As lipstick junkies will tell you, the craze for matte lip makeup is showing no sign of fading.
If anything, matte lippies have continued to evolve over the last couple of years, with cosmetic brands fine-tuning their formulas to address common grouses like their drying effect on lips, their tendency to flake and crack, and their heavy feel.
The result are lipsticks that deliver that on-trend matte finish without compromising on comfort and sensation. Many are packed with lipcare ingredients to moisturise and smoothen lips, while textures have been softened and lightened so you don’t feel like you’re wearing a layer of clay.
Here, we show you some of the best matte lipsticks in the market to try.
Where To Buy Matte Lipsticks
Rare Beauty Kind Words Matte Lipstick, $32
Buttery and pigment rich, this lipstick has a flexible formula that hugs lips snugly and moves with them without cracking and caking along lines. One swipe will do for rich, weightless colour. In 10 highly wearable shades that work well for everyday wear.
Buy
M.A.C Powder Kiss Velvet Blur Slim Stick, $46
Boasts punchier, more intense pigments than other lipsticks under the brand’s Powder Kiss umbrella. It promises up to 12 hours of bold, high-coverage colour and weightless wear, while the creamy, moisturising formula keeps lips hydrated and soft.
Buy
Dior Rouge Dior Forever Liquid Lipstick, $58
This smooth-textured, lightweight liquid glides on easily to deliver high colour payoff. Once it sets and dries, it’s virtually budge-proof and wears comfortably all day without making lips feel dry or highlighting lines.
Buy
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick, $50
No dull, heavy matte-ness with this lippie. Besides hydrating and nourishing ingredients like antioxidants and orchid extracts, it also has the effect of making lips look fuller and plumper, thanks to 3D glowing pigments within the formula.
Buy
Huda Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipstick, $40
Despite its intense colour and full-matte finish, this lippie has a smooth texture that allows it to glide on without tugging. Sweet almond oil helps to moisturise and nourish lips.
Buy
Estee Lauder Pure Color Whipped Matte Lip Color, $53
Velvety-smooth and non-sticky, this is enriched with butter from the moringa plant – known for its skin-protecting and nourishing benefits – and hyaluronic acid. Apply with the wand for full colour, or dab on and blur out the edges with your fingers for a softer effect. Buy
Hera Sensual Spicy Nude Volume Matte Lipstick, $43
Using clear, natural colours and a plumping ingredient unique to the brand, it helps to enhance and highlight volume for a fuller, more luscious looking pout. It also helps to fill in lines on lips.
Buy
Nars Air Matte Lip Color, $42
Airy-light like whipped cream, this feels like nothing on lips and is fab for day-long wear. With its colour-diffusing effect and soft, pillowy finish, it creates a matte look that’s pretty and romantic.
Buy
Revlon Kiss Cloud Blotted Lip Color, $19.90
Goes onto lips soft and weightless and delivers colour that looks as soft and fluffy as clouds. A blend of milk thistle lipolami, coconut oil and cotton seed oil nourishes lips and smooths away the look of lines.
Buy
Maybelline Sensational Liquid Lipstick Cushion Matte, $16.90
Just because it’s matte doesn’t mean it has to look flat. Apply a little to the centre of lips and blend outwards to create the soft, Korean ombre look, or glide the wand over lips for rich, ultra-matte colour.
Buy
