 

Revlon Ultra HD Vinyl Lip Polish in So Shady, $11.49, Shoppers Drug Mart 

Shimmer and shine

This purple-leaning, iridescent-style gloss might look a little intense in the tube, but it actually leaves a sheer wash across lips, making it ideal to either wear alone, or on other pigments to create custom, multidimensional colour. And what's packed inside the formula is also great: conditioning mango, kokum and shea butter, plus vitamin A, C and E that protect lips from daily wear and tear. 

Clarissa Borg Cosmetics Liquid Shimmer Gloss in Ariana, $18, Clarissa Borg

Another wallet-friendly option, this glitter-flecked gloss from Annabelle Cosmetics takes shiny lips to a whole, otherworldly level. Offered in two shades, a prismatic pastel pink and cherry red, this formula works beautifully alone, or layered over a creamy or matte lipstick for a completely transformed lip look. 

Annabelle Eccentricity Metallic Lip Top Coat in Frea-KISS-ness, $8.95, Annabelle

Magic wands 

Praised for introducing the first 40-shade foundation range into the beauty sphere, Rihanna has become well known for her inclusive approach to makeup. Drenching lips with shea butter-enriched shine, this now-iconic shade, Fenty Glow, is touted as a flattering rosy-nude that looks great on all skin tones and undertones. We love this particular formula most for its oversized wand that seems to pick up just the right amount of product for a breezy application, plus its addictive peach-vanilla scent.  

Fenty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in Fenty Glow, $24, Sephora

One of the latest spinoff products to join NARS' cult-favourite powder blush Orgasm this summer, this gloss formula checks all the right boxes: it has an enjoyable gel-oil texture on the lips; it's spiked with softening raspberry seed oil; and its iconic peachy-pink hue goes on really sheer (even the iridescent shimmer factor), which means you can either pair it alone for a simple hit of sheen, or as a lipstick topper. 

NARS Orgasm Oil-Infused Lip Tint, $34, NARS

Clean sweep 

When the Emmy-nominated Canadian makeup artist JoAnn Fowler grew tired of chemical-filled products, she did something about it: Fowler created Sappho Cosmetics, a line that's 100-per cent chemical-free and made with the purest organic oils, butters and waxes. Blended with stevia and lemon grass extract, these creamy glosses have rich colour payoff, but deliver a more natural sheen, rather than a wet-look finish.

Sappho New Paradigm Lip Gloss in Christine, $25, The Detox Market

Vancouver-based Ilia Beauty is all about organic makeup-infused skincare. So it's no surprise that the brand's glass-like lacquer, which is formulated with coconut oil, shea butter and vitamin E, feels a lot more like a hydrating balm on lips than actual makeup. The colour payoff is subtle yet noticeable, especially when you apply a couple of coats. 

Ilia Lip Gloss in Heart Beat, $31, The Detox Market

Before you gawk at the price, let it be known that the Italian-made formula of this eight-shade range is just as luxurious as the weighty stainless steel and glass tube it comes in. Free of petroleums, parabens and silicones, it's actually a nourishing blend of castor seed oil, rosehip oil and sunflower seed oil that lend this lip product its sheen. 

Kjaer Weis Lip Gloss in Intimate, $51.87, The Detox Market

Pucker up

Available in five romantic berry shades and one glimmering gold hue, this gloss boasts a collagen boosting complex plus diamond powder, which means plumping action for a fuller effect (but with zero irritation) and a sumptuous shine factor. 

Rodial Collagen Boost Lip Lacquer in Bae Berry, $35, Shoppers Drug Mart

Made with plumping hyaluronic acid and nourishing vitamin E, this Smashbox gloss works to subtly enhance the look of lips. It's also offered in fourteen sheer, shimmery, and pigment-rich colours, like bright pink, warm terracotta and mesmerizing lilac. 

Smashbox Gloss Angeles Lip Gloss in Self Promocean, $24, Sephora

The queen of next-level glow, Charlotte Tilbury's latest lip shine, which is available in three rosy pearlescent pigments, drenches lips in a tingle-inducing combo of marine collagen and mustard seed for a fuller appearance, as well as a conditioning blend of coconut oil, marula oil and peppermint extract. Lips are left with a hybrid experience that feels just as much like a treatment as it does makeup. 

Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath in Peachy Plump, $40, Charlotte Tilbury

Natasha Bruno is a Toronto-based freelance writer with an obsession for beauty, health & wellness, women's issues, and curly hair. Her byline can also be found in The Kit, the Toronto Star, S/ magazine, Sharp Magazine, Bustle, FASHION magazine, among other outlets. Follow her journey on Instagram @natashajbruno.