My Top 3 Favorite Liquid Lip Formulas

Liquid lipsticks are here to stay, it seems. Even as we transition to the trend of glossier lips, I still find most beauty gurus and influencers are using liquid lipsticks as a base—them using gloss on top.

I’m still not a fan of lip gloss. I lived through the early 2000s as a teenager, thank you very much, with my hair nearly semi-permanently attached to my lips thanks to thick, sloppy Victoria’s Secret glosses. I’m not ready to revisit that era, just as I will never revisit low-waisted jeans, peasant tops, or skirts over jeans.

I am, as you probably know, a big fan of a liquid lipstick. Liquid lipstick has all the things I love about lipstick (color payoff, looking put together even when I’ve just rolled out of bed) and corrects all the things I don’t like about lipstick (having to reapply 4000 times before and after eating, risking having it all over my face at any moment).

When it comes to formulas, we all have our favorites. Some people hate a really powedery feeling formula and some people love it. Some people don’t like super drying formulas. And if you’re like me, and you’re getting older, and you find liquid lipsticks feather, you start to get incredibly frustrated by the options out there.

I’ve done the legwork, the research, everything. I’ve tried all the liquid lipsticks I can find and I’m here to tell you my 3 absolute favorite formulas.

But first, let’s talk a bit about my criteria for my favorites.

1) I like a quick drying formula. I don’t like waiting around for my lipstick to dry before I move on.

2) I like long lasting formulas. I should be able to drink coffee and 1) not get it everywhere and 2) not have to reapply afterwards.

3) I like somewhat comfortable formulas. That is, it doesn’t feel like I’ve put a clay mask on my lips.

Favorite Formula #1: Wet’n’Wild Liquid Catsuit

If you’ve read my blog before, you know that Wet’n’Wild Liquid Catsuit is one of the best liquid lip formulas… at least in my book. Fast drying? Check. Comfortable? Absolutely. Staying power? Yes. And even better? They cost $5. $5!!! For one of the best liquid lips out there. I’ve written about them a lot before, so I don’t need to say much more except that… if you want the most bang for your buck, get to your nearest Target, Walgreens, or Walmart, and buy at least the shade Rebel Rose.

Favorite Formula #2: Anastasia Beverly Hills

I buy ABH Liquid Lips exclusively at TJ Maxx or Marshalls, because they alway shave a ton. So while I can’t speak to the price range (they’re $20 normally), I can say with confidence that they are one of my favorite formulas. They dry down really fast and are very comfortable. I would actually say the ABH formula is the most comfortable formula of the 3 I’m writing about today. It feels like you don’t even have lipstick on—that’s how comfortable it is. They have great color pay off, of course, and are incredibly long lasting. Plus, the fact that you can often find them for a discount is a huge bonus to me; I’m never one to spend $20 on a lipstick unless it is the holy grail… and these kind of are holy grail liquid lipsticks.

Favorite Formula #3: Too Faced Melted Mattes

When I bought the Christmas set of liquid lipsticks from Too Faced, I didn’t have super high hopes for them. I just really liked the theme. However, they have quickly become some of my favorite liquid lipsticks and the shade Sugar Cookie is actually one of my daily go tos. It’s the perfect pale pink nude. Melted Mattes check all the boxes, of course: they are fast drying; they are long lasting; and they feel relatively comfortable. I do have issues with darker shades, like the Cinnamon Bear shade, feathering—so I make sure to use a liner. However, at $21 a pop, they aren’t something I buy a lot of. However, if you can find gift sets, you often get deluxe sample size (which are plenty big) for a pretty affordable price. I always keep my eyes peeled for them!

Beauty Review: BITE Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquid Lipsticks*

As always, the asterisk in the title of this post indicates I received these lipsticks for free via Influenster. If you'd like to learn more about my disclosure policy, see here. 

I wanted so badly to love these lipsticks. For whatever reason, when I received the email, I interpreted them to be matte liquid lips. But they are, in fact, not. They are liquified lipsticks, which is nice way of saying a very pigmented gloss. 

I received three colors: Demi-Glace (a sort of brown toned dark purple), Eclair (a fairy standard pinky-mauve with a heavy purple undertone), and Flambe (a bright, orange-red). I wasn't stunned by any of the colors at first glance. I don't like orange reds simply because they don't look good on me. Demi-Glace is quite dark so I could make it work for Fall. Eclair is probably my favorite, but it's also a color that I own in at least ten different ways at this point! 

My first impression, when I tried on Eclair the first time, was: "oh these smell incredibly sweet." They do smell so sweet; it's so cloying that I actually had a really difficult time handling it. Someone pointed out in a beauty group I'm in that they smell like gummy bears. That's pretty dead on, actually. 

On the lips, they feel incredibly nice: they're smooth and glossy, extremely hydrating. If you're not sensitive to smells, they will probably be fine. But if you're like me and a strong smell can give you a headache, they can be overpowering, as I said. However, they leave my lips feeling so moisturized, it's really hard to complain!

Let's talk longevity: they are not long lasting. They're a highly pigmented gloss, essentially; they stay sticky and don't dry down. Unlike lipsticks, it's not a cream or crayon. It bothered me to have my lipstick wear off bit by bit as I went through my morning and reapplying every two or so hours was a bit of a pain. But I like the color of Eclair enough to keep at it. However, the darker and more pigmented colors actually have even more issues with longevity; not only did Demi-Glace come off very easily, but it stained everything it touched, including my coffee mug. 

Would I buy one of these lipsticks on my own? Probably not. At this point, I'm either rocking a liquid lip or a classic lipstick. Gloss was never my favorite, even when I was 14 and lipgloss was insanely popular. The sticky texture is enough to drive me batty. That being said, if you do not like liquid lips and enjoy a more glossy look, these are definitely right up your alley! I've seen some of the other colors in the line and they are actually much better than the three I got. You can view all the colors here. (I really like Chai and Cava!)