One of the biggest makeup trends this summer is bold and daring. Most brands call it holographic, others prismatic or duochrome, but it's all about the special effect lip gloss. With dazzling glitter, a metallic shine or a color shift, they transform your lips in one swipe! If you're tempted to try this trend there are lots of options at all price points. Today I will show you 4 holographic lip glosses available at the drugstore that I've personally tested, plus a ton of others to choose from!

The "holo" craze started years ago with nail polish: every brand was competing to make the most mesmerizing polish with those reflective rainbow particles. The trend then invaded the makeup world with eyeshadows, eyeliners and now lip glosses claiming to be holographic. Strictly speaking, most of those makeup products are not actually holographic, they would be best described as duochrome or prismatic (I recommend watching this video featuring Youtuber Simply Nailogical to understand the difference), but they're still so tempting!

So the holo lips trend has been years in the making, but it has truly exploded this summer. When I started researching it I found no less than 15 holographic lip glosses available at Sephora and Ulta alone, most of them new releases! Since it's a very eye-catching but also harder to wear kind of product for someone like me who prefers rather classic makeup, I decided to pick 4 affordable glosses from CoverGirl, Almay, Jordana and J.Cat to try the holo lips without breaking the bank. Here are my thoughts on each formula (swatches are at the bottom):






COVERGIRL MELTING POUT HOLOGRAPHIC LIP COLOR

I got the CoverGirl Melting Pout it in 700 Revelry and this is no doubt the most daring lip gloss in my little selection! It's a metallic gloss with a mirror-like finish and a mauve-y beige base with a strong lime green shift. It's fun, but the duochrome is so strong that my lips end up looking plain metallic green. Not exactly an everyday kind of color! The packaging is also a little odd: it's a very long and narrow tube, so the doe-foot applicator is at end of a loooong plastic stick. Not the most maneuverable if you ask me! On the bright side, the formula is really opaque and smooth, so you won't have any issues with streaky application. It also feels nice and comfortable on the lips.

Wearing CoverGirl Melting Pout Holographic in Revelry (with a green shirt, what was I thinking...)

J.CAT BEAUTY 3D-LICIOUS HOLOGRAPHIC LIP CREAM

The 3D-Licious in Eternal Chaos is my first ever product from J.Cat Beauty and I'm quite impressed with my purchase. It feels really hydrating and cushy on the lips but it's not heavy or tacky at all. It's also a duochrome with a deep metallic berry base and a blue shift. What I like about this one is that I can apply it lightly for a more subtle effect. It's still cool and unique, but it's a lot more wearable! I feel like I don't get much gloss on the applicator so I have to re-dip at least once, even when I'm doing a very sheer layer. But other than that I think it's a nice subdued version of the holo lips trend!


JORDANA COSMIC GLOW HOLOGRAPHIC LIP GLOSS

I bought this Jordana Cosmic Glow in Iridescent Purple and I couldn't be happier with the color! It's a deep plummy purple semi-sheer gloss with micro shimmer that shifts from blue to green. This one is also quite wearable but it adds a lot of dimension to the lips with the pretty shimmer. It's perfect for me for summer evenings! I'm also impressed by the comfortable non-sticky formula that smells like vanilla and the convenient curvy applicator. Quite amazing for a $5 lip gloss!

Wearing Jordana Cosmic Gloss in Iridescent Purple: the photo doesn't do it justice!

ALMAY GODDESS GLOSS

The Goddess Gloss is part of Almay's Cosmic Collection that also includes holographic eyeshadows (I kind of want to try that!). I bought it in Mystic, a glittery light blue-based lilac. This one is quite sheer, and being also light it doesn't have quite as much impact as the others. It's more of a translucent sparkly gloss, so I think it's best used as a lip topper over a lipstick to add dimension. The sparkles are pretty long-wearing, they're still visible on my lips even after all the glossiness is gone!

Swatches from bottom to top: Almay Goddess Gloss in Mystic, J.Cat 3D-Licious in Eternal Chaos, Jordana Cosmic Glow in Iridescent Purple, CoverGirl Melting Pout Holographic in Revelry

OTHER HOLOGRAPHIC LIP GLOSSES TO CHOOSE FROM

Here are the other special effect lip glosses that you can currently get, from $4.99 to $22:







The products featured in this review were purchased by me. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links. I receive a very small commission when you shop through those links, and the money generated covers a small portion of my expenses to purchase products for review. Clicking on those links helps ensure that Beaumiroir continues to publish reviews of new and exciting high end French products - at no cost to you!