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Lip gloss is back and it's way better than what you remember from the early 2000s. Modern lip gloss formulas deliver major shine, color and sparkle without making your lips feel like you smeared honey all over them. In fact, many formulas feel nourishing and hydrating on lips (almost like a lip mask!) rather than sticky or gloopy, making lip glosses the perfect option for when you want to look polished, but don't want to commit to a lipstick.
The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab regularly tests different lip products, from lip balms to lip oils to lip plumpers. In our most recent lip test, we tested several lip glosses, glazes and oils based on performance, ease of use and overall satisfaction. Testers considered whether the product made their lips feel hydrated, if it added shine, if it had staying power, scent and stickiness. After parsing through dozens of data points and Lab notes, we narrowed down the lot to find the very best.
Below, the best lip glosses of 2021, including Lab-tested picks, editor picks, and some reviewer favorites:

Katie Berohn is the Beauty Assistant at Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day and Prevention magazines, all part of the Hearst Lifestyle Group. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in journalism and minor in technology, arts, and media, and earned her Master’s Degree at NYU’s Graduate Program of Magazine Journalism. In addition, Katie has held editorial internships at Denver Life Magazine, Yoga Journal, and Cosmopolitan, a digital editorial internship at New York Magazine’s The Cut, a social good fellowship at Mashable, and has freelanced for HelloGiggles. When she’s not obsessing over the latest skincare launch or continuing her endless search for the perfect shade of red nail polish, Katie can be found in a hot yoga class, trying everything on the menu at New York’s newest restaurant, or hanging out at a trendy wine bar with her friends.


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