23 Best Liquid Lipsticks, from Matte to Creamy

This liquid lipstick from KVD Beauty (formerly owned by tattoo/makeup artist Kat Von D) is perfect for anyone who wants an all-day, lightweight-coverage liquid lipstick. This formula applies smoothly like a gloss and dries down to a matte finish. When matte liquid lipstick became an obsession for many beauty lovers, KVD Beauty’s liquid lipstick was the one people reached for. Inspired by tattoos, this product is a community favorite on Sephora, with over 9,000 5-star reviews.

After debuting in 2008, KVD Beauty reformulated its entire line in 2016 to be 100% vegan. Customers have said the staying power, shade variety, and overall formula keep them coming back to KVD Beauty. It’s available at Sephora.

Key Features

• Size: 0.22 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Sunflower seed wax, vitamin E
• Shade Range: 18 colors in matte finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: Yes

While there can only be one ‘best overall,’ sometimes it’s hard to decide, and we need to shine additional light on a stellar product. This liquid lipstick from Anastasia Beverly Hills applies in a lightweight, liquid formula and dries down to a powder finish. ABH is well known for its eyebrow products, but since its launch in 1997, it’s grown to sell a wide range of cosmetics. These liquid lipsticks provide fully pigmented matte coverage and are formulated without parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. ABH also encourages mixing multiple shades to make your own custom color! Purchase your shade at Sephora or Nordstrom!

Key Features

• Size: 0.11 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Isododecane, mineral oil, dimethicone
• Shade Range: 25 colors in matte finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: Yes

When you’re picking a matte liquid lipstick, you want to know that it’s going to give you that long-wearing matte finish that you need to get through the day without touch-ups. The SuperStay Matte Ink from Maybelline is the perfect choice for anyone facing a long day, with little time for touch-ups. With this liquid lip, they aren’t necessary! Some customers have even said it would last up to a total of twenty-four hours later! With forty-five intensely pigmented shades to choose from, you won’t have any trouble finding a shade to suit you. The precise, arrow-shaped applicator ensures a one-and-done application with no need for an additional liner. It’s available at Amazon and Ulta.

Key Features

• Size: 0.17 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Dimethicone
• Shade Range: 45 colors in matte finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: No

Matte liquid lipsticks are often regarded as being super drying. This liquid lipstick from Stila comes in a creamy matte formula that guarantees a finish that won’t leave your lips dry and cakey. While some customers have reported drying results, the significant consensus with this liquid lipstick is that the lightweight formula feels weightless and does not bleed or feather.

This product is a perfect choice for someone with a tendency for dry lips, who still wants to achieve a matte look that will last. Stila’s liquid lipstick is enriched with avocado and vitamin E oil to keep you comfortable all day long. If matte just isn’t your jam, don’t worry! It also comes in sheer satin and shimmer finishes. Find it online at Ulta or Nordstrom!

Key Features

• Size: 0.10 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Beeswax, avocado oil, vitamin E
• Shade Range: 17 colors in matte, satin and shimmer finishes
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: Yes

While celebrity collaborations or brands can be hit or miss, this matte cream lipstick from Rare Beauty is a hydrating, air-whipped formula with an average of 4.4 stars on Sephora. The formula is medium-coverage and free of harmful ingredients, such as sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehyde, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, and mineral oil. If you want to experiment with a matte formula that won’t leave your lips dry and cakey, give Rare Beauty a try. The botanical blend of lotus, gardenia, and white waterlily, plus vitamin E, keeps lips hydrated and smooth, providing a soft blurring effect. Get it from Sephora!

Key Features

• Size: 0.13 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Sunflower seed oil, vitamin E, botanical oils
• Shade Range: 12 colors in matte finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: Yes

If, over the past year, like me, you’ve found yourself wearing less lipstick due to constant mask-wearing, you may find yourself on the hunt for a transfer-proof product as you begin to dive back into makeup. Huda Beauty’s liquid matte lipstick provides a long-wearing, lightweight formula that will stay in place against face masks, lunch, coffee, or whatever you put it up against. The consistency is thin, and one thin coat is said to dry down to a highly pigmented matte formula that will make you feel as if you aren’t wearing anything at all! Pick it up at Sephora!

Key Features

• Size: 0.17 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Beeswax, coffea arabica seed extract
• Shade Range: 20 colors in matte finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: Yes

For a highly pigmented, glamorous look, the MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick won’t let you down. These super-saturated shades will last you up to eight hours, but the product isn’t without limits. While impressive when it comes to color intensity, the shade range is currently limited to just nine options. The velvet matte finish won’t leave your lips dried out, and customers have said it stands up well to masks in terms of smudging. You can find it online at MAC Cosmetics or Nordstrom.

Key Features

• Size: 0.17 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Beeswax, Avocado Oil
• Shade Range: 9 colors in matte finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: No

Essence Makeup may be easy to overlook initially. Still, the affordable makeup brand continues to surprise with fun collaborations, impressive dupes for higher-end products, and quality, cruelty-free, vegan options. Their liquid lipstick is the perfect choice for anyone on a budget, coming in at just under $5.

Essence launched in 2001 and released in Germany in 2002, and since then has exploded in popularity, being found in Harmon Stores, CVS, Ulta, and other stores across North America and Canada. This matte liquid lipstick is highly pigmented and provides a super matte look for up to eight hours. It is also paraben-, acetone-, and alcohol-free. Purchase your fave shade at Ulta!

Key Features

• Size: 0.10 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Beeswax, jojoba seed oil, sunflower seed oil
• Shade Range: 9 colors in matte finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: Yes

Plenty of liquid lipsticks claim to be lightweight, but they feel tacky and heavy once you apply them. This liquid pigment from NARS is almost ink-like, drying down to a ‘zero-gravity feel,’ and is also an Allure Magazine 2020 Best of Beauty Winner. Did I mention they’re named after classic rock songs? From Starwoman to Wild Night, there are shades for light, medium, and dark skin tones in each color range, so you won’t have any problem finding a color to suit your needs. Just be careful when applying and replacing that cap – the packaging can be prone to leaking and may stain! Get yours from Sephora or Nordstrom!

Key Features

• Size: 0.18 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Isododecane, dimethicone
• Shade Range: 16 colors in matte finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: No  

When it comes to matte liquid lipsticks, people don’t often think of them as nourishing for your lips. So how is this liquid lipstick different from others or our favorite hydrating option? These ten shades are formulated with beeswax to keep your lips from drying out. At the same time, sea lavender, hyaluronic acid, and collagen actives work to nourish your lips while providing the perfect matte pout. This liquid lipstick is buildable, from a light matte finish to a super pigmented, glamorous finish. Pick it up from Nordstrom or Sephora!

Key Features

• Size: 0.24 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Beeswax, sea lavender, hyaluronic acid, collagen-boosting actives
• Shade Range: 10 colors in matte finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: Yes  

This is a gloss to matte lipstick. What do we mean by a gloss to matte? Well, this liquid lipstick from Too Faced applies like a gloss, with a creamy finish that glides on and dries down to a matte, opaque finish. This lipstick is made with avocado oil, vitamin E oil, and hyaluronic filling spheres to keep lips moisturized and smooth while appearing fuller. This formula is also made with Volulip to make lips appear fuller without any stinging. Like all Too Faced products, this liquid lip is cruelty-free, as well as free of parabens and phthalates. You can pick it up from Sephora.

Key Features

• Size: 0.4 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Beeswax, sunflower seed oil, helianthus annuus seed oil, avocado oil
• Shade Range: 19 colors in matte finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: Yes  

Being a habitual lipstick-wearer can be tough on your lips, especially if you don’t consider proper lip care or ingredients when choosing a product. Lip balms and masks before and after are helpful, but a product with lip care built-in is a dream combination. Dior delivers this with their Ultra Care Liquid Lipstick, a liquid lipstick infused with flower oils that will hydrate and moisturize your lips while providing up to twelve hours of wear time!

The ‘micro flocked’ or petal-shaped applicator makes picking up the right amount of product incredibly easy. Dior lipsticks are formulated without wax, providing a natural ‘petal-like’ feel. This product comes in both matte and satin finishes and can be purchased at Nordstrom or Sephora.

Key Features

• Size: 0.2 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Shea butter, bitter orange flower oil, sweet almond oil, camelina sativa oil
• Shade Range: 22 colors in matte and satin finishes
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: No 

When Rihanna first debuted her Fenty Beauty line in 2017, the Stunna Lip Paint was limited to just one shade (Uncensored), which is touted as the ‘perfect universal red.’ Since then, Fenty Beauty has expanded the liquid lipstick collection to nine super pigmented shades. The unique shape of the wand allows for a one-swipe application. Quickly line the lips facing the wand at an upward angle and fill in at a downward slope. All currently available shades are vegan, and Fenty Beauty is cruelty-free. Pick it up from Sephora!  

Key Features

• Size: 0.13 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Isododecane, dimethicone
• Shade Range: 9 colors in matte finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: Yes 

This dual-sided liquid lipstick from NYX is reminiscent of others available on the market, such as the Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hour. NYX brings intense, glossy shine to a lipstick that has up to sixteen hours of wear! Typically, when we think of long-wearing lipstick, we think of matte formulas. Since the base cost is infused with so many nourishing oils, you won’t have to worry about drying out your lips. NYX is proudly cruelty-free, and this product, in particular, is also vegan. Get them while you can, though! Many shades of this super shine lipstick are already sold out. Snag it from Ulta!

Key Features

• Size: 0.22 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Macadamia seed oil, coriander fruit oil, jojoba seed oil, apricot kernel oil, passion fruit seed oil, vitamin E
• Shade Range: 24 colors in glossy finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: Yes 

In the age of mask-wearing that we’re currently in, a smudge-proof lipstick can be hard to find. Smashbox delivers a weightless option in their liquid lipstick, which is not only infused with a primer but also a variety of oils to keep your lips hydrated and your lipstick in place for up to eight hours. There are up to thirty-seven shades available on the Smashbox website (check out how stunning So Jelly is!), including reds, pinks, nudes, berries, and even black! Grab it from Sephora or Nordstrom!

Key Features

• Size: 0.13 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Sunflower seed oil, apricot kernel oil, jojoba seed oil, beeswax
• Shade Range: 37 colors in matte and metallic finishes
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: Yes 

If you aren’t a fan of intense shine but want a long-wearing lipstick that isn’t a matte formula, you can look for a satin finish like this one from Revlon. This liquid lip is available in twenty shades and promises to last up to sixteen hours. This product is made with black currant oil, which is packed full of antioxidants and rosemary extract. Rosemary, as well as black currant, can protect the skin from signs of anti-aging. You can find it for sale at Ulta or Amazon.

Key Features

• Size: 0.17 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Black currant seed oil, rosemary extract, vitamin E
• Shade Range: 20 colors in satin finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: No 

If lipsticks are your makeup passion, and you want to invest a little extra dough into your collection, you can check out this liquid lipstick from Chanel. It applies like a gloss and eventually dries down to a velvety matte finish. Customers are obsessed with the color quality of the shade range and that the formula doesn’t result in dried-out lips. This formula is made with waxes, polymers, and plant oils to smooth and nourish your lips. Although there are 26 shades offered on Chanel’s website, the shade range focuses on red-tinted shades, from tart pink to deep red-brown. You can pick up your favorite shades at Chanel or Nordstrom.

Key Features

• Size: 0.2 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Jojoba seed oil, jojoba esters, sweet almond oil, vegetable oil
• Shade Range: 26 colors in matte and metallic finishes
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: No 

Celebrity-owned beauty companies can be hit or miss, but Honest Beauty by Jessica Alba checks off multiple boxes when it comes to clean beauty standards. Many of their products and packing are ‘bio-based’ or made with plant-derived ingredients, making them better for the Earth. This reinforces Jessica Alba’s motto of ‘You shouldn’t have to choose between what works and what’s good for you.’ Their liquid lipstick is not only cruelty-free and vegan; it’s also dermatologist- and toxicologist-tested. The flexible feel of this liquid lip is thanks to Honest Beauty’s patent-pending ‘Clean Power Technology,’ which provides all-day wear and hydration. Get it from Ulta or Amazon!

Key Features

• Size: 0.1 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, hyaluronic acid, castor seed oil, synthetic beeswax
• Shade Range: 8 colors in shine-to-matte finish
• Fragranced: No
• Cruelty-Free: Yes 

This Allure 2020 Best of Beauty Award Winner from YSL is a community favorite on Sephora’s website with an average of 4.3 stars, and it’s easy to see why this lightweight matte lip stain is so well-loved. The formula is non-drying and ultra-thin, made with nigella sativa seed oil to keep your lips nourished. The applicator’s unique slanted shape allows you to quickly line your lips with the tip, filling them in with the flat edge. You can find it online at Sephora or Nordstrom.

Key Features

• Size: 0.2 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Nigella sativa seed oil
• Shade Range: 13 colors in matte and metallic finishes
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: No 

For years, this lip cream from NYX was my go-to for a quick, casual look that didn’t take much effort to perfect. The Soft Matte Lip Cream lives up to its name, with an insanely pigmented, creamy finish that gives a silky-smooth effect. These shades are named after cities around the world, from Antwerp to Kyoto. Besides their original collection that ranges from pinks to deep reds, you can also find this in a metallic finish of bold, bright colors, such as the metallic purple shade Havana. Purchase it on Amazon or Ulta!

Key Features

• Size: 0.27 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Dimethicone, beeswax
• Shade Range: 33 colors in creamy matte and metallic finishes
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: Yes 

If you’re going for a matte look, sticky is the exact opposite of what you want. Unfortunately, many matte lipsticks can leave you feeling like you used a sticky lip gloss instead of a matte lip. This liquid lip from Giorgio Armani delivers a non-sticky, moisturizing formula that will leave your lips incredibly soft while providing a long-wearing, highly pigmented look.

Lip Maestro has been an Armani staple for over a decade, with The Original campaign drawing attention to their original shade – 000 éclat de Pierres (French for ‘stone shine’), a vibrant, deep purple hue. One review described this formula as ‘the perfect lipstick for people who hate lipstick.’ If that sounds like you, give Lip Maestro a shot! Pick it up at Nordstrom or Sephora!

Key Features

• Size: 0.22 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Dimethicone
• Shade Range: 36 colors in creamy matte finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: No 

This liquid lip from Lancôme can build from a sheer shine to a fully opaque, high-shine finish. It’s made without sulfates, parabens, or formaldehyde, allowing you to get a super glam look without worrying about harmful ingredients. This product provides the intense shine of a gloss, the pigment of lipstick, and the staying power of a stain. Because it’s an oil-in-water formula, glycerin keeps your lips moisturized for up to six hours. You can add dimension to your look using a lip liner or another lipstick before applying the lacquer. Pick it up at Sephora!

Key Features

• Size: 0.27 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Dimethicone, glycerin
• Shade Range: 13 colors in high-shine finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: No 

If you want a lipstick that has the look of a liquid lip, the comfort of a lip balm, and the shine of a gloss, check out the Crushed Liquid Lipstick from Bobbi Brown. This lip features a superfruit blend of cranberry, blueberry, and raspberry extracts and is rich in emollients to keep your lips nourished and hydrated. The shape of the wand is similar to that of the Fenty Stunna Lip Paint, so you can use the rounded tip to line your lips before filling in with the curved applicator. Get it from Sephora or Nordstrom!

Key Features

• Size: 0.2 oz.
• Key Ingredients: Cranberry seed oil, raspberry seed oil, rosemary leaf extract, sunflower seed oil
• Shade Range: 15 colors in high-shine finish
• Fragranced: Yes
• Cruelty-Free: No