Lip gloss is a cosmetic product used primarily by teenage girls and women to give the lips shine and subtle color. Lip gloss is distributed as a viscous liquid or a soft solid. It can be tansluscentr (clear lip gloss can be layered over regular lipstickfor extra shine) or various shades of opacity, including frosted, glittery and metallic looks. Also, lip gloss can have a variety of pink, purple, brown, and clear or reddish, green, or blue tints.

Lip gloss is popular with teenage girls due to its ease of application and flirty look. For some young teenagers, it is used as a “starter” make-up. The Lip Smackers line by Bonne Bell is targeted at teenage girls and features lip glosses in a variety of sweet flavors such as strawberry, watermelon, and vanilla, as well as brand-name candy flavors like Skittles, Starburst, and M&M’s. Although lip gloss is mostly associated with youth, companies like Stila and Mac do make lip glosses targeted at older consumers. Some of these glosses contain Collagen or other “plumping” agents. Several brands also make lip gloss from all natural or organic ingredients.

Lip gloss is vital to the mod make-up style exemplified by Twiggy, an eyeliner and mascara-heavy look that requires sheer, “dewy” colors elsewhere. It can be paired with well-blended gel or cream blush to achieve this look.

Like lipstick, lip gloss can be applied different ways. The most popular way is a tube, which typically has a rounded or sloped application surface meant to contour to the lips. It can also be squeezed onto one’s finger and applied evenly. Other liquid glosses come in cylindrical containers, with a cosmetic wand used to apply the gloss. Soft solid glosses can come in pots and panels, which are used with fingers or a lipstick brush, or tubes, which are used like lipstick.

Though lip gloss is most frequently used as a cosmetic, it is also used as a moisturizer. Many lip glosses now contain sunscreen. It was first advertised by actress Lilian Gish .