They come in 3 formulas: satin, semi-matte, and sheer. I can't speak for everyone, but I've noticed that most lipsticks dry the hell out of my lips after about 10 minutes of wear. With NARS, even the matte formula leaves your lips feeling nice and moist, like you just put on some lip balm.
My favorite, so far, is the sheer formula. The colors are highly pigmented (one swipe is usually enough) and buildable (meaning, depending on how much you put on, the colors can be light on your lips or deeply saturated). These lipsticks also leave your lips moisturized pretty much forever (or at least until you wipe it off) without leaving behind any of that greasy/slippery feeling some "moisturizing" lipsticks have. On top of that, there are no added scents or flavors, which I know is a big pet peeve for a lot of people.
NARS lipsticks are extremely popular among makeup fanatics. It has even won the 2008 Best of Sephora award (it was also last year's winner). I have to admit, the price tag is a little steep ($24 each), but this is one of those rare cases where you get what you pay for. NARS is available at Sephora and many higher-end department stores (like Nordstrom or Saks Fifth Avenue).
For those of us with tighter budgets, don't fret! I also have a choice for best drugstore lipstick because, in my opinion, Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipsticks come in at a VERY CLOSE second (we're talking photo finish here).
The quality of this lipstick is, I feel, better than most luxury/department store brands and is definitely on par with NARS. My only gripe is that there aren't a variety of textures. No matte, no sheer - it's only the one, full-finish color. But boy, does this lipstick leave your lips feeling SMOOOOOOOOOOOTH!!! No scents or flavors here either.
As you know, the one disadvantage of drugstore makeup is that you can't really try out the colors before you buy them. It's even harder with Revlon because they seal all of their products. As far as I know, Ulta is one of the only places where they have testers for drugstore brand makeup. If you don't have an Ulta near you, then here's a little trick. Look for a brand that doesn't seal their lipsticks, and test out their colors. When you find one that you like, look at the bottom of the lipstick, where you'll find a corresponding colored sticker (most makeup brands have this). Go over to the Revlon lipsticks and try to match up the colors of these stickers. More often than not, you'll get a pretty close match (make sure, though, that you pay attention to whether the lipstick is shimmery or not - Revlon will signify this with the words "creme" or "pearl"). If you mess up, just remember that you can return it (yes, you can get refunds on makeup from the drugstore!).
So, if you feel like you need a new lipstick, and are willing to indulge, then get yourself over to your nearest NARS counter. However, if you can't ever justify spending more than $10 on a lipstick, then definitely check out Revlon's Super Lustrous line (especially when stores have the buy-one-get-one-free deals). I assure you, you won't be disappointed either way.
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