When we were asked not long ago to name one of the recent trends in makeup, we said Gloss Gone Wild, and may it rest in peace. Have you, too, had enough goopy, gooey, tacky, supershiny lip gloss fun? Are you just a little tired of the mouthy, pouty, look-at-my-glistening-lips-before-they-explode phenomenon that seems to have devoured the makeup world? Join the club.

We think it's time to revise our game plan to include a more sophisticated, refined, glamorous-looking mouth—and evidently, the people who bring us lipcolor have been thinking along the same lines. Because there's a new generation of lipsticks entering the playing field; the formulas are lighter, the finishes are matte, creamy, shiny (but not too shiny), and there's even a matte-satin hybrid (MAC Mattene). In some cases, the color is as sheer as any gloss. Beauty companies describe these lipsticks with terms such as "butter-like" and "gel-soufflé." But what makes them so delicious and how do you find the one for you?