If you’re looking to liven up your rooms with a fresh coat of paint, Consumer Reports says make sure you pick the right paint, not just the right color. Paint manufacturers are constantly tinkering with formulas to improve performance and cut costs. Consumer Reports’ latest tests find ones that outshine the rest.

Paint manufacturers try to dazzle consumers with claims of “25 Years of Durability,” “Advanced Ti-3 Technology,” and “Authentic ColorLock” system. Consumer Reports cut through the lingo, testing more than 50 interior paints, and says low-luster paint such as satin or eggshell is the best finish for most jobs. Low-luster paints result in a finish that’s durable and easy to clean, compared with a flat paint that might not be the most stain-resistant or a semigloss that might lose its gloss when it’s cleaned.

Can you get by with applying just one coat of paint? That’s one of a battery of tests Consumer Reports’ technicians subjected paints to. Testers also put the paints through a scrubbing test to see how well they withstand abrasive cleaners. Kilz Casual Colors Satin, available at Wal-Mart, is the top-rated low-luster paint. And at under $20 a gallon, it’s a Consumer Reports Best Buy.

Not every paint is right for every room in your home. For instance, if you have a sunny room, you’ll need a paint that resists fading, which is a challenge for many paints. Consumer Reports recommends Glidden Evermore in Satin. It’s a low-luster paint that does a good job avoiding fading.