- Home
- slideshows
- miscellaneous
- The best drugstore lipsticks you can buy
The best drugstore lipsticks you can buy
The best drugstore lipstick overall
The best liquid drugstore lipstick
Liquid lipstick is a blessing and a curse. Transfer-proof and pigmented, these lipsticks dry down and don't budge. But they're often super drying and become flakey the longer you wear them.
Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Lip Color is one of the longest-lasting lip formulas on the market, not just at the drugstore. Seriously, I once swatched it on the back of my hand and it did not budge for two days, even after I washed my hands several times. Another cool detail is the precision tip on the applicator, which basically eliminates the need for lip liner altogether.
If you find most liquid lipsticks drying, you will probably want to slather on a balm before you apply because this secures to your lips like cement. I personally find all liquid lipsticks a bit uncomfortable; however, some reviewers find this formula less problematic than the average liquid lippie.
Byrdie describes the texture as "a thick, moisturizing balm" that sets "to a comfortable, lightweight matte finish that doesn't crack or flake." SuperStay Matte Ink Lip Color has a 4.4 Ulta rating based on 4,700 reviews.
The reviewer at Allure writes, "Out of all the formulas I tried, drugstore or otherwise, this has everyone else's staying power beat without any question."
Pros: ultra-long-lasting, precision applicator, 20 shades
Cons: might be drying on some
The best clean formula drugstore lipstick
Natural makeup fans can find love at the drugstore — Burt's Bees, purveyors of your favorite lip balm, also has some incredible cosmetics. The 100% Natural Moisturizing Lipstick is a great clean beauty pick that combines a comfortable formula with beautiful color payoff.
Available in 18 shades ranging from deep reds to subtle nudes, this Allure Best of Beauty winner is full of hydrating ingredients such as vitamin E, raspberry seed oil, moringa oil, and of course, beeswax. Like all of the brand's products, these are formulated with attention toward sustainability and housed in recyclable packaging.
"Best lipstick I've tried in ages. The color is as I expected (and exactly what I wanted) and it goes on nicely, smooth and even with good (though not heavy) coloring," writes one Amazon shopper. At Amazon, this product has over 1,300 reviews, resulting in an average 3.8-star rating.
Makeup artist Kristine Cruz tells Health that the lipstick "fades completely evenly…no weird ring left around your mouth after eating lunch!" A major plus, as far as I'm concerned!
Pros: natural ingredients, moisturizing formula, 18 shades
Cons: not intensely pigmented
The best hydrating drugstore lipstick
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in "Cherries in the Snow," a favorite of the writer Sylvia Plath and the titular character of Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, has been around since the 1950s, but the formula absolutely stands up to modern standards.
If hydration is a top concern, you can't go wrong with this lippie. Super Lustrous Lipstick contains vitamin E, avocado oil, and Abyssinian oil to moisturize, condition, and gloss your lips. It comes in 46 shades ranging from pale nudes to bold pinks.
The most helpful 5-star review on Ulta calls these lipsticks "better than MAC" and praises them for pigmentation and smooth application. Overall, the product has an average Ulta rating of 4.3 stars based on over 1,600 customer reviews.
Pros: comfortable, glossy finish, 46 shades
Cons: needs to be reapplied throughout the day
The best drugstore lip mousse
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream is one of the most popular, and most unique, lipstick formulas available. It's basically a lip mousse with a doe-foot applicator that evenly distributes the color and produces a comfortable matte finish.
If you like the matte look but can't stand most traditional formulas, you might want to check out this creamy, airy, whipped lipstick that feels like nothing on your mouth. According to Allure, the pale, pinky nude shade "London" is actually one of the most popular lipsticks on Pinterest.
Over at Ulta, there are over 8,500 reviews, about half of them giving the product a full 5 stars."I am absolutely in LOOVVVEEE with this lip cream. It provides the matte look without having it dry your lips or cracking them," writes one shopper. Stylecraze describes it as "a new kind of lip color that goes on silky smooth and sets to a matte finish," and it has also been featured by The Zoe Report
Pros: lightweight formula, matte, relatively long-lasting, 22 shades, cruelty-free
Cons: needs to be reapplied over time
What else we considered
NYX Cosmetics Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick ($4.90): Similar to the Soft Matte Lip Creams from the same brand, these are waterproof and long-lasting, a favorite of many expert sources I consulted. But they're not quite as long-lasting as our top liquid lipstick pick from Maybelline.
Physicians Formula Healthy Lip Velvet Liquid Lipstick ($8.49): Byrdie editors are big fans of this creamy liquid formula, but the color selection is quite limited compared to other options we featured on this list.
Revlon Matte Balm ($12.69): These comfy matte lip crayons are also quite popular, with a 4.1-star rating on Amazon based on 439 Amazon reviews. Again, the color selection is rather limited compared to the ranges of our top five picks, and they're less pigmented.
Popular Right Now
Popular Keywords
Advertisement