Lip gloss has become way more advanced since the days of Lip Smackers and Lil' Mama. The new lip glosses of this era aren't necessarily sold in bright, clunky tubes, and they might not smell like artificial fruit, but they're long-wearing, offered in tons of colors, and they won't cause your hair to stick to your lips when the wind blows. Sounds like a win-win-win to us.
But anyone who loves gloss knows the woes of the formula caking up, especially in the cold. "Caked-up gloss is often a symptom of dry lips — which is typically the root issue — or layering lip products that contain ingredients that dry out or dehydrate the lips," Latrice Love, cosmetic chemist and founder of LipLove, tells The Zoe Report. So if you wear a lip primer, lipstick, and gloss at the same time, it can cause a caking effect because the lips are dehydrated. That can't be masked with the product."
However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't prep your lips accordingly. How you apply your gloss makes a huge difference in the finish, New York City-based makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran says. "Right after showering, I wet the edge of my towel to give my lips a quick exfoliation followed up by using a natural lip balm. Applying lip balm before bed has also been a game changer," she shares. "I find that applying a thin layer of lip balm before gloss really helps with both the look and longevity." Also, try not to rub your lips together as it spreads the gloss thin and you lose the high-shine finish, she notes. "Sometimes I'll apply the gloss to the back of my hand, then I apply the gloss with my fingers by pressing the gloss on to the lip area."
Sometimes, there are factors that are almost impossible to avoid, like when your face makeup mixes in with your gloss, which is a common occurrence. "When you’re wearing makeup like foundation or concealer, you either want to avoid getting it on your lips or remove it before applying any gloss," New York City-based makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran says. "If too much product is on the lips, it will cause the gloss to cake up. I also try to use a minimal amount of product and avoid applying gloss where the lips meet — lip glosses naturally bleed with time. This way, you’ll avoid the cake and the mess."
Texture also plays a part in how smoothly a product applies, too. According to Stoj, a celebrity and editorial makeup artist, velvet and satin textures can sometimes cake up if you apply too many coats. "Long-wear lip products should be applied to the lip area once. Do not rub your lips after the product has been set, which can cause a pale or white residue," she notes.
But no matter what finish you prefer, there's a product for every type of gloss lover on the market right now. See them ahead.
