When it comes to beauty, few things are as iconic as a tube of the best lipstick.
Over 100 years ago, Elizabeth Arden created a shade of red lipstick for the Suffragettes to wear as a symbol of power and female strength. Suffice to say, wearing your favourite shade can be a very empowering experience.
However, today, there are thousands of lipsticks on the market, making it challenging to determine which one is the best in terms of formulation, pigment, and nourishment. Luckily, here over at team Marie Claire UK, we're incredibly partial to lipticks, and we've been sifting through and testing all the newness for years now to come up with a comprehensive list, which you can peruse below.
Best lipsticks, at a glance
- Best hydrating lipstick: Victoria Beckham Posh Lipstick | £37 at Space NK
- Best matte lipstick: Fara Homidi Essential Lip Compact | £83 at Selfridges
- Best nude lipstick: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk | £23.20 at Sephora
- Best nude lipstick for darker skin: Jones Road The Classic Lip in Tawny Nude | £30 at Jones Road
- Best brown lipstick: Glossier Ultra Lip in Cachet | £22 at Space NK
- Best red lipstick: Westman Atelier Lip Suede Matte Lipstick in Le Rouge | £36 at Cult Beauty
- Best 'your lips but better' lipstick: Clinique Almost Lipstick in Nude Honey | £19.20 at Lookfantastic
- Best long-lasting lipstick: DIOR Rouge Dior On Stage Shine Lipstick | £31.20 at Boots
- Best lip-stain effect: CHANEL Rogue Allure Laque | £31.50 at Sephora
- Best balm consistency: Violette Fr bisou Balm | £30 at Liberty
- Best luxurious lipstick: Hermès Rouge Hermès Satin Lipstick | £53.55 at Cult Beauty
- Best sheer lipstick: Merit Signature Lip Lightweight Lipstick | From £14.72 at Merit Beauty
- Best affordable lipstick: Kiko Milano Smart Fusion Lipstick |
The best lipsticks to buy in 2025
1. Victoria Beckham Posh Lipstick
Victoria Beckham’s Posh Lipstick is a cult favourite for a reason. Despite its super nourishing, balmy consistency, it packs a punch when it comes to colour payoff, making this a great option for dry or mature lips. The blend of candelilla, carnauba, rose flower, and sunflower waxes delivers comforting hydration, while rosehip, coconut, and avocado oils soften and add a subtle, healthy sheen. Plus, a pomegranate and jojoba complex smoothes fine lines and gives the appearance of a fuller pout—what more could you want?
2. Fara Homidi Essential Lip Compact
Not only is this one of the most eye-catching lipsticks in my collection, but the matte formula is unlike anything I've ever tried before. This powder-to-cream formula applies like a dream, lending a '90s vibe to the lips. It's beautiful and stays put for an impressive amount of time, too. Right now, there are two nude and two red shades, which will suit all skin tones.
3. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Pillow Talk
Charlotte Tilbury's iconic Pillow Talk lipstick is renowned for a reason. This very wearable nude-pink shade works for fair to medium skin tones (opt for Pillow Talk Medium if you have darker skin), and really does look incredible on everyone. We love the angled square tip, which allows for precise application right from the bullet.
4. Jones Road The Classic Lip in Tawny Nude
I’ve always loved Jones Road’s Classic Lip for its creamy formula that glides on effortlessly without creasing or feathering. Plus, its soft, sheeny satin finish makes it perfect for any occasion. Our favourite nude for darker skin is 'Tawny Nude'—a warm, versatile shade that complements all undertones but truly shines on medium to deep skin types.
5. Glossier Ultra Lip in Cachet
Glossier’s Ultralip caused quite a stir when it first dropped, and it’s easy to see why. True to the brand’s ethos, it’s all about enhancing your natural lip shade, not masking it. We’re love the deep brown 'Cachet', which is a nod to the 90's revival, but the best part is that you can layer it sheer or pack on the pigment. A seriously versatile, all-rounder.
6. Westman Atelier Lip Suede Matte Lipstick in Le Rouge
Marie Claire UK's Senior Beauty Editor, Katie Thomas, says of Westman Atelier's Lip Suede Matte Lipstick in 'Le Rouge': "I'm a firm believer that if you're tired, the best way to distract from looking so is to wear a bright lipstick that draws notice away from sleepy eyes. This Lip Suede does that job better than most. I wear Le Rouge—a bright tomato red that's so poppy it commands attention. It's the most nourishing matte finish that I've ever used, and hands down one of the best red lipsticks I've ever had the pleasure of wearing. Trust me when I say that I've done the homework."
7. Clinique Almost Lipstick in Nude Honey
Our Beauty Editor, Nessa Humayun, says of Clinique's Almost Lipstick in 'Nude Honey': "I tried this bare-lipped on a whim, sitting at my desk, and nearly gasped when I saw the results. It is a perfect, sheer nude-brown that will suit all skin tones, thanks to being infused with both cool and warm pigments. It's not too light and not too dark, and is buildable, so you can layer it for a more pigmented look. It pairs beautifully with any nude or brown-toned lip liners or can be worn alone for an effortless swipe of colour."
8. Dior Rouge Dior On Stage Shine Lipstick
This high-performance lipstick from Dior packs ultra-pigmented colour with a high-shine finish, while keeping your lips hydrated for up to 24 hours. Its clever two-phase formula blends rich pigments with nourishing oils, so it feels comfortable all day with minimal transfer. Plus, the sleek, sculpted bullet makes it easy to line and fill in your lips in one go—it's perfect for the working woman.
9. Chanel Rouge Allure Laque
CHANEL’s first liquid lipstick comes with some bold claims that it more than lives up to. Life-proof and water-resistant, it delivers rich colour, shine, and hydration for up to 12 hours, while its ultra-comfortable formula keeps lips soft and supple for up to 10 hours—an all-around winner.
10. VIOLETTE_FR Bisou Balm
Marie Claire UK's contributor, Lucy Abbersteen, says of VIOLETTE_FR's Bisou Balm: "Application-wise, it’s very difficult to get it wrong here, as it really is as easy as just swiping it on. Because it has this matte (but not mega dry) consistency, it creates this fantastic wash of blurry colour. No crisp edges here, unless you pair it with lip pencil, just a soft focus finish—it's designed to create that "bouche mordue", AKA a just bitten lip look, which I can attest to."
11. Hermès Rouge Hermès Satin Lipstick
At well over £50, Hermès' offering certainly isn't the cheapest. But if you're looking for something beautiful to pull out of your handbag—and a great, long-lasting formula, to boot—you can't go wrong with the house's Rouge Hermès Satin Lipstick. It's also infused with a conditioning blend of candelilla wax and plant oils, so it hydrates while adding colour.
12. Merit Signature Lip Lightweight Lipstick
"Signature Lip is a great moisturising lipstick," says our contributor Lucy Abbersteen. "The formula is quite balmy, so it’s definitely one you’ll want to carry with you to reapply. It does, however, build well for richer colour or can be blended for a more subtle blurred lip effect. The shades are also lovely—I love 'Tiger', a burnt brick shade, or 'Fashion', a berry pink."
13. Kiko Milano Smart Fusion Lipstick
Marie Claire UK contributor Matilda Stanley says of Kiko Milano's Smart Fusion Lipstick: The colour payoff from this full coverage lipstick is great, and you get exactly what you see on the bullet. It paints over lips beautifully with a satin finish that makes my lips look gently glossy and a little fuller. It lasts for hours without the need for touch-ups, and my pout doesn’t feel dry at all, even after days of wearing. It’s available in nine pink shades to suit different skin tones."
