Are Lip Oils the New Beauty Fad?
Lip oils have been making waves in the world of beauty with brands swiftly launching their own variations and beauty gurus incorporating them into their daily routines. But does the emergence of lip oils spell the end for other lip care products – namely lip balms and lip masks?
But first, here's a little background: Commonly made of essential oils such as jojoba, avocado, sunflower seed or coconut, lip oils are rich in nutrients such as Vitamins E, C & B Complex to deeply nourish and moisturise the lips. Although the formulation varies with different brands, additional ingredients are added such as humectants, which are found in natural ingredients like aloe, honey, glycerin and hyaluronic acid to help seal in that moisture.
While these ingredients possess potent skincare benefits, these lip oils are no exception to the age-old beauty rule: less is more, best explained by celebrity aesthetic doctor and founder of TLC Lifestyle, Dr Georgia Lee.
“The viscosity (type of oil and wax concentration chosen) will affect the texture. If it is too thick, it may accentuate the lines on the body of the lips especially if they are coloured.”
With its lightweight texture and double-duty ability to provide colour and nourish the lips without the tacky or heavy sensation you get from conventional glosses or balms, it's no wonder why lip oils are quickly becoming the beauty product du jour. But how do you incorporate lip oils into your daily makeup routine, you may ask. Celebrity makeup artist Larry Yeo explains: “I use lip oils in two ways; over lipstick to continue the hydrating effects for dry lips and if I am using YSL’s Oil In Tint, it is used to tint the customer’s bare lips before I wipe away to use a lipstick over.”
If you're ready to make the switch and embrace the trend, here are four new lips oils to try:
Earlier this year, MAC's latest release, Hint of Colour Lip Oil ($38), burst onto the scene and went viral. Like its name suggests, this lightweight oil gives your lips a hint of colour while offereing a unique conditioning texture, thanks to its blend of three natural oils: jojoba seed, sunflower seed, and castor seed. Available in four glossy shades: La La Love You, Doll To Diva, Pale Princess and Candy Drop.
Too Faced debuted its highly-anticipated Sweet Peach collection earlier this spring, which includes the Sweet Peach Creamy Lip Oil ($29). Infused with peach essence, coconut oil and Vitamin E, the whipped concoction is available in eight shades of nudes, peachy pinks and corals. The kicker? This scrumptious lip product smells and tastes just like real peaches.
How could we forget a cult-favourite: highly-raved Lancôme Juicy Shaker ($38)? Renowned for its bi-phase technology, this product delivers the lip oil in two phases.
The first features a transparent oil formulated with peach kernel, apricot, cranberry, muscat rose and sweet almond oils, known for their emollient, softening and antioxidant properties. The second phase is where things get interesting; shake the Juicy Shakerto emulsify the colour pigments and oil together. Its cushion applicator delivers the right amount of sheer tint onto your lips.
While most brands jumped on the lip oil bandwagon in the recent years, Clarins first pioneered the trend back in 1954.
Available in three variations, the Clarins Instant Lip Comfort Oil ($36) contain hazelnut and organic jojoba oils but are each infused with its own special ingredient. Honey is infused with mirabelle plum oil that is rich in Vitamin C to protect lips from environmental aggressions such as cold, wind and heat; Raspberry is saturated with raspberry seed oil that is rich in anti-oxidants to combat free radicals; while Red Rerry contains annatto oil, which is rich in nutrients to nourish and provide comfort to the lips.
