a day ago
I put three lip glaze that promise shine and hydration to the test – one will become your go-to
LIP glaze is your latest handbag must-have, replacing balms, glosses and oils, promising shine, hydration and pigment with no sticky residue.
This week I put three of them to the test.
4
Budget
Maybelline New York Lifter Glaze Lip Oil Balm, £7.99 for 19g, Boots
I was surprised by how pigmented this was.
With just one swipe I got a far deeper colour than I expected, which is great for a product at such an affordable price.
It has a nice, sweet smell and feels hydrating on the lips.
My only gripe is that the stick is quite hard but I found it went on more easily if I swiped it on the back of my hand first to warm it up.
Then I applied it to my lips for a more sheer finish that gave a gloss-like shine, but it works great as a tinted lip balm straight from the bullet.
Mid-range
Glossier Lip Glaze Hydrating Sheer Lip Oil, £22, 8ml,
Glossier makes some of my favourite lip products, so I had high expectations for this.
The formula feels soft and creamy, giving the slip of a gloss but with a buttery softness you might get from a balm – yet it's thinner than most oils or glosses, so it doesn't feel heavy.
I have chronically chapped lips and immediately felt the hydration from the apricot seed oil and shea butter.
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The pigment is extremely sheer, so it can pass as 'your lips, but better shades' and you won't need a mirror to reapply it.
If you want more colour pay-off, you'll need to layer it over a lip liner.
Luxury
Yves Saint Laurent LoveShine Candy Glaze, £38, 3g,
4
These promise the colour of a lipstick with the slick of an oil and, given that Maybelline and YSL are owned by L'Oreal, I thought the formulas would be pretty similar.
In fact, this balm was far softer and easier to apply.
It glides over lips like an oil but with a thicker, gel-cream consistency that stays put on lips longer, keeping them hydrated.
The pigment is also closer to a tint than a lipstick, which I prefer for daily wear as it doesn't go patchy over time.
This has quickly become my go-to.
