The 10 Best Long-Lasting, Smudge-Proof Lipsticks That Last All Day and Night
Want lip color that lasts through anything? Chances are that your regular lipstick isn’t cutting it, and a long-lasting lipstick is needed to do the job. No matter if your lip color needs to stay put through your morning matcha, a two-hour meeting, or a night out on the town, no one wants lipstick that does a disappearing act. Rather than reapplying hour after hour, seek solace in the new breed of long-lasting lipsticks, each with a unique finish that won’t dry out the lips. Whether you reach for a long-lasting lipstick daily or just on special occasions, these transfer-resistant formulas promise not to smudge, budge, smear, or fade away.
Meet the Expert
Lindsay Holdorf - Licensed Esthetician
Our Top Picks:
Best for Dry Lips: jane Iredale Triple Luxe Long Lasting Naturally Moist Lipstick Best for Plumping: Chantecaille Lip Chic Best for High-Performance: Estée Lauder Pure Color Long-Lasting Cream Lipstick Best Matte: Glo Skin Beauty Suede Matte Crayon Best Satin Finish: Anastasia Beverly Hills Satin Lipstick Best for Sensitive Skin: RMS Beauty Legendary Serum Lipstick Best Lip Liner: Wander Beauty Lipsetter Dual Lipstick and Liner Best for Hydration: Sisley Paris Phyto-Rouge Lipstick Best Gloss: tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Crème Best Crème: Kevyn Aucoin Unforgettable Lipstick
What Makes a Lipstick Long-Lasting?
Best Long-Lasting Lipsticks
Best for Dry Lips: jane Iredale Triple Luxe Long Lasting Naturally Moist Lipstick
$35.00
While this creamy lipstick looks like an ordinary one, it’s anything but that. Housed within the sleek-looking bullet is a soothing and nourishing formula that stays put once applied. Plus, the long-lasting matte lipstick is formulated with a blend of unique oils and waxes, so the lips stay protected, soft, and well-hydrated.
Key Ingredients: Castor seed oil, avocado oil, jojoba esters, candelilla wax, moringa seed oil, sunflower seed oil, ginger root extract, grape seed extract
Finish: Matte
Shades: 7
Wear time: 5+ hours
Best for Plumping: Chantecaille Lip Chic
$44.00
If you find that most long-lasting lipsticks look flat and provide little to no comfort, then this high-shine version is one you’ll want to add to your makeup routine stat. Easy to apply, this glossy lipstick adds a subtle plumping effect while providing even coverage, similar to that of a traditional lipstick, but without a sticky or tacky finish.
Key Ingredients: Sodium hyaluronate, castor seed oil
Finish: Glossy
Shades: 4
Wear time: 4 hours
Best for High-Performance: Estée Lauder Pure Color Long-Lasting Cream Lipstick
$40.00
You know those days when you need your lipstick to last all day and not do a disappearing act? This ultra-creamy formula does just that—no bleeding, creasing, or feathering—all with wearable color that flatters all skin tones while delivering a dose of lip-nourishing benefits, too.
Key Ingredients: Moisture Lock Complex™ , raspberry seed oil, meadowfoam seed oil, apricot seed oil, salicornia herbacea extract
Finish: Satin
Shades: 23
Wear time: 10 hours
Best Matte: Glo Skin Beauty Suede Matte Crayon
$27.00
Matte lipsticks and long-lasting formulas go hand in hand, as the lack of shine and creaminess makes for a stay-put, budge-free lip. This easy-to-apply lip crayon, which doubles as a lip liner, imparts a velvety-smooth color that lasts for hours.
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, mango seed oil, vitamins C and E
Finish: Velvet
Shades: 9
Wear time: 6+ hours
Best Satin: Anastasia Beverly Hills Satin Lipstick
$26.00
This highly pigmented, satin lipstick delivers long-lasting lip color with a single swipe. Whether you wear this ultra-smooth lipstick day or night (or both!), it delivers unparalleled color payoff without shifting or smudging off your lips.
Key Ingredients: Microcrystalline wax, copolymers, mica
Finish: Satin
Shades: 6
Wear time: 6+ hours
Best for Sensitive Skin: RMS Beauty Legendary Serum Lipstick
$36.00
Totally unique and unlike any other long-lasting lipstick we’ve ever encountered, this 3-in-1 product works as a lipstick, lip serum, and lip stain, flooding the lips with hours of intense hydration for perfectly smooth, kissable lips in a single swipe.
Key Ingredients: Organic bitter cherry fruit water, jojoba, mimosa, and sunflower waxes, adaptogenic herbs, Kakadu plum extract
Finish: Satin
Shades: 8
Wear time: 8 hours
Best Lip Liner: Wander Beauty Lipsetter Dual Lipstick and Liner
Two is better than one, and this dual-ended lip liner and lipstick infuses the lips with long-lasting moisture and loads of stay-put color. For perfectly shaped lips, first outline them with the lip-enhancing liner, then apply the creamy lipstick. Together, this one-two punch leaves the lips looking fuller—no touch-ups required.
Key Ingredients: Squalane and peptides
Finish: Matte
Shades: 5
Wear time: All day
Best for Hydration: Sisley Paris Phyto-Rouge Lipstick
$70.00
Some long-lasting lipsticks, particularly those with a matte finish, can dry out the lips, but not this one. Formulated with hyaluronic acid microspheres for a smoothing and hydrating effect, this gel-like lipstick provides stay-put color and a beautiful, luminous finish.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, konjac glucomannans, Padina pavonica extract, camellia oil, jojoba oil
Finish: Satin
Shades: 22
Wear time: 8 hours
Best Gloss: tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Crème
$27.00
Thanks to its buttery formula and lightweight texture, this glossy lip crème is perfect for cushiony soft lips that radiate transfer-proof color. Offering hours of long-lasting hydration too, the easy-to-apply vegan formula is rich in the brand’s famous superfruit complex, so your lips get the benefits of skincare with the bonus of color.
Key Ingredients: Superfruit complex, maracuja oil, vitamin E, Cushion Comfort Complex
Finish: Satin
Shades: 6
Wear time: Up to 12 hours
Best Crème: Kevyn Aucoin Unforgettable Lipstick
$32.00
One swipe of this cream-based lipstick results in fade-resistant color for hours on end. The super-slim packaging allows the creamy formula to glide smoothly and precisely onto the lips, making this a must-have for anyone who loves lipstick.
Key Ingredients: Beeswax, vitamins A and E
Finish: Creamy
Shades: 11
Wear time: Up to 6 hours
FAQs
How can you prevent dry lips from using a long-lasting lipstick?
If long-lasting lipsticks are your thing, then you’re familiar with the dryness that some of them can bring. The best way to prevent dry lips or even chapping is to prep the lips well. Before applying a long-lasting lipstick to your lips, first exfoliate them. Then, apply a thin layer of a hydrating lip balm, which you can also use as a base for the lipstick. This primes the lips so that the color will wear properly without any dryness.
How do you choose a long-lasting lipstick?
Similar to picking out a traditional lipstick or lip gloss, there are several elements of the product to take into consideration, including:
- Overall formula
- Finish
- Texture
- Shades
- Ingredients
- How long it lasts on the lips
The Bottom Line
Long-lasting lipstick is a must-have for those days and nights when your makeup can’t let you down. Gone are the days of ultra-drying, matte formulas, and in their place comes a handful of different textures and finishes so that there’s something for everyone. The key to finding the right long-lasting lipstick for you is to consider both staying power and comfort, since each is equally important. The right stay-put formula won’t feather, smudge, fade, or budge, no matter what, without the need to touch it up. So if you won’t lip color that just won’t quit, long-lasting lipstick is the way to go.
Elise Minton Tabin is an award-winning beauty journalist, editor, and beauty expert with more than 16 years of experience. She previously held the title of Executive Beauty Editor at NewBeauty magazine, where she reported on beauty, plastic surgery, anti-aging, health and wellness. She was also instrumental in the launch of the beauty supplement brand Hush & Hush. A self-professed beauty junkie and retinol and sunscreen pusher, Elise knows what’s new, what works and who’s the best to go for every procedure under the sun. Follow Elise on Facebook, Instagram, and on her beauty blog, elisetabin.com
