The Best Red Lipsticks Ever Created, According to Byrdie Editors

Best Overall: Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint

4.2

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Who else recommends it? Harper's Bazaar and New York Magazine both selected the Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint.

What do buyers say? 5,000+ Sephora reviewers rated it 4 stars or higher.

Fenty Beauty's Stunna Lip Paint is universally flattering—and for all skin tones, too. Byrdie contributing writer Maya Allen loves this product in Uncensored, a true blue-red color; it's a long-wearing formula that feels smooth and silky and lasts for 12 hours, and it complements her dark skin tone with red-orange undertones. "Stunna is my jam for obvious reasons: Rihanna," she says. "But even though my love for RiRi knows no bounds, I'm actually into how good this lipstick is. I like my reds bold and vivid, and this pigment delivers a crazy color payoff and stays on for hours. The doe-foot applicator makes outlining my lips easy, so I can skip liner when I'm in a rush."

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Soft matte | Shades: 8 | Size: 0.1 fl. oz | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Long-Wearing: Smashbox Always on Matte Liquid Lipstick

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Another favorite of Maya's, this liquid lipstick from Smashbox is a little bit deeper than the Stunna Lip Paint but just as striking in Bawse, a deep red shade that makes your lips look like velvet rose petals. It also has a similarly comfortable long-wear finish. "I love this Smashbox Liquid Lipstick for many reasons," she says. "For one, it looks good on women of all skin tones. It was love at first sight for me after one swipe. This fire-red hue turns around my mood in a matter of seconds—I feel untouchably badass every time I wear it. It's been by my side during job interviews and first dates and honestly has worked in my favor every time. I like to call it my MVP red."

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Matte, metallic | Shades: 24 | Size: 0.1 fl. oz | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Matte: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick

4.8

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Editorial Director Faith Xue has a light to medium skin tone with a neutral undertone, which this Charlotte Tilbury lipstick (in Red Carpet Red) complements perfectly. "This, in my humble opinion, is the world's perfect red lipstick," she says. "The formula is a velvet-matte but doesn't feel drying at all. You can dab it on your lips for more of a lip stain effect (I tap it on my lips with my fingers), or you can apply it from the bullet for more color payoff. The shade itself is the perfect, universally flattering shade of red: not too warm and not too cool. I also love that it's low-maintenance—it's the kind of lipstick you can apply in the back of an Uber without worrying about it getting all over your face."

Coverage Level: Medium | Finish: Matte | Shades: 21 | Size: 0.1 fl. oz | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Drugstore: Maybelline New York Color Sensational Matte Finish Lipstick in Rich Ruby

4

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"This is my go-to drugstore red. It's a true red with bluish undertones, and I love that one swipe of it instantly makes me feel more polished," says Faith of Maybelline's Color Sensational Matte Lipstick in Rich Ruby. "The texture is what really gets me though. It's a creamy matte formula that feels hydrating when you apply and doesn't dry out."

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Matte | Shades: 19 | Size: 0.3 fl. oz | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Hydrating: Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick

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Byrdie contributing writer Erin Jahns swears by this cream stain from Sephora's in-house brand (in Always Red) for complimenting her light skin tone with neutral undertones. "Cracked and flaked red lips are never cute, and this is truly the only liquid lipstick that doesn't suck every ounce of hydration from my lips," she says. "Plus, it's just the truest and most classic shade of red—not too blue, not too orange. It's also the first red lipstick I ever owned, and I still love it and re-buy it."

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Matte, metallic | Shades: 84 | Size: 0.2 fl. oz | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Crayon: Hourglass Lip Stylo

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Erin's also obsessed with this high-end lip crayon from Hourglass Cosmetics in Lover. "Since I have neutral undertones—not quite pink, not quite yellow—I'm lucky in that I can wear both blue- and orange-red lipsticks. And when I want the latter, I go with this one from Hourglass. Not only is the color bright and super-pigmented, but it's also extremely moisturizing thanks to ingredients such as jojoba, shea butter, mimosa, and sunflower."

Coverage Level: Medium | Finish: Satin | Shades: 14 | Size: 0.09 fl. oz | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best True Red: Elizabeth Arden Red Door Red Lipstick

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This lipstick is a brand classic and one that's well-loved by Byrdie senior editor Lindsey Metrus, thanks to the way it flatters her fair skin tone with pink undertones. It's a crisp true red inspired by the brand's namesake, Elizabeth Arden, who in 1912 walked up and down 5th Avenue in New York City handing out red lipstick to all of the suffragettes as a symbol of solidarity. "I love this deep shade of red with blue undertones for the fact that it's super creamy, non-drying, and makes my teeth look whiter," says Lindsey. "Plus, I love that 100% of proceeds go to UN Women, a fund for female empowerment. I like to tap this one on and pat it into my lips with my finger like a stain. Doing so makes it last longer, too."

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Matte | Shades: 8 | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Berry Red: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick

4.8

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Another Charlotte Tilbury matte lipstick, this shade (The Queen) looks brighter in the bullet than it applies on the lips. What looks like a bright pink-red color transforms into a sophisticated berry shade. Plus, you can rest assured knowing that it has the same non-drying formula and highly pigmented finish as Tilbury's other matte lipsticks. As Lindsey puts it, "Charlotte Tilbury is the queen of lipstick. Her unique bullet shape helps me to intricately trace my lips without the dreaded smudge along my lip line. It's also got incredible staying power, and again, like the Elizabeth Arden lipstick, it has blue undertones for more radiant pearly whites."

Best Orange Red: NARS Lipstick

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Senior editor Hallie Gould has a fair skin tone with blue undertones and has found the perfect match in Nars' lipstick. "When it's warm out, I opt for Heat Wave—an orange-red matte lipstick I can't live without. It's a more summery, tropical version of my usual go-to," she says. "The shade is incredibly flattering, brightens up my entire face, and allows for an almost entirely undetectable fade. Reapplying is never a must, which makes life all the easier to enjoy."

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Satin, matte | Shades: 10 | Size: 0.1 fl. oz | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Pencil: NARS Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil

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"This is perfect blue-red shade, and trust me—I've done the research," says Hallie of Nars Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil in Mysterious Red. "It's slightly darker than fire engine but a true, gorgeous, velvety red that envelops your lips in the most classic of ways. I have gotten more compliments on it than I can count. The formula is matte but not entirely drying (sometimes I'll apply a bit of balm on top to keep things moisturized if I want it to stay especially long-wear), and because it's a pencil, it's really easy to apply precisely. Is there anything more incredible than an immaculately applied red lip? In my world, the answer to that is no."

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Matte | Shades: 13 | Size: 0.09 fl. oz | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Skincare Benefits: Tatcha Kyoto Red Lipstick

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Tatcha's luxurious Kyoto Red Lipstick was inspired by the same brilliant shade that geishas have worn on their lips for centuries. It's a bright, striking color that is thought to bring happiness, protection, and good luck (who doesn't want that?). Plus, it treats your lips while you wear it thanks to an anti-aging blend of rice bran, green tea, and red algae extract. Byrdie contributing writer Amanda Montell swears by it for complementing her fair skin tone with yellow undertones.

Coverage Level: Full | Finish: Matte | Shades: 1 | Size: 0.1 fl. oz | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes