Best Matte Lipstick? 2,177 Reviews of Maybelline, NYX and Charlotte Tilbury

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Review-analysis guide: 2,177 customer reviews read on Ulta, Target and Sephora (October 27, 2026), sorted and counted by us; product details from Amazon listings checked October 27, 2026.

By The Beauty Read · Checked October 27, 2026 · AI-assisted research and editing · Contains Amazon affiliate links

No matte lipstick here won on everything. The Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick (paid link) drew long-wear praise from 43 of 73 usable reviews (59%), a small sample. The Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick (paid link), the only bullet of the three, drew the most comfort praise (42% of 1,511). The NYX Professional Makeup Soft Matte Lip Cream (paid link), a liquid like Maybelline, drew comfort praise from 28% of 143 but the most reports that the shade looked different (22%).

What 2,177 reviews say about the best matte lipstick

A matte lipstick can mean a liquid that dries down or a classic bullet. Two of these three are liquid lipsticks, per their Amazon listings: Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink and NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. The third, Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution, is a bullet with a square-shaped tip. We read 2,177 reviews on Ulta, Target and Sephora to see how often reviewers praised each one for wear, comfort and shade, and how often it dried their lips or wore off. [R-ULT-MAY] [R-TGT-NYX] [R-SEP-CT] [A1] [A2] [A3]

Maybelline drew long-wear praise from 59% of 73 usable reviews, a small sample. Charlotte Tilbury drew the most comfort praise (42% of 1,511) and the most shade praise (67%). NYX drew comfort praise from 28% of 143 and the most reports that the shade looked different (22%). Drying reports were close for all three, 11% to 13%. Each lipstick was read on a different store, so their one- and two-star shares do not compare. [R-ULT-MAY] [R-TGT-NYX] [R-SEP-CT]

Which reviews we read, and the 450 we set aside

Ulta's pages served 280 distinct Maybelline reviews of 6,270 shown, on a page shared by all shades. Target's feed stopped at 2,500 of 5,255 NYX reviews; 2,353 of those were copied from other sites, so we skipped them unread and read the 147 written on Target. On Sephora we read 1,750 of 2,184 US English Charlotte Tilbury reviews, skipping 427 marked incentivized and 7 by staff unread. We kept 1,727 and set aside 450. [R-ULT-MAY] [R-TGT-NYX] [R-SEP-CT]

What we set aside as sampling waves: 191 Maybelline reviews from June and July 2025, the earliest months Ulta's pages served. 146 of them said the lipstick was free or a sample (126 of 160 in June, 20 of 31 in July), 5 more were set aside for other reasons, and 3 of the remaining 40 gave one or two stars (8%), against 22% of the Maybelline reviews we kept. For Charlotte Tilbury we set aside 126 reviews from May and June 2022 (93 in May and 33 in June, against 4 to 20 in each other month of 2022); 30 said free, 1 more was set aside for other reasons, and 5 of the remaining 95 gave one or two stars (5%), against 14% of those we kept. We also set aside its first month of reviews on Sephora, August 2018: 20 of 41 said free and none of the remaining 21 usable reviews gave one or two stars. [R-ULT-MAY] [R-TGT-NYX] [R-SEP-CT]

Beyond those windows we set aside 66 more that said the product was free, 5 repeated on the same page and 21 about another product, shipping, not yet used, not in English or with no text. Some cautions: with 73 usable reviews, a few can move Maybelline's shares. 125 of NYX's 143 usable reviews are from 2018 to 2023, and 938 of Charlotte Tilbury's 1,511 are from 2018 to 2020. Each store page shares reviews across all shades. [R-ULT-MAY] [R-TGT-NYX] [R-SEP-CT]

Maybelline matte lipstick, the long-wear pick from a small sample

Maybelline's listing describes Super Stay Matte Ink as a liquid lipstick with an arrow applicator, a smudge-free matte finish and up to 16 hours of wear with no transfer (brand claim), and says it removes easily with the brand's Super Stay Eraser remover. Its directions: apply from the center of the upper lip, follow the contours, glide across the bottom lip and let it dry. We link shade 160 Mover, a brown, 0.17 fl oz, shipped and sold by Amazon.com. [A1]

Of 73 usable Ulta reviews, 43 (59%) said it stays on through eating, drinking or many hours or is transfer-proof, the highest share of the three, though from the smallest sample. 25 (34%) liked their shade, 17 (23%) would buy again or own several shades and 9 (12%) praised the pigment. Complaints: 9 (12%) found it drying or said it settles in lip lines, 9 (12%) said it wore off or transferred and 5 (7%) said it was hard to remove. 16 (22%) gave one or two stars on Ulta. [R-ULT-MAY]

See Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick, 160 Mover on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens shade 160 Mover (a brown), 0.17 fl oz, shipped and sold by Amazon.com; other shades are on the same page.

Why NYX matte lipstick buyers should check the shade

NYX's listing calls Soft Matte Lip Cream a lightweight liquid lipstick with creamy soft matte coverage that never feels dry (a brand claim), says it can be blended out with a finger for a lip tint look, and says it is designed to be worn with the matching Suede Matte Lip Liner. The listing describes the formula as sweetly scented. We link Berlin, a medium warm brown, 0.27 fl oz, shipped and sold by Amazon.com. [A2]

In 143 usable Target reviews, 59 (41%) liked their shade, 40 (28%) called it comfortable, creamy or not drying, 34 (24%) said it lasts and 27 (19%) would buy again or own several shades. The standout complaint: 32 (22%) said the shade looked different from the photo or swatch, the highest share of the three. 18 (13%) found it drying, 16 (11%) said it wore off and 10 (7%) reported a packaging or product problem. 36 (25%) gave one or two stars on Target. [R-TGT-NYX]

Only 18 usable NYX reviews are from 2024 on; 9 of them said the shade looked different and 8 gave one or two stars. That group is too small to call a trend. [R-TGT-NYX]

See NYX Professional Makeup Soft Matte Lip Cream, Berlin on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens shade Berlin (medium warm brown), 0.27 fl oz, shipped and sold by Amazon.com; other shades are on the same page.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution, the comfortable bullet

Charlotte Tilbury's listing describes Matte Revolution as a soft matte lipstick with glow pigments, lipstick tree extract and vitamin E that it says soften and condition the lips, in an angled, square-shaped bullet designed to mimic a lip brush. It suggests lining the lips with the brand's Lip Cheat liner first. We link Pillow Talk Medium, a warm berry pink, shipped and sold by Amazon.com; the listing does not state the size. [A3]

Of 1,511 usable Sephora reviews, 1,009 (67%) liked their shade and 637 (42%) called it comfortable, creamy or not drying, the highest comfort share of the three. 351 (23%) said it lasts, about the same as NYX (24%), and 315 (21%) would buy again or own several shades; 155 (10%) said they wear it with a liner or a balm underneath. Complaints: 202 (13%) said it wore off or faded, 163 (11%) found it drying, 145 (10%) called the price or size a real drawback and 130 (9%) said the shade did not match its picture. 218 (14%) gave one or two stars on Sephora. [R-SEP-CT]

Its 190 usable reviews from 2024 on read close to the older ones: 38% called it comfortable (against 43% before 2024), 71% liked their shade (against 66%) and 12% found it drying (against 11%). [R-SEP-CT]

See Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick, Pillow Talk Medium on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens shade Pillow Talk Medium (warm berry pink), shipped and sold by Amazon.com; the listing does not state the size, and other shades are on the same page.

How each matte lipstick feels on the lips

On comfort, the three split widely. 42% of Charlotte Tilbury reviews called the bullet comfortable, creamy or not drying, against 28% for the NYX cream and 8% for the Maybelline matte liquid lipstick. Drying or settling-in-lines reports were close for all three, 11% to 13%, and 8% to 12% of each lipstick's reviews praised the matte finish itself. [R-ULT-MAY] [R-TGT-NYX] [R-SEP-CT]

Looking for a matte lipstick for dry lips? Of 28 Charlotte Tilbury reviewers who said their lips are dry or chapped, 22 called it comfortable and 5 found it drying, a small group. No Maybelline or NYX reviewer we kept described dry lips, so we cannot split those two by lip type. [R-ULT-MAY] [R-TGT-NYX] [R-SEP-CT]

Removal came up mainly for Maybelline: 5 reviewers said it was hard to remove, against 1 for NYX and 0 for Charlotte Tilbury. Scent or taste came up mostly in Charlotte Tilbury reviews (74 liked it, 5 did not). The Maybelline listing includes fragrance in its ingredients and the NYX listing includes flavor. [R-ULT-MAY] [R-TGT-NYX] [R-SEP-CT] [A1] [A2]

Red matte lipstick or nude matte lipstick: choosing a shade

Maybelline's listing says Super Stay Matte Ink runs from classic red to nude and bold bright shades, and NYX's lists matte nudes and red shades named after world cities. Charlotte Tilbury's Amazon listing text does not describe its shade range. The options we link are two browns (Mover and Berlin) and Pillow Talk Medium, so pick a red matte lipstick or a nude matte lipstick on the Maybelline and NYX pages, and check Charlotte Tilbury's shade options on its page. [A1] [A2] [A3]

Shade reports are the reason to look closely: 22% of NYX reviews said the color looked different from the photo or swatch, against 9% for Charlotte Tilbury and 7% for Maybelline. Every store page we read shares reviews across all shades, so these shares are not about any one color. [R-ULT-MAY] [R-TGT-NYX] [R-SEP-CT]

Keep reading

• Lip liner: what reviews say about e.l.f., NYX and Maybelline
• Peel-off lip stain: Sacheu, Wonderskin and Maybelline
• Liquid blush: e.l.f., Milani and L'Oreal in the reviews

Frequently asked questions

Is a matte liquid lipstick more drying than a bullet?

Not by much in these reviews. Drying or settling-in-lines reports were 12% for Maybelline and 13% for NYX, the two liquids, against 11% for the Charlotte Tilbury bullet. The bigger gap was comfort praise: 42% for the bullet, 28% for NYX and 8% for Maybelline. Each was read on a different store, so treat the gaps as leans.

Which long lasting matte lipstick do reviewers praise most?

Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink drew long-wear praise from 59% of its 73 usable Ulta reviews, against 24% for NYX and 23% for Charlotte Tilbury. Its sample is small after a June to July 2025 sampling wave was set aside, and 7% of its reviewers said it was hard to remove. Its listing suggests the brand's Super Stay Eraser remover.

Which matte lipstick for dry lips do reviewers find comfortable?

Charlotte Tilbury drew the most comfort praise, from 42% of its reviews, and 22 of the 28 reviewers who said their lips are dry called it comfortable, a small group. No Maybelline or NYX reviewer we kept described dry lips. Some wear a balm or liner underneath: 10% of Charlotte Tilbury reviews said so.

Does the NYX matte lipstick shade match the photo?

Not always, per Target reviewers: 22% of 143 usable reviews said the color looked different from the photo or swatch, the highest share of the three, while 41% liked their shade. Target's page shares reviews across all shades, so this is not about one color. NYX's listing says the line is designed to be worn with its matching Suede Matte Lip Liner.