While tinted lip gloss is fun to wear, there are some days when you just want to keep it simple and classic. That’s why clear lip gloss is a total must-have in your makeup bag.
While quality matters when it comes to lip gloss, don’t write the drugstore off when it comes to quality makeup. The drugstore is a great source for finding some of the best clear lip glosses.
The truth is you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get amazing glossy lips.
Because, honestly, who wants to spend a fortune on lip gloss that you can see right through, anyway? The best drugstore clear lip glosses will give you long-lasting shine at an affordable price.
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My Top Picks:
- Best Overall: NYX Butter Gloss
- Best Shine: Essence Extreme Shine Volume Lip Gloss
- Best Plumping: L’Oreal Infallible Pro Lip Gloss Plump
- Most Affordable: Wet N Wild Megaslicks Lip Gloss
9 Best Drugstore Clear Lip Glosses
Clear lip gloss is the perfect makeup choice on days when you want a subtle, natural look.
While these picks can certainly be worn alone for a subtle shine, they also make great toppers for your favorite lipsticks, lip stains, or other lip products for extra shine.
These are my top picks for the 9 best drugstore clear lip glosses that won’t break the bank:
1. NYX Butter Gloss
NYX Butter Gloss, shown above in the shade Sugar Glass, is the fan-favorite buttery gloss from NYX.
The high-shine untinted clear lip gloss is America’s best-selling lip gloss for a reason. The crystal clear gloss is non-sticky and delivers a beautiful shine.
It can be worn alone or layered over other lip products to finish your look with some serious shine.
Many consider NYX Butter Gloss the best drugstore lip gloss for its affordability, quality, and range of colors.
(I have SO many Butter Glosses. I love layering the shades!)
Plus, it’s priced so low that you can buy Sugar Glass plus a handful of tinted Butter Glosses for the price of just one luxury lip gloss. This NYX gloss is cruelty-free.
2. Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss
Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss, shown above in the shade Crystal Clear, is a lightweight lip gloss that delivers non-stop shine plus moisture.
The large reservoir-tipped applicator easily and quickly applies the gloss to your lips.
The formula contains ingredients you’d see in moisturizing skin care products, including moringa seed oil, a nourishing oil filled with moisturizing fatty acids.
Cupuacu Butter is rich in skin-protective antioxidants and improves skin elasticity for a more youthful-looking pout. It moisturizes your lips and leaves your lips soft and supple.
Agave extract is filled with nourishing vitamins and not only helps keep your lips hydrated but also offers anti-inflammatory benefits.
The lightly fragranced gloss delivers a glassy shine that is non-sticky and long-lasting. The clear shade is versatile enough to pair with any makeup look.
If you’re looking for a high-shine gloss that won’t cost an arm and a leg, this one from Revlon is worth a try.
3. e.l.f. Lip Lacquer
E.l.f. Lip Lacquer, shown above in the shade Clear, is a vitamin-infused lip gloss that offers a high-gloss shine without any stickiness.
The gloss contains Vitamin E, which helps nourish and protect lips from environmental stress. Vitamin E also has emollient properties, which help to keep the lips smooth and soft.
Vitamin A hydrates your lips and supports your lips’ natural moisture.
Grapeseed, sunflower seed, meadowfoam seed, and avocado oils deeply moisturize your lips for a softer, more comfortable feel.
The formula is thick and glossy with lots of shine. The gloss feels very nourishing on my lips, almost like a lip balm. Super affordable, too!!
This elf lip gloss is vegan and cruelty-free.
4. L’Oreal Infallible Pro Lip Gloss Plump
L’Oreal Infallible Pro Lip Gloss Plump, shown above in the shade Mirror, creates plumper, fuller lips with hydrating hyaluronic acid in the salt form of sodium hyaluronate.
Hyaluronic acid draws moisture to your skin and provides a plumping and smoothing effect.
I was very impressed to find a peptide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, in the formula, which helps increase skin firmness.
The gloss also contains squalane, a lightweight moisturizer that helps keep lips feeling soft and hydrated.
This L’Oreal lip gloss has an interesting hollowed-out applicator that deposits a perfect amount of product with minimal mess or effort. It’s flexible, allowing you to sculpt and contour your lips.
After application, my lips feel a little bee-stung, probably due to the peppermint oil in the formula.
It has a light, non-sticky texture and a nice shine.
5. Essence Extreme Shine Volume Lip Gloss
Essence Extreme Shine Volume Lip Gloss, shown above in the shade Crystal Clear, creates high volume and plumping with its extreme shine formula.
I think it has some of the best shine out of all the glosses in this post! Wear it alone or pair it with your favorite lipstick for an added brilliant shine.
The large doe foot applicator quickly deposits the yummy-tasting gloss onto my lips.
This glossy lip gloss is vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, gluten-free, oil-free, and alcohol-free.
6. NYX This Is Juice Gloss
The second lip gloss in this post from NYX Professional Makeup, NYX This Is Juice Gloss, shown above in the shade Coconut Chill, is a vegan electrolyte-infused lip gloss with a mouth-watering coconut flavor.
The lip gloss contains an impressive list of active ingredients that nourish your lips:
It contains 5 electrolytes (Magnesium PCA, Zinc PCA, Manganese PCA, Sodium PCA, and Potassium Sorbate), which help keep lips hydrated and supple all day.
PLUS 5 different oils: rosa canina oil, grape seed oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, and squalane. These oils help moisturize and protect lips while also adding a beautiful glossy sheen.
Dry skin and chapped lips don’t stand a chance!
The applicator is soft and flat and unscrews at the bottom of the lip gloss.
This clear coconut gloss looks natural on the lips and feels light, not tacky or sticky. It’s vegan and cruelty-free.
7. Ulta Beauty Shiny Sheer Lip Gloss
Ulta Beauty Shiny Sheer Lip Gloss, shown above in the shade Ice, is a lightweight, glossy lip product that creates a bit of a plumping effect.
The clear gloss leaves my lips silky smooth with zero stickiness. It contains sodium hyaluronate, the salt form of hyaluronic acid, to help attract and retain moisture.
This is one of the most comfortable glosses to wear. It not only looks great but feels amazing on my lips.
8. Wet N Wild Megaslicks Lip Gloss
Wet N Wild Megaslicks Lip Gloss, shown above in the shade Crystal Clear, provides intense hydration and shine with a formula that not only creates dazzling shine but also helps your lips appear smoother, fuller, and plumper.
This clear gloss contains skin-loving ingredients like sunflower oil and jojoba oil for rich moisture and a soft, nourished pout.
Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid hydrates and draws moisture to the skin, while hydrolyzed collagen smoothes and moisturizes the skin.
For the cheap price, it’s hard to believe, but there is actually a peptide in this lip product: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, which is part of the well-known peptide duo Matrixyl 3000.
This peptide stimulates collagen production and helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and restores skin elasticity.
The applicator tip is just the right size for precise application, and the gloss itself feels light on the lips without feeling sticky.
While the lasting power may not be as long as some of the other lip glosses, this is the most affordable of all the lip glosses in this post!
Plus, it’s vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free.
9. Maybelline Lifter Gloss
Maybelline Lifter Gloss, shown above in the shade Pearl, isn’t quite crystal clear, but you’ll see that I included it in this post because it contains pearlized pigments that add high shine to your lips.
It’s not sparkly, but the gloss creates a shiny shimmer.
It can be worn on top of a lip color without changing its shade or alone for a shimmery, shiny lip look.
The gloss is formulated with hydrating hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate) to smooth the surface of your lips while defining your lip contour area. Lips look glossy and plump. No filler required!
It comes with Maybelline’s XL Wand, which deposits enough gloss for one application in just one swipe.
The cushiony formula also contains antioxidant-rich vitamin E, which also nourishes your lips. Coconut oil further moisturizes your lips, leaving them feeling soft and smooth.
This is an excellent option if you love wearing gloss but don’t like the feel of sticky products. Suitable for sensitive skin.
If you’re a fan of Fenty Gloss Bomb in the shade Fenty Glow, Maybelline Lifter Gloss in the shade Topaz is an excellent alternative. See this post for more Fenty Gloss Bomb alternatives.
Best Drugstore Clear Lip Gloss
You can’t go wrong with any of these clear drugstore lip glosses, as they are all high shine and very affordable. NYX Butter Gloss is one of my favorites!
Each lip gloss also contains nourishing ingredients to keep lips hydrated while giving them an alluring shine.
With so many options available, it’s easy to find one (or more!) clear drugstore lip glosses that you love!
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Thanks for reading!