The Lip Oil I’ll Be Using When I Finally Run Out of Ami Colé
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WhenAmi Colé announced it was shuttering,like everyone else, I sprinted to the website and immediately purchased five lip treatment oils and two brushes — backups for my backups. But eventually those will run out, which sent me on a hunt to find an alternative. My criteria was straightforward — as comfortable as my belovedlip gloss, and as shiny, too. One of the things I loved most about the Ami Colé lip gloss was that it was basically my favorite beauty-supply-store lip glosses upgraded, same look without the plasticky feel and covering dryness without actually moisturizing my lips. I was looking for a similar experience with the replacement, plus bonus points if I could support another Black-owned brand. In my search, I tried lots of formulas — from shinylip balmslike the Eadem Le ChouChou, which is beautiful but requires some buildup for the shine I was looking for, to proper glosses like the Fenty Gloss Bomb, which I liked but wasn’t over the moon for. I even tried to go back to the beauty-supply store and was reminded that while ultrashiny, these glosses felt not great on, like they were floating on top of my lips.
A few months before Ami Colé’s announcement, a package from LYS Beauty showed up on my doorstep. I had never tried the brand’s lip products (or any products for that matter) but had heard great things about its complexion products and blushes. In the package was the brand’s glossy lip treatment oil. I tried it one day on a whim, because I couldn’t find my tube of Ami Colé, and was surprised by how much I liked the feel. I ended up tossing it in my bag, and it has become a staple in my rotation since.
The LYS Beauty lip oil is slightly thinner than my beloved gloss and has that bouncy, gooey feel I remember loving in adolescence. Ami Colé has a thicker feel — which helps it stay in place. It almost locks onto lips, while the LYS Beauty is a little less firm. It also builds up nicely. I can apply quite a bit before it starts feeling like too much, and it gives my lips the perfect amount of shine. I also find it a little more hydrating. Typically, I apply a little Vaseline to dry lips before using Ami Colé, but with the LYS lip oil, I can just apply it directly and it hydrates like my favorite glossy balms. It’s admittedly nice to have one less product to keep up with and to have something I can use for a wide variety of situations. I apply it whether I’m going to the gym or out to a bar, whereas I saved my Ami Colé for situations when I wanted my mouth to gleam from across the room.
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The one downside of the LYS Beauty gloss is the applicator. Unlike most lip glosses, which use a doe foot, this gloss uses a plastic pyramid-shaped tip, which dispenses product in a small bead. It’s a bizarre choice, ideal only if you’re using a lip brush. I have since adjusted, though, and have found some benefits. First, the color of the lip gloss doesn’t get tainted and the product stays airtight. The downside of doe-foot lip glosses is that the product is constantly being exposed to air, which can introduce bacteria into the tube over time. It also keeps the color pristine. I love a brown lip liner, which ends up turning most of my clear glosses an off shade of brown, but I don’t have to worry about that with this packaging. I’ve also been able to clean the applicator regularly and thoroughly, which reduces the chance of my lips breaking out due to some bacterial growth. On that same note, it needs to be cleaned. It can get kind of gross if you don’t (learn from my mistakes), but a quick wipe with a paper towel restores it to new-looking condition. The last benefit of the applicator is that it doesn’t soak up any product. Plush applicators hold on to product and also soak some of it up, but with this, everything that comes out goes straight on my lips. It’s also $5 cheaper. At $20, the Ami Colé gloss was at the top of what I’m willing to pay for a gloss, and since I like to buy multiples at a time, it starts to add up.
I’m still heartbroken over the loss of my holy grail gloss — and Ami Colé more generally — but it’s nice to have found an alternative, if only to extend the life of my stash.
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