Best overall
Maybelline New York
Super Stay Vinyl Ink Longwear Liquid Lipcolor
8.3Great
A transfer-resistant liquid lipstick promising a shiny vinyl finish and up to 16-hour wear, for under $15.
Lipstick5$13.99
The best lipstick, gloss & lip oils
Lipsticks, glosses, lip oils, tints and liners, scored on payoff, wear, comfort and shade range.
- 6
- products scored
- 7.8
- average score
- 27
- creator reviews
Top rated
The podium.
Lip makeup ranges from sheer lip oils and glosses to satin bullets, liquid mattes, stains and tints, and lip liners. Recent years have favored glossy, comfortable formulas and lip oils, alongside long-wear liquid lipsticks that promise to survive coffee and meals.
Comfort and safety are linked. Long-wear mattes rely on film formers and volatile solvents that can feel dry, while glosses and oils feel comfortable but fade faster. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests avoiding fragrance, flavorings such as mint, cinnamon and citrus, menthol and camphor when lips are dry or chapped, and wearing an SPF 30 lip balm outdoors. On contaminants, the FDA has analyzed hundreds of lipsticks and lip glosses for lead and issued guidance recommending a maximum of 10 ppm as an impurity in lip products.
Our Beauty score for makeup weights payoff and performance 30%, wear time 15%, shade range and inclusivity 15%, value 20% and community love 20%. For lips, performance covers pigment, evenness and comfort; wear time weighs transfer, feathering, fading through meals and how gracefully a formula wears off; and shade range rewards collections with nudes and browns that work across fair, medium and deep skin, rather than a single 'universal' nude.
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6 products
Best value Trending
NYX Professional Makeup
Butter Gloss Non-Sticky Lip Gloss
8.1Great
A $6 non-sticky gloss with a buttery feel and one of the widest shade ranges in drugstore lip gloss.
Lip gloss4$6.00
Community favorite
Fenty Beauty
Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer
7.9Good
Fenty's signature high-shine gloss in 20 shades, led by Fenty Glow, a shimmering rose nude sold as universal.
Lip gloss5$23.00
Cult favorite Trending
Clinique
Almost Lipstick in Black Honey
7.5Good
Clinique's cult sheer lipstick: don't judge it by the tube, it glides on as a glossy, balm-like tint.
Lipstick4$25.00
Cult favorite Trending
Charlotte Tilbury
Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk
7.5Good
The best-known nude-pink matte lipstick: comfortable, flattering and long-wearing, at a luxury price.
Lipstick4$37.00
Splurge
Dior
Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil
7.3Good
Dior's cherry-oil lip oil, reformulated for 2026 in 16 pH-reactive shades and three glossy finishes.
Lip oil5$42.00
Buying guide
How to choose lips.
- 01
Pick the finish for your lips
Mattes give the longest, most saturated color but can emphasize dryness. Satins and creams are a balance. Glosses, oils and tints are the most comfortable and forgiving but need frequent reapplication. If your lips are often dry, start with satin or gloss.
- 02
Find a nude that works on you
A true nude is close to or slightly deeper than your natural lip color, not your skin color. Swatches on lips similar to yours, and a liner a shade deeper than your lipstick, are the easiest ways to avoid a washed-out look.
- 03
Prep and line for long wear
Exfoliating gently with a damp cloth, applying a thin balm and blotting, then lining the whole lip helps long-wear formulas apply evenly and resist feathering. Blot and layer a second thin coat rather than one thick one.
- 04
Watch for irritating ingredients
Plumping glosses get their tingle from irritants such as capsicum, cinnamon or menthol. The AAD advises avoiding these, along with fragrance and flavorings, when lips are chapped. If a product burns or stings, stop using it.
- 05
Protect lips from the sun
Most lipsticks have no SPF. Wear a lip balm with SPF 30 or higher underneath or on bare lips outdoors, and reapply after eating and drinking.
Video reviews
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FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is there lead in lipstick?
Trace amounts of lead occur naturally in some color additives and minerals. The FDA has tested hundreds of lip products and found that most contain lead below 10 ppm, and it has issued guidance recommending a maximum of 10 ppm as an impurity in lip products. If you want to compare products, brands that publish heavy-metal testing make it easier.
How do I stop lipstick from feathering?
Line and fill in the lips with a pencil, use a thinner or more matte formula, and avoid heavy balms right before applying. Fine lines around the mouth make feathering more likely; a dedicated lip primer or clear 'anti-feathering' liner can help.
Are lip oils good for dry lips?
Lip oils feel comfortable and add shine, but most are a sheer cosmetic layer rather than a treatment. For truly chapped lips, the AAD recommends a non-irritating balm with ingredients such as petrolatum, shea butter or ceramides, or plain white petroleum jelly, especially overnight.
Does lipstick expire?
US law does not require expiration dates on cosmetics. Lipsticks typically last a year or two once opened; glosses and liquid formulas with applicator wands may spoil sooner. The FDA advises discarding any cosmetic that changes color or smell.
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