You’ve probably caught on by now that I like liquid lipsticks. Give me typical, liquid to matte, stays on forever like house paint, dries you out liquid lipstick or give me death. I know they’re drying to the lips and sometimes they aren’t the most comfortable but for me the long wear time, and not worrying about transfer is well worth it.

But for some people that’s not the case. Some people hate the way they feel, hate how dry they make your lips the next day (although that can definitely be taken care of with some TLC) or just plain don’t like them. If you fall into that category then get the hell off my blog right now. KIDDING!

I get that side of the story too and lucky for you there are some non drying liquid lipsticks on the market now that can give you that matte, full coverage look without the drying part…and I mean both drying out your lips and also literally drying down and setting during wear. Which makes this a very confusing post to write, because I keep feeling like I have to clarify what type of drying I mean.

To be clear: The formulas I’m going to show you don’t set. For me that makes them slightly less desirable but I actually like all of these and still wear them even though I’m addicted to the kind that dry down, so you know they must be pretty damn good.

I also don’t find these to dry out the lips and make them crackly and scaly and dead and terrible and omgtheyruinedyourwholelife and all that jazz.

So if you’re wondering which type of drying the answer is BOTH. WOO! Glad we cleared that up…semantics make me dizzy…and hungry…is that weird? Don’t answer.

The first one is a drugstore formula too. Isn’t that fun? Yay for savings!

MAYBELLINE VIVID MATTE LIQUIDS

THE LOW DOWN

• These are very pigmented especially for drugstore products
• They feel like a balm and actually condition the lips, so they have literally the opposite effect of regular liquid lipstick
• They transfer a little but that’s to be expected if a lipstick doesn’t set.
• I do recommend using a liner with the dark/bright colors. They feather a bit on me after a while, and its very very rare that a lipstick feathers on me so if that’s something that happens to you a lot it might become a real issue. I used a clear liner under it the after realizing this and it solved that problem, so no biggy.
• They are scented, and it’s not my favorite smell but it’s not offensive either. It’s the same as a lot of other Maybelline lip products.
• These wore for about 2 or three hours before I needed to touch them up, but they also wore off very gracefully which is always a plus.
• They cost around $7.00 and you can find them online or at Target and some local drugstores

TARTE LIP PAINTS

THE LOW DOWN

• These are thick and mousse-like. Definitely not a thin or light formula
• Full disclosure I only like the nude-pink colors from this range. The darker colors I tried were patchy and awful. Like I legit hated them and was mad at them. The nudes have a gorgeous finish though and apply really evenly with little effort. It’s like night and day which is really weird within the same range, but hey that’s the way it goes. I mean look at them in those photos they’re super pretty.
• They have a peppermint scent, but nothing crazy and tingly like a lip plumper.
• They wear for around 2-3 hours before they need a touch-up. Eating and drinking included. They don’t wear off evenly by any means but they also don’t flake and crumble (which is something some people hate in liquids)
• These are $20 and you can find them at Sephora both online and in store and also on Tarte’s website.

TOO FACED MELTED LIPSTICKS

THE LOW DOWN

• These two colors are from the new Melted Chocolate line but the original colors are the same formula and perform the same way.
• I love the way these look and feel, but with the darker colors I do find that when I first apply them they can get on my teeth and sometimes a bit of my hair gets in it and then leaves a line on my face. You can read my full review on the formula HERE and see details of that. That problem can be mitigated a bit by applying less product, but it’s definitely something to be aware of.
• The wear time of these is about 2-3 hours but not if you’re eating. I find that eating makes these wear off way faster, but they are also a less matte formula than the others so I guess that’s not too surprising. Definitely don’t wear these on a date and eat spaghetti though.
• They are literally like someone took a bullet lipstick and melted it. The name is a really good description.
• They smell like candy, in a subtle and beautiful way.
• Completely non-drying, but not as conditioning as the Maybelline ones above.
• They retail for $21 and you can find them at Sephora, and Macy’s (and some of the original shades on Amazon Prime)

So if you’ve been on the hunt for non drying liquid lipsticks..in both senses of the word, then these formulas might be for you. If you like the traditional type that sets then carry on with your bad self, but these are good too so don’t overlook them just because they don’t set.