We Tried Rare Beauty’s New Lip Oil — & It’s Not What We Expected

Selena Gomez cracked the liquid-blush code with the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Blush. In record time, the velvety, long-lasting formula went from if you-know-you-know status to becoming so popular, you can't scroll TikTok without seeing a Get Ready With Me of someone dotting the chubby doe-foot applicator on their cheeks and blending the pigment out to flushed perfection.

Now, the beloved blush is getting a sibling in the form of Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch Lip Oil. Given the stellar reputation of its predecessor, the brand-new formula had a lot to live up to — and Gomez was well-equipped to ensure the launch ticked every box. In a recent email interview, the star says that she tried practically every lip balm, stain, oil, and gloss on the market prior to making her own, and found that none of them offered what she needed: both hydration and long-lasting colour.

"I've always loved the look of a lip tint on my lips, but I didn’t like how [they] made my lips feel dry," Gomez says. She was determined to create a new category of lip oil; a weightless, hydrating formula with legit colour payoff and staying power that doesn't require reapplying after dinner. "This lip oil is long-wearing and leaves lips with a soft stain for all-day wear," Gomez explains. She claims "it doesn’t budge" — even through a meal.

Available now at Sephora and Rare Beauty, the Soft Pinch Lip Oil is $35 and comes in an array of eight different pink shades. "Right now, I’m loving pinks and mauves that give lips a bright, bold look while still looking natural and healthy," Gomez says. Her go-to colour? "Honestly, it depends on my mood, but my current favourite is Happy [a cool pink], which is also one of my favourite Soft Pinch Liquid Blush shades," she explains. "It’s bright and adds the perfect amount of colour to my look."

We had eight R29 employees test drive the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Lip Oil to see how it wears on different skin tones and types. Ahead, read our reviews to find out if the lip oil is as good as the viral blush, and how it compares to the other buzzy lip oils and treatments of the moment (you know the ones). Honestly, we were shocked by these results.

"This lip oil is the first Rare Beauty product I've tried to date and since I love anything that will give me juicy lips in a non-sticky way, it sounded right up my alley. After a few tries, I can honestly say that I love this product, though agree with my fellow editors that it feels more like a lip tint than an oil. Compared to other tinted lip oils on the market, it is far less glossy, but compared to other lip tints I've tried, it's definitely creamier (which my dry lips appreciate). I'm wearing the lightest shade, Hope, which goes on as a cooler-toned pink, but dries slightly darker on me (for which, I'm thankful). It's definitely entered my growing rotation of everyday lip products."

"I’m wearing the Rare Beauty lip oil in Wonder here, and I love how tingly and hydrating it feels! This shade is a perfect my-lips-but-better colour on me, and the payoff is huge. The tiniest swipe delivers loads of colour and shine. Even when the gloss has worn off, the colour stays put (you’ve been warned), which is a good thing in my books."

"I don't tend to use lip oils often, but I really enjoyed this one. I'm wearing the shade Serenity here, which not only hydrated my lips but also brought some fun colour to my pout. The one aspect that was new to me was the tingly feeling upon application, which I struggled to adjust to. This means I'll probably keep this product on rotation with my other lipsticks and balms for more occasional use.

Megan Decker, Beauty Editor

"Here, I’m wearing the lightest shade: Hope, a soft mauve pink tint. That’s how I would describe this baby — more of a lip tint than an oil. I find that the colour stains, kind of like Benetint, which I love. While I don’t get a tone of shine, I don’t mind because it cuts out the stickiness and the obvious I-just-put-something-on-my-lips effect. If I want added shine, I’ll use a gloss, balm, or Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment over this. But even on its own, it's a winner for me. I kept the tube in my pocket over the weekend and swiped a thin layer on — no mirror! — after a workout class and before breakfast. My normally pale, thin lips were rosy and soft, and still looked natural."

"I love Rare Beauty's lip products and think the brand doesn't get its proper flowers, so I was hyped for these. I also love lip oils, especially the ones from innBeauty Project. So would I say this is an oil? Not in the absolute slightest. To me, it feels, and performs, closer to a lip tint than anything else. That said, it's much more moisturising than a standard lip tint, so if you're looking for that effect without concern of drying out your lips, this is exactly what you want. Still, I really like these, despite the package not matching the label. I'm wearing Affectionate here with a lip liner from Juvia's Place, but I layered Affectionate and Happy together when I first tried them out and they made this gorgeous light mauve I just adored. They're almost good enough that I'll give them a pass on not being a true lip oil."

"I love this product. The shades, the packaging, and the colour payoff are all obsession-worthy. Now, is it really a lip oil? I don’t know. When I first applied it, it felt more like a highly pigmented gloss and then it dried down to a pretty stain. Once I got over the surprising texture, I began enjoying the feel of this out-of-the-box lip product. It’s hard to categorise, but it’s hydrating and colourful, and my lips are loving it."

Carly Danner, Social Producer

"One thing about Rare Beauty? They don't f**k around when it comes to pigment. I'm only wearing one layer of the shade Joy and that's all I need, which means this is another Rare Beauty product in my makeup drawer that will last forever. The only thing it's missing is that wet-lip look you usually get from a lip oil like Ami Colé Lip Treatment Oil, which gives both colour and shine. However, I'm glad that these have entered into my growing lip oil collection for the days when I just want a little something on my lips, especially in the warmer weather."

"I love a good lip oil, so I was stoked to try Rare Beauty’s take on the trend. IMHO, this wore more like a glossy liquid lipstick — it’s quite pigmented, so if you’re looking for something that’s more sheer, this might not be the lip oil for you. That said, I think the shades are gorgeous (I’m wearing Delight here, a shade that’s somehow a nude but also berry-like) and super comfortable on. There’s also a hint of minty tingle that felt so refreshing and soothing. All in all, I liked it but it won’t be replacing my current favourite lip oil, since I personally prefer formulas that don’t have as much colour payoff."