The 15 Best Matte Lipsticks That Won’t Dry Your Lips Out

1. Best Matte Lip Pencil: NARS Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil

Both beauty newbies and novices will love this easy-to-use matte lipstick. The handy pencil-shaped packaging makes it super easy to precisely line (or overline) your lips with color. A vitamin E-enriched formula gives this lipstick a super creamy texture and a velvet-smooth matte finish. With buildable coverage, you can lightly apply for a subtle wash of color or go back in for a bold pop of pigment. 

Pro tip: For the best sharpening results, be sure to use the NARS Pencil Sharpener. 

2. Best Drugstore Matte Lipstick: MAYBELLINE Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick

Looking for the best matte lipstick on a budget? This mega-pigmentedliquid lipstick features high color payoff and a long-lasting matte finish at a fraction of the price. The liquid lip formula even features a unique arrow-shaped applicator that makes precise application a total breeze. 

Did we mention that this lipstick also comes in 46 (yes, 46!) different shades? So if you love the formula, you can equip your makeup kit in multiple shades to have a color for every occasion. 

3. Best Matte Lip Stain: YVES SAINT LAURENT Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip Stain

If you prefer the weightless feel of a lip stain, you just might fall in love with this ultra-matte formula. The ink-like stain provides up to eight hours of touch-up-free wear, making it a great pick for whenever you're after a low-maintenance formula and high-impact color. And if you suddenly feel like switching it up from a matte finish, try topping it with a clear lip gloss or lip balm to add a fun punch of shine. 

4. Best for Pillowy Lips: CHARLOTTE TILBURY Matte Revolution Lipstick

Lipstick lovers swear by this creamy formula. So much so that one tube is sold every two minutes (say what?). The biggest selling point of this fan-favorite is its unique 3D glowing pigments which create the illusion of plumper, fuller lips while still sticking to a true matte finish—no painful lip plumper or overlining required. It also features a blend of orchid extract, nourishing oils, triglycerides, and waxes to soften, protect, and hydrate the lips while providing color for up to 10 hours. 

5. Best for All Skin Tones: FENTY BEAUTY Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Color

These nine shades from Rihanna's beauty brand are designed to flatter every skin tone, whether you have super fair or melanin-rich skin. The weightless, longwear lipstick is highly pigmented, providing full coverage after the first swipe, making it super quick and easy to achieve bold, pigment-packed lips with a soft matte finish. 

If you're looking for the perfect red, reach for Uncensored, or try Underdawg for a vampy deep burgundy. 

6. Best Longwear Matte Lipstick: STILA Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick

Sometimes you want a lipstick that has some serious staying power, but not so much that you have to take it off with makeup remover at the end of the day. Here's a liquid lipstick that fits the bill. It promises 12 hours of continuous wear, full-coverage color, and a delightfully weightless texture. It's also enriched with vitamin E and avocado oil for your daily dose of lip nourishment. And while it will stay locked in place through happy hour or a meal, it can be easily removed when something like a cleansing balm or cleansing oil comes into play. 

7. Matte Lipstick with the Best Texture: PAT MCGRATH LABS Mattettrance Lipstick

If most matte lipsticks feel too dry for your liking, this ultra-creamy formula from beauty guru PAT MCGRATH LABS may be the answer to your makeup woes. This lippie features an advanced formulation of spherical particles to create an incredibly creamy, soft texture that feels good on your lips while also disguising any imperfections and offering a classic matte finish. 

And as most PAT MCGRATH LABS products are all about going bold with color, this lipstick is no exception. You can expect unbelievably pigmented shades that will have everyone's eyes on you.

8. Most Iconic Formula: M·A·C COSMETICS Matte Lipstick

There's a reason this matte lipstick is considered a timeless classic. M·A·C’s creamy, moisturizing, and  pigmented formula lasts all day without drying out or crumbling thanks to castor seed oil, a natural emollient that’s super hydrating. You’re guaranteed to find your own signature color in this shade range (42 to be exact), spanning from classic red lipsticks to berry shades to adventurous purples and blues.

9. Best Plumping Lipstick: TOO FACED COSMETICS Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick

TOO FACED COSMETICS' Melted Liquid Lipstick is kind of like a little silk slip dress for your lips. It glides on like a lip gloss and feels super lightweight while hugging your pout with plush, suede-like color. The opaque color payoff is made even better with the addition of Volulip™, a no-sting lip plumper. The formula also includes avocado oil, vitamin E, and hyaluronic filling spheres. 

"I love TOO FACED Melted Lipsticks so much! They go on like a gloss and dry like a stain," one Ipster writes. "They are so smooth and last all day."

10. Best Waterproof Lipstick: WINKY LUX Double Matte Whip 24-Hour Waterproof Lipstick

An ultra-nourishing lipstick that's completely smudge-proof? We know the combination sounds too good to be true, but these two benefits make a rare appearance together in this matte lipstick from WINKY LUX. The longwear lipsticks come in five flattering shades (eggplant, deep red, deep nude, peachy nude, and bright red) and feature both hydratingavocado oil and antioxidant-packed vanilla. These lipsticks may smell like freshly baked sweets, but don't worry: They’re all gluten-free.

11. Best Everyday Matte Lipstick: BELLE EN ARGENT Auteur Matte Lip Color

This nourishing, matte lip color is a prime candidate for your next everyday lipstick formula. Made with nourishing oils like argan oil, jojoba oil, sunflower seed oil, and castor oil, it's a great daily treatment to keep the lips soft, smooth, and hydrated. The line also offers a range of shades, from versatile neutrals to bold pastel purples and vampy eggplants. 

"It’s super smooth and luscious on the lip," says one Ipster. "It takes about two layers to get full pigment payoff."

12. Best for a Super Matte Finish: MORPHE Mega Matte Lipstick

If you're super particular about your matte finish, this lipstick is as matte as they come. No hint of shine or shimmer, just highly pigmentedfull coverage. If you try one of the 20 shades and fall in love, you just may find yourself eventually owning the entire collection as these affordable lippies come in at just $10 a pop. With neutrals fit for every skin tone, red shades for every undertone, and even a black lipstick for goth-inspired makeup looks, there really is something for everyone. 

"This color is amazing, and it lasts a long time," says one Ipster. "I only had to touch it up once in the 8 hours I wore it."

13. Best Matte Lipstick for Sensitive Skin: REALHER Matte Lipstick

This line of 12 matte lipsticks is inspired by 12 women with uniquely different and diverse backgrounds. Each shade name comes in the form of an uplifting affirmation like "I am optimistic" or "I am amazing". But it's not just the branding that's designed to make you feel good while wearing this lipstick. They're also vegan, certified cruelty-free, paraben-free, and non-toxic. They even come infused with jojoba seed oil to soften the lips while also preventing feathering, flaking, and fading. 

After one Ipster tried she received the I Am Adaptable shade (a classic red) in her Glam Bag, she wrote, "Best shade ever! Totally stays through 97% of the day, with minor touch-ups."

14. Best for a Soft Matte Finish: JOLII COSMETICS Luxe Crème Mattes

JOLII COSMETICS is on a mission to offer singular shades that work across the skin tone spectrum, and these soft matte lip creams not only do just that, but they're also vegan and cruelty-free to boot. Every bit of this liquid lipstick exudes fine Italian craftsmanship, from the sleek glass packaging to the small-batch matte formula rich with natural oils. 

Try swiping on Lavanda, a cool-toned lavender-pink hue, to turbocharge your date night fit. Or give your weekend jeans-and-tee look some intrigue with Amore, a beautiful bright-red lipstick.

After trying the Lavanda shade, one Ipster wrote, "Great feel! I never knew I could pull off purple. Definitely not a shade I would choose, but I did like it."

15. Best for Bold Lip Looks: KVD Everlasting Liquid Lipstick

If you feel like experimenting with a bright lipstick shade, reach for a tube of this matte lipstick from vegan beauty brand KVD. The shade range features your classic nudes, pinks, and reds, but also offers unconventional shades like electric blue, vibrant orange, bright grape, and more.  

When you go for a bold lip, you obviously want to make sure the look is going to last and you can be sure of that when you use this long-wearing formula.

Want to find your new favorite lipstick shade? Take our Beauty Quiz now to get started. Already an Ipster? Refer your friends to earn points, which you can use toward products. Either way, don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and Twitter @IPSY.

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