A Glossy History: A Look Back At 5 Lip Gloss Eras

Lip gloss: it’s the gateway product into the beauty world and it's having a moment, bigger than ever.

The nostalgic makeup category may have started off nice and humble, but it has now entered the beauty chat as one of the key players in the industry, skyrocketing sales into the billions.

In fact, the global lip gloss market was valued at USD$3.67 billion in 2023, and it is anticipated to climb to USD$5.38 billion by 2032, according to reports by Market Research Future.

Australian makeup artist and founder of beauty accessories brand, SMITH KIT, Susan Lilian has worked in the beauty industry for almost 19 years, and most recently headed up four shows at Australian Fashion Week 2024 as makeup director. Susan shared with BEAUTYcrew her thoughts on the ever-evolving lip category.

“I adore the versatility of a gloss, how it photographs and the dimensions you can create using the power of shine reflection. I personally find comfort in the scent, nourishment and protection of a lip gloss,” she said. “So many incredible formulas have entered this space, from scent to texture and even packaging innovation.”

“The formulas evolve as we voice our opinions through social media. We can now find clean formulas, pH colour changing, night masks, oils, some even containing SPF – genius!”

And just like all trending beauty products, it had to start somewhere. Let’s flashback to five lip gloss eras and look at how the category has evolved and transcended decade after decade.

Are you ready to jump into the time machine?

The ‘70s: Disco shimmer

Image credits: Getty Images

The seventies brought to life shimmery glosses perfect for those disco nights. As makeup became sparkly in this era, so did lips, with pearlescent textures reigning supreme. Soft, almost-nude pink was the one to wear, pairing perfectly with the bold lash look of the seventies.

“It was all about being natural and effortless,” said Susan. “Gloss was sheer and used to give a soft dewy finish, rather than a bold colour statement or intense wet look. Gloss was not worn to stand out but accompany.”

1. Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in $weet Mouth, $36 at Sephora

2. Sulwhasoo Glowing Lip Balm in Petal, $59 at Adore Beauty

3. Gisou Honey Infused Tinted Lip Oil in Watermelon Sugar, $46 at MECCA

The ‘80s: Power lips

Image credits: Getty Images and Pinterest

The eighties were all about power dressing and power lips – it was confidence at its finest. Trends were all about that explosion of colour, the brighter the better. Think pops of pink and orange – neon was hot on lips, and the dance floor.

“Colour therapy! Whether they knew it or not, having a bright lip is a total mood elevator,” said Susan. “People moved into wearing coloured intense high-shine glosses as well as clear. The lip was very much meant to be seen! The shinier the better.”

1. YSL Loveshine in Passion Red, $66 at YSL

2. DIOR Addict Lip Maximizer Plumping Gloss in Shimmer Strawberry, $64 at Sephora

3. Clarins Lip Comfort Oil in Daring Orange, $47 at Adore Beauty

The ‘90s: The supermodel pout

Image credits: Getty Images

Lip gloss entered its grunge era and came into its own in the nineties. Dark lined lips with lashings of clear gloss to frosted, sugary hues, the nineties went all-in. We also saw the boom of the supermodel (think Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford), who became synonymous with the latte lips trend we see today.

“The grunge era was just perfection – it was fem and masc combined,” said Susan. “The exploration of deep liners in contrast to a lighter lacquered gloss over the top. Clear gloss was huge, think M.A.C Lipglass in Clear, which launched in the nineties.”

1. Holme Beauty Lip Gloss in Drip, $38 at Holme Beauty

2. M.A.C Lipglass in Clear, $39 at Myer

3. Bangn Body Lip & Cheek Gloss Balm in Choc Caramel, $28 at Bangn Body

The ‘00s: Y2K gloss

Image credits: Getty Images and lipsmacker.com

The rise of Y2K beauty saw the lip gloss category boom in the noughties. Lip Smackers may have first launched in the seventies, but they were peak popularity in the early 2000s. We also saw the creation of Lancôme Juicy Tubes, and many brands followed suit, with technology in the category evolving to new formulations.

“A beautiful time for gloss, the shine was blinding,” shared Susan. “Makeup artists were glossing eye lids and lips for runway. We used gloss with a hint of colour as a way of wearing colour, but not too much. However, surely we all have flash backs of hair stuck to our lip gloss then leaking in our bag? We were waiting for better packaging!”

1. CHANEL ROUGE COCO GLOSS Moisturising Glossimer in Rose Pulpe, $65 at David Jones

2. Lancôme Juicy Tubes Lip Gloss in Miracle, $32 at Lancôme

3. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil in Happy, $39 at Sephora

Today: Transcending lip gloss

Image credits (left-right): @kyliejenner, @kyliecosmetics, @rhode, @kyliecosmetics and @zendaya

Cut to 2024 and we're seeing lip gloss take on new heights, with brands rethinking the nostalgic makeup category as lip care. From lip oils, balms, plumpers, treatments and masks, brands like Summer Fridays, Laneige and Rhode are building brand names off the evolving category. Gone are the days of lip gloss feeling childish, it's a staple in the modern woman's handbag and we're proud to show it off (and even adorn our phone cases with it).

“Brands have perfected formulas and packaging,” said Susan. “I love that this category has evolved to hold a space for all preferences. If you have a favourite aesthetic, sensory preference or brands you align with, you are spoilt with choice! We have come a long way.”