This $9 Lip Oil Outperforms All The More Expensive Ones, I Promise

When I was a kid, I had this little pink satin purse with “princess” embroidered in cursive on the side. It was stuffed nearly to bursting with my Lip Smackers collection — the whole thing went most places I did. For years the Dr. Pepper lip balm reigned supreme over all the fruity scents until finally, my mom decided I was old enough for a Lip Smackers gloss. I can still smell the artificial strawberry scent and feel the gritty silver glitter as I applied it, but you couldn’t tell me nothin’ with my lip gloss on.

This is all to say: there has never been a day in my conscious life when I wasn’t obsessed with lip products, and more specifically, balms and glosses. In recent years there has been no shortage of either; brands are constantly putting out new oils, glosses, balms, sticks, oil sticks, and every other form of lip goo you can imagine. I will admit I have tried more of them than is healthy, and there is one that rises above them all: the e.l.f. Cosmetics Glow Reviver Lip Oil. How it costs only $9 I seriously do not know, nor will I be asking any further questions about it. The drugstore can just have my money.

Stats

• Price: $9
• Size: 0.25 oz.
• Who it’s for: Anyone who wants hydrated lips with the perfect amount of color.

The Ingredients

Like any makeup product, the ingredient list on this lip oil is full of chemist lingo. That said, you can definitely tell those chemists were thinking about hydration. The formula contains squalene, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, jojoba seed oil, and punica granatum seed oil (whatever that is). If you’re particular about clean beauty, you’ll appreciate that this product does not contain phthalates, parabens, nonylphenol ethoxylates, triclosan, triclocarban, or hydroquinone.

The Packaging

This is an affordable product so we get regular plastic packaging here. It’s a short, rectangular gloss bullet that’s a little wider than your usual long cynlinder kind. What stands out is the applicator. It’s a bigger, puffed up doe-foot applicator that I think spreads the product more evenly because it covers your whole lip in one swipe. It also deposits a little more lip oil than you might be used to, so don’t be afraid to wipe a little off at first and then see if you want to build it up.

How I Use The e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil

This is my goes-everywhere-with-me, goes-with-everything, daily driver lip product; I use the shade Jam Session. As a fair-skinned gal, I find berry shades to be more flattering on me than true pinks, and this oil has just the right amount of pigment to make an impact without being too much. (It’s not lost on me that it’s Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers colored, but for big kids.) I wear it on days I have a full face of makeup on, and on days where it’s the only product that touches my face.

You can definitely wear this product on its own, but I have a double lip line (look it up) so I wear liner most days. My favorite liner is the Sephora Rouge Gel Lip Liner in the color Sink or Suede, which has been very rudely discontinued, but any neutral shade that’s close to the color of your natural lips will be perfect.

The result is lips that are super shiny with just the right amount of color to look natural but still add life to my face. I love how plush this formula feels — it minimizes my lip lines and makes my lips look fuller and actually feel nourished. This lip oil definitely gets used as a balm when I’m out and about.

Many lip oils have one of two common issues: the color can be patchy, and the formula can either be too thin or too sticky. I’ve tried some high end lip oils that, despite the $30 to $40 price tags and prestige brands behind them, still had one or both pitfalls. The Glow Reviver has neither of these problems somehow, so for $9, you really can’t beat it.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• It’s so affordable, and one tube lasts FOREVER.
• It’s the perfect amount of pigment for us moms who maybe don’t wear full glam everyday, but do want to feel put together and like our best selves.
• It hydrates well and feels nourishing on the lips. I swear it makes them look fuller because they’re so pampered.
• e.l.f. is a cruelty-free brand (yay, no animal testing) and this product is vegan.
• It comes in 10 shades including a clear, which I point out because this stuff is beautiful worn over top of other lipsticks or liners. The clear would be great to have in your collection if you’d like to change the finish of other lip colors you already own.

Cons:

• The rim around the top of my gloss’ tube is a little messy after all its travel and use. The part of mine that is gunky is covered by the lid so it doesn’t get on anything in my purse, but if that bothers you, now you know.

Final Verdict

If you love a glossy your-lips-but-better look, the e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil is the product for you. It’s hydrating, a perfect amount of color for day-to-day wear, and deeply moisturizes your lips while you wear it.

The TL;DR

I literally don’t bother collecting other glosses anymore. This lip oil is just that girl.

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