I feel like I can find a pretty good lipstick across a ton of brands so I’m going to keep my list to brands that seem to very rarely (or never) fail at producing great lipstick… Giorgio Armani, YSL,
Guerlain, Pat McGrath, Bite, Urban Decay, Burberry, Bobbi Brown, MAC, and Maybelline. That’s a short, edited,
“first to my brain” list but really, so many options…
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
Revlon. Haven’t encountered a bad one in over a decade.
Revlon Super Lustrous were among my favorite lipsticks in the 1990s. Recently, I bought a few of my favorite shades again, but they all oxidized on my lips, leaving a slightly orange-y hue after an hour or so of wear. Could this be a change in my chemistry due to aging? Has anyone else had this problem? No other lipstick brand does this to me and Revlon never used to do this in the past. It’s so weird!!!!
Yes! I love Revlon lipsticks! My only complaint is that they keep discontinuing my favorite lines. I miss the Colorburst line and the Lip Butters and the HD lipsticks. (I’d rather they retooled the HD Lip Laquers to be a bit less thick and goopy, than drop the lipsticks.)
But the Super Lustrous lipsticks are fantastic!
But for the lip butters, I’ve not tried a Revlon lipstick in decades. I think I need to give them another try.
I’m with you 100%!
Guerlain, Chanel, and MAC.
I rely solely on Bite due to the food grade ingredients.
MAC, Tom Ford, Pat McGrath, NARS Audacious
I love Bite lipsticks, but my most bought and relied on standard lipsticks are the Urban Decay Vice lipsticks. However, my liquid lipsticks needs are not handled by either of those brands.
My most reliable lipstick brands are MAC, Urban Decay, and Colourpop. I own many shades in these brands and I’ve rarely had a disappointment with any of them.
My second tier includes Chanel, Estee Lauder, Givenchy, Nars, Laura Mercier, and Clinique. Since I only own one or two lipsticks made by each of these brands, I can’t say I truly *rely* on these brands…yet. But I’m mentioning them because I do love the ones I already have.
As a side note, I own 10+ KVD lipsticks, but I think this brand is very inconsistent. I love some of them; others no so much. Therefore, not that reliable, in my opinion.
Oops, typo. I meant to type: “others, not so much.”
Guerlain (Rouge Gs, especially), Bite, Pat McGrath, Urban Decay Vice.
It’s pretty color dependent for me. NARS reds are my absolute favorites. I love MAC corals. Bite is my go-to for pinky nudes.
I got a sample of YSL lip stains and love them but they are pricey!
I am not normally a coral person, but I recently bought MAC Vegas Volt on a whim and I’m in love with it!
Vegas Volt is true love!! Still one of my top 5 favs
Mac, Urban Decay and Lancome.
I‘d say Urban Decay for bullets, and Stila and Kat Von D for liquid lipsticks. I have plenty of single shades from a line that i‘ve enjoyed but am not willing to judge the entire line by (Lorac, MAC Cremesheen, Maybelline, etc). These are definitely shades I’d like to try more of, though!
MAC, YSL, Bite, Pat McGrath and Lancôme. I know the whole Juicy Shaker, Matte Shaker wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I really love them and use them several times a week. The matte’s don’t dry down completely but they are comfortable for me to wear which is the most important factor to me.
Now I am wanting to try out the Matte Shaker!!
Pretty much Urban Decay and Colourpop. I don’t use CP as much now, but I’ve pretty much relied on UD ever since I stopped using MAC.
Nudestix, Shiseido and Charlotte Tilbury.
I just know that if I choose a Matte or Satin MAC lipstick I can’t go wrong; they are pigmented, comfortable and stay put in `normal` conditions. But I couldn’t care less about MAC other lipstick formulas (Creamsheen and Frost especially).
I don’t have “sensitive” lips, nor do I mind “scented” lip products; I also don’t mind having to reapply product throughout the day, as I typically remove said product before eating/drinking, so I’m not too nitpicky when it comes to lip products. Having said that, color range & finish are what draw me in, and NYX, L’Oreal, & Maybelline are go-to brands. I also can’t personally justify paying more than $10 for a product I’m likely to never come close to finishing (and can’t pass along to a friend), so while it’s been a while since I bought HE lipstick, I can’t think of any that were any better than their DS counterparts…
Traditional bullet: Bite Beauty, Urban Decay, MAC, Too Faced, Nyx, Wet n Wild, e.l.f., Maybelline, Hard Candy
Liquid: Kat von D, ABH, Too Faced Melted, Notoriously Morbid, ColourPop Ultra Satins, Nyx, Black Moon Cosmetics, Wet n Wild Catsuit
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche are a favourite (the Luminous Cremes were to slippery for me), but I really like Colourpop for range and affordability – the Ultra Satin liquid lips and Matte X lippie stix work great for me.
I also really liked the Milani Color Statement range, they lasted really well on me and I quite liked the artificial candy scent. NYX usually does a halfway decent lipstick as well.
I love the Milani Colour Statement range myself – are you able to join Buyinvite or Ozsales? Because if you can – they regularly have a wide range of cosmetics (and lots of other brands) on sale everyday. That’s where I get all my EA lipsticks from. They have just had Milani as well.
Hopefully they sell to NZ.
Thanks for the tip, Genevieve – I have a NZ based supplier for Milani that is quite reasonably priced and unless they bring out new CS shades, I have all the ones I want. Have you tried their eyeshadow primer? I think it’s great!
If I’m going on *only* brands I’ve tried, then my list isn’t very long. Here goes!
Pat McGrath, UD, MAC, Bite, Tom Ford, Guerlain, ColourPop (Everything except their Ultra Mattes!).
Then there are brands that I really want to try based on their review performance and lip swatches: Givenchy, YSL, Nars Audacious, and Shiseido.
MAC is readily available in my country so I have more lipsticks by MAC than any other brand (I prefer traditional bullets to liquid lipsticks). I also have lipsticks by Estee Lauder, NARS, YSL, Clinique, Charlotte Tilbury, Urban Decay and Bite; but not enough to rely absolutely on them. I’d like to try Bobbi Brown and Pat McGrath someday. We’ll see.
MAC, Tom Ford and Necromancy Cosmetica. The latter’s bullet lipsticks are fantastic.
Bite, Urban Decay
On opposite sides of the spectrum: Pat McGrath and Maybelline. Both are comfortable, don’t cause allergic reactions (which I have had to some lipsticks, notably NARS) and last like crazy, which is a must for me (just not one of those people who ever thinks to check my lipstick every 2 hours …)
Also have had good luck with Charlotte Tilbury, Shiseido, Le Metier De Beaute.
I have had a minor love affair with a few Chanel lipsticks due to color and texture but they just don’t last even if I don’t put a glass to my lips … alas!
Am I the only one who gets super dry lips from MAC lipsticks? They seriously destroy my lips.
Yes, you are. Never had the problem. Since you are asking!
You’re not alone, Rachel! I bought a matte lipstick from MAC and I couldn’t stand having it on for more than half an hour, and then I bought another one in the Satin formula and it felt the same – super super dry lips, and they burned a little bit. Money wasted unfortunately 🙁
One of the many products that have greatly improved in the past few years is lipstick and I think that this blog has shown that price is not always an indicater of a great, long lasting lipstick that is comfortable to wear.
So I don’t think you have to spend a lot of money to get a great lipstick. My favourites include:
Elizabeth Arden’s Exceptional Beauty and Ceramide lipsticks (I can get them on sale for around $11 -12) – fantastic shades.
Clarins Joli Rouge range – again on sale
Maybelline
Milani Colour Statement lipsticks
And although I haven’t tried them because they are not available here in Aus – definitely Colour Pop’s new Lux range seem fabulous.
Colourpop should ship to Australia – they definitely do to NZ! If you spend over $50USD, global shipping is free 🙂 (I can recommend the All I See Is Magic palette too!)
The Lux lippies are good, the formula is cushiony, they are well pigmented and presentation is gorgeous (little stars, rose gold case!) but I don’t find them super long lasting. I hope they expand the range! I would love to see some really vivid shimmer colors, like flame orange, rosy copper and deep violet…
Hmmmm – Givenchy (though it’s a bit rich for my purse), MAC’s Amplified Cream formula (wish there were more colours that suited me), BITE and Smashbox’s Be Legendary creams are amazing and also Lise Watier’s Rouge Intense Supreme.
Bite, NARS, Marc Jacobs, Charlotte Tilbury, Mac, Burberry, Chanel, YSL, Bobbi Brown, the list goes on and on.
Armani, Cle de Peau, Chantecaille and Tom Ford – I can’t go wrong with any formulation those brands put out. I might occasionally try another brand, but the majority of my lipsticks are from these brands. I will give a hat tip to Sisley’s Phyto Twist line – particularly the mattes.
I love Bite lipsticks, some Clinique formulas and Revlon Super-Lustrous (a mainstay in my lipstick collection). For years, I was a dedicated MAC lipstick user, but over the last couple of years, I have found many shades to be overly drying. Don’t know if it is just my lips or if the formulation has changed. ( I might add that I have never used matte lipsticks of any brand)
Lancome, MAC, Urban Decay, Loreal, and Maybelline.
Shu Uemura for mattes. They are just unreal in how creamy they apply. Shade-wise I tend to rely on Mac for finding colors I like, just because I am the most familiar with their shades. For instance, if I want to find a good matte nude lipstick, I’d compare the swatches with Velvet Teddy or Kinda Sexy to see how they compare. Another brand I really love is Peripera. I tend to forget reapplying my lipsticks as I go along the day, and Peripera’s liquid lips are just perfect in that they stain my lips so vividly that I could skip doing my lips the next day if I wanted! Shame they’re not easily available in the U.S.
Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Maybelline & Milani. My lips are chronically dry so I need a moisturizing lippy or I’ll end up with lizard lips.
For me, hands down it’s Dior rouge dior… both lipstick and liquid. I have so many, its such a great formula!
Only Mac.
MAC, Pat McGrath, UD, Nars Audacious, Charlotte Tilbury the matte ones. I also like Clinique and Estee Lauder.
WetnWild mattes surprisingly I loooove them compared to many other silky, etc. I have tried that just won’t last much at all. Love! Love! Love them! Even if they fall out a bit more m left with a stain so is never all gone. Ones I hate how little they’ll last are No.7 lipsticks don’t last at all although I have several of their pretty colors and many other drugstores ones even Loreal & Easter Lauder, etc.
Oops! Typo! Is not Easter yet, meant to say Estee Lauder. .
Not that there aren’t so so lipsticks from brand to brand, and of various price points, but in general I find lipstick one of those fail safe products that is generally good from brand to brand. I have my favorites but if I’m going to try anything from a brand , it will be lipstick usually. MAC, Revlon, Maybelline have some of my favorites. I’m liking Sephora’s Lipstories!
I mostly wear bullet lipsticks, a lot of Revlon and L’Oreal, and I love CoverGirl’s Katy Kat Matte and Pearl formulas. When Kate Moss still had a flamingo pink shade in her subdivision of Rimmel Lasting Finish, I wore it all the time.
I know that there’ve been some problems with the old Kat Von D Studded Kiss formula, but I’ve personally never experienced them with the two (so far) shades I wear-Hexagram and Thin Lizzy. I haven’t tried the new Creme formula yet, but my only preliminary problem is that Thin Lizzy got discontinued. After checking the dupes here, I think Urban Decay Vice Wildfire looks the best-guess I have that in my future!
As far as liquid, I’ve worn some liquids and gels from Revlon’s Ultra HD line (I bought the Ultra HD sampler from Walgreens last year) and they’ve done really well.
I’m not big on liquid lipsticks (too many bad experiences – I’ve given up at this point), but for traditional bullets I haven’t gone wrong yet with Charlotte Tilbury and YSL. They’re technically too pricey for my budget, but luckily YSL is on sale fairly regularly. If I have any birthday/holiday gift cards, this is the kind of thing I’ll use those for.
I also have some drugstore shades that I’ll rebuy, like Maybelline’s Smoky Rose.
Liquid lipsticks are my favorite, and Ofra and Kat Von D work best for me. For bullet lipsticks I love lots of different brands, but Besame stands out the most. I just got a new Viseart lip palette that I love- the formula is really nice. My lips stay so soft, and all the colors are right for me. And I’m a Revlon fan like everyone else!!