Ah, the humble topcoat. Despite its status as your manicure's knight in shining armor — meant to leave nails lustrous and chip-resistant — it often goes underappreciated in the beauty world. (What can we say? There's just something about clear polish that lacks a certain pizzaz.) But add in a few sparkles, a professional-level result, or a subtle tint, and you might be on to something. Better yet, what if it changed categories completely?
Enter: The brand-new Glitterati Lip Top Coats from Stila. When we first heard about this makeup version of a nail polish topcoat, we couldn't quite pinpoint the purpose. Was it similar to gloss? Liquid lipstick? Alas, when we swiped it on, we quickly realized these bad boys are in a league all their own. Just like the nail polish iteration, this topcoat is meant to be applied after a base color — though, similarly, you can also wear it alone — and adds a subtle veil of shimmer that looks particularly badass on lips. Think: A subtle glitter lip look that's far easier to apply.
In the tube, these bi-phase formulas — which comes in two shades called Ignite, a deep berry, and Transcend, the pink shown here — look seriously pigmented. But, shake one up and you'll notice its liquid base dilutes the color to a toned-down version of the hue. Crazier still, the product feels watery — almost slippery — when you apply it (not completely dissimilar to the brand's liquid eyeshadows). But perhaps the biggest selling point for us is the frosty layer of pink that stayed put on our lips for a solid eight hours (and that's even after wolfing down a sandwich mid-day).
But we'll be honest: You won't get the same color payoff you would from a lipstick or the same hydration of a balm. But damn, is it prettier than anything we've seen in a long time — and for $22, we're willing to wager it's the coolest topcoat you'll find.