5 Drugstore Black Lipsticks Ranked
Many of us black lipstick aficionados remember what it was like to scour the Earth trying to find a black lipstick when it wasn’t October. Now drugstores like Walgreens and CVS carry black lipsticks year-round. I stocked up on 5 different black lipsticks from Walgreens and am going to rank them based on application, durability, pigment and how they feel overall, from worst to best.
1. Rimmel London: Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour, Pitch Black, 840
On their website they make the claims about high-intensity bold colors with a velvety finish, that is kiss-proof, touch-proof and water-proof.
So I’ll start by talking about the application. It goes on pretty smooth, but because its a liquid it feels more like applying a slippery gloss than a lipstick. I also find these types of wand tools harder to control during application than crème lipstick. It also starts out shiny looking before drying.
Once dry, I’m not a fan of the texture. It feels sticky and cakey. I felt like I had to apply several coats to achieve a black pigment, so I may have caked it on, but the texture is not pleasant overall. It has also had a strong lipstick taste I can feel in the back of my throat.
However, this lip color isn’t all bad, as it does look fairly black. Don’t let the tube fool you in person, because it looks gray, but once applied it’s actually quite dark and black. It’s nice-looking if you can apply it right, which I may have done a little patchy. You may also have more luck controlling it and not make a mess of yourself, whoops!
As for durability, they hit that on the nail! I tested it out to see if it was kiss-proof and drink-proof and it holds up. I even tried rubbing it off on my hand and barley a smudge!
2. Katy Perry Covergirl, Katy Kat Matte: Perry Panther, KP11
I’ve been using this lipstick for about three years now and I’ve always liked the formula. It’s not super creamy, but it’s smooth and matte. On the website is described as being “velvety soft” “with a demi-matte finish.” While this takes several coats and lots of applying to really get the pigment saturated into your lips its a fairly nice black, about as equal as the Maybelline Color Sensational below.
The shape of the lipstick lends itself to a smooth application as it contours to the natural shape of lips. It’s comfortable to wear, pleasant, smooth texture. It definitely has that lipstick taste though so if you’re not constantly wearing lipstick like me you might notice that more.
It’s definitely not kiss-proof, food or drink-proof, but I suppose as long as you’re not doing those things its durability is upheld, otherwise, it may require some reapplying throughout the day.
3. Maybelline Color Sensational: Pitch Black, 845
Application is tops on this, as it goes on smooth and creamy. I really enjoy the texture of this lipstick, it’s super soft and feels pleasant to wear. This line of lipsticks is advertised as hydrating and I would agree, it doesn’t let you down in those regards. I don’t experience any discomfort or irritation applying or wearing this formula.
The pigment has something to be desired, but it’s not the worst, but it could be a little darker. With enough coats, you can achieve mostly black, and if you have fair skin or wear makeup to make your skin paler the black will be far more noticeable. The picture from Maybelline’s website makes it look gray, but it looks black in person.
If you’re terrible at applying lipstick like me and get it all over your face, it comes off easily with no leftover stains so that’s a huge plus for me!
As for durability, I tested out the kiss-proof factor and it doesn’t hold up. When I’ve worn this all day for concerts I’ve had to reapply throughout the day, but mainly as a result of eating or drinking. It’s otherwise pretty long-lasting.
4. Wet N’ Wild: MegaLast Lip Color, Black Out, 986A
Advertised in Wet N’ Wild’s website as 4-hour long wear with a “semi-matte cream finish in one-stroke” and “rich, velvety color that doesn’t cake.” and is made with hydrating ingredients.
I was overall really impressed with the application, it does glide on pretty smoothly. I was skeptical due to the shape of the lipstick not looking very promising but the application was super easy. The downside if you screw up and smear it on your face you’ll need water or makeup remover to remove the stain.
It’s heavily pigmented, a very rich, dark black, which I’m very happy with. Probably one of the darkest black lipsticks on this list by far. However I don’t think it’s very kiss-proof, but I suppose if you’re not eating, drinking or kissing it very well does last for 4-hours as they promise. The texture is definitely rich, creamy and velvety as described.
5. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick: Midnight Mystery, 043
This lipstick is considered to be a pearlized navy blue, but it appears black on the skin. Advertised as vibrant, creamy and lush. I was pleasantly surprised by this because the moment I started applying it I was instantly impressed. The application is really smooth, as it glides onto the lips and the shape of the lipstick contours the bow of the lip effortlessly. I’m over the moon with the pigment! It’s actually black and doesn’t take 5 coats to achieve this! By far my new favorite drugstore black lipstick that I will be using more often!
As for durability, this is advertised as being the lipstick line to wear for a party or formal event where you’ll want your lips looking good for a long stretch of time with no caking. However, when eating Twizzlers and drinking Dr. Pepper it didn’t stay put, but it otherwise could be a long-lasting lipstick.
