Lip Gloss

As the name implies, lip gloss is meant for adding shine to the lips. But, the next time you need a little pick-me-up or you have an unexpected date or event to attend, shift your thinking and look at this everyday staple as something more than makeup solely for your pout. To find out a few unique ways you can get more use out of your lip gloss — consider it a multitasker extraordinaire — just keep reading.

Some lip glosses are so waxy, your lips feel as if they're suffocating, while others are so shiny, they practically blind the person standing next to you. Such is not the case with Intelligent Nutrients' Lip Delivery Antioxidant Gloss in Pink Hibiscus ($24). Free of synthetic waxes and oils (and fragrance and colorants), the subtly tinted gloss lends just a hint of sheen to the lips. And the touch-of-pink hue is the perfect shade to reach for when you want a more minimalistic makeup look — or when you want low-key lips to complement an intensely heavy smoky eye.

Certified organic, Lip Delivery is loaded with antioxidant-rich cranberries, purple corn, and blueberries. Beeswax, carnauba wax, and cocoa butter ingredients moisturize, while shea butter lends a bit of natural protection from the sun's UV rays. A built-in brush makes application all the more smooth, but perhaps the biggest treat is its sweet and tart flavor, a blend of caramel, vanilla, raspberry, agave, and coconut. You'll keep going back to this smooth operator again and again.

Pantone's color of the year may be tangerine, but there are a few other shades the color forecasting brand has identified as being hot for Spring 2012. And the folks at Make Up For Ever have ingeniously come up with a 10-piece collection reflecting the runway's trendiest hues, one of which is Starfish, a khaki, sandy tone that's more versatile than you might expect. While it may sound a little dull for the lips, the brand's Starfish-inspired Lab Shine Lip Gloss in #M4 ($18), a chrome tobacco, is actually just the ticket.

The more subdued cousin of the gold lip gloss, this neutral-toned shimmer gives bare lips a hint of warmth that highlights the natural lip color beautifully. But what it also does is take vibrant-colored lipsticks or glosses down a few notches. So the next time you're looking for an all-around amazing lip color, try putting the pedal to this metal.

As of this month, Butter London fans can coordinate their lips with their tips. The cult nail lacquer brand is debuting its new Lippy glosses ($17 each) at Ulta now, and the shades are exact matches for five of Butter's most popular polishes. You can put Yummy Mummy, Teddy Girl, Primrose Hill Picnic, Snog, and Trout Pout (above) on your lips now, and we're sure this is only the beginning.

Before this announcement, we weren't too keen on the lipstick and nail polish matching trend we'd seen coming down the runways. It felt a little retro, and not in the cool sense of the word that Mad Men generally embodies. With such fresh colors and the unexpected glossy texture, though, Butter's made us a lot more amenable to the idea. Shine on.

Nobody would ever really be keen on the idea of putting blood or tears on our lips, so Rain Cosmetics is really lucky that its new lip stain, Blood ($12), and gloss, Tears ($12), are so superlatively great. Blood is a deep pink gel-based stain that's like a thicker, less-red Benetint. The lasting power is excellent when applied on the lips, but it works well on cheeks, too — even though it's not strictly for use as rouge. And thanks to the gel texture, the product spreads on wonderfully, allowing you plenty of time to blend away splotches.

Tears, the less eccentrically named of the two, is perfect if you're tired of supershiny, goopy gloss that makes you look like you just freshened up your makeup before eighth grade science class. Tears isn't sticky, the shine is so subtle that it almost looks more like balm, and it goes over stain or lipstick beautifully. So don't judge a gloss by its slightly creepy packaging; this stuff is much better than your average bodily fluid.

Back in the junior high days in gym lockers across the country, 'tween girls could be found dousing their hair in Rave hair spray and gobbing their lips up with sugary-sweet, ultrasticky roll-on lip gloss. Well, times have changed. Rave is still making its hair spray, but the lip gloss look is a bit less cloying in taste and blinding in appearance. Enter: The Body Shop's new 100% Natural Lip Roll-On in Rose ($6). Although a liquid formula, it glides on somewhat like a light balm and traditional gloss in one. Lips are left softened and moisturized, without a tacky or waxy feel; grown-ups will love how its finish is more silky than slick. So roll with it: this lip-enhancing sheen is also available in orange, mint, berry, and coconut.

Flirt Cosmetics' Big Flirt lip gloss ($16) is not for those who like a light-on-color, light-on-texture gloss. Not only is the tube, wand, and applicator much larger than your average gloss, but the shine factor is off the charts as well. But this isn't the superslick, full-on wet look that dominated red carpets, magazines, and just about everywhere else circa 2000.

Instead, it's all about a lustrous finish. (No chunky glitter particles here!) And because it's so rich, it lasts forever, with the wand dispensing just the right amount of product and sheer color. For a flattering option that will have you receiving compliments just as colossal as the product itself, try Coral Me Fabulous.

Back in August, Ciaté's Ibiza lip gloss ($14) was included as a free gift with the purchase of a Marie Claire UK magazine, and ever since then I've been hooked on the pink shade. But what makes this hue perfect is that it's neither too pink nor too hot (as in bold).

Instead, it's a gorgeous raspberry that has plenty of pigment without being too over the top. This is one serious product; it's shinier, thicker, and more intensely colored than your average lip gloss. Plus, it's the perfect choice for keeping that post-warm-weather glow going. Just add a bronzer, rose-toned blush and shadow, and a warm brown eyeliner for a sun-kissed effect.