Black Lipstick: The Best Color You’ve Probably Never Tried!

'Tis the season for spooky makeup and nothing says Happy Halloween (or happy Tuesday, we won’t judge) like a deep, dark, velvety black lipstick. With so many amazing black lip products on the market today it’s a wonder any of us are still resorting to using our eye liner. We did a little hunting and uncovered a plethora or creamy sticks, blackened balms, rich glosses, and even a matte option. The price range was all over the map and the eclectic packaging personalized the products, ensuring there truly is a black lipstick out there for everyone. Let us help you discover your ideal black lip.

Dime Shop Brands NK, Brucci, and Ruby Kisses

Lipsticks in various shades | $0.99

Entering the bargain store around the corner, we were surprised at how many off-brand black lipsticks we found—nearly every makeup display featured one with names like “midnight madness” and “black diamond.” At 99 cents a pop, these black lippies work for every budget. They all looked identical—packaged in outdated silver plastic tubes with clear lids, and they all smelled like tacky a combination of baby powder and cherry candy. Honestly, despite the anything-but-chic experience, these lipsticks really paid off. Our lips looked tar-rifically dark and felt moisturized. It may not be the hippest black lip but in the end, who’s gonna know!

NYX

Round Lipstick in Penelope | $4

The price is right for this basic black option, which has the look and feel of a high end brand. The formula glides on smooth and wears nicely with no bleeding and a luminous finish. Unfortunately the product itself had a strange soapy scent and tasted bitter on our lips which a bit of a bummer despite its wearability. It’s still one of the best options at the drugstore.

Rimmel London

Stay Glossy Lipgloss in Black Diva | $5.99

This skinny tube of gloss we found hiding on a drugstore shelf could do an awful lot better for its nearly six dollar price tag. The gloss had a lotion-like consistency and a powder fresh scent to match, which cheapened the experience. The color was impressive but not opaque. It looked just fine for about 20 minutes before the pigment began to break up and nestle into our lip lines. The bleeding was hardly noticeable thanks to the low concentration of color. We are convinced that within a couple hours of straight wear, the gloss would have turned transparent, but we lost patience and wiped it off well before.

Portland Black Lipstick Company

Lipstick in Black | $9

Wow! We’ll admit, the kitchen craft project feel of this product gave us doubts, but the quality formula had us floored at first swipe. This is by far the blackest black we tested, and though the pigment is powerful, the formula felt luxuriously creamy and moisturizing on our lips. The lipstick comes packed in an underwhelming chapstick tube which is a bit of a dud compared to the breakthrough formula it contains, but the mint-flavored, no-fuss stick easily fit into any purse or pocket giving us black lips on the go. The unisex look of the product makes it versatile for lipstick fans of every orientation, and it would also make a great gift for young goths to hide from their parents among their fruity balms! Don’t pass up this amazing and affordable option!

Manic Panic

Lethal Matte Lipstick in Raven | $15.50

A favorite among goths and longtime cruelty-free makeup lovers, Manic Panic has been blackening our lips for well over a decade. The basic cream formula is marketed as “matte,” but it goes on smooth with a wearable satin finish that will play up any pout. The pigment takes on a bit of a natural tone and could stand to go a couple shades deeper compared to other truer blacks we tested, but the color was flattering and stayed on our lips until lunch where we wiped it away clean. The tried-and-true Manic Panic black and silver tube is nostalgic, and the rebellious feel of the lipstick makes us reminisce of our angsty teen-hood.

Lime Crime

Opaque Lipstick in Styletto | $15.99

A creamy black for colorful creatives looking to darken things up. Lime Crime’s Styletto comes packaged in the brand’s signature purple unicorn emblazoned tube, giving the creepy color an upbeat feeling. It smells like yummy vanilla candy and glides on smoothly. Thanks to the high amount of pigment, Styletto sticks around a long time which makes it a good choice for all-day wear, perfect for those regular black lip renegades. The color’s name suggests a classic quality to black lipstick, giving this likeable formula a prime spot in our makeup collection.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

Lip Tar in Tarred | $18

This is an extreme black that provides impressive coverage. The paint-like quality makes this liquid lipstick feel limitless, though the oily base makes the risk of bleeding high. A little goes a very long way and you’ll need to invest in a lip brush to get the most out of it. This is not a lipstick for those new to crazy colors, and upkeep throughout the day is tricky (we primed it with a clear liner), but the high mixability factor of this minty pigment makes it the most versatile black lip product on the market.

Make Up For Ever

Rouge Artist in #50 Satin Black | $19

We found the drugstore look of this lipstick a bit underwhelming considering the price tag, but the satin finish and non waxy formula got two thumbs up from us. With a bewitching violet scent, we felt spooky and mysterious in this all around likeable lippie that would be a great first black for anyone looking to darken up their beauty routine. Though the product wore off gradually, the pigment tends to stick when wiped away making a quick color change difficult without remover. Still, a great and easy-feeling option.

Armour Beauty

Lipgloss in Femme Fatale | $21 | shop it

We loved this rich opaque gloss with surprising color payoff and a yummy chocolate orange scent. The seamless glass-like shine it gives off feels luxurious like expensive patent leather, making this a haute option for a high fashion feel. The formula is a bit sticky and after an hour the color needed to be reapplied, but the minimal bleeding and mega mixability of this unique gloss has kept it among our favorites.

Urban Decay

Lipstick in Oil Slick | $22

Though the lipstick may look like a shimmering opaque in the package, don’t be fooled! Oil Slick is actually a sheer grey gloss. At first we were disappointed with the product but as we wore it the strange shade grew on us. The blackish tint gave our lips the goth feel we were going for without making such a statement– the perfect daytime black! The lipstick smells exactly like halloween candy which we found extremely fitting, and though the oversize unique purple packaging was pretty, the tiny dagger we had to pull on to open the tube hurt our fingers. Try layering this shade on top of other colors to get a spooky fall look fast.

Anna Sui

Lip Rouge V-Vivid in #060 | $25

A beautiful lipstick with a beautiful performance. We were dazzled by the extravagant two-tone cut-out tube before we even tried the contents. This exquisitely creamy lipstick glides on like a balm and feels amazing on dry lips. The sugary rose scent is just another decadent perk of this high-end product that makes wearing black lips feel chic and seductive.The formula is highly blendable and simply rubbing lips together replenishes the shade after wear from eating or drinking. This is a long lasting luxe lipstick worth every penny.

Illamasqua

Lipstick in Pristine | $28

A matte black lipstick sounds like an interesting idea, but the no-lustre result was a bit harsh. The packaging is very lovely, looks expensive, and the product inside has a pleasant vanilla scent. The staying power of this waxy lipstick is great and will easily last long into the night without needing to be reapplied. Though the results of a matte black lip were not very pretty, it was the only lipstick we found with this finish, making it a unique idea for costume makeup, as well as a great option for men.