Matte lipsticks are trending and complement any makeup look. Matte lipsticks typically last longer, eliminating the need to reapply them repeatedly, and keeping your look bold and attractive. Lipsticks are a favourite among every woman. If you are looking to incorporate matte lipstick into your makeup, don’t miss these options.
Why Matte Lipsticks Rule the Indian Makeup Scene
Let’s be honest: in India’s vibrant and often humid weather, your makeup needs to perform like a warrior, especially your lipstick. Nothing can elevate any look—be it a sophisticated office outfit or a dazzling festival outfit—like a bold, flawless, and completely transfer-proof pout. This is where the power of a great Matte Lipstick comes in.
For years, matte formulas have been notorious for being dry, chalky, and highlighting every fine line. But the beauty industry has evolved, and today’s matte formulas are a far cry from their predecessors. They are now lightweight, non-drying, and packed with pigment that lasts through tea breaks, meals, and long workdays.
In this ultimate guide, we delve into the world of long-lasting lip color to show you the 5 best matte lipsticks in India. We have shortlisted the best liquid and bullet formulas, focusing on the factors that matter most to Indian consumers: wear time, comfort, tint, and suitability for our diverse skin tones. Get ready to find your new matte lip product!
| Get the best deals on the best volumizing brushes | Buy From Here |
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| L'Oreal Paris Infallible Matte Resistance Liquid Lipstick | Buy Now |
| Lakme Rouge Bloom Powder Matte Bullet | Buy Now |
| Mamaearth Luxe Matte Long Stay Lipstick | Buy Now |
| REVLON Super Lustrous Luscious Matte Lipstick | Buy Now |
| Maybelline New York Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick | Buy Now |
| Kay Beauty Matte Liquid Lipstick | Buy Now |
| LoveChild Masaba Liquid Matte Lipstick | Buy Now |
The 5 Best Matte Lipsticks in India: In-Depth Reviews
We have curated a list of the top contenders that promise high-impact colour and comfortable, all-day wear. Each of these Matte Lipsticks brings something unique to your vanity.
L'Oreal Paris Infallible Matte Resistance Liquid Lipstick
- Enriched with Hyaluronic Acid for hydration, comfort and effortless glide.
- No flaking. No smudging. No transferring. No feathering.
- Boldest Matte, that comes in 9 shades for all skin tones and vibes, including nudes, pinks, reds and plums.
The L’Oreal Paris Infallible Matte Resistance liquid lipstick delivers a highly pigmented, one-strike application with a sophisticated, velvet matte finish. Shade 150, ‘Lazy Sunday,’ is a beautiful, universally flattering rosy nude. It promises up to 16 hours of wear with zero transfer, and is enriched with moisturizing Hyaluronic Acid to combat the typical dryness of matte formulas.
Why We Love It
- Supreme Comfort: The addition of Hyaluronic Acid makes this matte lipstick incredibly comfortable, defying the dry, tight feeling usually associated with long-wear formulas.
- Zero-Transfer Power: It holds up remarkably well against smudging and transferring. It passed the cup test with flying colors and stays put even under light friction.
- Featherlight Feel: The texture is ultra-lightweight and non-sticky, setting completely into a smooth, velvet finish that doesn't crack or flake.
- Opaque Color: You get perfectly opaque color payoff in just one smooth, effortless swipe.
Ideal For
This lipstick is a fantastic choice for:
- Matte Skeptics: Anyone who usually avoids matte liquid lipsticks because they find them too drying or uncomfortable.
- Everyday Wear: The 'Lazy Sunday' shade is an effortless rosy nude that works for any occasion, requiring minimal fuss.
- High-Performance Situations: Users needing long-lasting color that resists transfer through drinks and light activity, without feeling suffocating.
Lakme Rouge Bloom Powder Matte Bullet
- Up to 10-hour wear for long-lasting color.
- Full coverage in a single swipe.
- High-impact matte finish with excellent color delivery.
- Formulated with light powders for an ink-deep payoff.
- Zero smudging or flaking
- Infused with Vita-Rose extract for smooth, moisturized lips.
The Lakmé Rouge Bloom Powder Matte Bullet is designed to offer a bold, high-impact matte finish with an ultra-lightweight, comfortable feel. This bullet lipstick, featuring the deep ‘Plum Garden’ shade, utilizes light powders for intense, ink-deep color payoff and promises up to 10 hours of transfer-resistant wear. The formula is infused with Vita-Rose extract for smooth application and moisturized lips.
Why We Love It
- Powder Matte Perfection: The use of petal-light powders results in a weightless feel that delivers an intensely deep color payoff without any heaviness.
- Flawless Finish: It provides full coverage in a single swipe and works to blur imperfections, creating a smooth, professional-looking lip contour.
- Rose-Infused Comfort: Infused with Vita-Rose extract (from the English tea rose), the formula is designed for smooth gliding, ensuring lips feel cared for and moisturized, not dry.
- Reliable Wear: The zero smudging or flaking and transfer-resistant properties make it highly reliable for long-term wear throughout the day.
Ideal For
This lipstick is perfect for:
- Matte Lovers Seeking Comfort: Users who desire a dramatic, high-impact matte look but prefer the hydrating, non-drying feel of a rose-infused formula.
- Quick, Polished Looks: Anyone who needs full, flawless coverage and color intensity with minimal application effort (the one-swipe promise is key).
- Extended Events: Situations requiring reliable, long-lasting color (up to 10 hours) without the need for constant touch-ups or worry about flaking.
Mamaearth Luxe Matte Long Stay Lipstick
- High Impact Color A bold hue in just one swipe! This rich, velvety formula delivers intense pigment without the need to reapply—so your color stays as confident as you.
- Made Safe Certified Where glam meets goodness! Made Safe Certified and enriched with skin-loving ingredients, this is clean beauty at its most luxurious.
The Mamaearth Luxe Matte Long Stay Lipstick combines high-performance wear with conscious formulation. This product delivers a high-impact, bold hue in a single swipe and promises an impressive 16-hour long stay with zero smudging or fading. The formula is Made Safe Certified and enriched with nourishing Passion Fruit Oil & Vitamin E to keep lips comfortable while looking luxurious.
Why We Love It
- Marathon Staying Power: The standout feature is the 16-hour claim. This formula truly powers through a full day, resisting fading, and requiring minimal, if any, touch-ups.
- High-Impact, Instant Color: The velvety texture offers an intense, rich pigment payoff immediately. The Crushed Nude shade is a beautiful, modern neutral that provides sophisticated color definition.
- Clean & Kind Formula: As a Made Safe Certified product, it meets rigorous safety standards. The infusion of Passion Fruit Oil and Vitamin E ensures that despite the long wear, the lips remain conditioned.
- Non-Fading Confidence: The formula maintains its rich hue throughout the wear time, avoiding the patchy or uneven fading often seen in long-stay lipsticks.
Ideal For
This lipstick is the perfect match for:
- Conscious Consumers: Individuals who prioritize "clean beauty" and certified safe products but refuse to compromise on glam or performance.
- All-Day Commitment: Those who need color that genuinely lasts from a morning meeting straight through an evening event without maintenance.
- Busy Lifestyles: Users seeking maximum color payoff and longevity with the quickest possible application (one swipe is enough).
REVLON Super Lustrous Luscious Matte Lipstick
- Versatile 3-in-1 tool: functions as a blow dryer, curling iron, and volumizing brush.
- Adjustable temperature settings protect hair and allow custom styling for your type.
- Interchangeable attachments, Cool Touch Tip, and a 360° swivel cord for easy use.
The REVLON Super Lustrous Luscious Matte is a 100% vegan and cruelty-free bullet lipstick that redefines matte comfort. It boasts an extraordinary formula made of 80% conditioning ingredients, including Vitamin E and Avocado Oil, ensuring a buttery, non-drying feel. It delivers intense, one-swipe color with advanced waterproof and transfer-proof technology for all-day confidence, offering a rich, creamy, and breathable matte finish.
Why We Love It
- Exceptional Comfort Formula: The highlight is the 80% conditioning base. This rich infusion of Vitamin E and Avocado Oil actively nourishes and protects, resulting in a matte lipstick that feels genuinely comfortable and lightweight, avoiding the flaky texture of traditional mattes.
- Vegan & Conscious Beauty: This line is a standout for being 100% vegan and cruelty-free, and formulated without parabens or sulfates, appealing to the environmentally and health-conscious consumer.
- Serious Stamina & Durability: The waterproof and transfer-proof formula, backed by advanced smudge-proof ingredients, ensures the bold, intense color (like 'Shameless') locks in place, making it perfect for long days and demanding situations.
- Effortless Intensity: It provides an intense color payoff and bold look in just one swipe, gliding smoothly for a quick and even application every time.
Ideal For
This lipstick is the perfect choice for:
- Matte Fans Who Crave Comfort: Individuals who love the look of a matte finish but need the creamy, conditioning feel of a traditional bullet lipstick.
- Ethical Consumers: Those who seek high-performance makeup that is fully vegan, cruelty-free, and made safe (toxin/paraben/sulfate-free).
- Confidence in the Elements: Users needing a reliable, waterproof formula that guarantees zero transfer or smudging throughout their daily activities.
Maybelline New York Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick
- This liquid lipstick offers intense pigmentation and a matte finish that lasts up to 16 hours.
- Saturated Ink Pigment + Thin Film Formula for 16 hours of flexible, flawless matte look with a single swipe
- Resist 1,000 touches, No Touch-ups needed: Unleash bold, long-lasting color that stays put. Super Stay Matte Ink is food-resistant, smudge proof, transferproof and waterproof.
The Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink is the industry benchmark for 16-hour longwear liquid lipstick. This intense formula uses Saturated Ink Pigment and Thin Film Technology to deliver a single-swipe, flawless matte finish that is food-resistant, smudge-proof, transfer-proof, and waterproof. The shade ‘Exhilarator’ offers saturated color, and the new lightweight packaging reflects a commitment to sustainability.
Why We Love It
- Unbeatable Durability: This lipstick truly lives up to its 16-hour promise, resisting over 1,000 touches. It is the most reliable option for all-day, no-touch-up wear, powering through meals and drinks without fading or cracking.
- Single-Swipe Opacity: The highly concentrated Saturated Ink Pigment provides full, opaque color in just one smooth pass, meaning you don't need to layer or reapply to achieve maximum impact.
- Flawless Finish: The thin film formula ensures the matte is flexible and comfortable, settling into a beautiful, lightweight look that is completely non-sticky.
- Precision Application: The unique arrow-shaped applicator is a game-changer, allowing for effortless and highly precise lining and filling, which is crucial for such a long-lasting formula.
Ideal For
This lipstick is the undisputed match for:
- Commitment Wearers: Individuals who need absolutely zero transfer or fading power for long events, professional days, or heavy eating/drinking.
- Statement Looks: Users who want bold, saturated color (especially in the deeper or brighter shades) that will stay locked down all day.
- Anyone on a Budget: It delivers premium, luxury-level longevity and performance at an accessible, drugstore price point.
Buyer's Guide: Choosing the Perfect Matte Lipstick for Indian Skin Tones
Selecting a Matte Lipstick goes beyond just choosing a colour. Here are the key factors, especially relevant for the diverse Indian complexion:
Understanding Undertones
Indian skin tones typically range from medium to dark with warm, golden, or olive undertones.
- Warm Undertones: Look for shades with an orange or yellow base (e.g., terracotta, deep reds, coral nudes, warm browns).
- Cool Undertones: Opt for shades with a blue or purple base (e.g., berry, true reds, mauve, wine shades).
- Neutral Undertones: You can wear almost anything! Experiment with both warm and cool shades.
Formula Type: Liquid vs. Bullet
- Liquid Matte (e.g., L’Oréal, Maybelline): Offers the best longevity and is usually completely transfer-proof. It dries down to a hard-set finish, which may feel tighter than a bullet. Best for long days, events, and parties.
- Bullet/Crayon Matte (e.g., Lakmé, Revlon, Mamaearth): More comfortable, easier to apply quickly, and often infused with moisturizing oils. Offers good, but not always ‘indestructible,’ wear. Best for everyday use and re-application ease.
Key Ingredients to Look For
To combat the drying nature of most mattes, check for:
- Hyaluronic Acid (in L’Oréal): Excellent for retaining moisture.
- Natural Oils (in Mamaearth/Revlon): Passion Fruit Oil, Moringa Oil, or Vitamin E to nourish and condition the lips.
- Lightweight Powders (in Lakmé): These give the matte finish without the heavy, waxy feel.
Application Tips for a Flawless Matte Pout
A flawless matte finish starts before the application. Follow these simple steps for the perfect, long-lasting Matte Lipstick look:
- Exfoliation is Non-Negotiable: Matte formulas cling to dry patches. Use a gentle lip scrub or a soft toothbrush with petroleum jelly to remove dead skin.
- Hydrate, but Blot: Apply a light layer of lip balm 5 minutes before your lipstick. Crucially, blot off the excess with a tissue before applying the matte formula. Too much balm will break down the matte formula.
- Use a Lip Liner: Line and slightly fill in your lips with a liner that matches your chosen matte shade. This prevents feathering and gives the colour a base to stick to, significantly increasing wear time.
- Thin, Even Layers: For liquid lipsticks, apply one thin, even layer and allow it to dry completely before pressing your lips together or applying a second coat. This is the secret to a non-smudging application.
Final Verdict: Which Matte Lipstick Wins?
Choosing the single “best” among these incredible Matte Lipsticks is tough, as they cater to different needs:
- For Unstoppable Longevity: The Maybelline New York Superstay Matte Ink remains the undisputed king of transfer-proof, all-day wear.
- For Comfort & Hydration: The L’Oréal Paris Infallible Matte Resistance stands out for its Hyaluronic Acid-infused formula, offering both wear-time and comfort.
- For Clean Beauty & Care: The Mamaearth Luxe Matte Long Stay Lipstick is the champion for its Made Safe certification and nourishing Passion Fruit Oil.
The truth is, all five represent the very best the Indian beauty market has to offer in the matte category, delivering on pigment, comfort, and wear-time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Do Matte Lipsticks cause lip pigmentation?
A: Older, poorly formulated Matte Lipsticks were often drying and could lead to pigmentation over time. However, modern formulas like the Mamaearth Luxe Matte and L’Oréal Infallible are infused with Vitamin E, Passion Fruit Oil, and Hyaluronic Acid to actively hydrate and protect the lips, mitigating this risk. Always use a lip balm underneath and thoroughly remove your lipstick at night.
Q2: How can I make my Matte Lipstick last through a meal?
A: The key is to use a truly transfer-proof liquid formula (like Maybelline or L’Oréal) and avoid excessive oil in your meal. For bullet Matte Lipsticks, blotting after application and using a matching lip liner helps. After eating, gently touch up the centre of your lips with a thin layer, rather than reapplying the entire lip.
Q3: Why does my liquid Matte Lipstick look patchy and dry after an hour?
A: This usually happens for two reasons:
1) Poor Lip Prep: You need to exfoliate and lightly moisturize before application.
2) Too Thick an application: Applying a very thick layer prevents the formula from setting properly and leads to cracking/patchiness. Always apply in thin, even coats.
Q4: Are all these Matte Lipsticks suitable for dusky Indian skin tones?
A: Yes! The brands listed (Maybelline, Lakmé, L’Oréal, Mamaearth, Revlon) are well-known for curating shades specifically for the diverse Indian market. They offer a fantastic range of deep nudes, rich browns, and stunning berries that beautifully complement dusky skin tones. Check the shade names for words like ‘cocoa,’ ‘espresso,’ ‘wine,’ or ‘mauve’ for flattering options.
Q5: Can I wear a Matte Lipstick every day without it drying my lips?
A: Absolutely. With today’s improved, non-drying formulations that include moisturizing agents (like those from Mamaearth and Revlon), you can wear a Matte Lipstick daily. The secret lies in a religious nightly routine: use an oil-based remover, exfoliate twice a week, and apply a thick, nourishing lip mask or balm before bed.
