A Tale of Seven Lipsticks 💄

My quest for the best affordable long-wearing lipsticks

Does a truly long-wearing lipstick even exist? I’ve asked myself this question multiple times before, mostly when I’m reapplying a lipstick for the umpteenth time that day. I’ve had my fair share of lipsticks, so I believe it is pertinent discourse for us. I wanted to keep this post assessable, so I’m only reviewing drug store lipsticks, for the sake of my wallet and yours. I will approach this by describing my experience with seven, yes seven, drug store long-wear lipsticks with 4 star and above ratings on Amazon. I will go over what the color pay-off is like: How the vivid or muted the shade is. The application: Is it a liquid lipstick or a classic bullet style applicator? I will also discuss the application process and what that feels like. Finally, I will talk about any other nitty-gritty details I think would help you decide on a lipstick if you’re on the fence about any of the seven aforementioned lipsticks.:

Revlon Lipstick, ColorStay Limitless Matte Liquid Lipstick in “Fire”

The applicator is similar to a doe foot except there’s a cup in it that holds the liquid lipstick. This makes application a little easier since you won’t have to dip into the container too much. It was easy to apply, but not as precise as some of the other lipsticks in this review, so you’ll need to steady your hand. Once this stuff is on, it’s on. It is very difficult to tidy your lip edges once it touches you, so be mindful of this. The color payoff is great, and it looks a little blotted too, which I especially like since I associate it with the perfect French lip. The performance of this lipstick was mixed in my opinion. It has great staying power, however, I did notice that after roughly 4 hours, the lipstick did come off on the inner part of my upper lip. Mind you I was eating oily food. Besides this, the color was as perfect as when I applied it, so I only needed to reapply in that area. I will be using this product again in the near future, and it’s worth a shot if you wanted to try it.

L’Oreal Paris Makeup Infallible Pro Matte Les Macarons Scented Matte Liquid Lipstick in “Guava Gush”

Whew, that was a mouthful. Literally. See what I did there? I tried this one a couple times. For application, this was a liquid lipstick with a spade tip applicator, perfect for details and corners. The application was flawless. The color just isn’t for me, but I think it could look good on the right skin tone and hair shade. The color payoff is vibrant and bright. I find that this lipsticks settles into my lip lines too much for my liking and the formula was drying. Furthermore, it was a little sticky. I can’t recommend this lipstick, but that’s just me.

Covergirl Outlast All-Day Lip Color Custom Reds in “Your Classic Red”

The O.G. The old faithful two step liquid lipstick. I remember my girl friends used to reapply this lipstick after gym class back in the early ought’s. My best friend used this exact brand for years. Always a red lip. Maybe it was this shade. I decided to try it for myself all these years later, and let me tell you, I was missing out! I believe this is supposed to be a universal red shade for all skin tones and hair colors. The color was just another red to me, but classic, like the shade name implies. This uses a doe foot applicator. It can apply patchy if you’re not careful. What I mean is, if you don’t have enough product on the tip, the doe foot applicator may wipe off lipstick instead of applying it. So application was not exactly a breeze but it wasn’t rocket science either. The texture of the lipstick was liquid but with enough heaviness that it didn’t drip off of the applicator. I let the lipstick dry on my lips for two whole minutes after a careful application, my lips slightly parted. Once it dried, I applied the clear gloss, and bam. My lips stayed in the same condition all day. It doesn’t transfer and it doesn’t smear either. I have worn it several times since. After about 8 hours, you may need to reapply in patches on the lip where the lipstick may come off, but little spots here and there. It’s not perfect, but it was one of the more note-worthy lipsticks I tried. I’ll reach for this one again next time I need a long wearing red.

Revlon Lipstick, ColorStay Suede Ink in “Spit Fire”

This lipstick uses the classic bullet tip application style, and I applied the lipstick directly to my lips. I prefer this style of application because there’s a little bit of tug that gives more control to the hand. This in turn allows you to shape your lips a bit easier when applying this lipstick, so points awarded on application style. The color payoff was perfect. It reminds me of how MAC lipstick looks, except this one is transfer proof and does not smear. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. My lips were surprisingly hydrated while wearing this one. My lips felt protected and smooth with no stickiness. Although, after smearing the lipstick rigorously with my hand for a few minutes, it does eventually come off, but does not leave a smeared effect. But this of course is probably not something to do with your lipstick normally. Upon my second wearing of the lipstick, I did find that it eventually fades after about 8 hours of wear. It faded evenly, leaving a red tint on the lips. This is one that I will be wearing again and again.

Maybelline Super Stay Vinyl Ink Longwear No-Budge Liquid Lipcolor in “Wicked”

This is one I couldn’t seem to get on board with at first. The applicator is a longer doe foot, yet it holds the product exceptionally well. This lipstick MUST be shaken for at least 5 seconds prior to application. Additionally, the lipstick needs to go through a drying period, but it never fully dries down. It remained tacky all throughout the day. I guess that’s typical for the gloss effect it provides, so I’ll let it slide on that. I found that this lipstick lasted all day, even through a beauty nap! This one did stay shiny throughout wearing it, which was a nice change to all the matte formulas, and the color payoff was beautiful. After giving this one a second chance, I find it a worthy option, especially if you like shiny lipsticks.

Rimmel London Provocalips 16hr Kiss-Proof Lip Color — Two-Step Liquid Lipstick in “Make Your Move”

I had high hopes for this one. It has a standard doe foot applicator, and the color payoff is smooth. This was more of a “my lips but better” color and I enjoyed the effect. Unfortunately, this one did not last more than 4 hours of eating, drinking, and typical wear. Short story? This one is a pass for me.

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Matte Resistance Liquid Lipstick in “Le Rouge Paris”

Truly a remarkable product. The applicator is a diamond tip with a slight cup to it to hold the product. The color is spread relatively evenly with this applicator. I found this shape helps with outlining the lip without much room for error, although, we’re still talking about a liquid lipstick here. The color payoff is rich and creamy, a real winner. There is a dry down time with this product, a few minutes actually. Once it sets, it’s pretty much not going anywhere. I did get a very small amount of transfer, little flecks, from using it that did eventually stop. This one got about 8 hours and looked beautiful the whole time. I will use this one when I want a luxurious lip color experience.

The Verdict

Long wearing lipstick does exist! Of course, there was no one drugstore lipstick that was perfect, but they got pretty danged close. I have some new lipsticks in my makeup arsenal that will provide me with beautiful lips for the times ahead. I hope this post helps you if you weren’t sure about a potential purchase. Thanks for reading and have a glamorous day.