What is a good purple lipstick? The answer depends on whether you have a passion for gloss or prefer a velvety matte finish. Your skin tone also matters, but surprisingly it’s less important when it comes to purple. The best purple lipsticks look fabulous on pretty much everyone because this bold color is both cool and warm.
If you’re not sure, check out all the celebs like Emma Watson and Kim Kardashian wearing bright grape, deep wine, and berry shades. Yes, there’s purple lip color for almost anyone these days.
Choose your new favorite lavender, dark purple, or luscious violet lipstick below.
The best purple lipsticks | Why we love them |
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Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipstick, Some Nerve |
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REVLON Super Lustrous The Luscious Mattes Lipstick, in Purple |
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MAC Matte Lipstick HEROINE |
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Chanel ROUGE COCO Jean |
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Glossier Generation G - Jam |
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TOO FACED Throwback Lipstick - Cheers to 20 Years Collection Pixie Stick |
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COVERGIRL Exhibitionist Lipstick Metallic, Steal |
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NYX Waterproof Liquid Suede Lipstick Amethyst |
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Kat Von D Studded Kiss Crème Lipstick - Roxy |
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Tom Ford Boys and Girls Lip Color, 12 Georgie |
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Contents
- 1 Best Purple Lipsticks in 2024
- 1.1 Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipstick, Some Nerve
- 1.2 REVLON Super Lustrous The Luscious Mattes Lipstick, in Purple
- 1.3 MAC Matte Lipstick HEROINE
- 1.4 Chanel ROUGE COCO Jean
- 1.5 Glossier Generation G – Jam
- 1.6 TOO FACED Throwback Lipstick – Pixie Stick
- 1.7 COVERGIRL Exhibitionist Lipstick Metallic, Steal
- 1.8 NYX Waterproof Liquid Suede Lipstick Amethyst
- 1.9 Kat Von D Studded Kiss Crème Lipstick – Roxy
- 1.10 Tom Ford Boys and Girls Lip Color, 12 Georgie
- 2 Conclusion
Best Purple Lipsticks in 2024
Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipstick, Some Nerve
Let’s start with light purple liquid lipstick from Smashbox. It’s one of those rare finds that actually stays on for hours and doesn’t feel greasy or sticky. Of course, this is a liquid with Advanced Polymer Technology that promises to stay put for up to eight hours. It’s perfect if you hate doing touch-ups.
The liquid lipstick comes with a precision doe-foot applicator that loads with just enough to do one lip at a time. It dries within seconds without bleeding or feathering. Then, it doesn’t budge or smudge.
Happily, it’s not as drying as you might expect because it has a Primer Oil Complex to keep the skin conditioned and soft. However, if your lips are dry in the first place, it’s not going to look or feel as nice. Be sure to exfoliate and moisturize overnight with a rich lip balm.
Lastly, it’s cruelty-free. I mean, can you imagine someone painting this vibrant shade on some poor fluff ball? No way, it’s for humans only. Enjoy!
Pros:
- Light purple liquid lipstick with a matte finish
- Lasts for up to eight hours
- Precision doe-foot applicator
- Conditions the skin with primer oil but not greasy or sticky
- Cruelty-free
Cons:
- It’s a little tube
REVLON Super Lustrous The Luscious Mattes Lipstick, in Purple
Drugstore lipstick is the gateway drug to the designer brands you’ll see below. At this price, you can multiple purple tubes without feeling guilty. Just look at this luscious shade of velvety satin lipstick. You know you can’t wait to swipe it on.
Out of the many bullet lipsticks we tried, we found that this color feels nice and creamy and doesn’t come off (much) on the teeth. It stays put for hours, which is good news because it’s quite moisturizing. The label says it contains moringa oil, Cupuaçu butter, and agave for extra conditioning power.
Pros:
- Velvety satin finish in a rich purple color
- Creamy and conditioning with moringa oil and botanicals
- Surprisingly long-lasting
Cons:
- At this price, it’s tempting to buy more lipstick than we need
MAC Matte Lipstick HEROINE
We think that MAC’s deep purple lipstick should be a staple in everyone’s collection. Heroine is a deep purplish mauve with a flat matte finish that intensifies the shade. It flatters pretty much everyone.
If you want it to stand out even more, try outlining with a lip pencil. For precision lines, dab it on with a lip brush instead of using the bullet tube by itself.
Obviously, this is MAC lipstick, so you know two things will be true. First, it’s super-pigmented so there’s no need to waste time layering or touching up. That’s right, it won’t rub off on your glass, either. And second, even though it’s matte, it’s not drying. With that said, don’t neglect to moisturize your lips at nighttime.
Pros:
- Universally flattering shade with a flat matte finish
- Highly pigmented and long-lasting, doesn’t smudge or rub off
- Lightly moisturizing
Cons:
- Not cheap, but worth every penny
Chanel ROUGE COCO Jean
Chanel makes the best purple lipstick for fair skin. Jean from the Rouge Coco collection is sheer and hydrating, more like lip gloss than lipstick. If you need a bolder look, use a liner like the matching Le Crayon Levres.
What makes this purple lipstick unique? Besides the pleasing shade, the first thing you’ll notice is the way it melts into place. It’s made with three nourishing vegetable waxes (sunflower, jojoba, and mimosa) that seal in moisture. At the same time, silicone microbeads and a polymer film add shine and keep the color in place.
Pros:
- Excellent shade for fair skin
- Sheer, slightly shiny, and hydrating
- Vegetable waxes and a polymer film lock in moisture and color
- Can be made bolder with lip liner
Cons:
- It blew our lipstick budget for the month
Glossier Generation G – Jam
Let’s be honest, this berry matte lipstick only looks purple on light skin. On rich skin tones, the adaptable pigment seems more reddish. At any rate, the finish really does look like you just blotted. That’s because it behaves like a lip stain but doesn’t parch the lips.
In the end, this lipstick is a nice baby step towards rocking out with intense purple. It’s calm and casual, perfect for everyday wear.
Pros:
- Behaves like a lip stain without causing dryness
- Matte finish, a bit sheer
- Adaptable pigment adjusts to different skin shades
- Ideal for casual wear
Cons:
- Not as purplish as we hoped
TOO FACED Throwback Lipstick – Pixie Stick
It’s hella good with mega shine and color. You totally must try this metallic purple lipstick. Yep, it’s a flashback to 1988 and all of its metallic shimmer glory.
Out of all the Throwback collection, we adore the Pixie Stick shade the most. Someone told us it’s just like Wet n’ Wild lipstick from the early nineties. But it’s not just the hard-core glitter finish, but also the comfortable, creamy feel of the lipstick itself. The brand says they’ve added avocado oil, and we don’t doubt it.
Pros:
- Flashback to 1988 with a metallic shimmer purple
- Comfortable feel, creamy texture
- Features avocado oil to keep lips soft
Cons:
- Not for the shy
COVERGIRL Exhibitionist Lipstick Metallic, Steal
If Too Faced’s Throwback purple is too glittery for you, check out this discount option. Covergirl’s metallic purple lipstick is considerably calmer, more like a shimmer shade with just enough sparkle and shine.
But don’t let the affordable price fool you – you’ll probably need makeup remover to get it off at night. It’s just that durable.
Moreover, the deliciously purple color looks surprisingly good on most people whether they have dark or light skin or warm or cool undertones.
Finally, we appreciate two more things: it’s cruelty-free and very moisturizing. One of the key ingredients is shea butter, an excellent natural emollient. There’s only one problem. The formula also contains parabens.
Pros:
- Shimmery, shiny metallic in a true purple shade
- Looks good on pretty much anyone regardless of skin tone
- Affordable and shockingly long-lasting
- Moisturizing and creamy with shea butter
Cons:
- Contains parabens
NYX Waterproof Liquid Suede Lipstick Amethyst
When we saw this attractive purple lipstick from NYX, we just had to have it. They call it “Liquid Suede” and that seems accurate. The matte finish looks exactly like velvet. The fact that it’s waterproof and super long-lasting makes it even more appealing.
It comes in a decent-sized tube with an angled doe-foot applicator that pulls out just enough product each time. You don’t have to waste time trying to squeeze off excess.
Furthermore, the formula is paraben-free and packed with moisturizers like avocado and olive oil plus vitamin E.
Pros:
- Royal purple lipstick with the perfect velvet finish
- Nearly effortless to apply with the doe-foot applicator
- Waterproof and long-wearing
- Paraben-free and packed with skin conditioning ingredients
Cons:
- We tried hard but couldn’t find any cons – it’s even budget-friendly
Kat Von D Studded Kiss Crème Lipstick – Roxy
Okay, we admit it – it was the textured black tube that first got our attention. But once we saw the satiny finish of this intensely purple lipstick, we were hooked.
Imagine bright grape staining your lips. What’s weird is that it goes on smooth like gloss but dries down quickly into a nearly matte texture.
Then, the color is going to stay there all day long because this is really pigmented stuff. In fact, we suspect the tube is going to last a long time because we haven’t had many touch-ups to do.
Pros:
- Goes on like gloss but dries to a satin finish
- Intensely pigmented for long-wearing color
- Comes in a nifty textured tube
Cons:
- Perfectly purple and perhaps too bold for some
Tom Ford Boys and Girls Lip Color, 12 Georgie
It’s a fantastic color in an itty-bitty tube. Imported from France and Belgium, this purple lipstick is packed with botanical moisturizers and micro-shimmery molecules.
If you ever want to get to know a lipstick well, you need to see it on different skin tones. As you compare faces, you can see that this purple shade is cool-toned and is a little reddish with has a semi-gloss finish. That’s not surprising considering how creamy and smooth it feels.
If you prefer a bold lip, you might need to layer it. It feels kind of like a lip balm and has a semi-opaque amount of pigmentation.
Pros:
- Shimmery and semi-opaque with a cool undertone and a hint of red
- Semi-gloss finish that feels like lip balm
- Very moisturizing
Cons:
- Not as opaque as some options, might require two applications
Conclusion
It’s never a question of go bold or go home. There are purple lipsticks for every personality, skin tone, and activity. You’re never limited as you can get matte, satiny, or glossy finishes as well as liquid or a traditional bullet lipstick.
Don’t be afraid to try on purple lipstick any time of year. What was once a traditional Fall color is now universally enjoyed year-round.
We hope our reviews helped you discover your new favorite lipstick today. If you’re loving it, tell us all about it in the comments below.
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