It’s a Saturday night at the latest dimly lit club du jour. Your lips are parched, and all you want to do is reapply your lip gloss without the fear of missing the mark and ending up with a bad case of clown mouth. But as you make your way over to the bathroom, you’re stopped in your tracks by a snaking line which looks to be at least a ten-minute wait—all so you can squint under the unflattering fluorescent lights and apply a simple swab of gloss.
Think there has to be a better way? Well, there is. Thanks to the shared frustrations of innovative women who know a good time—and a bright packaging idea— when it hits them in the face. Over the past few years, several companies have come out with the partygoer’s beauty panacea that’s as utilitarian as it is stylish: the light-up lip gloss. With the push of a button or twist of the cap everything is illuminated, making quick checks and lipstick application a breeze—and superfluous bathroom breaks a thing of the past. Herewith, our favorite brands:
Liparazzi
The pioneer of this geek-chic trend, creator Nina Leykind came up with the idea to affix a mirror on the barrel of her lip gloss and conceal tiny LED lights in its cap when out with gal pal and former Spice Girl, Emma Bunton. Since that fateful night, Hollywood party girls such as Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Sienna Miller, and Kiera Knightly have joined Baby Spice in carting around the line’s moisturizing glosses past the velvet ropes. The formula of Jojoba and Vitamin E makes lips smooth, not sticky, and a touch of vanilla adds a slight scent and flavor. In addition to the full-size glosses and matte lipsticks, the latest offering is a clutch-friendly mini gloss available in five colors, from the subdued Spotlight (a clear gel loaded with iridescent glitter) to the shocking AAA Lister (a bright hot pink).
From $13.32 each, available at www.liparazzi.com
Go Light on My Lips
The brainchild of celebrity makeup artist Elena George, it’s no wonder that this well-edited line of just five colors has already attracted a cult following of A-listers: Mariah Carey, Vivica A. Fox, Kim Cattrall and Michelle Williams have all polished off their pouts in the dark with the aid of these. Even Oprah is a fan (and, subsequently, half of the American female population). If LED lights hidden in the lid aren’t enough flashing lights, you can have your initials custom monogrammed in Swarovski crystals on its side. For the girl who truly loves bling, a limited edition jewel-encrusted version will sparkle and shine all night (it will also cost you $250). There’s also a light-up mascara for quick nighttime touches to your lids.
From $19 each, available at www.golightonmylips.com 
Hot Topic
From the alterna-music fueled accessories store geared towards teens comes this low-cost light-up lip balm. It illuminates from the center of the stick when twisted out of its retractable case, giving it an ethereal glow from the inside out. Though this doesn’t solve the tricky dark-room navigation issue, the good news is that the hydrating balm glides on clear, so don’t be alarmed by the bright red, orange, green, blue and purple tints you see in the packaging. While it may not be as functional (what good is a built-in light you can’t see in action?), it still looks cool and will definitely earn you attention from curious club goers.
$5 each, available at www.hottopic.com
Rimmel Underground Light Beam After Dark Lip Gloss
Balancing out the mostly up-market, boutiquey nature of light-up lip gloss is this British branded drugstore favorite. The top of the cap functions as a button that, once pressed, illuminates the length of the clear wand, transforming it into a flashlight-like device. Though the gloss needs to be applied a few coats deep, once on, the sheer, shimmery formula has impressive staying power and the scent of cotton candy, to boot. It comes in six colors, including After Hours, a dusty rose shade that leaves lips looking just bitten.
$11.50, available at www.drugstore.com
ModelCo Lip Lights
The light-up lip gloss phenomenon has even spread to the land Down Under, where former model agent Shelley Barrett’s Sydney-based makeup venture has created this ultra-shiny, creamy gloss with LED lights in the lid that automatically activate when opened. It comes in five demure shades: Pink Sea Shell, a rosy Sienna Sunset, Coral, Crystal Dawn (clear), and Indian Summer, a mocha brown.
$25, available at www.sephora.com