16 best red lipsticks for a standout pout, according to a beauty editor

Mac has been the beauty brand favoured by make-up artists for nearly 40 years. Supplying the make-up for fashion week shows, many a famous film and red carpet moment, the products are known for their strong pigments and truly impressive lasting time. And we can safely say this red lipstick is no different. Marketed by the brand as its “mattest bullet lipstick”, the strong pigment lasts an incredibly long time (around six hours, even when eating and drinking), while the blue-toned colour was hands down our tester’s favourite shade. And, as Louise explained, it did make our teeth look whiter too without drying out our pout.

Not only is this Essence liquid lipstick a real bargain buy at less than £3, but it’s also an incredibly impressive product that far exceeds its penny-pinching price tag. In fact, it may be the product that surprised our tester the most, thanks to its punchy pigment, lightweight and silky feel and easy application. The colour spreads perfectly (and evenly) across the lips before setting in for around eight hours with a very matte finish with no fading, flaking or smudging in sight. The formula also contains ingredients that give the lipstick its staying power no matter how much you eat, drink or kiss during that time. So, if it’s bargain beauty you’re after, look no further.

Named best red lipstick in our liquid lipstick review, this Huda Beauty find is a great choice for those looking for a slick of colour that stays put all day. Although it feels incredibly thin when first applied, the pigment is pretty punchy and doesn’t budge. No matter if you eat, drink or kiss, it lasts for around eight hours (at least) with no smudging, fading or feathering, making it perfect for those after a fuss-free pout.

Being a liquid lipstick, it’s easy to achieve a precise application thanks to a small doe-foot brush. Last time we tried it, we found it a little drying, but the good news is that it has been reformulated to now include lycopene, olive oil and vitamins A and E, which all help to hydrate and soften, so you’ll probably forget that you’re wearing anything at all. The only downside is that the colour is so strong it can slightly stain, so be wary when removing it as you may still see a red-hued tone.

We’ve already raved about this budget-friendly beauty buy before, naming it both our best bargain purchase and the best under £20 make-up find. And, after adding yet another shade to our roster, our love for this product is showing no sign of slowing down. Coming in at less than £10, it’s a real steal and the shade spicy offers a deep, dark red that Louise would say works best on warmer skin tones.

It’s soft and creamy and instantly melts into the lips with a satin finish, while squalane and jojoba esters help hydrate, so there’s no risk of a dried-out pout. The lasting time was around three to four hours, depending on how much we ate and drank, but a lip liner would help to extend this while adding a sharper edge. All in all, it’s a bargain beauty buy we still haven’t tired of, and there are an impressive 20 shades to try.

Louise explained how orangey reds will suit those with darker skin tones incredibly well, so it’s no surprise that this terracotta Il Makiage option looks stunning on those with warmer complexions.

Incredibly creamy thanks to a blend of mango butter, beeswax and hydrating emollients, the formula has a lip balm-like feel that doesn’t dry your lips out in the slightest. And, thanks to strong colour pigments, it offers both bold colour and full coverage, meaning the lipstick makes a loud impact while lasting around four to six hours before needing topping up.

Luxury beauty brands are very much “the girls who get it, get it”. Yes, you can find something similar and much cheaper elsewhere (just take a look at our Elf option), but for some, the feeling of owning a luxury label is incredibly special. For us, Chanel is a standout every time.

Housed in a chic black and gold case, this designer buy looks just as beautiful on your lips as it does in your bag. Inside, Chanel lettering is stamped across the stick, proving the brand’s attention to detail at every point, and the product itself is just as impressive.

When on, it feels more like a lip balm than a lipstick, thanks to softening ingredients such as shea butter and jojoba oil, making it one of the least drying matte lipsticks we’ve tried so far. The pigment is punchy, although a little bit pinkier than some of our other options, and takes a little while to warm up on the lips before sweeping over so smoothly.

Somehow, someway, the Fenty icon velvet liquid lipstick made our tester’s lips look bigger and fuller than any other option in the guide. Although it has no lip-plumping ingredients within the formula, we’re putting it down to a combination of the creamy whipped texture and incredibly intense colour, which means you can slightly overline without any skin tone peeping through. The MVP shade is a rich, deep, dark red, perfect for warmer skin tones, as Louise explained, although to achieve a sharp edge, we’d recommend using a small brush in order to be left with a precise pout. It lasts for a good six to eight hours without cracking or fading, even when eating and drinking.

You may remember bareMinerals as one of the first “clean beauty” brands, popping up in the likes of Debenhams beauty hall around two decades ago. Today, the natural beauty business has boomed, and the brand seems to have grown with it, expanding into bright and bold make-up products like this hydra-smoothing lipstick. This is the pick for those who prefer more simplistic formulas and ingredient lists that are easier to understand. Making it feel more like a lip balm with a great hit of hydration, castor seed oil is the main ingredient which made our tester’s lips feel softer and smoother after continual use.

To make picking a shade rather simple, Valentino uses R lettering (such as this one) for cooler undertones and A lettering for warmer undertones, so there really is something to suit everyone.

Opting for a pinky, blue-toned red, our tester fell in love with shade 22R as it slightly steps away from the classic ruby red colours. A lot of clever design features have gone into this perky product, too. Firstly, it’s refillable, meaning you can slot new shades into the vibrant pink case to make it last a lifetime, and these are also cheaper, coming in at £26 per refill. Secondly, the case itself has a gold-toned mirrored back for easy application on the go. Both matte and satin options are available, the second of which (like we tested) is incredibly lightweight and moisturising, so perfect for those with slightly drier pouts.

Anyone with an eye for ingredients is sure to be impressed with this RMS Beauty option. Not only is it an incredibly hydrating, high-shine lip colour that also packs an impressive ruby red shade, but its formula also reads like a skin-loving cocktail. Castor seed oil, jojoba seed oil, shea butter, beeswax and cocoa seed butter are just a handful of those included, all working to soften, hydrate and nourish the lips to combat any chapped pouts or dryness.

In a thin stick formula, it glides on like a lip balm with a tacky, gloss-like texture, and this light-catching look lasts for around two to four hours before needing to be reapplied again. Our tester definitely didn’t mind these regular hits of lip hydration, and with a cool, blue undertone, it truly pops on those with cooler skin tones.

With more than 1,000 five-star reviews online, we knew we had to try Vieve’s modern matte lipstick in our best red lipstick guide, and our expert can now attest to its raving reviews.

Not only does this lipstick look lovely from the outside, with sleek black and gold packaging that feels as luxurious as it looks, but inside, the potent product really does pack a punch. The bullet itself is rather hard, which, although isn’t the easiest to glide on, will leave a sharp outer edge, no lip liner required. Matte-not-flat is the slogan the brand uses to describe the finish, and we couldn’t agree more as the creamy shade still seems to catch the light, making lips appear full while the colour lasts for around six hours without drying out the pout.

Almost every beauty buff will be well-versed with Charlotte Tilbury, but while the brand excels with more muted, natural shades such as the famous pillow talk, its vibrant hues are not to be missed either. Combining the staying power and high-intensity pigment of a liquid lipstick with a very creamy, thick formula that helps to hydrate the lips, the airbrush flawless lip blur can be used to create multiple beauty looks. Leaning more into the blur title, Charlotte recommends dabbing a small amount in the centre of the lips, diffusing it out to create a softer shade. Or, if you’re after a more impactful pout, apply across the whole lips, as our tester did here, for a vibrant, full-coverage finish. However, we would recommend using a lip brush to achieve a more precise application as this formula is so thick – great for hydration, yet proves to be a little tricky if you’re after a sharp lip line.

Prada’s beauty range is relatively new on the scene, so getting our hands on it was pretty exciting for our beauty buff tester. Luckily, they weren’t disappointed as not only was this one of the longest-lasting bullet lipsticks, but it also had one of the strongest pigments and, most impressively, the most precise application of all our bullet options. Just one look at our tester’s image will show how crisp the application is with no smudging, bleeding or fading in sight. We believe this is thanks to the unusual triangular shape, which helps to create sharp lines, although it isn’t the easiest to apply. There’s a “how to” video on the brand’s website that provides some pointers though. Thanks to bifidus extract and jojoba oil, it doesn’t have the drying sensation of some other matte lipsticks, and with a black base, all shades are vibrant and sharp. So, if it’s an incredibly polished finish you’re after, look no further.

This Anastasia Beverly Hills (ABH for short) lipstick is incredibly loud. In fact, although it’s a very close call, we’re marking it as the best vibrant, true red shade in this whole list – no easy feat considering dozens of red lipsticks were put to the test. So, if it’s a bright and bold red you’re after, you’ve come to the right place. On top of the standout tone, the ABH lipstick also impressed with texture. It’s creamy, non-drying and glides onto the lips quite effortlessly and our tester’s sure it tastes like white chocolate, a definite plus for those with a sweet tooth. As a top tip, we would recommend applying with a lip liner to achieve a super sharp edge, as it can bleed into fine lines a little bit.

If you’ve never heard of Zoeva then you aren’t alone, as this brand was new to our beauty buff tester too. But despite not being as famous as many of the household brands on this list, this bullet lipstick still certainly impressed and deserves a spot on our best red lipstick guide.

Combining hyaluronic acid and castor oil, the soft, creamy bullet is incredibly easy to apply and has a rich, deep, warm red hue that was one of our tester’s favourite shades. Although the brand claims it’s matte, we found it still has a slight sheen, which left more of a satin finish, helping it to feel more hydrating on the lips. It did easily smudge, so you need to be mindful when eating and drinking and be sure to reapply every few hours to ensure a perfect pout.

Laura Mercier’s high vibe lipstick offers a lip balm/stick hybrid perfect for those with drier pouts. In fact, our tester swapped out their everyday lip balm for this colourful find on days when they really wanted to pack a punch with minimal effort. If you think that means the product is less pigmented than some of our other options, you’d be mistaken. While it’s sheerer with a glossy, high-shine finish, the red colour of shade 182 bright is still beautiful and bold, so you really do get the best of both worlds, although it will need to be applied more regularly.