Right now, it seems like the lip look is a glossy one. Lip gloss is back in full force, baby. I, for one, never thought I’d see a Lancôme Juicy Tubes renaissance in my future, but here we are. And I’m not complaining about it.
But although I’ve been experimenting with various lip glosses and lip oils recently, I’ve decided I will never stray from my tried-and-true matte lipstick. Sure, I might reach for something glossy from time to time, but my go-to is always a matte finish. It’s not exactly on-trend right now, but I think the look is 100% timeless. The finish looks so sophisticated and grown-up, and I instantly feel put-together whenever I have a matte lipstick on. In fact, sometimes when I’m especially lazy about doing my makeup but need to look like I actually did it because I’m going out or have something for work, I’ll apply some matte lipstick, mascara, a touch of blush, and a brow product, and I’m all set. No need to do a full face when I’ve got a bold lip on. I find that the product really elevates a look.
Plus, can we just talk about how matte lipsticks seem to be invincible when faced with beverages and food? Those types of lipsticks have staying power all night long. Have I sold you on them yet? Take a look at Who What Wear editors’ favorite picks below.
I am so tempted to buy this lipstick in every colour—it’s my absolute favorite matte option. First, the colour options are amazing. There’s a hue for just about every occasion or whim. And second, it stays put. I might have to do a light touch-up once during a night out after eating and drinking, but that’s about it.
Leave it to MAC to make some iconic lipsticks, and the Retro Matte Lipsticks are total classics. Of course, you can opt for the legendary Ruby Woo shade of red, but you can also choose pink, orangey-red, plum, fuchsia, or nude.
Charlotte Tilbury’s matte lipstick has a lasting finish, but it won’t dry the lips out since it’s enriched with a secret ingredient and orchid extract. It also contains 3D glow pigments to help the lips look fuller.
If you don’t want to go full matte, you can try this lipstick, which is a creamy, semi-matte formula. It contains silky oils so the colour just glides on.
Here’s another soft-matte formula. The creamy lipstick delivers intense colour that’s also lightweight. And with over 30,000 ratings and 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon, it’s an affordable option that’s well reviewed.
The cool thing about this long-wearing lipstick is it’s refillable, so you’re limiting waste. The product provides up to 16 hours of wear and is formulated with red peony extract, pomegranate-flower extract, and shea butter to nourish and condition.
Pat McGrath’s lipstick delivers a rich and opaque colour that feels lightweight. It’s so pigmented that you really only need one swipe, but of course, you can build layers for a more dramatic look.
This soft-matte formula is infused with hyaluronic acid to hydrate the lips. It comes in stunning nude shades.
Some matte lipsticks can make your lips feel tight or constrained because they’re drying and heavy. Not this one from Nars—it has a lightweight, flexible texture when it sets.
Chanel’s lipstick leaves a velvety matte finish with intense colour. It’s moisturizing and weightless, too.
You get up to eight hours of wear with this creamy matte lipstick. It contains microfine mattifying powders, so the colour goes onto the lips easily but doesn’t dry them out. It’s also smudge-proof.
If you love playing around with your lip colours and mixing and matching, you’ll definitely be occupied with this compact. It contains four hues in soft-matte textures that you can wear solo or mix together. The product is infused with nourishing and conditioning ingredients like cold-pressed cherry oil, marula oil, and biomimetic peptides.
Fenty Beauty’s liquid lipstick is long-wearing and delivers a soft-matte finish. The product’s wand is specially designed for precise and neat application.
For full-coverage colour and up to eight hours of wear, try this highly reviewed lipstick. The formula contains jojoba and ester oils for hydration and a colour-film technology that prevents feathering and fading.
As this product is enriched with vitamin E and a vitamin C derivative, your lips will feel good when you’re wearing this lipstick. The richly pigmented product leaves a velvet-matte finish.
Shiseido’s lipstick leaves a powder-soft, matte finish that’s nondrying. The formula also has spherical pigments that can blur imperfections.
Yes, this lipstick is a splurge, but it looks and feels so luxe, so it’s worth it. The hydrating lip colour is comfortable and feels like a second skin. And it’s highly pigmented, so it really doesn’t take more than a swipe to get amazing colour payoff.
