Glossier Ultralip Review

I’m a little late getting this review out because I wanted to spend a lot of time with them. I got them right on launch day and have been using them every day since then, so I feel like I’ve had them long enough that I have a better feeling for which shades are my favorite, which pair best with different lip liners I have, and what other comparable formulas are out there. If you’re looking to get them (or another Glossier product) for less than full price, they normally have a sitewide 20% sale for Black Friday and you can use this link for 10% off sitewide if you are a new Glossier customer.

The Ultralips are a more pigmented tinted lip balm that has a touch more glossiness than your average balm. I love how moisturizing it is and how long lasting it is (for a lip balm texture). The shades I chose all have a great level of pigmentation that’s low enough that I can swipe them on without a mirror but high enough that they make an impact. You can also build up the color without anything weird happening like pilling or patching. Glossier says that the formula is so comfortable it’s like “pulling on a buttery-soft, well-loved cashmere sweater”, and I definitely agree. This is like putting on your favorite pair of sweatpants after a long day, but for your lips.

I have the shades Villa, Portrait, Cachet, and Trench. I was very surprised by how much I like Portrait – it’s a bright pink shade that I didn’t realize I needed in my collection. It goes so well with any of my brighter blushes and really brightens up the rest of my face. Villa is my perfect lips but better shade, and Cachet and Trench are both browny nudes (Catchet leans more purple and Trench more orange) that are very much in my comfort zone. I started writing which one I would choose if I could only choose one, and it turns out, I really can’t. They all have a place in my collection, and I’m really happy with all four of them.

I wanted to compare the formulas of the Ultralips with the Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour, Rare Beauty Dewy Lip Balm, and Em Cosmetics Lip Cushion. The Ultralips are more moisturizing and glossier than the Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour, but it’s the closest formula that I have. I personally prefer the formula of the Ultralips particularly because I need the extra moisture, but the Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour plus a gloss works to replicate the effect.

The formula of the Rare Beauty Lip Balm is super similar to the Ultralip formula except it’s a bit more waxy. I also personally can’t handle the smell/taste of the Rare Beauty lip balm so I’m really thrilled to have found a similar color to the one I have to use instead.

I love how hydrating and glossy the Em Cosmetics Lip Cushions are, and they definitely have a place in my routine, but I find they are so soft and emollient that I need mirror to apply them. The Ultralips are easier to use for that reason, and I don’t worry about them moving outside of my lip line in the same way.

If you want more information on the Ultralips, I highly recommend watching Hannah Louise Poston’s review on them. Her video is over a half hour just on the Ultralips, and she got a few of the shades I didn’t get. I found it really useful in not getting more shades during the recent sale because I don’t think the formula of the brighter shades would work for me. I also really try to remember Hannah’s advice that she’s given before – if you find the perfect shade in the perfect formula, don’t buy more shades, just enjoy using the one you have.

What did you think of the Ultralips? Is there something else you’d like me to review? Let me know in the comments below, and thanks as always for reading!