Ever heard the saying “champagne taste on a wine cooler budget”? That pretty much explains my complicated relationship with makeup. I don’t wear makeup that often, so I think it’s financially irresponsible to spend a ton of money on it. A staple in my makeup routine is a good lip. High school and the beginning of college was all about a nice gloss finish, but that has changed. Regardless of the occasion I can be found with a nice matte lip, either nude or bold. There really isn’t a middle ground when it comes to my lips.

I always get compliments on my lip colors and love the responses I get when I tell people it’s a drugstore brand. I’ve tried several brands, but only a few have made the cut for repurchasing.

Choosing the perfect matte lip is a science. There are specific qualities that it must possess to become one of my favorites. Some of the deciding factors include:

Applicator: What is provided for application?

Application and Consistency: How many coats are required for full coverage?

Dry Time: What is the dry time?

Chapped Effect: Does my lips feel like the sahara desert after application?

Longevity: How long does it last from the initial application time?

Food: What does it look like after a meal?

Here are some budget-friendly matte lip options.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream $6.49

Applicator: Doe Foot (the same applicator you get with a lip gloss).

Application and Consistency: It’s creamy and takes 1-2 coats for desired results

Dry Time: Less than a minute, since it’s a cream consistency.

Chapped Effect: For a matte product my lips feel smooth and moisturized.

Longevity: It typically last for about 5 hours before touch up are needed.

Food: This product works well with most food and drinks. However, after eating anything greasy like pizza or wings there is a drastic need to reapply.

Maybelline Color Sensational $5.49

Applicator: Lipstick

Application and Consistency: Super-creamy formula. I think it being super creamy requires more coats to get my perfect lip.

Dry Time: Downside of this product is that it doesn’t dry like tradition matte products.

Chapped Effect: I would compare this product to a lip gloss. That’s great because it doesn’t dry out my lips.

Longevity: This isn’t an all day lip product. I would suggest using this solely for social media. Don’t judge me, everyone has those days when they want to get cute for selfies or snapchat.

Food: Be prepared to reapply after eating.

NYX Velvet Matte Lipstick $6.99

Applicator: Lipstick

Application and Consistency: Dry yet creamy. The thickness of the product makes it a little difficult when applying, but if done right it only takes one coat.

Dry Time: Product doesn’t require a dry time, it’s matte from the first coat.

Chapped Effect: It’s a little creamy, but after a while I feel like I should apply chapstick.

Longevity: It can last for a couple of hours pending on how much you eat. I personally get about 4 hours before I need to completely reapply.

Food: After eating I can’t tell that I had on makeup in the first place, so bring the tube with you.

Let me go on record and say I am not a fan of liquid lipsticks. I am a creamy girl, but I have played around with two in the past.

ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip $6.50

Applicator: Doe Foot

Application and Consistency: Liquid, but manageable. I try to be as minimal as possible and with liquid lipstick I feel the need to overcompensate to see results. It takes maybe 3-4 coats to get it right.

Dry Time: I strongly dislike that it takes a couple of minutes for it to dry. Even when I only do 2 coat it takes forever and a day.

Chapped Effect: I love how the product looks, but hate how dry it feels. I felt like my lips were dehydrated.

Longevity: Despite how it feels, this is a full day lipstick. I easily got 8 hours or more use out of it. I typically touch up when we are getting close to the 8th hour.

Food: Pretty sure I can enter a pie eating contest and it would still be there when I am done.

NYX Professional Make Lip Lingerie $6.99

Applicator: It’s a flat applicator and I hate it so much. The only benefit of it is that you can perfectly outline your lips before fully applying.

Application and Consistency: It’s creamy and takes 1-2 coats for desired results.

Dry Time: It takes 1-2 minutes for it to dry. When I’m in a rush I stand in front of a fan, don’t judge my life choices.

Chapped Effect: After a couple of hours I feel the need to apply chapstick, but it isn’t as bad as ColourPop in my opinion.

Longevity: Pending on the number of coats applied this can be an all day lipstick. With a slight touch up after lunch.

Food: Similar to the NYX Matte Lip Cream, the greaser the food the more likely you will need to apply.

Why spend hundreds of dollars when you can achieve the same results for half the cost.