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Gone are the days when black lipsticks were the sole domain of hardcore goth chicks, dominatrices or emo teens. Black is now the colour du noir and celebs are totally rocking this bold and dramatic lip colour! Nothing makes as much of a statement as a swipe of pure black on your lips.

Here’s a little nugget of information: black lipstick is not a modern trend by any stretch. The Ancient Egyptians were painting their lips in shades of black and dark blue way back in 4000 B.C.!

Hollywood actresses were also painting their lips black in the 1920s, back in the era of black-and-white films, so that their lips would appear deep scarlet in monochrome In the 1960s, black lipstick became the staple of goth girls and moody teens, and began falling out of mainstream favour.

Fast forward to 2018 and everyone’s wearing it again, from your teenage neighbour to the Kardashian Klan. Celebrities all over the world have been spotted with midnight puckers; such as Hollywood it girls Beyoncé, Gigi Hadid, Rihanna and Lily Collins.

Best Black Lipsticks Lee Sung Kyung

Korean actress Lee Sung Kyung

Asia’s tendency for being conservative with beauty hasn’t stopped some Korean celebrities from rocking this look recently. check it out on Korean actress Lee Sung Kyung and singer Lee Hyori!

So, how do you wear it?

Best Black Lipsticks Lily Collins

American actress Lily Collins

Contrary to what you might think, black lipstick is actually one of the easiest bold colours to pull off, as it looks good on practically every skin tone. All you really need is confidence in how amazing you look, and you’re set! Of course, these three tips below would help make your journey to the black side a little easier too:

  1. Keep the rest of your make-up simple. A swipe of mascara and eye-liner is more than enough!
  2. Outline your lips with a black lip liner to prevent feathering.
  3. Remember to swirl on some warm blush to bring some life to your cheeks.

1. Colourpop Lux Lipstick

Aeronaut

Best Black Lipsticks Colourpop Aeronaut

This lipstick is a true opaque black with a creamy finish, and it’s one of the new shades in Colourpop’s latest range Lux Lipsticks. That beautiful rose gold bullet case certainly steals the show too.

The formula glides on like butter and includes moisturising ingredients like Acai, Jojoba, and Pomegranate Seed butters. It has intense and smooth pigmentation but, due to its creaminess, it fades off a tad quickly. Luckily, reapplication with this is super easy!

Available from Colourpop at USD7 (approximately SGD9.30), with free shipping worldwide on orders over USD50 (approximately SGD66).

2. Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip

Friday

 Best Black Lipsticks Colourpop Friday

This is one of Colourpop’s mainstays in its Ultra Matte Lip range, and it already has a loyal following who regularly repurchase!

Known to be highly pigmented with amazing performance on top of its affordable price tag, this cult favourite is surely a must-try if it is your first foray into the world of black lipsticks!

It’s long-lasting, easy to apply, non-streaky, non-drying, and lightweight on the lips with incredible colour pay-off. Its fans swear by it and we can see why.

Available from Colourpop at USD6.50 (approximately SGD8.60), with free shipping worldwide on orders over USD50 (approximately SGD66).

3. Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick

Witches

Best Black Lipsticks Kvd Witches

Kat Von D’s Everlasting Liquid Lipstick range is extremely well-loved by liquid lippie junkies, who swear by the non-sticky, long-lasting formula. It’s super easy to apply too!

Witches is a pitch-black shade that comes across as being a neutral medium-black when worn and dries matte. It does not dry totally flat, as some matte shades tend to do, and instead dries with some measure of depth, which gives your lips more plump and dimension!

If it fades throughout the day, re-application is a breeze, so you can put your best Charmed pout forward for hours without worrying.

Available from Sephora.sg and Sephora stores islandwide at SGD31.

4. Urban Decay Vice Lipstick

Perversion Comfort Matte

Best Black Lipsticks Urban Decay Perversion

This creamy lipstick is a beauty to behold. It used to be available with a pearl finish but its latest iteration is a cool matte black in the brand’s Comfort Matte range, touted to be creamier and denser than the regular Mega Matte range the brand is known for.

While not extremely long-lasting, it is fairly easy to re-apply for touch ups. The creamy formula goes on smoothly for a matte lipstick and isn’t drying, thanks to its unique butter blend that promises to moisturise lips throughout your wear time.

Key moisturising ingredients in the formula include Aloe Vera, Jojoba, Avocado, and Babassu oils, as well as Illipe butter from Malaysian Illipe trees.

Available from Sephora.sg and Sephora stores at SGD31.

5. Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Lipstick

Creamy Black

Best Black Lipsticks Make Up Forever Creamy Black

A deep raven black lipstick in a smooth satin finish, you’ll want to get your hands on this to fulfill your dark lip desires. Make Up For Ever’s Artist Rouge Lipstick range features a blockbuster of shades, all made from the same highly pigmented formula that is said to provide single-glide coverage.

It also lasts a long time even with just one swipe, and the better part? It does not feather! So much goodness in one sleek bullet that feels weighty in your hand thanks to its luxe metal casing.

Available from Sephora.sg and Sephora stores at SGD35.

6. NYX Liquid Suede Lipstick

Alien

Best Black Lipsticks Nyx Alien

This is another firm fan favourite for its formula that is known to be comfortable to wear, and sets on your lips like waterproof velvet.

Alien is a beautiful black shade with very subtle undertones of blue, green or purple, which makes it look slightly softer when worn. It is not the most long-lasting of lipsticks so you’ll need to re-apply as and when it fades, but it is quite opaque with one coat so re-application is not too much of a hassle.

Available from NYX stores, and LookFantastic at SGD12 (shipping fees apply).

7. CoverGirl Katy Kat Matte Lipstick

Perry Panther

 Best Black Lipsticks Covergirl Perry Panther

Katy Perry surely knows a thing or ten about upping the drama with her make up. Perry Panther was one of the most anticipated shades in the Katy Perry x CoverGirl collaboration that hit stores two years back, and it’s a fantastic blue-black shade at a wallet-friendly drugstore price.

It finishes demi-matte and is not totally opaque, so it requires a few swipes to build up to a smooth solid finish. Also, it is not the longest lasting formula but it applies easily so you can touch-up when needed. Best of all, your lips won’t feel overly dry when wearing it. 

Available from Covergirl, ship via Airfrov at USD6.94 (approximately SGD9.30).

8. M.A.C. Liptensity Lipstick

Stallion

Best Black Lipsticks Mac Stallion

This is truly a classic lipstick in M.A.C.’s revolutionary Liptensity gel formula, which is extremely pigmented and gives an intense and vibrant colour payoff.

Stallion is a beautiful neutral inky black with a glossy finish, and glides on your lip like a silken dream. Fairly long-lasting for a gel-based lipstick with minimal colour sliding, it is extremely comfortable to wear and non-drying – plus points when trying to channel your inner elegant Black Beauty!

Available from M.A.C, ship via Airfrov at USD21 (approximately SGD27.70).

9. e.l.f. Cosmetics Liquid Matte Lipstick

Black Out

Best Black Lipsticks Elf Black Out

If you are a fan of Colourpop’s uber popular black liquid lipstick in inky black Friday but wish it weren’t always sold out, you should give e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Liquid Matte Lipstick in Black Out a try.

The colour is almost a perfect dupe and it dries matte when worn. e.l.f..’s liquid matte formula is lightweight and non-drying, and is also vegan and cruelty-free like everything else by the brand. If you find the name familiar, that’s cos e.l.f. previously had this same black shade in its Moisturising Lipstick range!

Available from e.l.f. Cosmetics, ship via Airfrov, at USD5 (approximately SGD6.70).

10. Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayon

Blacquer

Best Black Lipsticks Marc Jacobs Blacquer

Marc Jacobs’ lip crayon is a long-wearing lippie that looks, feels and wears like a liquid lipstick. The website promises 16 hours of wear without the pigment settling into fine lines at the end of your outing.

The formula is creamy and easy to apply, and glides on like velvet. It hardly needs any re-applications either, as the colour lasts through eating and drinking! If you need to touch-up though, it is a breeze to do so, with its crayon shape that can be extended with a twist.

Although matte, it has a slight sheen to it, so your midnight pout will have some degree of dimension to its inky depths!

Available from Sephora at SGD38.

11. Kylie Cosmetics Matte Lipstick

Nightfall

Best Black Lipsticks Kylie Nightfall

Makeup mogul Kylie Jenner has dropped her new Weather collection, totally inspired by her new daughter Stormi, and we spy a lovely black shade in its midst! Packaged in an eye-catching dusty blue case with cute little lighting bolts enbossed on the bullet, the shade wears as a soft matte black and looks gorgeous on Kylie herself, who has been rocking the shade on her Instagram.

It’s also touted to be of the same hydrating formula as the other matte lipsticks of the same range, and wears comfortably, glides on almost creamily in spite of being matte.

Available from Kylie Cosmetics, ship to Singapore via Airfrov, at USD18 (approximately SGD24).

12. Ciate London Glitter Flip

Black

 Best Black Lipsticks Ciate Glitter Flip

This super fun lipstick is now available in black! With all the glittery goodness packed in this lippie, you’ll be looking more like My Little Pony than Morticia Addams with this.

If you are new to the Ciate London Glitter Flip craze, all you need to know is: rubbing your lips together after applying this is all you need to do to attain a dazzling multi-dimensional glitter lip. Perfect for a girl’s night out or for dinner parties!

The formula is surprisingly non-drying, has a pretty metallic finish, and is said to be able to last all night. It is also free from parabens, sulfates and phtalates so you can really party worry-free with this beauty sparkling on your lips.

Available from Sephora USA, ship to Singapore via Airfrov, at USD19 (approximately SGD25).

13. Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color Loaded Bolds

Pitch Black

Best Black Lipsticks Maybelline Pitch Black

Maybelline’s latest line boasts the boldest and trendiest hues of the season, so it includes a pitch black shade of course. The creamy, pigmented, and matte formula that girls around the world have grown to love is still the same, which we were very pleased about.

Pitch Black is one of the range’s highlight shades and it is a creamy warm black. It can be a little hard to wear evenly with a swipe, so we recommend using a magic wand a.k.a. a lip brush, to even out the application with this one.

Available from Watsons and Maybelline counters islandwide at SGD14.90.

14. Dior Rouge Dior Liquid

Matte Black

Best Black Lipsticks Dior Matte Black 1

If you are looking for a luxurious black lipstick, Dior’s Rouge Dior Liquid in Matte Black is certainly a solid choice. It dries down a soft neutral matte black and is said to require just one swipe to apply thanks to its one-of-a-kind formula.

It contains a unique blend of mineral wax, fine powders and oils for a solid colour payoff, and glides on smoothly for long-lasting coverage.

Available from Dior counters or Sephora USA, ship to Singapore via Airfrov, at USD37 (approximately SGD49).

15. Sephora Collection Cream Stain Lipstick

Night Bird

Best Black Lipsticks Sephora Night Bird

The fan favourite Sephora Collection Cream Stain Lipstick is a silky lip stain that comes in a whopping 97 shades, with Night Bird, a jet black shade, being the darkest of them all. It is one of Sephora’s bestsellers and for good reason!

Reasonably priced, hydrating (it contains avocado oil) and long-lasting, this is really the stuff of your midnight dreams. Because it is a stain, it wears off gradually and naturally without flaking off, so you could probably go about your whole day without re-applying.

This is great also for black lip newbies because the formula will eventually fade into a darkened stain on your lip rather than an opaque midnight black lip, which is less intimidating to those who’ve never tried the colour before.

Available from Sephora for SGD19.

16. Beauty Bakerie Lip Whip Lipstick

Dare to Eclair

Best Black Lipsticks Beauty Bakerie Dare To Eclair

Beauty Bakerie is known for their extremely long-wearing lip liquids that will not budge or smudge. Dare to Eclair is a jewelled metallic black from their new metallic shade range, and it looks phenomenal when worn.

It is extremely easy to apply as it goes on wet, before setting into a beautiful smooth metallic finish. You will certainly be shining like an intergalactic space princess with this jewelled black shade on your lips!

Available from Sephora.sg at SGD30.

17. Australis Velourlips Matte Lip Cream

Mel-Burn

Best Black Lipsticks Australis Melburn

Australis’ range of city-inspired shades has certainly caught our attention for their eye-popping shades and liquid-to-matte formula. Mel-Burn is a true black with cool undertones. In spite of being such a dark shade, it goes on a little sheer, and requires two to three layers to reach a consistently smooth opaque black.

Once done, though, it stays on fairly long and looks amazing – like a layer of velvet – on your lips. The brand is also cruelty-free and vegan, so you don’t have to feel bad for looking so good!

Available from Zalora and Australis counters at Watsons stores at SGD12.90.