ILIA’s New Lip Gloss Was Love at First Swipe

There have been so many new lip launches over the past year—the market is fully saturated, but the people (myself included) love it. I’m the woman with at least five lippies at the bottom of every bag, so why not add a few more favorites to the mix? Today, ILIA dropped its new Overglaze Lip Gloss (I’ve been testing it for a few weeks now), and I adore this formula. In fact, in the sea of balms and oils we’ve grown accustomed to recently, this new launch has restored my love of gloss—a tried-and-true lip gloss with slip and shine, but no ick factor. Here’s my honest review.

What I Love About This Lip Gloss

First, the shade range. There are 12 beautiful shades inspired by the “lustrous glazes of ceramics,” and the names follow suit: Terra, Enamel, Mosaic, Vessel, etc. Honestly, I’m not even sure they needed 12 shades because a few of them are very similar, but nonetheless, there’s something beautiful to flatter every skin tone. My favorite of the bunch of Enamel, a mauvey pink, which is my go-to, everyday shade and super wearable. I tend to lean toward the nude-pinks, and this collection masters that color family well. One of the boldest hues in the group is a cherry red called Flambé, but because of the sheerness of the formula, it isn’t incredibly pigmented.

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Next, the hydration. There’s nothing worse than a lip gloss disappearing after 20 minutes and your lips feel drier than they were before you applied it. That doesn’t happen with Overglaze, which is formulated with moisturizing fenugreek seed extract, and my lips still feel soft hours later. There’s a win-win with this gloss: I love the soft texture of the actual gloss, but also the soft texture of my lips once the gloss is gone. In clinical testing, the formula proved to keep lips hydrated for 24 hours! It also boasts a clinical claim for boosting lip volume (thanks to seaweed extract), but I haven’t noticed that benefit yet and don’t need it to love and appreciate this gloss.

BUY ON SEPHORA – $26

BUY ON ILIA BEAUTY – $26

I also very much appreciate that there’s no strange taste or sticky, tacky feeling. For me, it’s the perfect consistency and super comfortable and cushiony on my lips. In a clinical study with 52 people, 100 percent of participants said the lip gloss doesn’t feather or bleed (based on immediate evaluation), and after 21 days of use, 98 percent said their bare lips looked and felt healthier. I can agree with both of those findings! Overglaze is a keeper.