Glossier's New Ultralip Is My Go-To Summer Lipstick

Matte lipstick and I have always been acquaintances, at best. While I love the look of a bold red lip, and admire anyone who wears one on a daily basis — but I'm not into touch ups, flaking, bleeding, and smears on my teeth.

That's why I turn to tints or glosses for a more low-key lip product that I can quickly swipe on and forget about. However, as the world is starting to open up again, with mask-wearing now part-time, I'm finding myself in the mood to wear a colorful lip. However, attempting to go from tinted balm to a high-pigmented matte as the weather gets more hot and humid in New York does not sound like a good time.

It seems like Glossier and I are on the same wavelength. The brand's first lipstick launch since 2016 is Ultralip, a one-and-done product that combines the moisturizing benefits of a balm, the sheen of a gloss, and the buildable pigment of a tint.

The formula is powered by four sizes of hyaluronic acid molecules for moisture and a nourishing oil blend of meadowfoam, jojoba, and watermelon to lock in hydration. Ultralip comes in nine shades, ranging from toffee to cherry red. It's priced at $18 and available exclusively at glossier.com.

To shop: $18 each; glossier.com

Ahead of Ultralip's launch, Glossier sent me a few of the shades to take on a test drive. Villa (dusty rose), Fête (cherry red), and Vesper (rich fuchsia) are the three that caught my eye.

While Glossier says the pigment is sheer and buildable, I get impressive color payoff in one swipe. And adding a second coat gives me almost as much color payoff as a traditional matte lipstick.

Ultralip is effortless to apply as far as lip products go, and I'm into not having to think twice about how it looks as I'm wearing it throughout the day. While it looses a bit of sheen after drinking coffee and snacking on hummus and crackers, it eases into a worn-in stain — and my lips still feel soft as silk.

One final important benefit? This shiny lipstick doesn't get stuck on your lips. Because as much as sweat and matte lipstick don't jive, neither does wind and lip gloss.

A comfortable lipstick with impressive color payoff that feels comfortable on my lips? I guess I'm coming out of this era of social-distancing as a lipstick person.