These Are The Best Black Lipsticks At The Drugstore

When I wanted to wear it as a teenager, my choices were spending all my money on designer product, or using a waxy black eyeliner. I picked the eyeliner every time. But now, it’s a brave new goth beauty world. Kat Von D is one of the most prominent brand owners in the world. Influencers who do “spooky” makeup get massive makeup deals. The dark path has gone mainstream — and I couldn’t be happier.
The best part? There’s a whole new crop of black lipsticks at the drugstore. But frugal goths and aspiring evil queens want to know — just how good ARE they? And babes, I am here to help. I tried every black lipstick at the drugstore to determine, once and for all, which is best. And honestly, the winner might surprise you. From L-R: Maybelline Color Sensational Loaded Bolds lipstick in Pitch Black ($7, Ulta), CoverGirl Katy Kat Matte lipstick in Perry Panther ($9, Ulta), Rimmel Stay Matte liquid lipstick in Pitch Black ($6, Walgreens), J.Cat Beauty Lipfinity Kissproof Lip in Wild Limo Rides ($5, Ulta), Black Radiance Perfect Tone lip color in Black Out ($3, Target), NYX Liquid Suede creame lipstick in Alien ($7, Ulta), e.l.f. Moisturizing lipstick in Black Out ($3, Ulta), and Black Radiance Brilliant Effects lip gloss in shade Black Diamond ($4, Walgreens). I compared these lipsticks on color and darkness, opacity, wear, and comfort. I photographed them when they were just applied, and then four hours later (because none of these are technically longer lipsticks, I didn’t do a full day). I also checked how much gets on your teeth and how much transfers off your mouth, because as any goth queen knows, that’s the worst part of the black lipstick life. The Maybelline lipstick ($7, Ulta) was surprisingly easy to find — there was a full complement of them at my local drugstore, and EVERY major online merchant carries this lipstick. The power of the mass market. If you’ve ever worn a Maybelline lipstick, you know EXACTLY how this one feels, which is amazing, since “trend” lipstick shades often deviate WILDLY from the quality of the “parent” line. The Maybelline Pitch Black lipstick started out strong, but things began going wrong at the two hour mark, when I ate half a cookie and got a black line under my lower lip. I expect black lipsticks to fade over time — they’re a high maintenance shade — but this was VERY uneven. It also started to feel dry and sandpapery on my lips, and look, I’ll put up with a lot, but I am NOT here for dry lips. Part of CoverGirl’s extremely hyped Katy Perry collab, this lipstick ($9, Ulta) was much harder to find in stores — I had to buy it online instead. GUESS IT’S POPULAR. The question is, will it taste like cherry chapstick? Let’s find out. It’s not as obvious from far away, but up close you can see that this CoverGirl shade is such a warm black, it verges on green-gray. It’s also not matte — this is a straight up satin finish here. This lipstick is also very sheer. This was three layers, and I’d say there’s still room for full opacity. And perhaps you can already see the next problem… It had faded at the center, but somehow gotten darker AROUND my lips. It had sunk into all the lines in my mouth. It had worn off on my chin. It was STILL getting on my teeth. I mean, true — a sheer wash of this plus my natural lip color DOES make a cool dead roses shade. But that’s not what I wanted. Rimmel’s bullet lipsticks are cult classics — so I was very interested to see if the liquid lipsticks ($6, Walgreens) measured up. The applicator, which I had such high hopes for, ended up hurting more than it helped. It deposited the color in clumps, especially around my lip line, which made it incredibly uneven. You would definitely need a black lip liner with this product.
Additionally, it took an hour to dry down to a matte finish. That’s just… why? Let’s get this out of the way: Rimmel lipsticks are, in general, known to have a VERY strong scent. Some people aren’t bothered by it, but I’ve always found it overpowering. The Pitch Black liquid lipstick ($6, Walgreens) is no exception. It has a smell that, to me, is like fruit punch-scented cleaning supplies. The smell started out strong, and did not fade once the color was on my lips. If you’re someone who is sensitive to fragrance, you need to know this. I was done. Based on the swatches, I was ENTHUSIASTIC to try this one. The J.Cat liquid lipstick ($5, Ulta) flowed onto my arm like black ink, and dried down to a super-matte finish. I was VERY excited to try it out. No shade, but this liquid lipstick smells like a bubblegum-scented paint marker. It is INTENSE. She is RICH. She is DARK. She is OPAQUE IN ONE COAT. I will say that because it dries down fast, perfectionists need to hustle. I take my time to get my lip outline right, but the J.Cat lipstick set so fat, I ended up a lil lopsided. But at such a cheap price point ($5, Ulta), I’m cool with needing a lip liner beforehand. Honestly, this is IMPRESSIVE wear for a $5 lipstick ($5, Ulta). The only issue I had with it is that, as the day wore on, my lips felt drier and drier. By the time I took this picture, they felt like the desert. I know that it’s the rare matte formula that doesn’t leave your mouth feeling parched, but this was extreme. The color, wear, and darkness are all perfect — you can’t get a better liquid matte black for the price. But if you tend to get dry lips, the mega-parching formula might be a dealbreaker. The Black Radiance lipstick ($3, Target) was trickier than expected to track down — though Black Radiance as a brand is in most drugstores, finding an IRL store that stocked it’s full line was tough. I don’t want to say this is definitely because BR is a brand aimed at women of color, but it’s something to consider. I ended up ordering this lipstick online. You could have told me that this Black Radiance lipstick ($3, Target) was a luxury brand, and I would have believed you. The formula was SO nice to apply, and after subjecting my lips to multiple torturous black lipsticks, this was glorious. Black Out ($3, Target) was also totally opaque in a single layer. Adding a second coat will make the lipstick a little glossier, but you don’t need it for truly deep dark coverage. The transfer in this picture may have been because I did apply two coats of this lipstick, just to see what happened. It’s worn and a bit uneven, and honestly, this Black Radiance lipstick ($3, Target) started needing a touch-up after about two hours. If I’d have tended to it, this black lipstick would have gone the distance — and it does bear mentioning that it was BY FAR the most comfortable bullet shade I wore. The NYX Suede lipstick ($7, Ulta) is one of the best reviewed budget-friendly black lipsticks out there — I couldn’t wait to see what the hype is about. I could tell it was popular, because this line wasn’t available in ANY physical stores I went into, but luckily it was easily available online. Don’t get me wrong — the applicator was excellent, and the color was consistent, dark, and velvety. But the NYX ($7, Ulta) was pretty clearly a dark gray lipstick. I don’t know what kind of dark magic NYX did to keep this semi-shiny cream lipstick off my teeth, but I’m so glad the brand did. I do wish that a little of that magic could have stopped Alien ($7, Ulta) from rubbing off all over my cups, fingers, food, and even pens over the next four hours. The Liquid Suede was not sold as a longwear lip product — but for a semi-shiny liquid, this is some EXCELLENT wear. I found that it tended to smudge and smear off, rather than fade or flake off, so if you can keep your life away from your mouth (lol), this is the drugstore buy for you. I’ve never had anything but good experiences with e.l.f. and I was hoping its black lipstick would be no exception. The black shade of this lipstick line ($3, Ulta) was sold out, from what I could tell, throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan — but again, it’s easily found online. I felt like a regal queen immediately — which is, of course, the end goal of any dark lipstick ($3, Ulta). In retrospect, I could have applied a second coat for FULL opacity — in HD, it’s clear my application was a little streaky on the top lip. But overall, e.l.f. gets full marks for darkness, richness, and easiness to apply. It didn’t feather or peel. It faded evenly, and am I nuts, or is it STILL kind of a pretty color? Well done, e.l.f. — this is just proof that you don’t need to spend tonnes of money to get a great ~spooky~ product. This black lip gloss ($4, Walgreens) doesn’t seem to be available in many retail stores, and is even tricky to find online. But guys. I think it’s worth it. I. Could. Die. Unfortunately, the Black Radiance gloss ($4, Walgreens) which, yes, WAS this opaque over bare lips was sticky. It was blobby. It got ALL over my teeth, transferred onto everything I looked at, and stained my soul. It began feathering out into the fine lines around my mouth within ten minutes. If you don’t like sticky glosses, you won’t like how this feels very much. If you’re after a single stunning photo, though? Yeah, you need it. This is pure glistening majesty. I only wish it stayed put. It’s interesting that BOTH of these shades outperformed the other drugstore black lipsticks that were twice the price. Money can’t buy a dark heart, and it’s not always an indicator of a quality black lipstick, either.

title: “These Are The Best Black Lipsticks At The Drugstore” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-02” author: “Jan Mayes”

When I wanted to wear it as a teenager, my choices were spending all my money on designer product, or using a waxy black eyeliner. I picked the eyeliner every time. But now, it’s a brave new goth beauty world. Kat Von D is one of the most prominent brand owners in the world. Influencers who do “spooky” makeup get massive makeup deals. The dark path has gone mainstream — and I couldn’t be happier.
The best part? There’s a whole new crop of black lipsticks at the drugstore. But frugal goths and aspiring evil queens want to know — just how good ARE they? And babes, I am here to help. I tried every black lipstick at the drugstore to determine, once and for all, which is best. And honestly, the winner might surprise you. From L-R: Maybelline Color Sensational Loaded Bolds lipstick in Pitch Black ($7, Ulta), CoverGirl Katy Kat Matte lipstick in Perry Panther ($9, Ulta), Rimmel Stay Matte liquid lipstick in Pitch Black ($6, Walgreens), J.Cat Beauty Lipfinity Kissproof Lip in Wild Limo Rides ($5, Ulta), Black Radiance Perfect Tone lip color in Black Out ($3, Target), NYX Liquid Suede creame lipstick in Alien ($7, Ulta), e.l.f. Moisturizing lipstick in Black Out ($3, Ulta), and Black Radiance Brilliant Effects lip gloss in shade Black Diamond ($4, Walgreens). I compared these lipsticks on color and darkness, opacity, wear, and comfort. I photographed them when they were just applied, and then four hours later (because none of these are technically longer lipsticks, I didn’t do a full day). I also checked how much gets on your teeth and how much transfers off your mouth, because as any goth queen knows, that’s the worst part of the black lipstick life. The Maybelline lipstick ($7, Ulta) was surprisingly easy to find — there was a full complement of them at my local drugstore, and EVERY major online merchant carries this lipstick. The power of the mass market. If you’ve ever worn a Maybelline lipstick, you know EXACTLY how this one feels, which is amazing, since “trend” lipstick shades often deviate WILDLY from the quality of the “parent” line. The Maybelline Pitch Black lipstick started out strong, but things began going wrong at the two hour mark, when I ate half a cookie and got a black line under my lower lip. I expect black lipsticks to fade over time — they’re a high maintenance shade — but this was VERY uneven. It also started to feel dry and sandpapery on my lips, and look, I’ll put up with a lot, but I am NOT here for dry lips. Part of CoverGirl’s extremely hyped Katy Perry collab, this lipstick ($9, Ulta) was much harder to find in stores — I had to buy it online instead. GUESS IT’S POPULAR. The question is, will it taste like cherry chapstick? Let’s find out. It’s not as obvious from far away, but up close you can see that this CoverGirl shade is such a warm black, it verges on green-gray. It’s also not matte — this is a straight up satin finish here. This lipstick is also very sheer. This was three layers, and I’d say there’s still room for full opacity. And perhaps you can already see the next problem… It had faded at the center, but somehow gotten darker AROUND my lips. It had sunk into all the lines in my mouth. It had worn off on my chin. It was STILL getting on my teeth. I mean, true — a sheer wash of this plus my natural lip color DOES make a cool dead roses shade. But that’s not what I wanted. Rimmel’s bullet lipsticks are cult classics — so I was very interested to see if the liquid lipsticks ($6, Walgreens) measured up. The applicator, which I had such high hopes for, ended up hurting more than it helped. It deposited the color in clumps, especially around my lip line, which made it incredibly uneven. You would definitely need a black lip liner with this product.
Additionally, it took an hour to dry down to a matte finish. That’s just… why? Let’s get this out of the way: Rimmel lipsticks are, in general, known to have a VERY strong scent. Some people aren’t bothered by it, but I’ve always found it overpowering. The Pitch Black liquid lipstick ($6, Walgreens) is no exception. It has a smell that, to me, is like fruit punch-scented cleaning supplies. The smell started out strong, and did not fade once the color was on my lips. If you’re someone who is sensitive to fragrance, you need to know this. I was done. Based on the swatches, I was ENTHUSIASTIC to try this one. The J.Cat liquid lipstick ($5, Ulta) flowed onto my arm like black ink, and dried down to a super-matte finish. I was VERY excited to try it out. No shade, but this liquid lipstick smells like a bubblegum-scented paint marker. It is INTENSE. She is RICH. She is DARK. She is OPAQUE IN ONE COAT. I will say that because it dries down fast, perfectionists need to hustle. I take my time to get my lip outline right, but the J.Cat lipstick set so fat, I ended up a lil lopsided. But at such a cheap price point ($5, Ulta), I’m cool with needing a lip liner beforehand. Honestly, this is IMPRESSIVE wear for a $5 lipstick ($5, Ulta). The only issue I had with it is that, as the day wore on, my lips felt drier and drier. By the time I took this picture, they felt like the desert. I know that it’s the rare matte formula that doesn’t leave your mouth feeling parched, but this was extreme. The color, wear, and darkness are all perfect — you can’t get a better liquid matte black for the price. But if you tend to get dry lips, the mega-parching formula might be a dealbreaker. The Black Radiance lipstick ($3, Target) was trickier than expected to track down — though Black Radiance as a brand is in most drugstores, finding an IRL store that stocked it’s full line was tough. I don’t want to say this is definitely because BR is a brand aimed at women of color, but it’s something to consider. I ended up ordering this lipstick online. You could have told me that this Black Radiance lipstick ($3, Target) was a luxury brand, and I would have believed you. The formula was SO nice to apply, and after subjecting my lips to multiple torturous black lipsticks, this was glorious. Black Out ($3, Target) was also totally opaque in a single layer. Adding a second coat will make the lipstick a little glossier, but you don’t need it for truly deep dark coverage. The transfer in this picture may have been because I did apply two coats of this lipstick, just to see what happened. It’s worn and a bit uneven, and honestly, this Black Radiance lipstick ($3, Target) started needing a touch-up after about two hours. If I’d have tended to it, this black lipstick would have gone the distance — and it does bear mentioning that it was BY FAR the most comfortable bullet shade I wore. The NYX Suede lipstick ($7, Ulta) is one of the best reviewed budget-friendly black lipsticks out there — I couldn’t wait to see what the hype is about. I could tell it was popular, because this line wasn’t available in ANY physical stores I went into, but luckily it was easily available online. Don’t get me wrong — the applicator was excellent, and the color was consistent, dark, and velvety. But the NYX ($7, Ulta) was pretty clearly a dark gray lipstick. I don’t know what kind of dark magic NYX did to keep this semi-shiny cream lipstick off my teeth, but I’m so glad the brand did. I do wish that a little of that magic could have stopped Alien ($7, Ulta) from rubbing off all over my cups, fingers, food, and even pens over the next four hours. The Liquid Suede was not sold as a longwear lip product — but for a semi-shiny liquid, this is some EXCELLENT wear. I found that it tended to smudge and smear off, rather than fade or flake off, so if you can keep your life away from your mouth (lol), this is the drugstore buy for you. I’ve never had anything but good experiences with e.l.f. and I was hoping its black lipstick would be no exception. The black shade of this lipstick line ($3, Ulta) was sold out, from what I could tell, throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan — but again, it’s easily found online. I felt like a regal queen immediately — which is, of course, the end goal of any dark lipstick ($3, Ulta). In retrospect, I could have applied a second coat for FULL opacity — in HD, it’s clear my application was a little streaky on the top lip. But overall, e.l.f. gets full marks for darkness, richness, and easiness to apply. It didn’t feather or peel. It faded evenly, and am I nuts, or is it STILL kind of a pretty color? Well done, e.l.f. — this is just proof that you don’t need to spend tonnes of money to get a great ~spooky~ product. This black lip gloss ($4, Walgreens) doesn’t seem to be available in many retail stores, and is even tricky to find online. But guys. I think it’s worth it. I. Could. Die. Unfortunately, the Black Radiance gloss ($4, Walgreens) which, yes, WAS this opaque over bare lips was sticky. It was blobby. It got ALL over my teeth, transferred onto everything I looked at, and stained my soul. It began feathering out into the fine lines around my mouth within ten minutes. If you don’t like sticky glosses, you won’t like how this feels very much. If you’re after a single stunning photo, though? Yeah, you need it. This is pure glistening majesty. I only wish it stayed put. It’s interesting that BOTH of these shades outperformed the other drugstore black lipsticks that were twice the price. Money can’t buy a dark heart, and it’s not always an indicator of a quality black lipstick, either.