Even if you prefer a minimal approach to makeup, there’s no denying that the right lip color can instantly refresh your appearance and make you look more put together. A signature lip color is as essential of a beauty product as your perfect shade of foundation is. You’d be amazed what the right shade of lipstick for your skin tone can do, a simple five-minute makeup routine suddenly ends up as red-carpet-ready glam.
Lipsticks come in a variety of finishes and formulas, and your lifestyle and daily routine plays a more important role than you think in which finish you choose.
First, there's the matter of deciding whether you want a natural, glossy, or matte finish. Then you have to take into account how pigmented you'd like the shade to be—are you looking for something closer to a tinted lip balm or a lipstick wild striking bold color? And if you're looking for a lipstick with enough staying power to last all day, you'll need to find a long wear formula or lip stain that’s hydrating enough to keep your lips from flaking or cracking. So a matte lipstick isn’t the best choice in that scenario!
Whether you’re on the hunt for a new nude for everyday or would love to find a glossy finish to compliment your glam, we’ve got you covered with the best formulas out there to take the guesswork out of shopping for a lip that won’t let you down. We’ve rounded up the best lipsticks across the board to help you find the right formula for your needs. From a hydrating balm to a long-wearing matte lip and everything in between, you can rest assured there’s something on our list that checks all the boxes as you curate your makeup bag. Read on for our top lipsticks that’ll have you feeling gorgeous, confident, and pulled together in a flash.
1. Best Universally Flattering Nude Lipstick:
CHARLOTTE TILBURY Pillow Talk Lipstick
This nude pink shade has a cult following, and for good reason—because it looks good on everyone. Simply swipe this soft matte formula across your lips to benefit from the universally flattering flush it leaves behind. It’s just like your lips, but way better.
2. Best Moisturizing Formula:
SULWHASOO Essential Lip Serum Stick
Part serum, part lipstick, this hydrating formula delivers more than just a gorgeous flush of color thanks to a moisturizing combination of camellia oil, safflower complex, and a double layer of oil and water. These work together to restore moisture and seal in hydration. The result? Smoother, plumper, more supple lips. While it comes in a variety of shades, Vivid Pink is a go-to for brightening up your look in an instant.
3. Best Liquid Lip:
FENTY BEAUTY Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Color
If you’re looking for a vivid color that won’t fade by the time lunch rolls around, reach for this long-lasting liquid lip color from Rihanna’s line. The product quickly became a best seller, and it’s no wonder why—it serves up seriously pigmented hues in a liquid formula that won’t dry out your lips or run outside the lines, so it’s easy to apply all on its own (no lip liner needed).
4. Best SPF Lipstick:
FRESH Sugar Rosé Lip Balm Sunscreen SPF 15
From chapped lips to cold sores, the effects of UV damage are no joke as far as your lips are concerned. Not only does proper sunscreen protect against cancer (which can be way more aggressive if it develops on the lips), but it also protects your lips against premature signs of aging. If you want to keep your pout looking plump, reach for this hydrating skincare-meets-lipstick formula that comes equipped with sunscreen. It protects against the breakdown of collagen and the thinning of the epidermis, which can lead to thinning lips and fine lines. We especially love the natural-looking tint of color from this pretty pink shade, which makes it a great go-to for everyday.
5. Best SPF Lip Oil:
NAKED SUNDAYS SPF50+ Glow + Go Hydrating Lip Oil
This is perhaps the best beach-day essential you can pack in your tote bag. But real talk, it’s also amazing for everyday wear. Most SPF lip products don’t offer SPF 50 (but this one does!), so you can consider yourself as protected as can be with this lip oil. It’s long-lasting, hydrating, and the watermelon color looks amazing once swiped on.
6. Best Glossy Lipstick:
TOWER 28 ShineOn Lip Jelly
This is one of the most nourishing lipsticks you’ll ever find. TOWER28 has perfected a product that shines like a gloss (with none of the stickiness) but keeps lips hydrated and protected like a balm would. Choose from juicy, translucent colors for popsicle-colored lips, or milky colors if nude is more your thing.
7. Best Tinted Lip Balm:
TARTE COSMETICS Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm
This is a true TikTok favorite and the gift that you should get for any BFF when their birthday rolls around. We haven’t found anything else quite like it—this balm is one of the most creamy formulas that exists and instantly hydrates dry lips with vitamin E. Plus, it provides a high-shine finish that everyone loves. It comes in 11 shades and you can customize the coverage to your liking, since the formula is velvety smooth and buildable.
8. Best Long-Lasting Lipstick Formula:
GIORGIO ARMANI Lip Power Longwear Satin Lipstick
Finding a lipstick that glides on comfortably and stays on all day is no easy task, but this lippie does just that—and it comes in over 30 shades, too. The highly pigmented satin lipsticks features a hydrating combination of oils, and leaves you with long-lasting color that won’t budge.
9. Best Drugstore Matte Lipstick:
NYX Smooth Whip Matte Cream Lip
After the success of their Soft Matte Lip Cream, NYX decided to create another cult-followed matte lip cream product (and their first-ever vegan formula. Available in 24 bold shades, this creamy matte liquid lipstick deposits vibrant color that wears comfortably all day without cracking.
10. Best Drugstore Lip Stain:
MAYBELLINE Super Stay® 24 Brooklyn Bronze Edition
If you find yourself in the aisle at your local drugstore, be sure not to walk out without picking up this superpowered lipstick, especially if you’re searching for a lippie that can keep up with your busy routine. It delivers pigmented color like a lipstick and glides on like a lip gloss, yet moisturizes like a lip balm to serve up vivid color that won’t cake, flake, or dry, thanks to the brand’s Micro-Flex technology. This long-lasting lip color delivers a whopping 24 hours of smudge-free coverage, which means you can go an entire day without having to reapply.
11. Best Lipstick for Mature Lips:
ELIZABETH ARDEN Ceramide Ultra Lipstick in Melon
If you want to reduce the appearance of fine lines and plump up your pout, reach for this moisturizing lipstick that’s made with Volulip™, a plumping agent that delivers fuller lips after just one application, all while delivering vibrant color and shine that lasts up to eight hours.
12. Best K-Beauty Lipstick:
A'PIEU Juicy Pang Water Tint
The K-Beauty world has seemingly perfected lip tints. Both matte- and suede-looking formulas like lip mud and light-as-water lip tints give you the perfect popsicle colored and hydrated pout. This water tint from A’PIEU lasts all day long and gives such a natural flush of color to the lips, feathering out the color on the edges.
13. Best Water-Resistant Lipstick:
SMASHBOX COSMETICS Always On Liquid Lipstick
If you’re looking for a lipstick that won’t let you down during your beach vacay or at a pool party, you can rest assured that SMASHBOX has you covered with their water-resistant, transfer-proof, weightless liquid lipstick. It delivers major color payoff in a hydrating formula that’s like a primer and lipstick all in one.
14. Best Lipstick and Gloss Duo:
CTZN Cosmetics Nudiversal
Find your perfect nude shade no matter your undertones. Our favorite out of the CTZN COSMETICS Nudiversal shade range is Los Angeles. A mauve color with rich pink undertones, this lip duo features a matte lipstick on one end with a hydrating lip gloss on the other.
15. Best Buildable Lipstick:
GUERLAIN KissKiss Shine Bloom Lipstick in Lily Cares
This hydrating lipstick infused with hyaluronic acid delivers a gorgeous, glossy finish in vibrant shades that are all inspired by flowers. While the color payoff is vibrant, we especially love the buildable coverage that glides on and allows you to customize your look, making it a great go-to for every day when you want to subtly accentuate the appearance of your lips. For a natural, your-lips-but-better finish, reach for Lily Cares, a universally flattering shade.
16. Best Lipstick Crayon:
LAURA MERCIER Petal Soft Lipstick Crayon
If you like the convenient application of a lipstick crayon, look no further than this long-wearing formula that takes all the features you love from a lip tint and delivers them in a convenient, creamy crayon that’s so easy to apply on the go. These sheer matte formulas serve up 12 hours of coverage and, unlike your standard matte lip, offer a lived-in look that adds dimension to your pout as the color shapes and fills your lips.
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