I’ve been in search of a good drugstore liquid lipstick that’s more convenient than online shopping and cheaper than the luxury brands. So, after scouring the makeup community for suggestions, I found the following lipsticks and decided to put them to the test.
The stipulations:
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I must wear it for 12 hours with no touch-ups
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I have to eat with the lipstick on
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I have to drink coffee (oh, the shame) and see if it transfers
All prices are from Ulta.com. (Also, ignore my frown in some of the after photos – long days of class can do that to a person.)
NYX Lingerie in Ruffle Trim ($6.99)
Surprisingly, this went on silky smooth (probably why it’s called Lingerie), and the color stayed on for quite a while. Even when it felt like my lips were a disaster, they weren’t too bad – it was just the color that had faded. The texture did get a bit weird throughout the day, as if the formula had clumped together.
Coffee Test: B+ (Bit of transfer, but nothing too drastic.)
Food Test: B (Comfortable while eating, but had to watch how I ate to avoid digesting my entire lipstick.)
Overall: 7/10 – Would Recommend
Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor in Kisses ($9.49)
Honestly, I was dreading this day. I had worn it before for thirty minutes or so (I wasn’t a big fan then), and it translated when I wore it for the day. When you put it on, it transfers on everything. Look at my poor coffee mug! Aesthetically pleasing – maybe. Good for long-wear lipstick – not so much.
I decided to blot off the top layer to avoid getting my lipstick on everything – and the pigment went away a little bit, but not too much. It stayed for about twenty minutes before fading. I got back from class literally four hours after I had put it on and it was faded to the point where it looked like I wasn’t wearing lipstick at all – utterly failing the 12 hour test (It also failed the 5 hour test). It also makes me sad this one was the most expensive. At least the formula smells good?
Don’t be fooled by the after smile – I’m smiling through the disappointment
Coffee Test: F (is there a rating worse than failing?)
Food Test: N/A (It had faded too much by then.)
Overall: 2/10 (2 points just because the formula smells good.)
Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid in Red Punch ($7.99)
This lipstick was…a little less than okay. Don’t get me wrong – the pigment was amazing, it felt like velvet, the formula seemed pretty good – but there are just some things that really annoy me about lipsticks, and this one checked a lot of the boxes. It transferred to anything with ease, it started to feather around my lips, and it felt like there was always a cream on my lips that never dried. The only way I would wear this again would be to a formal event where I wasn’t eating or drinking, and I would definitely use lip liner to avoid the feathering. Other than that, I wouldn’t recommend for long-wear lipstick.
Coffee Test: D+ (If you blot it.)
Food Test: F
Overall: 3.5/10
Rimmel London Provocalips 16-hour Kissproof Lipstick in Wish Upon A Berry ($6.99)
I’d like to thank Her Campus for showing me the light that is this beautiful lipstick. We were sent these little beauties and I may dare to say it was the best experience I’ve had with a lipstick. It stayed on all day, the color barely faded (if it faded at all), and I forgot that I was wearing it half the time. I even ate pizza without it having a problem. It passed the pizza test, do you know how huge that was for me?
I am definitely going to get more colors of this lipstick.
Coffee Test: A- (Little specks, nothing too drastic.)
Food Test: A
Overall: 9.5/10
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All images provided by the author