Best Matte Lipsticks

MAC

The lipstick equivalent of a little black dress. Ruby Woo is MAC's seminal cool-toned, blue-red — a true retro red that flatters every skin tone from the fairest porcelain to the deepest rich complexion. Its retro matte formula delivers velvety, staying-power pigment that won't budge through meals, rain, or a full night out. The standard by which all red lipsticks are measured.

MAC

Velvet Teddy is the warm nude that broke the internet. A peachy-beige with just enough warmth to flatter fair-to-medium complexions without reading 'too pale', its velvety matte formula delivers the plush, polished finish that made it an overnight sellout. This is the shade that proved a nude lipstick could go viral — and it's never really left the bestseller list since.

MAC

Mehr is MAC's most coveted dusty rose — a cool-toned, muted pink that sits midway between nude and mauve. Beloved by editorial makeup artists for its ability to make lips look polished and effortless simultaneously, its lasting matte formula never pulls dry. If your skin tone runs cool or fair, Mehr is the shade that makes everything else look better.

MAC

The '90s grunge lip in a bullet. Whirl is a cool, brown-toned nude with a faint mauve undertone that photographs impossibly editorial — the shade Kendall Jenner made iconic on the runway. Its matte finish runs deeper than most nudes, making it a true 'your lips but darker' choice for medium and deeper skin tones, and a statement lip for fair complexions paired with heavy liner.

NYX Professional Makeup

Rome is NYX's romantic, neutral nude — a warm-but-not-peachy beige in the Soft Matte Lip Cream formula that balances perfectly between warm and cool. The comfortable matte finish is long-wearing and transfer-resistant, making it the go-to everyday shade for those who want full coverage without the maintenance of a high-end matte.

MAC

Diva is MAC's deep, dark drama in a bullet — a rich plum-wine with cool undertones that reads midnight glamour from across the room. The matte formula delivers inky, full-on pigment in a shade traditionally associated with autumn and winter collections. Bold enough for a statement moment, sophisticated enough to skip eye makeup entirely.