Mary Phillips’ New Gloss Is Here to Complete Your It Girl Lip Combo

While I’d never be so out of touch as to say the It girls have a shortage of lip combos to appreciate, there is something to be said for curating the perfect lineup. Especially when its engineered by someone who really knows their way around a diva’s pout.

That someone is Mary Phillips, founder of m.ph Beauty and makeup artist to Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, J.Lo, and Kaia Gerber (to name just a few of the famous faces she works with). Since launching her namesake line last year, she’s guided us through her signature techniques (underpainting! overlining!) and managed to overhaul makeup bags far and wide.

Now, it’s time for the finishing touch: the Top Coat Hydrating Lip Gloss. Arriving August 20, the deliciously creamy formula will seal your favorite lip look with a (glossy, hydrating) kiss.

“Top Coat was the natural next step for me because I wanted a gloss that gave you that beautiful, healthy looking shine without sacrificing comfort,” Phillips tells Byrdie. “So many glosses either look great but feel sticky, or feel nourishing but don’t give you that polished finish. I wanted both.”

You can read all about the new launch—with insight straight from the artist behind it!—below.

The Inspiration

Naturally, the gloss was inspired by Phillips’ signature (and It girl-beloved) lip technique. It was designed to layer beautifully over her Overliner lip liner and Lip Ciggy sheer lipstick balm, adding dimension, hydration, and shine while also letting the color you chose for your base shine through.

“Top Coat came from wanting the perfect finishing touch. I always want lips to look healthy, hydrated, and dimensional, so I created a gloss that adds beautiful shine while still letting the color underneath show through,” she explains. “That’s what makes it feel like my signature lip, it’s polished but never overdone, and it gives lips that fresh, effortless finish I always gravitate toward. Like your lips, but better.”

Though I’m sure it was tough to choose, the artist’s favorite thing about the new launch is how effortless it feels.

“Whether you wear one swipe for a soft sheen or build it up for a glossier finish, it always feels comfortable and makes your lips look healthy and full,” she says. “Those are the products I reach for every day, and that’s exactly what I wanted Top Coat to be.”

The Formula

While developing Top Coat, Phillips was “obsessed” with getting the texture, coverage, and feel exactly right. Featuring a nice vanilla flavor, the sweet cherry, rosehip, and jojoba oil-based formula was made to feel nourishing and creamy like a balm but offer all the color and shine of a gloss. It also features peptides to support smoother and fuller-looking lips and perfect that “sexy, confident finish.”

“We tested sample after sample until we hit that rare balance: the most stunning shine that glides on weightlessly without a trace of stickiness, all while keeping lips deeply hydrated with a gorgeous wash of color,” she explains. “Every single version was tested on its own and layered over Overliner Lip Liner and Lip Ciggy. As a makeup artist, that was a non-negotiable. It had to glide on effortlessly, add cushion and shine, without ever moving or disrupting the work underneath.”

The brand also spent months perfecting the gloss’s undertones and translucency to create eight “effortlessly wearable” shades: shimmery soft peach Pretty Please, caramel nude Wild Thing, shimmery pink rose My Girl, warm rose Can’t Stop, shimmery rose mauve Mouthy, shimmery neutral brown My Type, berry red Cherrybomb, and rich plum So Vain.

“They’re versatile and universally flattering, and the perfect finishing touch to any lip look!” adds the makeup artist.

The Packaging

Top Coat arrives in a stunning ribbed tube. The packaging is clear so you can see your shade of choice inside—not that it will be hard to spot this gorg gloss in your bag.

“The second I saw this packaging, I was obsessed. It felt elevated, unexpected, and undeniably fun. And, of course, it’s small enough to throw in your bag for a night out. It’s the kind of product that’s just as fun to pull out as it is to wear,” says Philips.

Cocktail glasses and vintage decanters were on the mood board for the packaging designers—a vision that also lent itself to the product’s “Liquid Courage” campaign.

“Just as a cocktail can give you a little extra confidence before a night out, a layer of Top Coat is the finishing touch that makes you feel ready for whatever the evening brings,” explains the artist. “We had so much fun bringing that world to life through the creative—playing with cocktails, ribbed glass textures, and the glamour of a night out to build a campaign that felt as elevated and playful as the product itself.”

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How to Use It

Phillips always recommends applying products in thin layers. Top Coat is no different.

“I like to build the look rather than put on too much at once,” she says. “One swipe gives you the prettiest healthy looking sheen, and if you want more shine, you can always add another layer. I designed it to work with Overliner and Lip Ciggy, so my favorite way to wear it is over both.”

So, there you go: the ultimate It girl lip combo in all its glory. I can’t wait for the first time I get to share this tube with a girlie in the bathroom, then head back to my besties and real ribbed glass cocktail with a glossy smile on my face.

You can shop Top Coat Hydrating Lip Gloss for $26 beginning Thursday, August 20 at Sephora and mphbeauty.com.