Why Lip Gloss Continues to Be a Status Symbol
Teens, moms and stars alike are treating lip gloss like cultural currency.
I remember when back-to-school season meant a fresh pack of gel pens, a stack of crisp Hilroy notebooks, maybe a new pair of (flared) jeans from the mall—and, if my mom was feeling generous, a Lip Smacker dangling from a keychain. A tiny thrill. But if I’m being honest, I was gunning for a Lancôme Juicy Tubes or M.A.C Lip Glass, but she never gave in.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, the first day of school. I was walking my toddler to daycare, passing the neighbourhood high school, when I clocked a gaggle of girls huddled on the sidewalk. They were all whipping out lip products—each one glossier, shinier and far more luxe than anything my 15-year-old self could have imagined. Think Dior Lip Oil here, Rhode Lip Tint there, and a Summer Fridays Lip Butter passed around like currency. Forget a Labubu hanging off a backpack or Abercrombie hoodie, this seems to be the new teenage status symbol.
And part of gloss’s power is that it isn’t private. Unlike a long-wear liquid lipstick or a stain that stays put for hours, gloss requires reapplication. Which means the ritual happens constantly: after class, on the subway, before a meeting, mid-cocktail. Every swipe is an invitation to start a conversation. What shade is that? Do you like it? Worth the splurge? Lip gloss, by nature, is communal.
The obsession doesn’t stop with teenagers, either. Just last month, my “mom WhatsApp” group lit up with chatter about the elusive, now-discontinued Shortcake Rhode Lip Tint. One friend was desperate to track one down for her stepdaughter’s 12th birthday, even asking if someone traveling to the States could mule it back across the border. Mind you, this was before Hailey Bieber’s Rhode officially launched in Sephora. But if tweens are requesting discontinued glosses as birthday gifts, you know we’re talking about more than makeup.
Speaking of Hailey Bieber, her iPhone case that holds a tube of her Rhode Lip Peptide Treatment continuously gets sold out. Forget a wallet—the only two must-haves now are your phone and a gloss.
After doing a bit of fact-checking (aka, Googling), and pulling in a few anecdotes, the numbers back it up: the global lip gloss market was valued at $3.67 billion in 2023 and is projected to climb to $5.38 billion USD by 2032, according to Market Research Future. And you better believe beauty brands aren’t ignoring the momentum, almost every luxury house is either launching a gloss or reviving a nostalgic one. Think Lancôme’s limited-edition Juicy Tubes (fronted by Hillary Duff in a full-circle campaign) or my personal favourite: Dior’s Addict Lip Glow Butter, complete with the cutest dangling charm.
The theory crystallized again during New York Fashion Week’s kick-off bash hosted by Pandora, where I spotted Tyla sliding a Fenty Gloss Bomb into her purse and Megan Stalter re-applying what looked like a nudey-pink Tower 28 ShineOn Lip Jelly. Facts are facts, lip gloss isn’t just a finishing touch this season, it’s the accessory.
The Glosses Everyone’s Talking About
Add these viral glosses—from Rhode to Summer Fridays—to your cart before they sell out (again).
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