You may not have heard of liquid lipstick, but this is a beautiful trend you should have in your radar. They tend to look smooth and shiny in the application and design, dry matt dyeing effect. They are also usually enduring. So this is the most unique and best gift for her birthday.
We’re also pouting, wrinkling and try to give you the best range from high street to high street. We think they are in staying power, pigmentation, feel what they leave our lips, what conditions.
1. Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick
Smashbox takes the crown with its range of perfectly matte and beautifully pigmented liquid lips. Available in 20 shades and infused with jojoba, apricot and sunflower oil, these glide on effortlessly. They come with a diamond-shaped applicator and precision tip that lines and fills, giving a professional-looking finish. You get a matte look almost immediately, so remember to moisturise beforehand to avoid flaking. It’s also worth remembering that once on these shades will not budge, so make sure you have an oil-based remover for shifting the pigments when you’re ready.
2. Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor
Revlon has outdone itself with this 100 per cent wax-free, gel formula available in seven (rather raunchily named) shades. All are well-pigmented – but not garish – giving a good stain with decent staying power. They also happen to smell delicious, with a good-enough-to-eat vanilla fragrance. The flat applicator makes precision a bit difficult due to the thickness of the lipstick and it’s advisable to moisturise before use, to counteract any drying, but the result is pretty and long-lasting. We’d pair this with lip liner for maximum impact.
3. Topshop Liquid Lip
Topshop’s answer to the liquid lip is among the most impressive on the high street. You get excellent coverage, and particularly easy application. Topshop also claims its velvet cream formula offers first-to-market “adjustable coverage”, meaning this lipstick is designed to be worn how you like – be that a one-coat subtle job, or layered for extra impact. Downsides are it only comes in four shades (Phony is a particular favourite), and it might benefit from a precision applicator. Particularly easy on the lips and impressively pigmented, we reckon this one is a good alternative to the designer brands.
4. Christian Louboutin Loubilaque
If it’s luxury you’re after, then this liquid lip from Christian Louboutin comes in a decadent-looking vial that can be threaded with the silk ribbon provided and worn as a pendant. Obviously, it’s what is inside that counts , and we were impressed: it’s highly pigmented, long-lasting and dulls down to a matte stain. There are also eight shades to choose from and while we did get some very heavy transfer to start with, overall the sheer concentration of the colour and luxuriously glossy texture go a long way to justifying the expense.
5. Rimmel Provocalips 16hr Kissproof Lip Colour
Rimmel is renowned for its affordable, quality lip products, and this is no exception. It’s a two-step process: you get a lip stain and the other a finishing gloss that locks in colour. It is available in an impressive 16 shades, and claims to be kiss-proof, transfer-proof and food-proof – as well as lasting from morning to night. We were astonished to find that it more or less lived up to the claims. It’s also easy to remove with an oil-based make-up remover. We did find it was occasionally a bit sticky, but we like that this one gives you the option of a glossy finish.
6. Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick
Gorgeously soft and light, we found this one the most luxurious to wear of the high street brands. It is enriched with evanescent oils and, according to Bourjois, should last 24 hours – although we can’t guarantee you’ll wake up after a full night’s sleep with a perfect pout. While it needs to be applied quite thickly for a full effect, this gives excellent coverage across nine shades. We found a high transfer on first application and it can get a bit sticky around the corners of the mouth, but this one is good value for money and feels nourishing on the lips.
7. YSL Vernis à Lèvres Vinyl Cream Liquid Lipstick
Yves Saint Laurent products don’t come cheap, but there’s a reason the brand is so respected in the beauty world. This one is available in 12 high-impact shades and YSL says it will last for up to 10 hours and, while we’d say that’s stretching it a bit, we liked the buildable formula and the gorgeously glossy shine, that eventually dulls to a long-lasting matte stain. Particularly useful is the diamond-shaped applicator, which allows for professional-style contouring and full coverage. It’s worth noting that the texture, while creamy, is ever-so-slightly sticky on occasion – so keep a tissue to hand for blotting.
8. Sleek Matte Me
The cheapest product on the list, Sleek’s Matte Me is great value at under £5. Available in a variety of shades ranging from bright reds to baby pinks, the one-coat-finish formula is soft and smooth to apply, and offers better staying power than even some of the top brands. It dries quickly, we’d just make sure lips are well moisturised before use as it can be dehydrating and we’d use a lip liner to give it some extra precision.
