Whether you want to create a more defined makeup look, enhance the natural shape of your lips, or help your lipstick stay around longer, a lip liner is the best way to do it.
“Think of lip liner as a primer for the lips. It’s a barrier to keep lipstick from bleeding onto other areas of the face and ensures that it will last longer,” says Patrick Ta, celebrity makeup artist and founder of Patrick Ta Beauty. The Vietnamese-American MUA understands the importance of lip liner when creating a show-stopping “IT lip look,” especially when your lipstick, lip stain, or gloss is the main attraction.Just take a look at his celebrity clientele, which includes Camila Cabello, Gigi Hadid, and Emily Ratajkowski, and you’ll see how Patrick’s lip lining magic inspired their stylish two-toned lip look.
If you haven’t tried one before, picking up a drugstore lip liner is a purse-friendly way of trying a few different colors out. You can go bold with a classic red lip or take things a little more understated with a ‘90s nude.
Not sure where to start? We’ve got you. We’ve rounded up a wide range of shades and textures for you to browse at your leisure, with purse-friendly prices to suit all budgets. We also spent hours researching the best waterproof option, which pairs best with a neutral lip shade versus a red lip shade, and other details to assist you. Trust us–the drugstore will become your favorite place to pick up a new beauty treat.
So, without further ado, keep scrolling to discover the best drugstore lip liners for every occasion.
Best Overall
L’Oreal Paris Matte Lip Liner
What We Like
Easy to sharpen
Versatile
Matte finish
What to Consider
Can be drying
What we love most about this lip liner is its versatility—and this one is super easy to wear with any lip color. It comes in eight versatile hues, so you’ll have no problem finding a shade that matches your favorite matte lipstick or gloss. Plus, it easily sharpens and can be worn alone beautifully. It can be a little drying on the lips due to its matte finish, so make sure you apply a touch of lip balm before using it.
Shade Range: 8 | Size: 0.04 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No
Best Budget
Essence Soft Contouring Lip Liner
What We Like
Great color payoff
Long-lasting
Pairs well with every lip color
What to Consider
Can be drying
If you’re looking to spend only a few dollars on a truly incredible lip liner, then this one’s for you. Highly pigmented and composed of barely-there neutral hues, we love how flawlessly it looks with literally every lip color—regardless of how bold or sheer. Bonus: The silky formula is both smudge-proof and long-lasting. Like many lip liners, it can be a little drying, so make sure you exfoliate and moisturize your lips before applying to keep them hydrated.
Shade Range: 8 | Size: 0.2 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Matte Finish
The Lip Bar Lip Liner
What We Like
Hydrating
Matte finish
Tug-free application
What to Consider
Can break easily
Few things are comparable to the perfect matte lip liner—and this one is remarkable. Use it to outline, define, or fill in your pout for a pristine look every time. Its hydrating formula is infused with aloe vera and jojoba oil to keep your lips impeccably soft and smooth. One of the downsides to its very hydrating texture is that it breaks quite easily, so you need to be quite gentle when applying it.
Shade Range: 7 | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Long-Wear
Revlon ColorStay Longwear Lip Liner
What We Like
Long-lasting
Easy to sharpen
Tug-free application
What to Consider
Can break easily
Looking at your lips after a couple of hours and seeing the color bleed outside the lines is the worst, which is why you need a foolproof liner handy at all times. With Revlon’s Colorstay, it’ll literally lock in your lip shade and prevent any of that from happening for hours. We love its tug-free application, but it does break easily if you press on too hard, so go easy.
Shade Range: 16 | Size: 0.01 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No
Best for Red Lips
Flower Beauty Petal Pout Lip Liner
What We Like
Works with every skin tone
Great color payoff
Long-lasting
What to Consider
Reviewers note colors don’t match pictures
You’ll want to add this red lipliner to your beauty repertoire asap. Suited for practically every skin tone, this adventurous red means business. Because the formula is so rich, the color pay-off is intense—meaning all you need is one swipe for the perfect red pout. If you’re buying this online, some reviewers report that the colors don’t quite match the pictures, so just bear that in mind if you’re looking for a very specific shade.
Shade Range: 8 | Size: 0.01 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Nude Shades
Maybelline Color Sensational Shaping Lip Liner
What We Like
Long-lasting
Self-sharpening
Buildable
What to Consider
Can be drying
Maybelline’s lip liner truly lives up to its name; sensational. Its wide array of neutral shades is exactly what you think of when you’re looking for a nude lip liner. Creamy and smudge-proof, it also won’t move a single centimeter when worn. We also love its buildable coverage that allows you to go from understated to statement with one single product. Our top tip? Add a touch of lip balm to your lips before applying it to counteract its dry, matte finish.
Shade Range: 21 | Size: 0.01 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No
Best Waterproof
JOAH Beauty Lip Candy Auto Lip Liner
What We Like
Long-lasting
Tug-free application
Lightweight
What to Consider
Reviewers note colors don’t match pictures
Say goodbye to smudging; this is the best lip-liner you could wear for a swim. Silky and non-sliding, this intense formula glides around your lips effortlessly. Wear it alone for a natural, accentuated lip or underneath your favorite lipstick to really make it pop. We found that the colors in the online images were slightly different while still being super pretty.
Shade Range: 6 | Size: 0.01 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Multi-Use
e.l.f. Cosmetics Lip Liner & Blending Brush
What We Like
Built-in blending brush
Works with every skin tone
Great color payoff
What to Consider
Packaging is flimsy
This smooth-gliding lip liner comes in a stunning berry hue, so don’t be surprised that it looks unbelievably flattering on every lip shade. Even better? It comes with a built-in blending brush for blending flawlessly on the go. While the color payoff is excellent, the packaging is a little flimsy–proof that you should never judge a product by this alone.
Shade Range: 1 | Size: 0.01 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best for Fair Skin
Colourpop Lippie Pencil in On Snap
What We Like
Long-lasting
Can be worn alone
Great for fairer skin tones
What to Consider
Packaging is flimsy
Super pigmented and long-wearing, this high-intensity lip pencil applies beautifully with little to no effort. Its muted pink nude, “On Snap,” is incredibly flattering for fairer skin tones and looks good worn alone with a touch of lip balm or with a complementing lipstick. Accomplishing clean lines with zero feathering has never been easier.
Shade Range: 24 | Size: 0.035 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best for Deep Skin
Iman Cosmetics Perfect Lip Pencil in Cocoa Mass
What We Like
Tug-free application
Long-lasting
Easy to sharpen
What to Consider
Reviewers note it feels waxy
Cocoa Mass, a cocoa-colored brown, is absolutely captivating on deeper skin tones. Smooth and creamy, it defines lips flawlessly while staying in place all day. And it has a built-in sharpener for those times when you need to touch up on the go. Some reviewers report it feeling a little waxy, but we think this all depends on preference.
Shade Range: 9 | Size: 0.32 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best for Medium Skin
CoverGirl Exhibitionist Lip Liner
What We Like
Great for contouring lips
Long-lasting
Tug-free application
What to Consider
Can be drying
“Mauvelous” (aka mauve) looks gorgeous on any skin tone, but especially so on those with medium skin tones. Contouring your lips is so simple with this lip liner, and we experienced no feathering or bleeding whatsoever. Plus, the application is easy, breezy, and beautiful (like their commercial slogan). Our only complaint is that it’s a little drying if reapplied throughout the day, so don’t forget to hydrate your lips.
Shade Range: 8 | Size: 0.01 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Shade Range
NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil
What We Like
Hydrating
Precise tip
Long-lasting
What to Consider
Color payoff could be better
This liner is one of NYX Professional Makeup’s best sellers for a reason. The teeny-tiny tip will create the finest line to give you that sharp definition you’re looking for. Your lips won’t get dry, either, since it’s formulated with coconut oils for extra hydration. We just wish the color payoff was a little better.
Shade Range: 39 | Size: 0.04 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best on Amazon
Milani Color Statement Lipliner
What We Like
Comes in 8 different shades
Cruelty free formula
Easy glide texture
What to Consider
Some reviewers say it’s not as pigmented as they’d hoped
If you love a statement bold lip, Milani’s deeply pigmented lip liner is essential. It has a gorgeous matte finish that glides onto the lips easily without tugging the skin or leaving any feathering. The hardest part is choosing between the eight gorgeous shades. Some reviewers report the liner not being as strong in pigment as they’d have liked, but it is more effective when the lips are slightly drier. You can also use it to shade in the rest of the lips too for a double-duty look.
Shade Range: 8 | Size: 0.04 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No
Best for First Timers
Wet n Wild Color Icon Lip Liner
What We Like
Low price makes it great for first timers
Creamy formula
Glides on easily
What to Consider
Reviewers say some shades are different to images
If you’re keen to try a couple of different lip liners but don’t want to spend a lot of money, Wet n Wild’s range is ideal. You can buy a couple of different lipliners for under $5, making it easy to experiment with a couple of different looks. This range is especially great if you love that ‘90s brown lip, and the creamy texture is super easy to apply.
Shade Range: 5 | Size: 0.04 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No
Best Vegan
Mented Cosmetics Lip Liner
What We Like
Vegan, paraben and cruelty-free
Super pigmented
Range of deep shades
What to Consider
Some reviewers say they experienced some tugging when applying
If you’re looking for a super-pigmented lip liner that’s also vegan, may we introduce you to Mented? We love its range of deep shades–from ‘La La’ Red to its sultry berry-hued ‘M5’– that will add instant impact to an everyday makeup look. Mented lip liners are also long-wearing and great for creating natural definition.
Shade Range: 9 | Size: 0.04 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Final Verdict
With the wide array of choices available in drugstores, finding the best lip liners can be quite tricky. To narrow it down a bit, our favorite pick overall is Lóreal’s Color Riche Matte Lip Liner. Its versatility is what truly sets it apart from others, and it can literally be worn with any lipstick or gloss. If you’re looking to save money, Essence’s Soft Contouring Lip Liner is a great choice for its silky, smudge-proof, and long-lasting formula, as is Wet n Wild’s Color Icon Lip Liner which comes in a wide range of shades and costs just over a dollar. Lastly, for the best shade range, try NYX Professional Makeup Slim Lip Pencil for a choice between more than 30 lip liner colors.
MEET THE EXPERT
Patrick Ta is a celebrity makeup artist, skincare expert, and the creator of Patrick Ta Beauty, a cutting-edge artistry brand. Celebrity clients of the Vietnamese-American expert include Miley Cyrus, Arianna Grande, Gigi, and Bella Hadid.
How We Researched
To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best products on the market in this category, evaluating their key features—like ingredients, shade range, or design—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. We then used this research to assign a star rating from one to five (five being the best; one being the worst) to certain products on the list.
Byrdie Tip
FYI, the way you apply lip liner can make a huge difference. If you’re looking for an over-lined look, never over-line your entire lip all the way to the crease, explains Ta. “You want to over-line only at the cupid’s bow and draw a little farther down the lip. This will give you that sexy, pouty mouth and will avoid looking too overdrawn,” he says. “If you’re applying a super pigmented matte lipstick, I love to apply it to the lips directly from the bullet and then follow up with a lip liner to get a super precise line.”
What to Look for in a Drugstore Lip Liner
Moisturizing Ingredients
“When purchasing a drugstore lip liner, look for moisturizing ingredients to keep the product from piling,” says Ta. Some of these ingredients include shea butter, castor oil, beeswax, and lanolin—just to name a few.
Retractable Tip
“I like lip liners that are retractable, as I’m not a fan of carrying a lip liner pencil when I’m on set,” explains Ta. It can be quite difficult to sharpen your pencil on the go, so a retractable formula is less messy (no lip pencil shavings!).
FAQ
How should you prepare your lips for liner?
As we’ve seen in many of the products tested, the strong pigment in lip liners can be a little drying. So, start by buffing and cleaning your lips to remove any dry skin. You can do this with an exfoliating lip scrub or just by softly rubbing a tissue back and forth across your mouth. Then add a little lip balm to hydrate the lips without making them too oily.
How should I apply lip liner?
To enhance the natural shape of your lips, start from the cupid’s bow to create that defined shape. Then when drawing along the corners of your mouth, start from the corners and go up to meet the cupid’s bow. This will help to create a volumized look.
Why Trust Byrdie
Byrdie contributor Rachel Dube has written for some of the biggest magazines and websites out there and has tested hundreds of products. She is constantly researching the newest trends and is always looking for the best drugstore finds.
Catherine Hufton is a beauty obsessive and has been a contributing writer for Byrdie since 2022. She digs deep into all things fashion and beauty to find the very best shopping must-haves—from the most effective collagen serums to the best hair products.