The 5 Best Drugstore Lip Liners Rival High-End Formulas

As much as I love my lipstick collection (I do have hundreds, after all), I will admit that my favorite lip combinations would be nothing without my staple lip liners. As someone who has tried practically every brand on the market, yes, there are some fantastic luxury liner options to choose from. However, I’ve recently been finding myself reaching for the best drugstore lip liners just as readily, especially over the last two years.

“Honestly, lip liner is a product where you no longer need to spend a fortune,” Tim Quinn, Celebrity Makeup Artist and Co-Founder of Halo42 Skincare, tells me. “Many drugstore formulas offer the same excellent glide, pigment, and longevity as prestige brands.” In fact, as a makeup artist, Quinn is a particularly big fan of the fact that choosing drugstore lip liner also allows you to buy multiple shades to experiment with, rather than investing 30 dollars or more into a single pencil. “Since I use lip liner frequently and sharpen it constantly, it is a great place to save,” he adds.

I have a plethora of drugstore lip liners that have made it to holy grail status in my collection, but there are still a few newer formulas on the market that have been equally impressive. To help you parse through them all, I’ve created a master list of the best drugstore lip liner options readily available for you to purchase. Whether you want a nuanced shade of purple, extreme pigment, or incredible staying power, there’s a drugstore lip liner option for practically any makeup need. Keep reading to shop the full list, plus a few additional tips from makeup artists on how to get the best out of your new products.

The Best Drugstore Lip Liners

Best Overall Drugstore Lip Liner

Maybelline

Lifter Liner Lip Liner With Hyaluronic Acid – Let’s Bounce

I am obsessed with these lip liners, and there’s really no other way to put it. Not only are these lifter liners extremely pigmented, but it’s almost like they leave a stain behind because they last for hours on my lips. The shade Cross the Line is a gorgeous deep brown that I legitimately own three of, if that tells you anything about my obsession with the shade.

Number of Shades: 10

What We Love: Highly pigmented; Long-wearing

What We Don’t: Keep the point low when sharpening; otherwise, it may crumble a little

Review for MC: “From the color saturation to the long-wear properties, the Maybelline Lifter Liners are seriously a drugstore gem. The formula gives you a little room to play when you first apply it, so you can blend to your heart’s content. However, when it sets, it’s not going anywhere, so make sure you practice your technique before using this one for a night out.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer

Best Affordable Drugstore Lip Liner

wet n wild

Lip Liner Pencil by Wet N Wild Color Icon Lip Color Makeup, Brandy Wine

The wet n wild Color Icon lip liners are easily the best bang for your buck in the drugstore. For less than $7, not only do you get a massive amount of product, but the formula has rather impressive staying power. The shade range is limited, but if you find a color you like, my advice? Stock up.

Number of Shades: Five

What We Love: Extremely affordable; Unexpectedly nuanced colors

What We Don’t: Very limited shade range

Review for MC: “This lip liner surprised me in the best way. Not only is the pencil massive (so you’ll have it for a while), but the color Chestnut is a gorgeous light brown that I’ve realized is extremely hard to find in other brands. This formula isn’t as long-lasting as others on this list, but I’ve found that doubling up on the liner gives me the staying power that I want, so I apply, blend, and apply again. It’s fantastic.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer

Best Viral Drugstore Lip Liner

Morphe

Signature Lip Pencil – Bubble Bath

If you’re on makeup TikTok, then you’ve likely heard of the Signature Lip Pencils from Morphe. With 26 shades to choose from, there are browns, taupes, purples, and pinks—practically any color you want is featured in this line. Plus, for $7, I’m already feeling the itch to stock up on a few of the newer additions to the line.

Number of Shades: 26

What We Love: Nuanced shade range; Easy-glide formula

What We Don’t: Can be hard to find in person

Review for MC: “Morphe’s rebrand has been incredible to witness, but I was terrified that the brand was going to mess with the lip liner formulas. Not only did they bring back some of my favorite shades, but the formula is pretty much the same, just a tad more emollient. These liners are one of the few viral makeup products that are actually worth the hype.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer

Best Long-Wearing Drugstore Lip Liner

e.l.f. Cosmetics

Main Stain Lip Marker – Balletcore

A lip liner that doesn’t budge? E.l.f. nailed the brief with its Main Stay Lip Marker. The transfer-resistant formula is just that, but it does allow for a little room to play before it sets down. I like to use them almost as a base before putting on a pencil formula, especially when I want to influence a shade to be a tad more purple, using my favorite color from the line: Mauvelous.

Number of Shades: Eight

What We Love: Transfer-resistant; Pinched tip for easy coverage of corner lip lines

What We Don’t: Would love to see deeper shades

Review for MC: “E.l.f.’s Main Stay Lip Marker makes getting a precise lip line next-level easy, something you don’t see very often in the budding world of lip liner stains. The tip of the marker is sturdy but can give you an entirely different look depending on how you turn the pencil—full coverage on the flat end and more precise coverage on the narrower part. I definitely want to see a larger selection of shades, but for now, I think the current offerings are a fantastic step into this category, especially for people who may want to just try the trend before testing out any other high-end versions.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer

Best Makeup Artist-Recommended Drugstore Lip Liner

NYX Professional Makeup

Slim Lip Pencil Lip Liner

NYX, the icon that you are. This has been one of my favorite lip pencils for years, especially when I was a very budget-conscious college student. In fact, it’s one of Quinn’s favorites, as he says this line “offers the perfect balance of a creamy, blendable formula and a fantastic shade range,” while performing like a prestige pencil at a fraction of the price.

Number of Shades: 29

What We Love: Pro-approved; Comfortable formula; Matte finish

What We Don’t: Shop in person for these, as the colors online can look a bit different

Review for MC: “NYX’s lip liners are crowd favorites for a reason. This formula glides onto the lip like butter without skipping, cracking, or forcing me to go over the same area multiple times, and once it sets, it sets. Paired with the brand’s glosses or soft matte lip creams? Immaculate lip combos for everyone.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer

How Do I Find the Best Drugstore Lip Liner?

Your perfect drugstore lip liner depends on what your specific needs are. However, there are a few general guidelines that you can follow.

“I say look for a great range of tones because at least then you get a sense of how much consideration went into the development phase of these products,” makeup artist and content creator Ehlie Luna tells me. “It increases the odds that you’ll find something you love instead of something that collects dust.” Additionally, how you use the liner will depend on the effect you’re going for. “For me, it’s about texture, pigment, and wearability,” Quinn adds. “I look for a creamy formula that glides on smoothly without dragging, but still stays in place. I also prefer a versatile liner that works with your natural lip tone and pairs well with multiple lipstick or gloss shades.”

At the end of the day, the choice is yours, but finding the best drugstore lip liner means being clear about whether and how the product will fit into your existing routine and give you the look and sensorial experience that you’re aiming for.

How Do I Use Drugstore Lip Liner?

Newer to the world of lip liner? There are a few ways that you can add it into your routine.

“If you want a blurred, soft look, line your lips and smudge the edges softly inward,” Luna says. “Prefer a higher contrast? Work slowly on application and clean up the line at the end with micellar water and a little concealer or foundation.”

Quinn’s preferred liner technique? The faux filler. “I prefer to avoid a harsh, obvious line around the mouth,” he says. “I start at the cupid’s bow and the center of the bottom lip, working outward with short strokes. To create the illusion of fuller lips, I slightly overdraw just the Cupid’s bow and the center of the bottom lip, rather than the entire mouth. I then soften the line inward with a finger or brush before applying lipstick or gloss.” For added dimension, Quinn says adding a little more pencil to the outer corners can help, especially if you want that full, pouty look.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.