How to Use Lip Oil (Alone, Over Lipstick and Overnight)
Confession time: there is no Sprite lip oil. I checked the whole shop twice, wings buzzing, and found a lip oil for The Princess, The Gym Bunny, The Valkyrie, The Vixen and Sugar, and nothing with my name on it. So I did what any self-respecting fairy would do. I borrowed all five, tested them on every errand for a week and took notes.
Here's the short answer on how to use lip oil. Swipe a thin layer onto clean lips, press them together, and you're done. Lip oil keeps your lips feeling soft and gives them a glossy shine without the sticky, hair-catching feel of a classic gloss. You can wear it alone, dab it over lipstick or liner for a glassy finish, or put a thin layer on before bed. Reapply every 2 to 3 hours, or whenever the shine is gone after coffee or lunch.
- Lip oil is a light, glossy oil for your lips. It keeps them feeling soft and adds shine without the stickiness of most glosses.
- Use it alone for a sheer, juicy shine, dab it on the center of set lipstick for a glassy finish, or wear a thin layer to bed.
- Reapply every 2 to 3 hours or after you eat or drink. A little goes a long way: one swipe per lip is plenty.
- If your lips stay cracked or sore for more than a couple of weeks, see a dermatologist.
What does lip oil do?
Lip oil is exactly what it sounds like: a blend of oils made for your lips, usually in a little tube with a doe-foot wand. It sits on top of your lips as a thin, shiny film. That film helps your lips feel softer and smoother, and it makes them look plumper in the way anything shiny catches the light. It won't change the shape of your lips, and it won't fix lips that are already badly cracked. Think of it as a soft, shiny topcoat.
The Fable Beauty lip oils are a 6 ml tube for $15, and every one uses the same base: avocado, apricot kernel and castor oils, squalane and vitamin E. The finish is a non-sticky gloss, which is the whole reason I love it. My hair is always blowing into my face mid-flight, and nothing ruins a quick spell faster than a strand glued to your bottom lip.
How to use lip oil on its own
This is the everyday version, and it takes about ten seconds.
- Start with clean, dry lips. Wipe off old balm or crumbs. If you've got flakes, rub gently with a damp washcloth first. Your lip care routine covers the gentle scrub-and-soften steps in more detail.
- Swipe once per lip. One pass across the top, one across the bottom. Start in the center and work out toward the corners.
- Press, don't rub. Press your lips together a couple of times to spread it evenly.
- Check the edges. If oil has crept past your lip line, tap it away with a fingertip. Less is more here.
Want a bit more shine? Add a second dab right in the middle of your bottom lip. That one little spot catches the light and makes your lips look fuller without any extra product at the edges.
How to wear lip oil over lipstick or liner
This is where most people get into trouble. Oil and lipstick can be friends, but oil also loosens pigment. Pile it on and your nice red will slide and smudge past your lip line within the hour. Here's the order that works:
- Line first. Trace your lip line with liner. It acts like a fence that keeps the oil and color where they belong.
- Add your lipstick, then let it set. Give it a minute. With a matte or long-wear formula, wait until it feels dry to the touch.
- Dab oil on the center only. Tap a small amount onto the middle of your top and bottom lips. Leave the outer edges alone.
- Press once. One gentle press blends the shine without dragging the color around.
My favorite quick trick: skip the lipstick, fill your whole lip in with liner, then add oil on top. You get color that lasts and shine that looks fresh, and it takes under two minutes.
Can you wear lip oil overnight?
Yes, and it's one of the easiest ways to wake up with softer lips. Your lips have no oil glands of their own, and a lot of us breathe through our mouths at night or sleep with the heat on, which dries them out.
- Put it on last. After you brush your teeth and finish your skincare, so nothing wipes it off.
- Use a thin layer. One swipe per lip is enough. More just ends up on your pillowcase.
- Need extra help? On cold, windy nights, press a thin layer of plain balm over the oil to hold it in.
If your lips crack, peel or sting no matter what you put on them, or the dryness lasts more than a couple of weeks, see a dermatologist. Lip oil is for comfort and shine, not for treating something that won't heal.
How often should you reapply lip oil?
Lip oil is light, so it doesn't last forever. Here's how often I reach for my tube on a normal day:
| Situation | When to reapply | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Regular day at a desk | Every 2 to 3 hours | Keep the tube by your keyboard, not buried in your bag. |
| After eating or drinking | Right after | Blot first so you're not layering oil over crumbs. |
| Over lipstick | Every 3 to 4 hours | Tap on the center only so the color stays put. |
| Cold, windy or dry air | Every 1 to 2 hours | Add a balm on top outdoors for a sturdier barrier. |
| Bedtime | Once | A thin layer after you brush your teeth. |
A 6 ml tube is small enough for any pocket, which is why I toss one in my bag next to a travel-size perfume. Two minis, zero excuses.
Lip oil vs lip gloss vs lip balm
They look like cousins, but they do different jobs.
| Lip oil | Lip gloss | Lip balm | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texture | Thin and slippery | Thicker, often tacky | Thick and waxy |
| Finish | Wet-look shine | High shine | Soft sheen or matte |
| Feel on lips | Light and comfortable | Can feel sticky | Cushiony |
| Best for | Everyday shine and softness | Big shine for a night out | Wind, cold and very dry days |
The short version: reach for lip oil when you want soft and shiny with no fuss, gloss when you want maximum shine, and balm when the weather is being rude. Plenty of people use all three. Oil is the one I'd keep if I could only pick one, and the same light-hand rule applies to other oils too. It's the trick behind using hair oil on fine hair without it going flat.
The lip oils I borrowed (and would buy)
Since I don't have my own, here are the five I raided, all the same non-sticky formula at $15 each. Pick by whichever character feels most like you.
- The Princess Lip Oil: for anyone who likes things polished and pretty. My first grab every morning.
- The Vixen Lip Oil: the date-night pick. It lives in my clutch.
- The Gym Bunny Lip Oil: for the gym bag, for after the cool-down when your lips feel dry.
- The Valkyrie Lip Oil: the one I keep by the bed for overnight duty.
- Sugar Lip Oil: for the sweet tooths. Do not tell Sugar I keep "forgetting" to give it back.
Can't choose? The Lip Oil Best Sellers Bundle ($49.99) is the easy way to try several at once, and the extras make very good stocking stuffers. You can also browse them all in the lip oil collection.
FAQ
What does lip oil do?
Lip oil coats your lips in a thin layer of oil that keeps them feeling soft and gives them a glossy, juicy shine. It's lighter than a balm and less sticky than most glosses, so it feels like almost nothing once it's on.
Can you put lip oil over lipstick?
Yes. Let the lipstick set for a minute, then dab a small amount of oil on the center of your lips only. Too much oil, spread all the way to the edges, can loosen the color and let it slide.
Can you sleep with lip oil on?
Yes, a thin layer before bed is a nice way to wake up with softer lips. Put it on after you brush your teeth, use a little less than you would in the day, and expect a tiny bit on your pillowcase.
How often should you reapply lip oil?
Reapply when the shine fades or your lips start to feel dry, which for most people is every 2 to 3 hours. Eating, drinking and cold wind wear it off faster, so plan on a swipe after meals.
Is lip oil better than lip balm?
Neither is better, they just do different jobs. Lip oil is lighter and shinier for daytime wear, while a balm is thicker and works better as a heavy barrier in wind or cold.
One last spell
At the end of my week of borrowing, I lined up all five tubes on The Princess's vanity to return them. She took one look at the empty spot where a Sprite lip oil should be and laughed. "Keep the Valkyrie one," she said. "You've clearly earned it." Now you know how to use lip oil just as well as I do: thin layers, center dabs, and one more swipe after lunch.
Every beauty has a story.
— The Sprite
