Makeup

Battle of the Drugstore Liquid Lipsticks (Revlon, Maybelline & Colourpop)

June 1, 2016

One makeup item that the beauty world seems to be overly obsessed with and can’t get enough of these days are matte liquid lipsticks, and drugstore brands are of course jumping on the matte-liquid-lipstick bandwagon too.

Although Colourpop isn’t necessarily a “drugstore” brand, I’m going to include them in this comparison post anyway. I initially only wanted to compare the Revlon and Maybelline, but since the prices are on the same range as the Colourpop, I thought, why not?

Here are my thoughts on these drugstore liquid lipsticks!

Shade Range & Color Payoff

Here are side-by-side swatches of the contenders, from left to right: Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Color, Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid, and Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip.

Note: I honestly don’t know for sure the names of the Revlon shades I have because I peeled off the stickers on the packaging of both lipsticks, and I didn’t realize that the names of the shades were only printed on the stickers! So I have no way of knowing the names of the shades, but I’m guessing it’s Devotion and Obsession. Let me know if you think it’s something else!

Revlon:

Available in 8 shades with a range of nudes, berries, pinks and reds.
Great color payoff and definitely buildable, but since the formula is a bit plush, it can feel a bit too thick on the lips when built up too much.

Maybelline:

Available in 10 shades and includes two purple shades.
Color payoff is the sheerest out of the three.

Colourpop:

Available in 47 shades!
Completely opaque pigmentation.

Winner: This is honestly a bit difficult because in terms of shade range and color intensity, Colourpop’s is definitely the best. However, I loveee the nude shades of the Revlon and Maybelline ones that I have more than the Colourpop ones because the Colourpop shades I have are cooler-toned and I’m much more of a warm-toned person, but that’s my fault because I should’ve gotten warmer shades. They have 47 different colors so they would definitely have shades more similar in tone to the Revlon and Maybelline ones that I have.

So, objectively Colourpop wins.

Texture & Formula

Revlon:

Thick and plush gel-like texture. Hugs the lips really nicely and are very comfortable to wear throughout the day.
Has a sweet and rather fruity, candy-like scent which sometimes bothers me because the scent sometimes never seems to fade.
Least matte finish out of the three. Looks very plush and velvety, unlike matte liquid lipsticks in general.

Maybelline:

Very similar creamy formula to the Revlon but not as thick and gel-like.
No noticeable scent.
Has less shine than the Revlon, but still not completely matte.
Feels very comfortable on the lips and works really well for dry lips.

Colourpop:

Dries out to a completely matte finish almost immediately.
Texture is very thin like the Anastasia Beverly Hills ones.
After 4-5 hours of wear they can feel a bit drying and tight on the lips when my lips are in a very dry condition.

Winner: In terms of comfort on the lips, my favorite would have to be the Revlon because it’s very comfortable to wear when I have dry and chapped lips even though the scent sometimes bothers me (but then I’m pregnant so any kind of strong scent does! LOL).

However, the Revlon has the least matte finish. So if you’re looking for something with a completely matte finish, definitely go for the Colourpop. They’re comfortable on the lips if you prep them well with lip balm a few hours beforehand.

Longevity

Revlon:

Intense color lasted for 5-6 hours before fading away completely.
No migration or smearing during weartime.
Fades gradually, not in patches.

Maybelline:

Also lasted for about 5-6 hours without migration or smearing, but fades away much faster than the Revlon with food.
Also fades gradually and doesn’t flake off.

Colourpop:

Up to 10 hours of wear, but not necessarily comfortable on the lips throughout weartime.
One of the shades (I think it was Clueless) flaked off pretty badly after a meal, but the other one was OK.
They sometimes fade in patches, depending on the condition of my lips. If my lips are well hydrated, they are more likely to fade nicely and gradually.

Winner: Gosh, this is hard. Longevity-wise of course Colourpop is the clear winner, lasting for up to 10 hours! However, since I have chronically dry lips I haven’t been reaching for them too much TBH. My go-to is definitely the Revlon because it holds up well even with food and drinks.

Packaging

Here are the packagings side by side.

Revlon:

Modern, futuristic and sleek packaging.
Doe-foot applicator is fluffy and plush, and has a tapered end which makes precise application a breeze.

Maybelline:

Square tube packaging and is shorter than the Revlon and Colourpop. Perfect for small purses!
Flat sponge applicator is less plush than the Revlon but this often makes application a bit more streaky than the Revlon.

Colourpop:

Long, circular tube packaging.
Neck/opening of the tube can be very messy as excess product would sometimes spill out.

Winner: Packaging-wise, I like how small the Maybelline is, but applicator-wise, I really like Revlon’s.

Price

Revlon:

You get 0.2 fl. oz. of product.
Retails for US$8.99 at Ulta but is currently on sale for US$5.39! Drugstore prices range from US$5-9.
Retails for AU$23.95 (approx. US$18) at Priceline Australia. Ugh that’s twice the US price!

Maybelline:

You get 0.26 fl. oz. of product.
Retails for US$7.99 at Ulta. Drugstore prices can range from US$6-9.
I don’t think these are available in Australia yet.

Colourpop:

You get 0.11 fl. oz. of product.
Retails for US$6 without shipping.
- Shipping is a flat rate of US$4.99 within the US, but orders above US$30 are eligible for free shipping.
- International shipping is really expensive (depends on total weight of products purchased), so I usually buy mine when I’m in the States.
Not available in stores. Bummer.

Winner: Since the prices are very similar it’s very hard to determine a winner. They’re all very affordable!

Final Verdict

So, here’s an overview of the winners from all categories:

Shades & Color Payoff: Colourpop
Texture & Formula: Revlon
Longevity: Revlon and Colourpop
Packaging: Revlon and Maybelline

I guess the overall winner for me is Revlon! Amazing color intensity, great shade variety, comfortable and long-wearing, and comes in a gorgeous packaging. The Revlon is the whole package for me. Even though it’s not 100% matte (more like velvet) it still looks amazing. I love it!

However, for a true matte liquid lipstick, Colourpop definitely takes the crown! You just have to make sure your lips aren’t dry or parched.