No matter how popular lip gloss gets, I will always live for a matte lipstick. And in 2018, there are more choices in matte liquid lipsticks than ever before.
But you don't have to spend a lot of money to get a great matte lipstick — but which affordable, mass-market brand makes the best matte liquid lipstick of them all? I went on a mission to find the best matte liquid lipstick at the drugstore.
I went to my local CVS having done zero research into the brands and formulas available — you know, like in the ancient times before Google and YouTube would tell you exactly which brands to buy.
So which drugstore matte liquid lipstick reigns supreme? I put them ALL to the test to find out.
I went to each brand in the drugstore and found a red liquid lipstick that said "matte" on the label. If it seems like I'm pointing out the obvious, just you wait.
Sticking to one color — in this case, red — meant that I'd be comparing apples to apples, since certain colors are trickier to perfect that others and can lead to inconsistencies within one brand.
Though they all looked the same in the tubes, the swatches from L'Oreal, Revlon, Milani, CoverGirl, and Maybelline were ALREADY showing some major differences.
Let's go through each color, one by one.
First up was L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Liquid Lipstick in Matador ($10, Ulta).
I was a big fan of the flat applicator that hugs the lips which makes application a breeze and was able to get full coverage with one layer.
I loved that it was a vampier shade of red that's perfect for fall and winter. However, I had two issues: the formula was sticky and, most importantly, it didn't have a matte finish!
The lipstick had a slight sheen that made it look like more of a satin finish on my lips.
Despite the tackiness of the formula, it surprisingly did pretty well when I put it through a white cup transfer test.
Most of the transfer was from the inner portion of my lips, which I was OK with.
After a full day of work and eating my normal meals without reapplying the lipstick throughout the day, the only place that needed a touch up was the top of my bottom lip.
I'll give all the credit to the stickiness that helped the lipstick grab onto my lips for dear life. However, I am not a fan of the feeling — plus it was a nightmare to remove.
I won't be reaching for this formula again.
Next, I tried Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor in Romance ($10, Ulta).
I was also a fan of the flat applicator that had a slight curve that perfectly hugged the lips.
The red was a beautiful bright tone but once again, the supposedly MATTE liquid lipstick didn't have a matte finish!
It was so shiny, it made the L'Oreal lipstick from the day before look matte. I was seriously confused, and had to ask my coworkers if the definition of matte had changed while I wasn't looking.
The white cup test was another fail. I expect matte liquid lipsticks to be transfer-proof. That was clearly not the case with the Revlon formula.
I wore every lip color for at least an hour to give them ample time to set before taking a drink, so timing wasn't the issue here.
Surprisingly, I was still left with what looked like more of a lip stain by the end of the day. I thought it would have been completely gone after eating.
However, I still had some feathering happening that I was not a fan of. The Revlon lipstick ended up being another no from me. This was more of a lip gloss or glossy stain in my book. Not what I was looking for.
The third liquid lipstick I tried was the Milani Amore Matte Lip Crème in Devotion ($9, Ulta).
The applicator was almost identical to the Revlon lipstick, which made it a winner in my book.
FINALLY! A true matte liquid lipstick! I loved everything from the shade to how weightless it felt on the lips.
It's as if you're wearing nothing at all.
It passed the white cup test with flying colors, and it gets better...
... I got compliments on the color all day from strangers. Even at the end of the day, when it clearly needed to be reapplied.
The formula didn't dry out my lips — but it didn't wear off evenly, so you definitely have to touch up this lipstick when needed.
However, the Milani lipstick is just as good as matte lipsticks twice its price, making Devotion a color that I would absolutely reach for again.
The fourth candidate was the CoverGirl Melting Pout Matte Liquid Lipstick in All Nighter ($7, Amazon).
It has a basic doe foot applicator that seemed like a downgrade after trying fancier ones.
The formula was horrific. I had to put in WORK to get the even finish you see here.
The color did not go on evenly and adding more layers ended up inexplicably removing the layer underneath. I had to dab the color on and be careful not to smack my lips together, because that would also cause the lip color on my bottom lip to vanish.
By this point, this option was clearly going in trash pile, but I decided to press on and give it a full test.
After so many difficulties, I was shocked to find that it passed the white cup test.
The transfer was almost as minimal as the Milani lipstick.
By the end of the day, the CoverGirl red had worn away on my top lip in a bizarre way that had not happened with any other brands.
What.
Is.
Happening?
The weird wear pattern is indicative of my feelings about the lipstick in general.
Though I liked the color, the CoverGirl lipstick was WAY too much trouble to apply. I won't be wearing this shade ever again.
Finally, I tried the Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lip Color in Rebel Red ($8, Ulta).
Come through, flat applicator! I was happy to find that this lipstick did not come with a traditional wand that is so yesterday.
But the festivities stopped there — once again, I found myself wearing a matte lipstick that isn't matte. I'd barely even call this lipstick.
This was nothing more than a very pigmented lip gloss.
Thanks to its glossy finish, the Maybelline didn't pass the white cup.
I was left with a subtle stain and what looked like lip liner by the end of the night.
You guessed it, the Maybelline Vivid Matte liquid lip color was another no for me.
The overall winner couldn't have been easier to pick. It was the Milani Amore Matte Lip Crème in Devotion, HANDS DOWN!
This was an easy choice — not only was Milani the only brand that made a MATTE liquid lipstick, the color was perfect, and the compliments I received while wearing it were the cherries on top.
I hope other drugstore brands take notes from Milani. I still don't understand how the term "matte" can be used to describe something that is clearly a gloss.
It has certainly earned a permanent spot in my heart — and the title of Best Matte Liquid Lipstick at the drugstore.
