The Lip Oil Lowdown: What is Lip Oil, What Does it Do & How to Use it

Want your lips to POP? Give your smackers a healthy dose of gloss, colour, and juicy hydration with our lip oil treatment!

Blending the high-shine finish of a lip gloss with the nourishing hydration of a lip mask… could lip oil be the secret to a perfect pout? You’ve probably already seen it all over social media as a staple of the clean-girl aesthetic – but what does lip oil do for your lips, exactly? Quite a bit, it turns out!

Read on to discover all the benefits of lip oil and why it should be an essential item in your beauty kit.

What Are Lip Oils: Key Takeaways

• Lip oil is a hybrid lip product that combines the shine of a gloss with the nourishing benefits of skincare, delivering hydration and comfort in one swipe.
• Formulated with natural oils, lip oils are lightweight, non-sticky, and designed to lock in moisture for softer, smoother-looking lips.
• Hydration is the primary benefit – lip oils help prevent dryness and keep lips feeling supple throughout the day.
• Many lip oils are tinted, offering a sheer wash of colour alongside a glossy finish.
• Unlike lip gloss, lip oils focus on lip care first, helping to protect and condition lips even after the product wears off.
• Lip oils are versatile and can be worn alone, layered over lipstick, or used overnight as a conditioning treatment.

What is lip oil and what are its benefits?

Lip oil is a clever little hybrid between makeup and skincare - so you're getting the best of both worlds. It's formulated from natural oils and is super lightweight without being sticky, tacky, or heavy. Plus, did we mention it packs in a nourishing punch too?

For example, our Fat Lip Oil Drip contains botanical blends of jojoba, rosehip, and cloudberry for a lip hydration oil treatment that’ll make your pout just that extra bit suppler. These naturally silky blends make lip oil ultra-moisturising, so you can count on a rich dose of hydration. Lip oils are often tinted too – so you’ll get a sheer pop of colour at the same time.

What does lip oil do for your lips? Here’s a quick rundown of the benefits:

Lip Hydration

Is lip oil good for your lips? You bet it is! One of the main benefits of lip oil is that all-important hydration. Natural oils lock in moisture, keeping your lips feeling softer, plumper, and smoother. Plus, properly hydrated pouts are less prone to visible fine lines – it’s a win win.

Lip Nourishment

Why use lip oil? It’s packed with tons of lip moisturiser ingredients, from hyaluronic acid to squalane and vitamin E. Some include antioxidants too, so you’re also protecting your lips from environmental damage throughout the day. Lip oil also helps to restore your skin’s natural balance, creating a natural barrier against the elements.

Long Lasting Lips

We’ve touched on the skincare element to lip oil, but what about the makeup element? Lightweight and easy to apply, another great lip oil benefit is that it gives you a gorgeous hint of colour and shine. Keep it subtle and sheer with a single application, or slick on the colour in buildable layers for a luscious, full-lipped finish

What’s the difference between lip gloss and lip oil?

They’re both glossy – but that’s where the similarities end! Here’s a breakdown of lip oil vs lip gloss and other products.

• Lip gloss tends to be thicker and more pigmented than lip oil, with a stickier, heavier finish. It adds colour and shine to your look.
• Lip oil is thinner in consistency, lightweight, and designed to protect and hydrate your lips. Think of it as tinted skincare – your lips will feel the benefit, even when the product’s worn off.
• Lip balm comes with a waxy or creamy base. Like lip oils, balms are moisturising and can be tinted, but they’re usually matte and much thicker in consistency.
• Lipstick is the most richly pigmented product, often layered with balms, oils, and glosses to achieve full colour saturation for lips that really pop.

How to use lip oil in your routine

Lip oil is mega versatile and suitable for whenever your lips quench for that extra hydration. Apply it in the morning to bare lips for a slick of shine. Or why not put yourself to sleep and apply a sheer lip oil before bedtime for an overnight conditioning treatment?

Need some makeup artist-approved ideas for how to use lip oil? Here’s our fave lip routine:

Step 1: Exfoliate

Remove any dry skin with a scrub, then moisturise with a lip primer or balm to create a smooth, soft base for your makeup look.

Pro tip: use a balm with humectant ingredients like hyaluronic acid to draw in more moisture.

Step 2: Apply your lip colour

Whether you’re feeling pretty in pink or fiery in red, apply your choice of lipstick or gloss to saturate lips with a slick of colour. You’ll find lip shades to match every mood and skin tone at NYX Professional Makeup!

STEP 3: CHOOSE THE BEST LIP OIL SHADE

Get set to shine – it’s time to apply your choice of lip oil colour. From sheer pinks to rich purples, there’s a shade to match any pout!

The best lip oils are formulated with lip-loving ingredients like squalane, cloudberry oil, and raspberry oil. Why not try our Fat Lip Oil Drip to lock in hydration for up to 12 hours? It comes with a fat applicator for easy application in a single swipe.

Or for something sweeter, go for our #THISISEVERYTHING Lip Oil, enriched with a vanilla-cherry blossom scent.

Step 4: Highlight and contour

Take your look to the next level by illuminating your cupid’s bow using the Wonder Highlighter Pencil. Just trace the outline of your lips with a matte shade to get a crisply defined, plumped-up pout.