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There is nothing worse than seeing an ex or an old acquaintance when you’re not looking your best. The person you incidentally run into will assume you look downtrodden all the time. There’s a quick fix for this though! You can instantly feel more beautiful with a quick application of one of the top lipsticks of 2024.
Making an effort with your appearance will give you more confidence, and an advantage in job interviews and first dates. You can change your look without changing your outfit by simply changing your lipstick color, but how do you choose the best one? To help you find your perfect lipstick, we have made a list of our top picks. Check them out below!
Comparing the Top Lipsticks of 2024 in Detail
Maybelline New York Superstay Lipstick — Best Overall
Key Features
- Liquid lipstick
- Matte finish
- 2 step application with lipstick and balm
- 44 color shades
This matte lipstick comes with two different products with separate applicators. The first applies the colored lipstick and the second applies a moisturizing and conditioning balm for all-day hydration. This is perfect for those who suffer from dry or cracked lips. Using both applications creates a beautifully bold satin finish. There are 36 lipstick shades to choose from, but if you cannot find one that is perfect for you, you can mix two to create your perfect color.
Pros
- Helps heal dry lips
- Many colors to choose from
- Create two looks with one product by choosing to use conditioning balm or not
- Matching lip liners available for most lipsticks
Cons
- Maybelline tests their products on animals
Qibett 8pcs Matte Lipstick Set — Best for Fiery Reds
Key Features
- 7 liquid lipsticks and 1 lip plumper
- Matte finish
- Red-toned shades
- After-sales service provided
The Qibett 8pcs lipstick set includes 7 red-toned lipsticks and a liquid lip plumper. This highly pigmented lipstick collection consists of various colors, from bold to natural, with a matte finish. This set offers all the colors you need to create any kind of look. Go from the office to a night on the town by using plumping liquid to maximize your pout. Create your own shade by mixing several of the included lipsticks so you can express yourself.
Pros
- Great shade range and you can also mix shades
- Includes lip plumper to help lips look more voluptuous
- Great value for money
- Vegan and cruelty-free
Cons
- Lipstick transfers to other items
NYX Professional Matte Lipstick — Best for Texture
Key Features
- Bullet lipstick
- Creamy finish
- 38 color shades
- Certified by PETA
NYX Professional matte lipstick is never dry feeling and always has a silky matte finish. It comes in a variety of colors with high pigmentation. If you fall in love with one of the shades of this lipstick, the same shades are available in lip gloss, lip cream, lip liner, and butter gloss formula. This product cannot claim to be vegan as it uses beeswax, but it is cruelty-free (not tested on animals).
Pros
- A large variety of color to choose from
- High pigmentation without being drying
- Cruelty-free
Cons
- The lipstick might come out a little darker than the photo online. This can be due to screen monitors. When purchasing an NYX lipstick, opt for a shade a little lighter than what you want
Stila Stay All Day Lipstick — Longest-Lasting
Key Features
- Liquid lipstick
- Creamy-matte finish
- 18 color shades
- Transfer-proof
Stila Stay All Day is a full-coverage lipstick with a matte finish. It is long-lasting and will stay in place for up to 6 hours of continuous wear. This lipstick is good for your lips because it is enriched with avocado oil and vitamin e, which helps your skin retain moisture and stops it from becoming dry and damaged. This Stila lipstick comes in 18 shades of color ranging from subtle nudes to time to party reds.
Pros
- Long lasting wear means fewer applications which saves you money in the long run
- Vitamin E keeps your lips feeling and looking healthy
Cons
- Difficult to remove unless you use makeup remover
L'Oreal Paris Original Satin Lipstick — Best Ingredients
Key Features
- Bullet lipstick
- Satin-matte finish
- 44 color shades
- Ultra-hydrating
L’Oreal Paris colour riche original satin lipstick is full of nourishing ingredients like omega, vitamin E, and argan oil. Not only will this lipstick make your lips pop with highly pigmented colors, but it will improve the health of your lips. This product offers color options for every occasion- from nudes to vibrant reds, create the look you have in mind. This product is also climate pledge friendly, meaning you can look fabulous and feel no guilt about it.
Pros
- Nourishes your lips
- True to the color displayed in the store
- Climate-friendly production
Cons
- Has a strong odor - a pleasant odor, but some may prefer an odorless lipstick
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick — Best for the Environment
Key Features
- Bullet lipstick
- Matte finish
- 18 color shades
- Can be bought in a set of 3
Revlon super lustrous lipstick comes in a light and creamy formula with a matte finish. Its moisturizing ingredients create a velvety feel with no drying feelings. This lipstick comes in 24 shades, including a show-stopping blue “Rhythm and Blues” shade. This lipstick is climate pledge friendly, meaning the making of this lipstick does not damage the environment.
Pros
- Interesting shade options alongside conventional ones
- Nourishing ingredients
- Climate pledge friendly so you can look fabulous and feel good about your purchase
Cons
- Revlon tests on animals which many believe is unnecessarily cruel
Wet And Wild Silk Finish Lipstick — Best Bang for Your Buck
Key Features
- Bullet lipstick
- Satin finish
- 6 color shades
- Includes vitamins A and E, aloe vera, and macadamia nut oil
Wet and Wild silk finish lipstick contains a rich, creamy, buildable color that feels like silk on the lips. This product has many nutrients to keep your lips looking healthy and youthful, including vitamins A and E, aloe vera, and macadamia nut oil. Wet and Wild silk finish lipstick offers 6 shades to choose from, mostly in peach, pink and purple shades.
Pros
- Silk finish lipstick will save you money on gloss
- Nourishing ingredients to keep your lips looking their best
- Great value for money
Cons
- Some customers complained of the lipstick staining their lips
Buying Guide to Help You Find the Perfect Lipstick
We have done some extensive research to bring you our top picks for lipsticks. However, we understand that these lipsticks may not match your taste. To help you find the right product for you, we have created a guide with features you may wish to consider. Read on for all the information.
Why Wear Lipstick?
There are numerous reasons why you may want to wear lipstick. These include:
Protect your lips
Many lipsticks contain nutrients such as vitamin E that protect and repair the outer layer of your skin. Once this layer becomes damaged, your lips will lose their ability to retain moisture and will need a bit of help to repair. Lipstick also offers a protective layer from pollutants and cold air in the winter.
Feel sexy
Lips are considered a sensual part of the body. You can accentuate your lips with the right color. Recent studies show that men spend longer looking at women’s lips wearing lipstick, especially red lipstick which garnered the most attention.
Change your lip shape
There are specific techniques you can use to make your lips look like a different shape. If you want larger-looking lips or rounder-looking lips, you can use lipstick to create this illusion.
Express yourself
Wearing lipstick isn’t just about impressing other people, if at all. It can be used as a tool to express who you are on the inside. If you love wearing bright colors, why not wear those bright colors on your lips? If you love the gothic aesthetic dark lipstick is a must to complete the look.
Things to Consider Before Buying Lipstick
There are many brands, shapes, and types of lipstick on the market. If you have a few of the features you want in mind before you begin the search for your ideal lipstick, you will save yourself a lot of time. We recommend considering the features below.
Skin tone
To choose the right color lipstick, you first need to determine your skin tone. There are 5 main types of skin tone: deep, tan, medium, light, and fair. You will also need to figure out if you have a cool skin undertone or a creamy skin undertone. A person with fair or deep skin can have either cool undertones or warm undertones. A general rule of thumb: if your veins appear blue or purple, you have cool undertones; if you have greenish-blue veins, you have warm undertones.
If you have tan to deep skin with cool undertones will find that ruby or wine shades will suit them. If you have deep or tan skin with warm undertones, you should try copper or bronze shades.
If you have cool undertones and medium skin, you should use pink or cranberry shades. If you have medium skin with warm undertones, you should also opt for copper or bronze shades.
For those of you who have fair to light skin, cool undertones should be accompanied by soft mocha or nude shades of lipstick. If you are pale and have warm undertones, try peachy nudes and pale pinks.
If you are lucky enough to have neutral undertones, you can pull off a wider range of lip colors. In this case, choose your lip color based on your skin tone. Pale/fair-skinned people suit peach, light pink, nude, coral, and dusty red colors. Berry, rose, mauve and cherry red lipstick colors look amazing with a medium skin tone. Women with a tan skin tone can rock bright red, deep pink, coral, and most other colors except purple and brown. If you have a deep skin tone, brown and purple lipstick shades are best. Look for shades like caramel, plum, blue-based reds, and wine.
Shape
The shape of your lip can also determine what color lipstick you should wear and where. If you do not have even full lips (which most of us don’t), you may want to use more than one lipstick to create a symmetrical effect.
If you have a larger top lip than your bottom lip, you can even this out. Using a slightly darker shade of the same color on the top lip and a lighter shade of the same color on the bottom lip will give the illusion that both lips are evenly full.
Similarly, if you have an unbalanced thinner top lip than your bottom lip, you can even the shape by using a lighter shade of the same color on the top lip and a darker color of the same shade on the bottom lip. Adding a nude lipstick to the top lip’s center, alongside the primary color you have chosen, will make your upper lip seem larger.
Lip size
People with thin lips should go for glossy, creamy lipsticks and avoid dark and cold colors. People with thick lips should avoid lipsticks that are too light and glossy and opt for bolder colors.
Hair color
Your hair color should also influence the color of your lipstick. If you have dark hair and fair skin, choose bright pink, cherry, plum, or scarlet lipstick shade. If you have dark hair and tan or deep skin, opt for terracotta, ochre, golden beige, and bronze lipstick shades. If you have blond hair and fair skin, you will suit purply pink, dusty pink, light pink. For special occasions, you should wear scarlet-colored lipstick. If you have blond hair and deep skin, try lipstick shades of warm pinks, salmon pinks, ochre, and caramel.
People with brown hair combined with medium skin tones should use salmon pinks, corals, beige, and deep dusty pinks. Red-haired girls with fair skin should try lipstick shades of salmon pink, terracotta, corals, and burnt sienna.
Lipstick Price Range
You can buy lipstick for as little as $2 and as much as $35. Additionally, you can purchase multiple lipsticks in a pack for near enough the same price range too.
How We Chose Our Top Lipsticks
To choose our top lipsticks, we read many customer reviews, referenced sites such as Brand Rated, and compared them with the product price. We then rated them based on color intensity, nourishment, coverage, length of time the color remains on the lips, and how easily the color transfers to other items.
