If you want lip color that lasts from your first coffee to your last conversation, start with Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink. Maybelline claims up to 16 hours of wear for its matte liquid lipstick, and says it resists fading, flaking, smudging and transferring. That is the longest wear claim among the matte picks here.

The other four picks change one thing about that formula. COVERGIRL Outlast adds a moisturizing topcoat. Revlon ColorStay Suede Ink is a regular bullet lipstick. stila Stay All Day is a waterproof creamy matte. Maybelline Super Stay Vinyl Ink gives a shiny finish instead of matte. Every wear time and finish below is the maker’s own claim. Lip colors come in many shades, so each Amazon link opens one shade, and you can switch to yours on the listing.

Picks at a glance

Lip color Formula (maker) Finish (maker) Wear claim (maker) Transfer claim (maker)
Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid, dries down Saturated matte Up to 16 hours Transfer-proof, smudge-proof
COVERGIRL Outlast All-Day Liquid color + topcoat balm Satin Up to 24 hours Kiss-, smudge-, transfer-proof
Revlon ColorStay Suede Ink Bullet with built-in primer Matte Up to 8 hours No-transfer
stila Stay All Day Liquid, dries down Creamy matte Up to 12 hours Transfer-proof; waterproof
Maybelline Super Stay Vinyl Ink Liquid, shake first Instant shine Up to 16 hours Smudge- and budge-resistant

1. Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink: Best long-wear matte

Maybelline makes Super Stay Matte Ink with saturated pigments in a flexible formula that it says moves with your lips for up to 16 hours, without fading, flaking, smudging or transferring. The finish is a saturated matte with full coverage. The tube holds 0.17 fl oz (5.0 mL) and has an arrow-shaped applicator for lining the lips.

Maybelline’s directions are to outline your lips with the tip of the applicator, fill them in with the flat side, then let the color dry completely. For a softer look, it suggests dabbing a little in the center of the lips and pressing it outward with a fingertip. To take it off, Maybelline suggests micellar water or an oil-based makeup remover that says it is safe for lips.

Best for: Bold matte color that has to last from morning to night.

Skip it if: You want a creamy or shiny finish, or you dislike the feel of a liquid that sets.

2. COVERGIRL Outlast All-Day Lip Color with Topcoat: Best for comfort

Outlast is a two-step lip color. You apply the full-coverage liquid color to clean lips and let it dry for 60 seconds without pressing your lips together. Then you add the moisturizing topcoat for shine and comfort, and you can reapply the topcoat as a lip balm during the day.

COVERGIRL claims up to 24 hours of color, the longest wear claim here, and calls it kiss-proof, smudge-proof, transfer-proof and fade-proof. It says the color resists bleeding, feathering, caking, crumbling and clumping. The finish is satin, and COVERGIRL lists 41 shades. It is formulated without parabens, talc or mineral oil, and COVERGIRL says it is approved by Cruelty-Free International.

Best for: Anyone who finds dry-down liquid lipsticks uncomfortable and wants a balm built into the routine.

Skip it if: You want one step and done.

3. Revlon ColorStay Suede Ink Lipstick: Best long-wear bullet

If you prefer a regular lipstick to a liquid, Suede Ink is the bullet pick. Revlon says a built-in primer smooths and bonds to the lips and grips the pigment, which extends wear and prevents transfer. It claims a no-transfer, smudge-proof finish for up to 8 hours, and opaque matte color in one coat.

The bullet has a flat, angled base. Revlon’s directions are to start at the center of your lips and glide out toward the corners, and it says one coat gives full coverage. It is infused with vitamin E, made without parabens, mineral oil or sulfates, and labeled vegan. Revlon lists 18 shades.

Its 8-hour claim is the shortest here.

Best for: A long-wear matte that applies like a classic lipstick, with no wand.

Skip it if: You need the longest possible wear.

4. stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick: Best waterproof matte

stila calls Stay All Day a matte-meets-comfy formula with jojoba oil and pomegranate flower extract. Its FAQ says vitamin E and avocado oil help keep lips soft. It dries down to a creamy matte finish with full coverage. stila calls it budge-proof, transfer-proof and waterproof, and says it won’t bleed, feather or smudge, for up to 12 hours.

Its directions are to start with clean, dry lips, outline with the doe-foot applicator, fill in the center and let the color set for a few seconds. To remove it, stila suggests an oil-based makeup remover or a cleansing balm. The tube holds 0.10 fl oz (3 mL). stila also warns that the formula is flammable until dry, so keep it away from flame and heat. stila says the lipstick is certified cruelty-free.

Best for: A matte that has to hold up to water, in a creamy matte finish.

Skip it if: You want more product per tube. At 0.10 fl oz, it holds less than either Maybelline formula.

5. Maybelline Super Stay Vinyl Ink: Best long-wear shine

Most long-wear lip colors are matte. Vinyl Ink is Maybelline’s long-wear formula with an instant shine finish. Maybelline claims up to 16 hours of wear and full coverage, and says its Color Lock formula resists smudging and transfer.

Maybelline says to shake it for at least 5 seconds before applying, to mix the pigment with the Color Lock formula. You apply it to clean, dry lips and let it dry fully, which Maybelline says can take 5 to 10 minutes. It is a vegan formula in a 0.14 fl oz tube, and Maybelline lists 20 shades.

Best for: Shiny color with a long-wear claim.

Skip it if: You don’t want to wait several minutes for it to dry down.

How to choose a long-lasting lipstick

Pick the formula type

Liquid lipsticks that dry down, like Matte Ink, Stay All Day and Vinyl Ink, carry the longest wear claims among the one-step picks here. A bullet like Revlon Suede Ink applies like a classic lipstick, but Revlon claims 8 hours rather than 12 to 16. A two-step formula like COVERGIRL Outlast takes an extra step and gives you a balm to reapply.

Choose matte, satin or shine

Matte Ink, Suede Ink and Stay All Day are matte. stila describes its finish as a creamy matte. COVERGIRL Outlast is satin, and Vinyl Ink is shiny.

Give it time to set

Long-wear claims depend on letting the color dry. COVERGIRL says to wait 60 seconds without pressing your lips together. Maybelline says Vinyl Ink can take 5 to 10 minutes to dry down, and to let Matte Ink dry completely.

Plan how you’ll take it off

Long-wear formulas are made to resist rubbing. Maybelline suggests micellar water or an oil-based makeup remover that is safe for lips, and stila suggests an oil-based remover or a cleansing balm.

For the rest of a makeup look that needs to last, see our guide to making oily skin makeup last longer and our concealer picks . If smudging around the eyes is the bigger problem, our mascara primer picks cover what primer can and can’t do.

FAQ

What makes a lipstick long-lasting?

Most long-wear lip colors are liquids that dry down and set on the lips, like Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink and stila Stay All Day. Revlon puts a built-in primer in its Suede Ink bullet to extend wear, and COVERGIRL Outlast uses a separate topcoat over the color.

How do I remove long-wear liquid lipstick?

Maybelline suggests micellar water or an oil-based makeup remover that says it is safe for lips. stila also suggests an oil-based makeup remover or a cleansing balm for Stay All Day.

Can I put lip balm over long-wear lipstick?

COVERGIRL builds this into Outlast: its topcoat goes over the dried color and can be reapplied as a balm during the day. For the other picks here, the makers don’t give directions for adding balm on top.

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