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RCA Review

The Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Gloss Bomb Changed My Opinion on Lip Gloss

The sheer, shimmery lip gloss has become a permanent staple in my makeup bag.
fenty beauty gloss bomb on red white and pink background with allure readers' choice awards seal
Courtesy of brand/Clara Hendler
Readers' Choice
  • Readers' Choice
  • 2022, 2021, 2020

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TL;DR:

  • What It Is: A moisturizing lip gloss that comes in six different shades
  • What It Does: Leaves lips shimmery and glossy
  • Who It's For: Great for all skin tones

I didn't become a fan of lip glosses until about two years ago. Since I was a kid, I often associated them with a weird, manufactured scent and a sticky feeling I didn't like, so I favored lip balms and lipsticks instead. After getting a little tired of using just Vaseline for the makeup looks I couldn't find a lipstick for, I decided to try the Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Gloss Bomb that everyone was so obsessed with when it first dropped.

Like others, I was super excited to see one of my favorite artists drop her own makeup line back in 2017 and immediately went to YouTube to look at reviews. People raved about the Gloss Bomb and how it was basically the best lip gloss on the market. If I was going to give lip glosses a shot, why not try the one created by my Bajan queen?

Despite my lifelong protestations to the entire product genre, after the first use, I officially converted to loving lip gloss, and now I keep it with me all the time. Thanks to the shea butter in the formula, my lips always stay hydrated while wearing Gloss Bomb, and the formula doesn't leave lips sticky or tacky like other glosses. It also has a pleasant vanilla scent, and the large doe foot applicator makes it easy to put on. Originally, Gloss Bomb only came in a shimmery mauve shade called Fenty Glow. The original shade is still my absolute favorite because it doesn't make my lips look dull or ashen in color and has the perfect amount of glitter.

Now, however, there are a total of six shades available. In addition to Fenty Glow, there's also Diamond Milk (a pearl shade packed with shimmer), Fu$$y (a true pink shade full of sparkles), $weet Mouth (a light pink shade full of sparkles), Hot Chocolit (a deep brown full of pink glitter), and Glass Slipper (which is a simple, clear gloss, and the only one without any glitter).

Out of all six colors, my absolute favorites are the original Fenty Glow and Hot Chocolit. I can wear either one of them effortlessly either on top of brown lip liner or all on their own, and I carry them with me all the time. For someone who once exclusively wore lip balm or lipstick, glossy lips have now become my go-to, and it's all thanks to Gloss Bomb.

Check out the rest of the winners from the 2020 Reader's Choice Awards here.