Need your lip colour to stay put? The best long-lasting lipsticks will yield your desired colour payoff and finish with impressive longevity to boot – so it's good to have at least one reliable option in your makeup kit. Able to stay through almost anything the day throws at you (except the right make-up remover), you can rely on one of these smudgeproof, transfer-resistant formulas.
From the best red lipstick to flattering nude lipsticks, there has never been a better selection of long-lasting lipsticks on the market, with all manner of finishes and formulations. "A satin finish is perfect as the formula falls somewhere between a matte and a cream," explains Saffron Hughes, makeup artist expert for FalseEyelashes.co.uk. "The subtle shine makes imperfections less noticeable, so you won’t need to top up as much."
The right prep is also key. "Give your lip plenty of moisture before using a lip scrub to help create a smooth base," advises Dominic Skinner, Global Senior Artist for MAC Cosmetics. "Follow this with a lip primer, remembering to let it set for a minute or two. This will help to secure the colour, keeping it in place all day."
To write a thorough guide to the best-performing buys, our beauty experts tested many long-lasting lipsticks for a minimum of eight hours, eating and drinking throughout, to get a true representation of how long they last. We can confidently say the following buys are the best of the best – guaranteeing flawless and long-lasting results every time.
The best long-lasting lipsticks, reviewed by our beauty team
RRP: £27 | Shades: 18 | Finish: Matte
NARS Powermatte Lip pigments launched several years ago, but they remain one of the best lipsticks for longevity that we've ever tried. With a matte – but not too chalky – finish, they'll last well for hours, even withstanding food and drink to an impressive degree.
The narrow applicator allows for good precision to create a pretty clean, crisp edge (though applying one of the best lip liners first will allow for some wiggle room. The range of shades is impressive, too, covering everything from neutral browns, soft pinks and beiges to bolder reds, deep purples and bright pinks.
Reasons to buy: Incredibly good staying power; great shade range; nice precision
Reasons to avoid: Very matte finish won't appeal to all
RRP: £9.99 | Shades: 8 | Finish: Creamy matte
This high street number ticks a lot of boxes for its reasonable price. It's nice to wear with a soft, semi-moisturising feel you don't usually get from traditional bullet-shaped lipsticks. It doesn't feel at all waxy, which long-lasting formulas can. And, most crucially, it's highly pigmented and the colour really lasts.
In the name of research, our tester consumed copious amounts of water, a bowl of soup and four coffees throughout the day – and the lipstick still looked pretty vibrant post-lunch. An impressive eight hours after application, the colour was still strong. At this price point, we were really impressed.
Reasons to buy: Long-lasting for affordable price
Reasons to avoid: Cracked and faded a little with wear, limited shades
RRP: £26 | Shades: 8 | Finish: Glossy
If you're looking for a subtle colour with long-lasting hydration, this one is for you. On application, we found that it easily glides onto lips and, out of all the formulas we tested, has a subtle colour with lasting hydration. Because it's a tint, it should last for hours. We found that we wanted to keep reapplying because of the smooth formula and subtle finish so you can apply on the go without a mirror.
Formulated with castor seed oil and collagen-boosting fatty acids, this lip tint offers a subtle dose of colour production and leaves your pout looking fuller and smoothed; this moisturising lipstick envelops lips in an irresistible dose of non-sticky, comfortable colour with a soft shine finish.
Reasons to buy: Nourishing; gorgeous everyday shades
Reasons to avoid: Not the strongest colour payoff
RRP: £48 | Shades: 24 | Finish: Satin
Long-lasting lipstick can leave lips dry, flaky and uncomfortable – but not with Sisley's Le Phyto Rouge. If you have dry skin, this is an ideal product to help keep your lips' moisture levels up. The sumptuous, creamy formula of these buttery and balmy colours is so easy to wear. There's a fantastic shade offering, too, so there's something for everyone.
Thanks to hydrating hyaluronic acid, we found it instantly plumped the lips and has the kind of weightless feel of a nourishing lip balm. We found it also survived lots of talking and lip licking and, because it's creamier than a true matte, it's simple to reapply when it does eventually fade. Though the colour had separated slightly by the end of the day, it still felt extremely comfortable and retained some of the vividness we always look for in the best long-lasting lipsticks.
Reasons to buy: Skincare-like formula
Reasons to avoid: Pricier than most others
RRP: £37 | Shades: 30 | Finish: Matte
Promising a huge 16 hours of optimal colour without compromising comfort, Dior's Rouge Dior Forever has a lot to live up to. But it more than satisfied our testers. In fact, this luxurious entry had incredible staying power – well into its claim – without transferring or smudging.
When testing, we found that this is more matte than some of the other long-lasting lipsticks on this list, but it definitely lasts; we ate a fairly messy meal and braved some very windy weather while wearing it and, while the colour wasn't quite as bold as when first applied, we still thought it looked great afterwards. The formula is really creamy and silky, too, so it's a nice one for a comfortable feel.
Reasons to buy: Lightweight, comfortable, lovely to wear
Reasons to avoid: More expensive than other options
RRP: £37 | Shades: 13 | Finish: Satin
The Victoria Beckham Beauty range is just as iconic as VB herself – and this lipstick is one of her best products. It's designed to be super moisturising over long-lasting, but we were pleasantly surprised by how long the colour stayed put. It's formulated with nourishing oils to keep lips plump and soft all day. Also easy and smooth to apply, we were immediately impressed with the vibrancy of the colour considering its nourishing formula.
We found that we wanted to reapply this one just because of its balmy feel – but even when we didn't, the pigment still stayed on the lips for hours. The satin finish also means it doesn't dry down, so it's not transfer-proof, but the packaging is so gorgeous you'll want to carry it in your bag for top-ups.
Reasons to buy: Moisturising and plumping, comfortable for all-day wear
Reasons to avoid: Satin finish isn't transfer-proof
RRP: £19 | Shades: 4 | Finish: Glossy
If you have dry lips and struggle to find a long-lasting lipstick that wears comfortably, Fenty's lip stain works wonders. The oil-in-water formula delivers instant and lasting hydration, and the colour is just as reliable. It applies as a glossy lipstick, which you can either wipe off like a lip stain or leave on to gradually fade throughout the day.
The soft doe foot applicator and long wand meant it glided onto our lips with precise application and just the right amount of product. As expected with a stain, it fades perfectly throughout the day, leaving a light wash of colour on the lips. We loved that we could apply our favourite clear lip balm over the top and still see the pink hue shine through.
Reasons to buy: Can be layered to customise the colour
Reasons to avoid: Can't be reapplied quickly as a stain
RRP: £9.99 | Shades: 9 | Finish: Satin/shiny
If you want vivid colour and a long-lasting formula with a beautiful shine, look no further than Revlon's ColorStay Satin Inks. With a soft, satin formula that applies effortlessly, it's another one we recommend for not causing flaking or dryness.
For us, the lighter pink shade didn't quite last for the promised 16 hours of wear, however, the colour did leave a lasting stain on our lips that was only totally removed with one of the best cleansing balms (the sign of a truly reliable lipstick). However, we were very impressed by its performance – it would make an ideal pick for reliable mother of the bride makeup.
Reasons to buy: Long-lasting, shiny, non-drying
Reasons to avoid: Limited shade range
RRP: £33 | Shades: 8 | Finish: Satin
A lipstick, stain and serum all in one, this unique formula is quite the pioneer. Created by Rose-Marie Swift, a renowned makeup artist with 30 years of experience, it's both long-lasting and not at all drying.
The Legendary Serum Lipstick delivers long-lasting colour in one swipe and promises to hydrate lips for eight hours – and it did. It's lightweight enough that we forgot we had anything on our lips, but it has a seriously impressive colour payoff. We loved the hybrid formula for the added hydration and applicator when testing. It works by twisting the tube until it clicks and then using the tube's edge for a seamless application.
Reasons to buy: Hydrating, intense colour payoff
Reasons to avoid: Limited shades
RRP: £17 | Shades: 11 | Finish: Satin
Created by makeup artist Aimee Connolly, the Sculpted by Aimee Lip Duo makes adding colour to your lips a breeze. If you've ever struggled to match your lip liner to your lipstick, this takes away any guesswork. The dual applicator has a satin finish lipstick and a matching lip liner at the other for an easy, 2-in-1 tool.
Though this doesn't claim to be long-lasting, we found that the lip liner made it so. Because we had no excuse not to line our lips first, this ensured colour stayed put all day – and lasted a lot longer than we expected. Though it doesn't match others that claim to last 10 hours, it did last for a good few, though we did need to reapply after eating. It has a satin, shiny finish, so if that's not your thing, check the matte options here. But if you want something hydrating and easy to apply on the go, this is certainly worth a try.
Reasons to buy: Built-in matching liner, easy to apply, super hydrating.
Reasons to avoid: Not transfer-proof
RRP: £36 | Shades: 34 | Finish: Matte
Pat McGrath is one of Britain's most legendary makeup artists – and her eponymous brand's powerful formulas never disappoint. MatteTrance Lipstick is easy to apply, comfortable to wear and creates lasting, vibrant colour with just one sweep, while the unique "powder in a bullet" formula yields a matte finish.
We were most impressed by the shade range here; there really is something for everyone. These are some of the best colour payoffs we've ever seen in a lipstick range, with a soft matte finish that doesn't feel too heavy for everyday wear. It's super wearable and really does last all day and night. When testing, we found it to be one of the best matte finishes that's still moisturising and comfortable.
Reasons to buy: Incredible shade range, soft matte finish, vivid colours, stunning packaging
Reasons to avoid: You don't want a super matte finish
RRP: £9.99 | Shades: 12 | Finish: Matte
This lipstick didn't quite live up to its 16-hour-long wear promise, it did give us five hours – and for the price point, we say that's worth it. Because of its matte finish it can go flaky, so you'll probably need to carry it with you for top-ups or apply some of the best lip balm along with it. But it's lightweight, creamy, easy to apply and transfer-resistant to boot.
While testing, we did appreciate the hyaluronic acid in this lipstick's formula as well as its decent shade range. Overall, for less than £10 – and often on sale for even less – it's a good one to have in your bag or if you want to try out a different shade to your usual signature.
Reasons to buy: Affordable, fairly long-lasting
Reasons to avoid: You can spend a bit more on something even longer-lasting
How we tested the best long-lasting lipsticks
A selection of the long-lasting lipstick we tested for this guide
Beauty brands often make bold and impressive-sounding claims about their long-lasting lipsticks, from 16 hours of wear to completely transfer and water-resistant formulas. But it’s tricky to know which ones will actually live up to such promises.
We tested dozens of lipsticks for this guide, as well as including some old favourites that we've been wearing for years. Those that made the final guide performed well based on the following factors.
- Durability and transfer resistance
- Comfort
- Ease of application
- Pigment
- Finish
- Number of shads and range
- Packaging
- Price
How to make lipstick last longer
The trick to applying a long-lasting lipstick (and getting it to stay put) is to prepare well. Start with a lip scrub to buff away any flakes and uneven texture. This will creats a smooth canvas for your lipstick. Think of this like painting a fence; you wouldn't paint straight onto the raw wood, you’d first sand it down until it was smooth, then follow with primer and your chosen colour.
Your primer, in this case, takes the form of lip balm to nourish any dryness and keep your lips comfortable, especially if you’re wearing a particularly matte formula. Applying a small amount underneath your lipstick also means you won’t feel the need to lick your lips as often and your colour will, therefore last much longer. (This will also stop your lips from staining, if you don't want them to, and make it much easier to remove later on.)
Another age-old beauty technique for improving lipstick longevity is to apply one coat, blot it with a tissue, then apply another. This layers the colour and results in a much longer wear time – our grandmothers were onto something with that one.
Which type of lipstick stays on longest?
Sheer, barely-there balms and sparkly lip glosses have their place, but when you need your lip colour to last a long-wearing formula can’t be beaten. These tend to be matte in texture as they don’t slide around like creamy satin finishes. Of course, there are exceptions in the form of some satin formulas that have been developed to last (some of which are in this very guide) but, generally, a matte formula is your safest bet.
Another thing to be mindful of is colour payoff. Lipsticks often fade with wear, but find one rich enough in pigment and you shouldn’t need to reapply it. A formula that coats the lips with colour in just one swipe is ideal; these tend to last far longer than sheer options, which can lift with just one lick of the lips. The trick to how to stop lipstick bleeding and feathering is to apply pencil first – which also makes a huge difference to the longevity of your look.
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