14 Long-Wearing Lip Liners on a Dime (2024)

TL;DR

Our favorite pick, theL'Oréal Color Riche Matte Lip Liner,is truly the best of the best. What sets it apart from others is its versatility—it can be worn with any lipstick or gloss.TryNYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencilfor intense color payoff.

Whether you want to create a more defined makeup look, enhance your lip shape, or help your lipstick stay around longer, a lip liner is the best way to do it. According to celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta, you should think of lip liner as a primer for the lips. “It’s a barrier to keep lipstick from bleeding onto other areas of the face and ensures that your other lip products will last longer,” he says.It’s also a surefire way to make your lips look more shapely and dramatic.

If you’ve never played around with lip liners (or are a liner veteran), you’ve come to the right place. We conducted hours of research on the best lip liners, evaluating each on its shade range, lasting power, and formulation. We also asked Ta for his insider scoop to help inform our picks.

Our Top Picks

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Best Overall, Runner-Up:

Milani Lip Liner at Amazon$8

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What We Like

  • Creamy formula

  • Glides on smoothly

  • Lasts all day with minimal touch-ups needed

What to Consider

  • Sharpener (sold separately) is required

Shade Range: 8 | Size: 0.04 oz |Cruelty-Free: No

What we love most about this lip liner is its versatility—and it's super easy to wear with any lip color. It comes in eight versatile hues, so you'll have no problem finding a shade that matches your favorite matte lipstick or gloss. Plus, it easily sharpens, though it doesn't come with a sharpener. Due to its matte finish, it can dry the lips, so make sure you apply a touch of lip balm before using it.

Shade Range: 8 | Size: 0.04 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Milani’s intensely pigmented lip liner is essential if you love a bold, statement lip. It has a gorgeous matte finish that glides onto the lips easily without tugging the skin or leaving any feathering. The hardest part is choosing between the eight stunning shades. When you land on a shade, the matte finish is perfect or gorgeously pairs with other lipsticks or glosses.

What We Like

  • Under $5

  • Creamy formula goes on smoothly

  • Buildable

What to Consider

  • Some classic colors go out of stock easily

Shade Range: 9 | Size: N/A | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you want to spend only a few dollars on a truly incredible lip liner, this one's for you. Highly pigmented and composed of skin-flattering neutral hues, we love how these liners pair well with literally every lip color—regardless of how bold or sheer. Bonus: The silky formula is both smudge-proof and long-lasting. Like many lip liners, the classic shades tend to be more popular, so we recommend stocking up before they inevitably sell out.

What We Like

  • Smooth, matte finish

  • Super pigmented

  • Long-lasting wear

What to Consider

  • Can break easily if used too harshly

Shade Range: 10 | Size: 0.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Few things are comparable to the perfect matte lip liner—and this one is remarkable. Use it to outline, define, or fill in your pout for a pristine look every time. Its hydrating formula infuses aloe vera and jojoba oil to keep your lips moist and soft. One of the downsides to its very hydrating texture is that it breaks pretty easily, so you need to be quite gentle when applying it.

What We Like

  • Long-lasting color payoff

  • Creamy and soft formula makes for easy application

  • Tug-free applicator gentle on skin

What to Consider

  • Breaks easily if too heavy-handed

Shade Range: 14 | Size: 0.01 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Looking at your lips after a couple of hours and seeing the color bleed outside the lines is the worst, so you always need a foolproof liner handy. Revlon's ColorStay will literally lock in your lip shade and prevent any of that from happening for hours. We love its tug-free application, but it does break easily if you press on too hard, so go easy. However, if you need to get more out of the product, there’s a built-in sharpener.

What We Like

  • The angled tip makes it easy to apply

  • Strong, unbreakable tip

  • Creamy but smear-proof

What to Consider

  • Not as long-lasting as others

Shade Range: 8 | Size: 0.005 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

For some people, applying lip liner can be tricky. That’s why having little helpers—like the angled tip on this liner—can make a big difference. It's easy to achieve precise lines on areas like a narrow cupid’s bow or tight corners. Plus, the liner is smudge- and crease-proof, so you’ll have a clean look for longer.Just don't expect this one to last all day or all night; you'll likely need to reapply after sipping a beverage or eating a meal.

What We Like

  • Comes in 20 shades and has an easy-to-control applicator

  • Doesn't need to be sharpened

  • Offers great staying power

What to Consider

  • Can break easily if too heavy-handed

Shade Range: 20 | Size: 0.01 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Maybelline's lip liner truly lives up to its name—sensational. Its wide array of neutral shades is exactly what you think of when looking for a nude lip liner, and the applicator ensures a smooth, controlled glide that is ideal for shaping the lips. Creamy and smudge-proof, it won't move a single centimeter when worn. We also love its buildable coverage, allowing you to go from understated to statement with one product. Our top tip? Add a touch of lip balm to your lips before applying it to counteract its dry, matte finish.

What We Like

  • Long-lasting, waterproof liner

  • Natural finish

  • Retractable design

What to Consider

  • Not as accessible as others

Shade Range: 5 | Size: 0.04 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Say goodbye to smudging; this is the best lip liner you could wear for a swim. Silky and non-sliding, this intense formula glides around your lips effortlessly. Wear it alone for a natural, accentuated lip or underneath your favorite lipstick to make it pop. We found that the colors in the online images were slightly different while still being super pretty.

What We Like

  • Extensive color range with 42 shades

  • Creamy formula

  • Flatters all skin tones

What to Consider

  • Pencil sharpening can be finicky

Shade Range: 42 | Size: 0.035 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Super pigmented and long-wearing, this high-intensity lip pencil applies beautifully with little to no effort. The liner comes in 42 colors, making it impossible to choose a favorite. Whether you're seeking something bold or natural and undetectable, this range surely has something for all makeup aesthetic preferences and skin tones. Also nice: Accomplishing clean lines with zero feathering has never been easier with the liner’s tug-free application.

What We Like

  • Offers gorgeous, pigmented red

  • Bold color payoff

  • No sharpener required

What to Consider

  • We wish there were more shades to choose from

Shade Range: 8 | Size: N/A | Cruelty-Free: Yes

There’s something so sophisticated about a bold, red lip. This liner offers a long-lasting pigmented red that won’t smudge. If you love this red shade, you’ll want to check out the other offerings, like “Eternal Pink” and “Boundless Berry.” Another bonus? It’s a retractable liner, so you won’t have to sharpen it.

What We Like

  • Retractable pencil design prevents breakage

  • Doesn't require a sharpener

  • Great for travel

What to Consider

  • Can be drying

Shade Range: 7 | Size: 0.01 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Sometimes, you just don't want to deal with sharpening a lip pencil (or an eye pencil, for that matter). There's nothing worse than pulling out your lip liner for a touch-up and discovering you left the sharpener at home—the liner is useless. That's where retractable liners come in. These babies roll up or down and can be tossed in your bag for reapplication anywhere or time. This liner in particular comes in seven shades, so there's bound so be one in the lineup that complements your skin tone or lipstick.

What We Like

  • Provides long-lasting lines

  • 30+ colors to choose from

  • Affordable and easily accessible

What to Consider

  • Can accentuate dry lips

Shade Range: 30+ | Size: 0.03 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you want to use a liner without needing to reapply, NYX Professional Makeup has you covered. The liner is long-lasting, so you can eat, drink, and chat the day away without worrying about reapplying. Another bonus: Their slim pencil liner comes in over 30 highly pigmented shades, so you can buy the whole collection and never get bored.

What We Like

  • Easy-control pencil great for beginners

  • Creamy formula

  • Glides on smoothly

What to Consider

  • Some inconsistency with shades

Shade Range: 6 | Size: 0.04 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’re keen to try a couple of different lip liners but don’t want to spend a lot of money, Wet n Wild’s range is ideal. You can buy a couple of different lip liners for under $5, making it easy to experiment with a few different looks. This range is especially great if you love that ‘90s brown lip, and the creamy texture is super easy to apply.

What We Like

  • Long-lasting vegan formulation

  • Pigmented shades

  • Natural finish

What to Consider

  • Application isn't always tug-free

Shade Range: 9 | Size: N/A | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’re looking for a super-pigmented lip liner that’s also vegan, then look no further than Mented. We love its range of deep shades—from “LaLa” red to its sultry berry-hued “M5”—that will instantly impact an everyday makeup look. Mented lip liners are also long-wearing and great for creating natural definition.

What to Look for in a Drugstore Lip Liner

  • Moisturizing Ingredients: "When purchasing a drugstore lip liner, look for moisturizing ingredients to keep the product from piling," says Ta. Some of these ingredients include shea butter, castor oil, beeswax, and lanolin—just to name a few.
  • Retractable Tip: "I like lip liners that are retractable, as I'm not a fan of carrying a lip liner pencil when I'm on set," explains Ta. It can be quite difficult to sharpen your pencil on the go, so a retractable formula is less messy (no lip pencil shavings!).
  • Color Range: Finding a lip liner that comes in several shades and has easy application is pure gold. If you love the creamy formula, you’ll likely want to test out other shades to have a look for every occasion.

FAQ

  • How should you prepare your lips for liner?

    As we’ve seen in many of the products tested, the strong pigment in lip liners can be a little drying. So, start by buffing and cleaning your lips to remove any dry skin.

    You can do this with an exfoliating lip scrub or by gently rubbing a tissue back and forth across your mouth. Then, add a little lip balm to hydrate the lips without making them too oily.

  • How should I apply lip liner?

    To enhance the natural shape of your lips, start from the cupid’s bow to create that defined shape. Then when drawing along the corners of your mouth, start from the corners and go up to meet the cupid’s bow. This will help to create a volumized look.

Meet Our Expert

For this story, Team Byrdie worked with a celebrity makeup artist to gather more insights about what to keep in mind when shopping for drugstore lip liners:

  • Patrick Ta is a celebrity makeup artist, skincare expert, and the creator of Patrick Ta Beauty, a cutting-edge artistry brand. Celebrity clients of the Vietnamese-American expert include Miley Cyrus, Arianna Grande, Gigi, and Bella Hadid.

Why Trust Byrdie

Byrdie contributor Rachel Dube has written for some of the biggest magazines and websites out there and has tested hundreds of products. She is constantly researching the newest trends and is always looking for the best drugstore finds.

Catherine Hufton is a beauty obsessive and has been a contributing writer for Byrdie since 2022. She digs deep into all things fashion and beauty to find the very best shopping must-haves—from the most effective collagen serums to the best hair products.

Cullen Ormond is a freelance Byrdie writer and a longtime editor. She helped to ensure all the lip liner information was up to date for easy shopping. Being a person who’s always on the go, Cullen appreciates quick ways to elevate a look—and lip liner is the perfect way to do that. After spending hours researching lip liners, she can’t wait to add a few more (inexpensive!) options to her makeup bag.

According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find enough lip liners from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business to meet this percentage. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com, and we will evaluate the product ASAP.

14 Long-Wearing Lip Liners on a Dime (2024)

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