Weighing In On Liquid Lipsticks

As someone who is extremely passionate about my lipsticks, it has come to my attention that I haven't talked about them in quite some time. It felt like my lipstick drawer was calling out to me recently, telling me that it missed me. I have, admittedly, been ignoring it all summer, mostly because I haven't been wearing much makeup at all and when I do, I normally go for a matte nude. Tsk tsk, I am ashamed of myself.

One of my favorite forms of lipstick is a liquid lipstick. There are so many out on the market, so let's consider this comprehensive blog post a guide to some of the most popular liquid lipsticks out on the market and whether they're worth it or not. This would totally come down to somebody's preference, of course, but these are just my experiences with each of the brands that I've tried.

Before I go into each brand, I will say that I have very particular standards when it comes to a liquid lipstick that could be different from others. I like a really dry matte feel where if my lips touch, they do not stick to each other in the slightest. I like a precise application, which comes down to the brush applicator and the formula (if it's too watery or too thick, it's hard to apply precisely, especially around the cupid's bow). I like long-lasting (who doesn't) and even fading, so I'm not stuck with a thick rim of the color around my lips while the centers are completely bare. And most of all, I look for something that doesn't crumble off and leave residue on my lips. Now that we have that out of the way, let's dive into each brand!

Too Faced Melted Matte Liquid Lipsticks 

I have these liquid lipsticks in two shades: Lady Balls and Child Star. One is my signature red and the other is a light brown nude and probably one of the only nudes that I own. I personally have had no issues with these liquid lipsticks. I can wear Lady Balls for a significant amount of time (10+ hours) with minimal reapplying, mostly if I eat something that has a bit of oil in it and it breaks down the formula. It reapplies easily too, even if it's slightly being layered up. I find that if I apply some liquid lipsticks over a previous layer when they're already dry, the product starts to build up and begins to pill up and leave little bumps of product across my lips. Not a pleasant feeling, trust me. Child Star worked similarly for me, though since it is a nude color, the wear was less noticeable my lips than any wear that Lady Balls would show.

Out of ten, I'd give these about an 8.5. I'd like to try out more colors because I've yet to find a light pink liquid lipstick that I love so I'd be curious to see if the Too Faced Melted Matte range could come through with that light pink color and have it be opaque, not cling to every line in your lips, and not crackle off or leave those gross white lines across the inside of your lips.

Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipsticks

These are, in fact, different than the Melted Mattes. Similar tube shapes, but these original "melted" lipsticks come in a squeeze tube with a sponge like applicator reminiscent of a lipgloss or chapstick squeeze tube. These are not super long wearing liquid lipsticks. They don't dry down to a matte. They stay creamy on your lips, sort of like you're wearing a lipstick with a lip balm on top. They are very comfortable to wear though and last longer than you would expect. I have these in quite a few colors, from an almost neon lilac shade to raspberry to a summer red and all the way to some my lips but better nudes. I like wearing these on days where I know I have time to reapply. These are not a low maintenance lip product. You'll definitely need to reapply if you're doing anything but standing still with your lips not moving. If you talk, eat, or drink, you'll need to reapply. However, the tube makes it really easy for on the go application!

I'd give these a 6 out of 10 because the color range is good, they're comfortable to wear, they just aren't long lasting enough for my taste. I'd definitely get the Melted Matte over the original Melted lipsticks. 

NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams

These are some of the most affordable liquid lipsticks I've tried. Okay, so they're not quite a liquid lipstick, but they're also not a regular lipstick, so I'm going to keep them on this list. The consistency is somewhere around a mousse like texture. They're very light to apply to your lips and while the finish it matte, they are not a dry matte. Again, this makes for a comfortable wear, but not long-lasting in the slightest. They have gorgeous colors, but the pigmentation of some of these colors are not powerful enough to wear on their own without something layered underneath, which is a shame.

I'd give these a 5 out of 10 because they are comfortable to wear, but they are a high maintenance lip product because of all of the reapplying that you have to do. Plus, every single one that I own gives me those white lines on the inside of my lips which is really off-putting. However, I do own several of these and think they are worth a try because of the unique texture, gorgeous color range, and low price tag.

Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink 

This is the newest liquid lipstick that I've tried and I have to say, I am impressed. I really didn't think these would be as nice as they are after my first wear. I put on the layers too thick and did not like the feeling of the product on my lips and thought it settled too much into my fine lines. However, after taking a friends advice, I blotted off product between the first and second layer and had a much more comfortable second wear. However, these are a pain in the butt to get off. It takes me quite a few cotton pads with makeup remover to take off all of the product, so it worries me to think of what my lips would look like if I had one of the darker shades from the range.

I would give these a solid 8 out of 10. They are extremely long lasting, don't crumble off, and layer nicely when it comes time for reapplication. I do deduct a couple of points for the formula though. Despite being extremely long lasting and smudge proof, it never dries down so there's a constant (albeit faint) sticky/tacky feeling that I can't get over. I still wear them, don't get me wrong, but that might be the factor that keeps me from buying more and consistently reaching for them. That totally comes down to my preference though, so if you don't mind a sticky feel, I would 100% recommend getting one of the lighter shades.

NARS Velvet Lip Glides

I hesitate to call these a liquid lipstick, but here I am. The best way to describe these is that they feel like a lip gloss, but have the pigmentation of a lipstick. They're semi-matte but never dry down, leaving your lips feeling glossy the whole time. I would not buy this in one of their darker shades because that just seems like a mess to me. I have this in the shade Bound which is a plum toned nude, sort of like MAC's Syrup and it's a nice color to wear when I'm not sure what else to wear because it goes with every makeup look and outfit. Since this doesn't claim to be a long-wearing liquid lipstick, I can't fault it for not being long-wearing. However, I would beware when it comes to those darker shades. I just see it being disastrous. 

I'd give it a 6 out of 10 just because they are super comfortable to wear and are very pigmented, they're just not a product that I am personally keen on. Remember, for me, the drier the better. 

MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipsticks

Speaking of dry...hello, MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipsticks. In my world, there is such a thing as too dry though. And this liquid lipstick falls directly into that category. My friend and I were so excited when these launched that when I was in New York with her, we each tried one on in the store and bought it and were blissfully in love. Until we tried to apply them at home and realized what a mess they were in reality. The formula is so thick and dries down to a matte so quickly that it's nearly impossible to get a precise application. And then when it does dry, it starts to settle in every fine line and crack the moment you move your lips out of their resting position. I couldn't even get through a few hours of wearing this at work because I went to the bathroom and rinsed this entire thing off. I will not be buying another and mine sits in the bottom of my drawer because I don't have the heart to throw it out. 

I would give this product a 2 out of 10. Not a fan in the slightest, sorry MAC!

Kat Von D Liquid Lipsticks

These were my original favorite liquid lipsticks until I tried a few more. I still love my Kat Von D shades that I have, but I wasn't smart with the shades I picked, so I rarely wear them. I think I need to get a few more wearable colors so I can wear one of my favorite formulas on a more regular basis! These have a more watery base than the thick and creamy texture that some liquid lips seem to have. The colors dry down completely matte without cracking on your lips. I love the sleek tube and handle because it makes it easy to hold and apply precisely to your lips. I will say, at least with the darker shades that I have, you have to be careful. You don't want to mess up with these because they are a mess to try to clean up and you will end up with either massive lips from having to over draw your lip line to fix a mistake or having to reapply makeup around your lips if you mess up so badly. 

I'd give these an 8 out of 10 because they're comfortable to wear, are long lasting, and come in some unique colors. I think I'd be able to give these more of a fair chance if I tried out the lighter shades. I always hesitate because I don't like buying a lipstick in a color I already have, even if it's not a liquid lipstick, and I have similar shades to most of the lighter colors in this range.

Anastasia Liquid Lipsticks 

This is a product that I don't understand why I didn't like. I always hear amazing things about Anastasia liquid lips and I love Anastasia eyeshadows and brow products, but man, I did not like these ones. Maybe it was the color I chose, maybe I just got a bad batch, but mine did not work out for me. It's pretty normal for liquid lipsticks to dry down a little darker than what they look like in the tube, but I swear the one I got ended up being an entirely different color than what I had expected. It just wasn't flattering on me. Beyond that shade not being right for me, this would crumble off on my lips after only a few hours of wearing it. I wouldn't be eating or drinking anything and I would feel something gritty on my lips when they would touch. It was a really off-putting feeling and became the second (and third) time that I ever took a lipstick off during the middle of work because I couldn't stand it anymore. 

I don't want to rate this too low because I have heard great things from other people, but based on my experience, I would give these a 6 out of 10. Perhaps other shades would work better? For reference, I owned Soft Lilac. 

Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipsticks

Last but certainly not least, we have the Smashbox Always On Liquid lipsticks. I originally picked one of these up because I wanted the shade Chill Zone so bad after seeing it on a friend. I was going to tolerate the formula whether or not I liked it because I fell in love with the color. Luckily, this became easily my favorite liquid lipstick formula of all time. It's super comfortable, insanely easy to apply precisely because of the brush, and is super long wearing without being impossible to remove. I will say, if you apply these too thick, they will do that gross thing where they start to crumble off. Similar to how I apply the Maybelline liquid lipsticks, I would definitely blot off the first layer before putting on the second layer so there isn't excess product on your lips. It would definitely help when it starts to dry down. 

I would give these a 9 out of 10, easily. I love the applicator, the color range, and the formula. These are definitely worth a try if you're a fan of liquid lipsticks. 

Whew. And that's all she wrote! There are definitely some that I still want to try, especially some drugstore takes on the liquid lip. What are your favorite liquid lipsticks? 

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