Looking for the best lipstick brand in India?
Great! You have come to the right place as we bring forth a list of the leading names that are ruling this industry for the past few years.
Lipsticks are a girl’s best friend. No matter if you love makeup or not, but lipstick is one thing that will surely find a place in your vanity box.
Lipstick is something which is so handy yet magical that even if you haven’t done any of the face-makeup, but just a tint on your lips can make you look fab from drab.
Be it office, party, casual meeting or fun movie date, lipstick is a must accessory to complete your look for any occasion.
And with so many varieties and brands available in the market today, you can always pick your favourite one with the perfect colour that goes with your particular look.
Do read the comprehensive Buyer's Guide towards the end for a detailed assessment. But before you shop your favorite lipstick, we suggest you go through these points that will help you make the right choice:
- 1Shelf life: Like any other product, check for the date of manufacturing and expiry before you buy any lipstick. Generally, lip shades have a shelf life of 3 years. But if the shopkeeper has sold you old stock, say the lipstick is 1 year old, the shelf life for it will reduce to just 2 years. So always check for this before purchasing any lipstick.
- 2Swatch: Some shades might appeal to you if you look at them, but the same colour might not always look good on your lips. So, don’t forget to swatch the colour on your hand first, before you buy it. If you feel it is hygienic, don’t shy away from swatching the colour on your lips, to get a perfect idea, how the shade is going to look on you.
- 3Budget: Splurging on lipsticks can be a stress buster. But be a smart shopper. Don’t spend so much that you regret later. Choose the brand that fits your pocket and look for the nearest shade that you want in that particular brand. For instance, if you like a particular shade from a luxury brand like YSL, you can always go find a similar shade in more affordable brands like Lakme and Maybelline.
- 4Texture: You can always pick the texture of the lipsticks according to your wish. It can be matte, creamy or glossy. But it is recommended to go for best matte lipsticks in summers and use shinier and glossier ones in winters.
- 5Originality: Today, the market is flooded with copies and fake products. Beware of them, and always buy good branded cosmetics as you want it to go with your skin-tone and you cannot take chance with it. For original products, always buy lipsticks from a well-reputed store or online portal that is known for selling cosmetics.
Now that you know what things you should consider, here are the Top 10 best lipstick brand in India, available for you:
Other related articles: Top 10 Best Lip Balms in India, Top 10 Best Eyeliners in India
We Highly recommend you to read the Lipstick Brand Buying Guide at the end of this article to get in-depth knowledge about latest lipstick brand names and tips on making an informed decision about which lipstick is best product to buy for your needs 
Let's explore the list and have a look at the features along with the pros and cons of the Top 10 Best Lipstick Brands in India.
Top 10 Best Lipstick Brands in India (2022)
Although my favorite among all is MAC Cosmetics but you must check all of them to make your buying decision.
1. MAC Cosmetics
Known as the master in the professional makeup range, M.A.C is a name to reckon with, when it comes to beauty products.
Being in the business for over 30 years now, the company was founded by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo in Toronto, in the year 1984.
Headquartered in New York City, the company became a part of another cosmetic giant Estée Lauder Companies in 1996.
Touted as one of the top three best lipstick brand in the world, M.A.C has the highest number of followers on Instagram.
Its products like Studio Fix Compact and Ruby Woo lipsticks are a rage among the users.
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2. Maybelline New York
The American makeup brand was coined by a 19-year-old entrepreneur Thomas Lyle Williams. Founded in 1915, the company is a subsidiary of French cosmetics company L'Oréal.
The company came up with Maybelline Cake Mascara, touted as the first-ever modern eye cosmetic for everyday use. It then launched Ultra Lash, the first mass-market automatic, in 1960.
Earlier headquartered in Memphis, Maybelline is now based out of New York City with its factory in Brooklyn.
Various prominent faces like Jessica White, Gigi Hadid, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, and many others, have been the brand ambassadors of the brand.
The brand-image of Maybelline New York is one of those top lipstick brands in world.
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3. L'Oréal Paris
The French company manufacturing personal care products has its headquarters in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine.
Touted as the world’s largest cosmetic brand, the company deals in a range of products like hair-care and color, skin care, make-up, and perfume.
With roping in only 3 chemists in 1920, the company today has a strong workforce of 82,000 people. It won't be wrong to state that, L'oreal Paris is the best lipstick brand in India.
Today, L'Oréal has acquired major beauty brands like Magic Holdings, NYX Cosmetics, Niely Cosmeticos Group, Carol's Daughter, among others.
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4. Sugar Cosmetics
Owned by Fab Bag, which provides beauty and grooming subscription services, Sugar Cosmetics is an Indian brand that has carved out a niche for itself.
In the Indian cosmetic market that is already flooded and dominated with big national and international players in the segment.
The brand offers products in categories like Eye Liner, Kajal, Mascara, Lip Gloss, Lip Crayon, Matte Lipstick, and Liquid Lipstick.
The cruelty-free brand is known for its out-of-the-box packaging that made it different from the run of the mill.
Today, Sugar is one of the biggest players in providing the best lipsticks in Indian market.
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5. Lakme
Owned by Hindustan Unilever, Lakme is one of the most trusted and leading cosmetic brands in India.
The company that initiated its operations as a Tata Oil Mills subsidiary got its name from the French opera Lakmé, which in Hindi means Lakshmi.
Founded by JRD Tata, the company was sold to HUL for Rs 200 Crore in the year 1996.
Besides providing cosmetics and personal care services at salons, Lakme also organizes fashion extravaganza, the Lakme Fashion Week, which happens twice every year.
Popular faces like Kareena Kapoor Khan and Ananya Panday are the faces of the popular cosmetic brand.
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6. NYX Professional Makeup
A subsidiary of L'Oréal, NYX cosmetics was founded by Toni Ko in 1999.
The LA-based company derived its name from Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night and is the most expensive lipstick.
The cruelty-free brand offers a wide range of vegan-friendly products. The first-ever product produced and sold by the brand were jumbo eye pencils.
Sold in over 70 countries across the world, NYX is said to be a very digitally viable brand that puts social media to good use, for its promotion and marketing.
The brand, that largely targets the youth, has collaborated with various YouTubers and vloggers, to market its latest range of products.
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7. LA Girl Cosmetics
Owned by parent company Beauty 21 Cosmetics, LA Girl is a chic and stylish brand that offers makeup in all categories like liquid makeup, blush, eye shadow, nail polish, and body glitter.
It produces affordable luxury products for professional makeup artists that roar about the trend, quality, and durability.
Headquartered in Ontario, LA Girl cosmetic brand was established in 1985. Best lip shades, the brand is known to sell its concealer like a hot cake.
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8. Huda Beauty
This is another brand that has made a place for itself in a short span.
Launched by an Iraqi-American makeup artist Huda Kattan, who is also a businesswoman, the brand is popular for its lipsticks range, eyelashes, face palettes, and foundation series.
Kattan has been named as the ‘25 Most Influential People on the Internet" by Time in 2017, besides being the richest self-made woman and top three beauty influencers by Forbes.
The first-ever product launched by the brand was false eyelashes in Dubai in 2011. It was launched in the US in 2015.
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9. Elle 18
Owned by Hindustan Unilever Limited, Elle 18 is an affordable option, and when it comes to vibrant beauty products, Elle 18 is one of the best lipstick brand in India.
While the brand is known for its jet black Kajal, which is widely used, its colour pop lip shades, even in the neon colours, became a rage among the youth.
Indian star Anushka Sharma is the brand ambassador of Elle 18 cosmetics and the brand is headquartered in Mumbai. It was founded in 1998.
Besides lipsticks, the brand is loved for its funky and colourful range of nail polishes.
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10. Lotus Herbals
Launched in 1993, Lotus Herbals produce cosmetics that are close to nature but also based on science and innovation.
In a way we can say that, Lotus Herbals provides the best lipstick in India, if you want a lipstick shade made-up of natural ingredients.
By Kamal Passi, the brand offers a wide range of skincare, makeup, hair care products. The cruelty-free brand offers natural products that are sold in 16 countries across the globe.
The brand that has targeted and catered well in the tier-II cities like Mizoram, Faridkot, Gwalior, and Indore, became popular with its lead-free lipticks and sindoor, that sells like hotcakes.
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Buyer's Guide: How to Purchase Lipstick Brands
The main tasks while buying a lip shade include figuring out the right colour according to the skin tone, finding the perfect texture, lasting effect and more. Here are a few steps that you should follow if you want to buy the best lipstick brand in India:
- 1Find the right colour: Always go for a colour that matches your skin tone. For instance, shades like beige, brown, golden, orange, warm red, cooper, go well with warm skin tones. On the other hand, shades of pinks, rose, lavender, berry, cherry are best suited on cool skin tones.
- 2Swatch: Always swatch your lipstick on your wrist area, to check the shade. This part of the body gives you the fairest idea of how the shade will look on your lips. If the samples are clean, you can also use it on the lips, to get a perfect idea.
- 3Choose the right texture: If you have dry lips, you should ideally avoid shimmery and matte lipsticks as they will further dry out your lips. You should rather go for creamy lipsticks which are more comfortable to wear for dry lips. If you still want to use matte shades, hydrate your lips first with a good lip-balm. You can go for glossy ones, for a night party as they add shimmer and volume to your lips.
- 4Look for the right brand: The suppleness and agility of a lipstick determine how good the brand and quality is. If the lipstick is stiff and not greasy and comfortable to wear, go for it. If you are not comfortable wearing a particular lip shade, don’t go for the brand, even if it is a high-end one. Also, the packaging of the product determines if the brand is worth buying. If the packaging is light weighted and the cap is very easy to move, there are chances that the lipstick will move easily in your bag or anywhere else, and will start to flake quite early. So, the lipstick brand names should be lying into your considerations, whilst looking for a lipstick.
- 5Check the return policy: There are chances that you might not like a particular shade after buying it, even if you loved it in the store. So do not hesitate to ask about the return policy of the brand so that you always have the option of returning the product if you do not like it anymore. Almost all of the top lipstick brands in India provides the customer with the facility of returning policies.
Best Lipsticks in India with Price
How was lipstick invented?
The Existence of lipsticks dates back to 5,000 years ago when ancient Sumerian people came up with first-ever lipstick. They decorated their lips and eye area by crushing the gemstones.
Egyptians created a red tone on lips by crushing bugs and using it. According to books, ancient Egyptians used lipstick more for social status than defining gender. It is believed that women during Indus Valley civilization used rectangular ochre with beveled edges as lipsticks.
Talking about ancient Greece, lip colours were looked down upon and were restricted to be used only by prostitutes. However, by 700-300 BCE, the use of lipsticks to women too.
Greek women used products like Tyrian purple, crushed mulberries, and the poisonous vermilion to colour their lips red. Over 1000 years ago, the Chinese made the first kind of lipsticks made of beeswax. It not just gave the lips colour but also protected its delicate skin. Lipstick during the tang dynasty was very enticing to use as they had perfumed oils added to them.
Invention of smudge-proof lipstick
Hazel Bishop is the woman who invented smudge-proof lipsticks that did not leave a mark on glasses, cups, teeth or even lips. She was working in a dermatologist’s laboratory after World War II when Bishop came up with smudge-proof lipsticks.
In the year 1950, Bishop came up with her own company that marketed and sold smudge-proof branded lipsticks. However, she left the business four years later, to build another business that dealt in personal care products. Today, most of the top lipstick brands provides the feature of smudge-proofing.
Interesting facts about lipsticks:
Lipstick Tutorial Compilation
Tips to find the best types of Lipsticks for you:
Here is the List of Top 10 Best Lipstick Brands in India
