The 15 Best Long-Lasting Lipsticks That Won’t Require Constant Reapplications

Best Overall

NARS Powermatte High-Intensity Long-Lasting Lip Pencil

View On Nordstrom $30 View On Nordstrom $30 View On Sephora $30

This lipstick was nothing short of phenomenal. From application to feel to pigment, we’re giving it ten points across the board. It came in the form of a pencil, which originally had us worrying about how it might apply. To our surprise, it glided so smoothly across our lips, making it easy to pencil around the edges of the lips without bleeding over. It also only took one layer to get the fully pigmented look we desired. 

While at first glance it looked as though it was slightly lighter in color than advertised, a few moments later the lipstick dried down and revealed its darker tone, matching the packaging to a T. It created a very smooth and hydrating sensation over our lips, and while we adored the feeling we were left a little confused as to why it’s marketed as a “powermatte” finish. While it’s not glossy by any means, it’s certainly not drying or matted like traditional matte lipsticks are.

After about five minutes we became completely oblivious to having lipstick on — that’s how natural it felt. But only the sensation was invisible — the pigment remained strong and present even after 30 minutes after talking, drinking, and eating. While we did see some transfer onto cups, a look in the mirror showed no apparent difference in the appearance of our lips. We felt comfortable eating a full meal and only requiring a minor touch-up out of habit, rather than necessity really. 

Price at time of publish: $30

Type: Pencil | Finish: Demi-matte | Shades: 10 | Wear Time: 12 hours | Best for: Office, everyday

Best Drugstore

Maybelline SuperStay Vinyl Ink Lipcolor

View On Ulta $13 View On Walgreens $13 View On Riteaid.com $14

If you’re just entering the lipstick game, then this affordable option perfectly breaks the barrier of entry with how beautifully it applies. The liquid lipstick had a rich and creamy texture which spread across our lips like butter. It looked and felt like a gloss, giving our dry lips some much needed hydration, but with a very opaque pigmentation. We also noticed a delicious scent and flavor reminiscent of chocolate. 

We waited for about 10 minutes, but the texture and look remained liquidy, which made us apprehensive to do the smudge test. To our surprise, there was barely any transfer to our hands, cups, or even the apple we bit into — almost as if the lipstick was waterproof. Blotting a piece of tissue paper against our lips took away some of the excess product (we applied a few layers to see if the color would build, it did) but other than a tiny bit of formula, the rest of the color remained perfectly intact. You can imagine how confident it made us feel to go and spend an entire evening out, chatting and drinking, without needing a single reapplication. The only con we could think of, however, was that it’s slightly difficult to get clean lines using the applicator. We recommend pairing this with a lip liner for perfect results. 

Price at time of publish: $13

Type: Liquid | Finish: Glossy | Shades: 20 | Wear Time: 16 hours | Best for: Evenings out, events

Best Matte

L'Oréal Colour Riche Intense Volume Matte Lipstick

View On Amazon $10 View On Ulta $14 View On Walmart $10

For a matte lipstick, this was one of the most hydrating and comfortable options we’ve ever tried. Upon application, it felt very creamy and smooth — dare we say nourishing — without any of that sticky or tacky feeling. It had a soft texture even once the formula dried down, almost as though it was hydrating our lips. We believe it's this creamy texture that helped to soften the look of lines that many matte lipsticks typically emphasize. Rather than a dry and crackly look, it had a creamy (non-glossy) finish that settled without overly enhancing cracks and crevices in our lips or requiring a lip scrub. 

As for the pigment, the color we tried (Le Wood Nonchalant) looked vibrant already with one stroke (not to mention, it had a mild taste of berries which felt like a nice touch). Still, we added an extra layer or two just to see if it was buildable (it was) and then dabbed into the lips for a lighter tint of color. We were a little disappointed to see some product transfer onto our fingers and cups — not enough to have any visual impact on our lips, so we could still go about our day without reapplying. The color and vibrancy of the shade remained intact, but it would make us feel safe to carry the lipstick in our bags just in case. 

Price at time of publish: $14

Type: Stick | Finish: Semi-matte | Shades: 12 | Wear Time: 16 hours | Best for: Day out in the city

Best Satin Finish

Armani Beauty Lip Power Long Lasting Lipstick

View On Nordstrom $45 View On Sephora $45 View On Giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com

My oh my, did this feel like a luxurious treat to the lips. Our lips were very dry prior to application, and still it was easy to apply this lipstick without any tugging of the lips. The creamy formula slid over the surface and left its gorgeous color in its trace. We were almost surprised to see how intense and rich the color was, and layering on more dabs only made it better. The finished look was satiny without being overly shiny or runny. That’s probably because it dries down a little after ten minutes of wear, sticking to the skin and preparing itself for its promised eight hours of wear. For someone who typically has to layer on loads of lip balm, the creamy sheen made it wonderfully possible to go sans-chapstick and not look like a dry desert. 

Dabbing at the lips did cause some of the color to transfer — expect to leave kiss marks on your cups when you wear this. A look in the mirror however revealed no significant change to the appearance of our lips, making us feel confident not to apply another layer. That being said, it probably wouldn’t hurt to bring the lipstick with us to our bathroom trips just to perfect the pout on nights out. 

Price at time of publish: $45

Type: Stick | Finish: Satin | Shades: 25 | Wear Time: 8 hours | Best for: Cocktail parties

Best Liquid

Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint

View On Sephora $29 View On Ulta $29 View On Fentybeauty.com

Considering Queen Rihanna never misses, we weren’t the least bit surprised when we fell head over heels in love with this Lip Paint. To set expectations at the start, this was definitely a matte lipstick. We had a good three minutes to get the liquid over our lips before it started to dry and hold its place. It was neither heavy nor cakey — instead, it glided over smoothly with a creamy texture. 

As the lipstick dries, it felt as though it was molding into our lips and becoming one with the skin. This does make some creases show (as seen on the website's model), but it doesn’t feel taught or irritating in the least bit. For a matte lipstick, it’s surprisingly hydrating and comfortable. 

The most impressive part was how it hardly transferred once dried. Tissues could be dabbed, cups could be kissed, and still the formula remained intact on our lips. There was no bleeding or smudging either — it was the closest thing to second skin as a lipstick could be. As for the color, the highly pigmented hue was a delight to have on. The bold shade (we wore “Uncuffed”) looked proud and present during the duration of wear. 

Price at time of publish: $28

Type: Liquid | Finish: Matte | Shades: 7 | Wear Time: 12 hours | Best for: Office, all day wear

Best Gloss

NYX Professional Makeup Shine Loud Liquid Lip Color

View on Ulta View On Amazon $10 View On Nyxcosmetics.com

For our best lip gloss pick, we’re excited to highlight an option that works double-duty. This lipstick is actually two-sided, with the pigmented color on one end and a separate tube of gloss on the other. We tested both, naturally, and loved how we could get two looks with just one stick of lipstick. 

Let’s start with the color — the liquid lipstick had the perfect consistency, having just the right amount of heft to it to stay within the lines and only where we applied it. Standing on its own, it had a demi-matte appearance to it that felt mildly tacky. The product recommends waiting ten minutes before flipping the tube around to apply the gloss, but we waited around two and the color was already dry enough to cover with the top coat. 

The gloss wasn’t sticky or gloopy in the slightest and gave a nice slip and high-shine to the lips. It also did a good job of blurring over texture and lines on the lip. The final look was a fully opaque, glossy lip which, simply put, looked beautiful and comparable to the modeled images. There was a little bit of transfer onto tissues and cups, but not enough to affect the look on the lips. Reapplication wasn’t necessary, especially because we saw no patchiness on the color of gloss.  

Price at time of publish: $12

Type: Liquid | Finish: Shine | Shades: 32 | Wear Time: 16 hours | Best for: Events, nights out

Best Creamy

Rare Beauty Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream

View On Sephora $20 View On Rarebeauty.com View On Kohls.com $20

Take the name of this product as is — it truly felt like an ultra-creamy soufflé that just glides right over the lips. The airy and lush formula felt like a real treat on the skin, almost like a comfortable pillow that sits without settling into creases. It’s neither tacky nor heavy (hence the soufflé) and the finish is a dewy matte without shine. 

The shade we picked, Heroic, applies rather lightly and can mimic a stain. For anyone that prefers a more full-bodied shade, this may not be the one for you. However, we had no problem building on and getting a more opaque look with a few passes. When we dabbed tissue paper and cups along our lips, we did notice quite a bit of transfer. Did it affect the look of our lips? Not necessarily, but expect your glasses to have kiss marks if you’re out for an evening. We opted for sipping through a straw to keep transfer to a minimum. We suspect a night out would require at least one or two touch-ups unless you’re happy with a lip stain look rather than a lipstick look.

All in all, we found it to be a great option for running errands in town — perhaps something casual that doesn’t require a lot of drinking or eating. Shopping, hanging out with friends, or sitting in the office are all great activities that would suit this lipstick.

Price at time of publish: $20

Type: Cream | Finish: Soft matte | Shades: 15 | Wear Time: 6 hours | Best for: Running errands, shopping

Best for Dry Lips

Glossier G Suit Soft Touch Lip Creme

View on Sephora View On Glossier.com $24

Glossier has yet to fail us where natural-looking makeup is concerned. Before applying this lipstick, we wondered how their claims of a creamy yet matted formula could possibly be true. But sure enough, we felt the butter-esque cream glide right over our lips, leaving a velvety color in its trace. 

The product is certainly buildable, and one layer wasn’t quite enough to get that perfectly opaque look we desired. That being said, those that want just a touch of color on their lips would love how the more natural, muted tone would look on them. Once the application was finished, we had to nod in agreement — it certainly has a demi-matted look, but without any of that cackly dry feeling. As a matter of fact, it felt richly moisturizing, noting that the rose wax and shea butter were working their magic. Even after hours of wear, it didn’t dry or soak up all the moisture from our lips. The product is a bit transferable — particularly in the first ten minutes (even onto our teeth). Still, after hours of wear the look on our lips remained more or less the same. Because it’s a buildable product, even when the formula fades ever so slightly it still looks natural and beautiful.

We will say, however, that the color we saw on our lips wasn’t a perfect match to what's advertised on their model. We tried the shade “Lane”, and what we saw on ourselves looked more like a purple plum, and that on their website seems more like a muted berry.

Price at time of publish: $22

Type: Cream | Finish: Demi-matte | Shades: 9 | Wear Time: 6 hours | Best for: Daytime use, casual outings

Best Lightweight

Merit Signature Lip Lightweight Lipstick

View On Sephora $26 View On Meritbeauty.com View On Kohls.com $26

It was love at first sight with Merit Beauty’s Signature Lip. We say “sight”, because the packaging that the lipstick comes in is already such a beautiful work of art. But you want to know how it looks and feels on the lips, so we’re here to tell you: it’s the lipstick of your dreams. The formula is so lightweight that we forget it’s even on. Aside from a slightly hydrating sensation, the formula feels nearly undetectable on our lips. The lightweight formula almost feels like it blends perfectly with the skin, partnering up like a perfect team rather than simply sitting on top of the skin. 

On top of feeling super breathable, probably the most impressive part was how it does not stain the teeth. Once it’s on the lips, it stays right there for hours. Let’s also not mistake lightweight for sheer — the color pops perfectly opaque. Without looking cakey, the color delivers impact with its satiny finish. What it doesn’t have are clean lines — it bleeds into the corners of our mouths a little, something we were able to fix with the help of a lipliner. Lastly, we have to gush about how good this lipstick smells. Not in an offensive perfumey way, but in a natural refreshing berry taste. 

Price at time of publish: $26

Type: Stick | Finish: Satin | Shades: 8 | Wear Time: 11 hours | Best for: Everyday, office, brunch

Most Comfortable

Chanel Rouge Allure

View On Nordstrom $48 View On Ulta $48 View On Chanel.com $45

Chanel’s lipsticks didn’t amass such fame for no reason, or so we learned during our testing period. This lipstick truly is comfortable enough to wear all day. It’s both rich in color and silky smooth in feel. If anything, it feels kind of like a hydrating lip balm, thanks to its lightweight nature.

The famous little beauty stick glided on our lips without any drag and left a beautifully rich satiny finish. Due to the intensity of the pigment, we did not feel the need to apply a ton of pressure when swiping the color on our lips. Once on, it felt effortless to smile and talk without needing to think about the product cracking on our lips. Most of all, we simply loved the saturated and vibrant color. No matter how much time passed, this hue didn’t fade, leaving us with this intense color on our lips at all times. For makeup artist Carolina Dalí-Trites, who has graced the faces of Hunter Shafer and Lili Reinhart, the Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick is her go-to for longwear as well, thanks to its hydrating soft matte finish. 

All of this needs to be caveated, however. The product was most certainly not transfer-proof. Anything it touched left a mark (Chanel kiss marks are famous after all, aren’t they?). It didn’t affect how the lips looked afterward — we still had the same full coverage, vibrant, and satin finish that we started with. But if we were to eat a full meal, talk all night, and sip champagne, we would most certainly want to check up on our lips and give it a nice second layer. 

Price at time of publish: $45

Type: Stick | Finish: Satin | Shades: 15 | Wear Time: 6 hours | Best for: Daytime use, shopping and meeting friends.

Best Transfer-Prood

Dior Rouge Dior Forever Transfer-Proof Lipstick

View On Nordstrom $47 View On Sephora $47 View On Dior.com

We’re not certain what kind of magic Dior blended into the lipstick, but it would absolutely not budge against cups, tissues, or even an apple when bitten into. It’s a long-lasting lipstick in every way, making us feel comfortable wearing it from day to night with hardly any reapplications. 

Dior doesn’t give up feel and comfort for longevity either. The application process felt smooth and easy, gliding over the surface with a semi-creamy texture. It had a soft matte feeling on the lips which only started to feel drying after a few hours of wear, at which point we applied another layer of lipstick. The reapplication was purely for feel and not because the color had faded in any way. While the color does come on strong and powerful, it’s also slightly buildable — it took us two swipes to get the shade we were looking for. As the product dries down it loses a bit of shine and appears more matte. However, it does so without settling into creases, smearing, or looking overly dry. 

When it came time to remove the lipstick, we were worried it would require a high-intensity makeup remover and some serious scrubbing to remove. However, it was incredibly easy to wipe clean without smearing or spreading too much. 

Price at time of publish: $45

Type: Stick | Finish: Soft matte | Shades: 36 | Wear Time: 16 hours | Best for: Day to night, cocktail soirées

Best Moisturizing

Bobbi Brown Luxe Lipstick

View On Nordstrom $40 View On Bobbibrowncosmetics.com View On Bluemercury.com $41

Have you noticed that applying a thin layer of lip balm can sometimes make the application of lipstick on top a little difficult? It’s as if the formula won’t stick onto the lips properly when going over a balmy texture. Instead of combining two lip products, we found this super hydrating lipstick that works double duty.

There was a lot to love about this lipstick. To begin, the color applies immaculately and strongly — it only takes a single layer to deliver a high-impact, perfectly opaque and rich color. The satiny formula is also pretty lightweight. Slightly denser than the previous Merit Beauty lipstick, but for the intense color it provides its impressively soft and certainly not cakey. It’s also very easy to get a precision application on, which did mean we needed to have a very steady hand to get the exact placement right. 

The final look is something to adore —- it’s got that classic old-school Hollywood lipstick look: rich, luxe, mature, and with a semi-shine satiny finish. After ten minutes it settles in to look a little more natural, making us fall in love with it even further. It doesn’t dry and remains a perfect partner to the lips through the hours. It didn’t even stain the teeth, although it does transfer onto cups and foods. Somehow, the great color-payoff looks unbothered and unaffected even after eating, so while a touch up never hurts, it’s absolutely not necessary. 

Price at time of publish: $41

Type: Stick | Finish: Satin | Shades: 40 | Wear Time: 10 hours | Best for: Special events, cocktail soirées

Best Color Payoff

Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick

View On Nordstrom $39 View On Ulta $39 View On Sephora $39

We’ve tried many lipsticks (for this story and in our general lives), including some of the most high-end luxury options, but somehow this Pat McGrath MatteTrance lipstick blew them out of the park. It had one of the most high-impact colors, requiring only a single swipe to look perfectly bold, opaque, and pigmented. 

Out of the 36 color options, we picked “Extravaganza,” which was a rich magenta hue that commanded attention. The pigment was very bright and vivid, wearing true to the depicted shade. It didn’t create any streaks, and was easy to create straight lines around our lips. It never bled or smudged, even after a ten-minute wait or after biting into apples. While it did leave a bit of a color mark or things that it touched, it didn’t cause the overall look on our lips to change, sparing us the need to run to the bathroom for a touch up after every drink. 

The product also felt lush and pillow-soft as it glided over our lips in a creamy, medium-thick consistency. Not a stick or a tack was felt, just a luscious soft touch to the lips. Despite being a matte lipstick, it didn’t feel the least bit drying or cackling. How Pat McGrath achieved this will remain a mystery, but we’re not complaining. 

Price at time of publish: $39

Type: Stick | Finish: Soft matte | Shades: 36 | Wear Time: 10 hours | Best for: Weddings

Best for Weddings

Revlon Colorstay Overtime Lip Color

View On Amazon $9 View On Ulta $13 View On Walgreens $15

There are lipsticks we like, lipsticks we love, and lipsticks that have us jumping up and down with awe and excitement — this Revlon Colorstay Lipcolor belongs in the latter category. The main key points you need to know are that it comes with two sides: a matte color and a gloss topcoat, that it barely transfers onto anything, and can be left on for hours without the need for reapplication — all reasons why we picked it as our best wedding option. 

Already in the first swipe, the product felt amazing. It slid on so smoothly, requiring just a single coat to get a fully pigmented beautiful color. While we are typically apprehensive about applying such vivid colors without a lipliner, this applicator did a wonderful job at creating clean lines that didn’t bleed or blur. Once the matted color dried down (in a creamy texture), we dabbed the gloss over to seal the hue. While the texture did have a bit of that traditional stick that lipgloss is known for, it didn’t bother us, because it’s precisely this topcoat that made the lipstick stay perfectly intact through the hours. While biting into apples or sipping out of cups affected the glossy shine a little, none (I repeat: none) of the color removed itself. We hardly needed a mirror to touch up the gloss, making us feel comfortable to wear it all night at a wedding where we’re too busy to be thinking about reapplications. All of this for less than $12? Color us impressed with one of the 24 colors, please!

Price at time of publish: $11.50

Type: Liquid | Finish: Glossy | Shades: 24 | Wear Time: 16 hours | Best for: Weddings, nights out