Love Glass Skin? Here’s How To Get Glass Lips

If you keep up-to-date on beauty trends, chances are good you’re familiar with glass skin, a trend that centers around smooth, glowy, almost glossy-looking skin. This viral look is, unsurprisingly, skin-focused—but if you’re someone who likes your lips to be the star of the show, there’s a related trend you may be interested in: glass lips.

While there are countless takes on this Korean beauty trend, all feature ultra-glossy, shiny lips. Here, we’ll show you how to get the luscious look and introduce you to our favorite formulas for the job. Keep reading for all the need-to-knows.

What Are Glass Lips?

We like to think of glass lips as glossy lips with the dial turned all the way up. While glossy lips boast some shine, the glass lip look is all about achieving an ultra-reflective, mirror-like finish with lip glass (a.k.a, super high-shine lip gloss). It’s usually achieved with a sheer nude or rosy pink lip gloss, though you can opt for a more pigmented gloss for a bolder look. One thing worth noting, however, is that this isn’t the place for glittery gloss—with glass lips, the emphasis is on shine, not glitter (subtle shimmer, however, is fair game).

How To Get Glass Lips

While glass lips may appear high-maintenance, this look is actually super simple to achieve. First, gather your tools—you’ll need lip balm, a pinkish lip tint, a highlighter, and, of course, your lip glass of choice. For the latter, we recommend Giorgio Armani Beauty Prisma Glass Hydrating Lip Gloss with Squalane. The high-shine gloss comes in five shades, provides up to 24 hours of hydration, and leaves your lips looking plump with an ultra-glossy finish. Once you’ve got the essentials, read on for your simple glass lip tutorial.

Step 1: Prep your pout

The key to any great makeup look lies in the prep work. Before applying any lip products, you’ll want to make sure your lips are soft, smooth, and hydrated. Reach for a nourishing balm like Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 and apply it liberally, allowing ample time for the formula to absorb before proceeding with your routine.

Step 2: Dab on your lip stain

Next, grab your lip tint. We recommend opting for one with a pinky-red tone (try YSL Beauty Nu Lip & Cheek Balmy Tint in Flush). Use your ring finger to dab the formula onto your lips to create a soft wash of color—the idea here is to subtly enhance your natural lip color, not overpower it.

Step 3: Apply lip glass

It’s time to shine. After applying your lip tint, choose which shade of Prisma Glass you want to use for your shiny lip look. There are four to choose from: Candy Pink, a soft, bubblegum hue; Pop Red, a sheer, cool-toned crimson; Pinky Mauve, a pale raspberry shade; and Coral, an orangey-pink hue with a subtle hint of shimmer. There’s also a clear gloss, which you can use for glass-like shine without any additional color. Use the doe-foot applicator to swipe your preferred shade onto your pout. Take care to coat both your upper and lower lips for the perfect high-shine finish.

Step 4: Highlight your cupid’s bow

Put the finishing touch on your glossy lip makeup look by using a highlighter pencil (like NYX Professional Wonder Pencil Micro Highlighter Pencil) to highlight your cupid’s bow. The pop of shimmer will help draw attention to your shiny lips and help make your pout appear fuller—it’s a win-win.

3 Lip Care Tips To Keep In Mind

If you follow the tutorial above but your glass lips don’t look quite like the videos you’ve seen on Instagram and TikTok, you may not be prepping your lips properly. Here are three lip care tips to help ensure you nail this glossy lip trend

Exfoliate regularly

Dryness, cracking, and peeling can all interfere with how smoothly your lip products apply. To help keep flakes at bay, consider incorporating exfoliation into your regular lip care routine. You can do this by gently rubbing a damp washcloth over your lips to help buff away any dead skin, or reach for a dedicated lip scrub (we love Beauty Pie Smooth Ahead Nourishing Lip Scrub).

Use balm daily

Don’t make the common mistake of only reaching for lip balm when your lips feel dry—like any other part of your body, your pout deserves daily hydration. During the day, reach for a lightweight SPF-infused lip balm to help protect your lips from the sun’s damaging rays. At night, you can opt for a slightly richer formula—we love the Kiehl’s balm mentioned above, as well as Aēsop Cedar & Citrus Lip Salve.

Try a lip mask

If your lips feel seriously dry, an overnight treatment may be in order. These ultra-rich formulas help lock in moisture while you sleep. Kiehl’s Buttermask for Lips is amongst our favorites—the nourishing mango butter-infused formula helps repair the lip moisture barrier to visibly restore your pout overnight. Apply a thick layer before bed and enjoy softer, smoother lips by morning—just in time to rock your glossy lip look.

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