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14 Of The Best High-Shine Lip Glosses Serving Up Serious Noughties Nostalgia
Sure, you can give low-rise jeans a go again – but a shiny lip feels safer.
The year is 2004. Britney’s Toxic is never not on the radio, the smell of JLo Glow is in the air, and your lips are dripping with Lancome’s cherry-flavoured Juicy Tubes.
Lip gloss might be synonymous with those sickly, sticky days of teendom – of school discos, dance routines and awkward hand-holding – but today, the shine is making a comeback. After years of aggressively matte, high-maintenance lipstick, a gloss feels like light relief, and we’re more than happy to welcome this little slice of Y2K nostalgia back into our lives (if not the matching bootcut jeans).
There’s a widely touted belief that, if you are old enough to remember a trend from its heyday, you shouldn’t be embracing the resurgence. And while we might feel about 1000 years old every time we see a group of girls wearing ‘vintage’ Tammy Girl (seriously, the Depop market is booming) there are plenty of 2000’s throwbacks we’re happy to embrace – and a wet-look gloss is absolutely one of them.
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If you're looking at the hundred lip products currently living rent free at the bottom of your handbag and questioning why you might need more, it might be worth double checking when you bought them. Due to their direct contact with our mouth - and all the bacteria that produces - we should be looking to replace our lip products around every six months. So, chances are, if you don't remember when exactly you bought it, you should probably chuck it.
Here, see the lip glosses we're calling on now
Hailey Bieber's brand, Rhode, is going from strength to strength but its the Peptide Lip Treatment that we keep coming back to. Available in a range of flavours – and now colours – it leaves lips glossy and nourished, banishing any signs of dryness.
As hydrating as it is plumping, Sculpted by Aimee's neutral gloss is a suits-all crowd pleaser. Aimee Connolly, founder of the brand, suggests wearing it alone over lip liner for a natural-looking finish.
If it's a comfortable, high-shine finish you're looking for, then Vieve's Lip Dew could be the one for you. Nourishing, non-sticky and packed with kind-to-lip ingredients like vitamin E and camellia oil, you can either wear it alone or layered over lipstick.
If your hair possesses a tendency to start flying at your face as soon as you apply a gloss, you'll probably want to opt for a lip product of the less sticky variety.
Tower 28's Lip Jelly currently holds the position of our dream lippy; it has a finish that feels more like a satin balm but still delivers that beloved glossy finish. Plus, we love the precise doe foot applicator.
The lip gloss to end all lip glosses, Dior’s fan-favourite Lip Maximizer is one you have to try. The shine is blinding (seriously, someone once asked me what gloss I was wearing from across a candlelit room) and the plumping peppermint makes lip look visibly fuller.
Chances are you've seen this lip plumper doing the rounds on TikTok and Instagram, and for good reason. Though the tingling, warming sensation will take you straight back to those 'plumping' lipsticks of the 2000s, the formula has come so much further. Fenty's 'Plump Job Complex' contains ginger root oil and pepper to volumise your pout and the tinted gloss (no shimmer here) leaves a universally flattering wet-look sheen.
With a reputation that precedes it (in the best way), the Glossier Lip Gloss has become a cultural icon. Thick with a mirror-like shine, this is one for the hardcore gloss addicts out there.
For something a little subtler, Victoria Beckham’s satiny glosses are spot on. The shades are opaque, so you get the finish of a lipstick with the shine of a gloss.
If you’ve still got a Lipglass lingering in your cupboard from the early oughts then, well, throw it out – it’s definitely expired. But you could, and should, invest in a fresh tube – now, there’s a massive 32 shades to choose from, spanning the classics to the truly dramatic.
Even Pat McGrath, the patron saint of high-impact mattes, has created a blinding lip gloss. As you likely expect, this one delivers major impact, with a shot of glitter to maximise the light-reflecting power. Try shade Astral Moon: the blue tint sheers out on application, cleverly making your teeth look brighter and whiter.
For something that feels as conditioning as your favourite lip balm, look to Rare Beauty. These glitter-free formulas combine translucent pigment with calming, hydrating flower extracts. The effect is ‘your lips, but better’.
Yes yes, the OG is back. Lancome has resurrected its era-defining Juicy Tubes in a trio of finishes: cream, glitter, and jelly. Combine with a too-dark lip liner for the full effect.
Another smart multitasker, this cult creation from make-up artist Danessa Myricks delivers super-glassy, wet-look eyes, cheeks and lips.
Undoubtedly the king of the 1990s make-up scene, it's no surprise that Kevyn Aucoin's brand has nailed the decade's signature lip look. Uber-glossy and with a three dimensional finish, there's no denying this is the most flattering way to draw attention to your pout.
Packed full of pigment, the Jones Road gloss comes in a full spectrum of high-shine shades, from luscious cherry red to sparkling peachy gold. In true Bobbi Brown fashion, it's made to be multi-use – simply tap onto cheeks for a lit-from-within glow.
Plus, there's something super nostalgic about the clear tubes which make us feel like we're slap bang in the middle of Clueless.
If you're looking for a hit of hydration and a supernatural shine, you need this gloss in your life. There are 14 shades to choose from, but we love the cool, iridescent Teinte; glaze over the entirety of naked lips for a look that is like 90s-nostalgia or dot a little in the centre of lipstick to give lips a 3D effect.
Roberta Schroeder is the Senior Ecommerce Editor at Harper's Bazaar, ELLE and Esquire, overseeing shopping strategy and content across fashion, beauty, and travel. Roberta has reported on everything from market-leading skincare brands to the world’s most iconic fashion pieces, while also regularly updating a range of shopping guides, including LED masks, heritage cashmere brands and niche new dress brands to know.
Roberta has more than 15 years' experience in the luxury sector, spanning editorial consultancy, trend forecasting and journalism. Over the years, she has worked for global brands including Farfetch, Chanel, and Vogue.
When not testing beauty products, trialling trends and curating content that spotlights the very best in fashion and beauty, Roberta can usually be found trawling resale sites and vintage stores for a long-coveted designer find. Follow Roberta on Instagram at @roberta__schroeder
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