The Best Nude Lip Gloss, From Sheer Peach to Milky Mauve

Since its launch in 2017, Fenty Beauty has continued to delight us with their trend-forward, yet always accessible products. The line has grown significantly since then, but our all-time favorite remains the same: their gloss. With more than 11,000 reviews (and counting!) on Sephora alone, it appears the sentiment is shared by many. Described as a “shimmering rose nude” that flatters all skin tones, the gloss leaves your lips looking fuller and smoother with no sticky residue.

Speaking of classics, this gloss has been a fan favorite for the better part of a decade—if not longer. Known for its intense tingling (and the subsequent plumping effect that has on your lips), the gloss also has a peptide complex with vitamins A and E to keep your lips moisturized. “Amber” is a soft peach with a golden shimmer that adds just enough color and shine to make your face come alive without looking overdone.

We wish we had this type of gloss back when we were scrounging our allowance money to splurge at Walgreens before a school dance. Simply put, this drugstore pick does not skimp on color, texture or shine—and it easily holds its own against many of its prestige (that is the industry term for your fancier, department store finds) counterparts. “Nude Twinkle” gets a special shoutout for the way it adds a touch of polish to any look. (In fact, it’s the exact shade worn by Kate Winslet at the Emmy’s earlier this year).

For a sheer-to-medium coverage gloss that delivers on color and shine—at the cost of a latte, no less—look no further than this buttery pick from NYX. Worn on its own or over another lipstick, it makes your lips look more supple upon first swipe. Choose from a variety of shades, but if you’re looking for a nude (which, if you’re reading this, we assume you are) “Créme Brulee” is a solid place to start.

If you want to streamline your makeup bag, look no further than Merit Beauty. The brand is newer to the scene than others on this list, but it’s already earned a permanent spot in our routine thanks to how easy it is to use their products—especially the tinted lip oil, which we never get tired of applying. The formula sits somewhere between an oil and a light stain and is loaded with fatty acids and rosehip oil, so you never have to worry about dryness. Whether you prefer a bare face or a full-on smoky eye and contour, “Marrakech” has soft peach tones that go with everything.

Liquid lipsticks have a great color payoff, but if you’re anything like us, you don’t wear them as often as you’d like because of how drying they can be. Feeling seen? If so, you’ll want to check out this creamy, coconut-oil infused gloss. It has more pigment than most glosses and it lasts considerably longer, too. We’re partial to “Such Great Heights,” because it has a pearlescent finish that adds lush dimension to bare lips or over any other color (and, honestly, we’re suckers for the iconic Postal Service track it’s named after).

Lip jelly is a great name for this gloss because it has a juicy tint and great surface shine to it. We’d also liken it to a watercolor paint, the way it has an almost see-through quality to the color. Case in point: “Coconut” is a milky, semi-translucent mauve that blends in seamlessly with your lips. Thanks to its base blend of hydrating oils, it practically melts onto your lips when you’re applying it, smoothing over every last line or flake in its wake.

By now, you might have caught on to the fact that many of the glosses on this list stand out because they’re not solely a gloss—at least not in the traditional sense. Whereas the lip glosses of our adolescence were overtly shiny and sticky, newer iterations play with different textures and finishes (hence, the mouthful of a name). It is indeed a “really great gloss” that’s “oil-infused” (grapeseed and castor oil, to be exact), and “Chill” is a cool, dusty rose that doesn’t completely cover or compete with your natural lip color.

The brand calls this “the cashmere sweatpants of lipstick,” presumably a nod to how luxurious it feels when you put it on? Or maybe they’re referring to how effortless it is? Whatever the reasoning, we can attest that both things hold true. Ultralip has the smooth glide and rich moisture of your favorite balm with the sheen of a gloss and the buildable color of a lipstick. We love all nine shades in the collection but “Cachet,” a warm walnut brown, is the one we reach for when we’re channeling ‘90s vibes (which is often).

Leave it to Victoria Beckham to make something so…posh. Though this doesn’t technically fall under the gloss category, we couldn’t leave it off the list, because as far as nude lip colors go, this one knocks it out of the park. Its sheer, rosy tint somehow makes your lips look better, fuller, flushed. And the unique gel texture is lightweight and locks the color into place, so it doesn’t transfer (something we’re grateful for during mask mandates).