Lipstick sales are on the rise. This summer, if you’re vaccinated, you can walk to meet your friends for brunch al fresco with your mask hanging from a chain around your neck instead of covering the entire lower half of your face. On those blissful occasions, maybe you pop a tinted balm on your lips — if for no other reason than to celebrate the fact that they’re visible for the first time in what feels like forever.

That said, your aesthetic and preferences for what you want in a lip colour may have changed since the last time you set foot inside a restaurant. To help figure out what you’re looking for this season, we’ve broken down the three biggest lip colour trends for summer 2021. Whether you want a balm, plumping gloss, or a multipurpose stick that doubles as blush, scroll through to find the most popular new tubes to toss in your purse ASAP.

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Tinted Balm

Ilia Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm


Our Refinery29 beauty editors were so excited about the new Ilia tinted lip balm we tested all eight shades, and we’re all fans. It’s that sheer your-lips-but-better tint that most of us have dubbed a “summer staple.”

Ilia Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm, $, available at Revolve

Pat McGrath Labs Lip Fetish Divinyl Lip Shine


Similar to Ilia’s, Pat McGrath’s Lip Shine is a soft cream-balm that goes on so sheer that you don’t need a mirror to apply it. The difference is that instead of being satiny in finish, this one has some sparkle, and comes in a gorgeous maximalist chrome-plated bullet.

PAT McGRATH LABS Lip Fetish Divinyl Lip Shine, $, available at Selfridges

Plumping Gloss

Lawless Beauty Forget The Filler Lip Plumper Line Smoothing Gloss


Blame TikTok or the rise in popularity of lip flips and filler, but many brands have recently formulated “plumping” lip products. This new one from Dior is popular for its diverse shade range (from pink to coral), non-tacky consistency, and how it delivers subtle, gentle plumping — without the dreaded tingle.

Dior Lip Maximimiser, $, available at Dior

Too Faced Lip Injection Maximum Plump Extra Strength Lip Plumper


Fans claim that Too Faced’s Lip Plumper offers an effect similar to what you’d see after lip injections: a little swollen and pink in colour (of course, it’s temporary). The newest formulation is the same kind of plumping formula in a mini tube, so for $16 you can give it a try before investing in the full-size.

Too Faced Lip Injection Maximum Plump Lip Plumper, $, available at Cult Beauty

Lip & Cheek Stain

Charlotte Tilbury Tinted Love Lip & Cheek Stain


Along with the rise in lipstick, we’ve seen a new wave of blush happening this summer. Use this new hybrid tint from Charlotte Tilbury on your lips, then dab a little on your cheeks, too.

Charlotte Tilbury Tinted Love Lip & Cheek Tint, $, available at Charlotte Tilbury

Freck Beauty Cheekslime Blush + Lip Tint with Plant Collagen


If you’re going for a wash of colour, not so much precise application, this multipurpose tint is a win. It’s viscous but sheers out nicely on the cheeks, lips, or lids for a kiss of colour. Reviewers compare it to a Glossier Cloud Paint that doubles as a lip stain.

Freck Beauty Cheekslime Lip & Cheek Tint, $, available at Beauty Bay

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