The 16 Best Lip Stains of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
There’s just something about lip color that makes us feel like we can conquer the world. Just one slick of a good lip formula pulls together a look and lets everyone you encounter know that you’re on top of your game. But there’s also a time and a place for every kind of lip — and if you want maximum impact with minimum effort (and zero touch-ups), few formulas can compare to a lip stain.
Unlike a lip tint, gloss, or lipstick, which can wear off pretty easily, lip stains are designed to, well, stain the lip, leaving a wash of pigment behind that’s more resistant to eating, drinking, and long, busy days. They come in a broad range of shades, from soft neutrals and pinks to bold reds and wines, as well as different finishes. While lip stains of yesteryear were almost exclusively matte, you can now find glossy formulas, which will inevitably wear down to reveal the beautiful pigment left behind. Today’s lip stains are also much, much more hydrating than they once were — instead of dehydrating your pout, causing it to look uneven and patchy, most these days go on much more evenly, so long as you’ve properly prepared your lips ahead of time.
To help you find the best lip stain for your needs, we sorted through all the options on the market and narrowed it down to 32 of the most popular, top-rated formulas. Then we spent eight hours testing each one in our NYC-based Lab against a list of criteria, including feel, pigment, longevity, and transfer resistance. From there, we aggregated our data, ranked each one, and determined the top performers, which are featured on this list.
Best Overall
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain
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Kohl's
Our Ratings
What We Love: This formula is impressively water-resistant and transfer-resistant.
What We Don’t Love: Despite the glossy finish, it’s not as hydrating as it could be.
When first trying this formula, we were surprised — it went on more like a rich, glossy liquid lipstick than a stain, and left our lips looking plump and juicy. However, as the stain settled in, the shiny finish gradually wore down, leaving vibrant pigment in its wake — without ever settling into the fine lines on our lips. The more we applied, the bolder the look we achieved, and a little went quite a long way, making this a great product to pick if you want to splurge a little but still want bang for your book.
When drinking out of a white cup, practically nothing transferred from our lips to the vessel, and we had no need to reapply; once the stain set on our lips, it wasn’t tacky or sticky. Keep in mind that though the formula has a sheen, it will fully fade into a stain and it won’t moisturize your lips like a gloss would. We found ourselves having to apply lip balm or gloss throughout the day to keep our lips feeling extra moisturized.
Price at time of publish: $27
Shades: 6｜Finish: Glossy｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Squalane, glycerin｜Size: 0.22 fl. oz.
Best Sheer
Victoria Beckham Beauty Bitten Lip Tint
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Amazon
Our Ratings
What We Love: This natural-looking formula is perfect for every day.
What We Don’t Love: As of press time, there are only five shades.
While some stains provide more intense pigment saturation, we like how this product goes on like a sheer veil to enhance the color of your natural lip, but it can be built up to deliver a bolder hue. We found that it felt almost watery on the lips during application and dried quickly, leaving lips feel super smooth afterwards, likely due to the formula’s inclusion of squalane and sodium hyaluronate. We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention the beautiful tube, which is reminiscent of tortoiseshell and has a bit of heft that speaks to the brand’s luxury vibe — it looks fabulously elegant when pulled out of a sleek clutch.
If you’re looking for bolder hues outside of the neutral family, you’ll only see a poppy-esque red from this line (which is very chic, we may add); there are no punchy corals, vibrant pinks, or purples to choose from. But truthfully, that’s what we loved about this formula — the sophisticated and subtle look equates to “your lips, but better,” making it perfect for everyday wear.
Price at time of publish: $36
Shades: 5｜Finish: Semi-matte｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Sodium hyaluronate, mustard seed extract, squalane｜Size: 0.2 fl. oz.
Best Budget
Etude House Dear Darling Water Tint
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Etude House
Our Ratings
What We Love: This formula is easy to use and has a yummy scent.
What We Don’t Love: We wish the shade range was larger — currently, there are only five options.
This is one of the best performing lip stains we tried and the most affordable on our list. The fluid formula, which felt almost like water, applied easily to the lips (just be careful not to slick on too much at first, as it spreads easily), and could be built up from a more subdued hue to a deeper stain. Upon drying, it left no tackiness, but rather left our lips feeling like they did before application. At no point did it ever settle into the fine lines in or around our lips — it just created a seamless and natural finish from the start, with no touch-ups necessary.
We found this formula to be quite transfer-resistant, with very little staining on the tissue we used for our blot test and almost nothing left behind on the cup we drank from. While there were no water resistance claims on the packaging, we believe that it was — we struggled to remove this one at the end of the day and needed several passes of a makeup remover wipe to dull down the tone. We’d definitely recommend this one to someone on a budget, but keep in mind that you won’t have too many shades to choose from, as the range currently only offers five options.
Price at time of publish: $7
Shades: 5｜Finish: Natural｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Berry extracts｜Size: 0.18 fl. oz.
Best Drugstore
L'Oréal Paris Cosmetics Brilliant Signature Lip Stain
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Amazon
Our Ratings
What We Love: The shade range includes shimmery hues as well as more prevalent cream options and features a hydrating formula to boot.
What We Don’t Love: If you don’t love that traditional “lipstick smell,” you may be sensitive to this formula’s scent.
Affordable lip stains can be few and far between, which is why we were delighted by this drugstore pick from L’Oréal. We loved its lightweight, balmy texture, which nicely fills in fine lines while leaving behind a lasting glossy finish without ever feeling sticky. When eating an apple, very little of the stain came off, and we still had plenty of even, intense pigment afterward. Beyond the product’s high performance, we were impressed by the compelling shade range, which includes many neutral colors as well as more intense wines, pinks, and corals. You’ll even see some shimmery options, which only serve to enhance the shiny finish of the formula.
It’s worth noting that a lot of drugstore lip formulas feature what we’d call a “lipstick smell,” rather than a sweet vanilla-like or completely neutral aroma. It’s not our favorite, but for those who are unbothered by scent or want to try a very comfortable lip stain at an equally comfortable price, the product’s fragrance is definitely not a dealbreaker.
Price at time of publish: $12
Shades: 12｜Finish: Glossy｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Coconut fatty acids, dimethicone｜Size: .21 fl. oz.
Best Korean
Peripera Ink the Velvet Liquid Lip Tint
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Amazon
Our Ratings
What We Love: This lip stain offers the largest shade range we’ve ever seen in the category at a great price.
What We Don’t Love: The texture can be hard to control when applying, so we wouldn’t recommend this formula to makeup novices.
This K-Beauty formula from Peripera is a cult favorite, and for good reason — it’s budget friendly, delivers a velvety matte finish, and comes in 30 shades, the largest color range on this list. Many are mauve-y neutrals, but there are still plenty of pinks, reds, and corals to choose from. It features a mousse-y texture that felt silky as we applied it to our lips. Because of its rich texture, we only needed to apply one coat.
We’ll admit that the product does come off, but that’s because of the unique formula — the creamy color stains the lip beneath it, so as the initial application wears off (which it will, as it is not water or transfer resistant), it will reveal the underlying, natural-looking pigment. It looks almost like permanent lip blushing in the best possible way.
Be aware that this product is more like a lip cream, so it does take some time to set and your lips won’t feel fully dry until that initial layer has worn off. This propensity to transfer may make it more of a challenging formula to master for those who aren’t more experienced makeup wearers. It’s easy to use, but not unfussy; if you wouldn’t call yourself a makeup expert, we recommend carefully applying it, letting it sit on the lips for about five minutes to let the stain do its thing, then wiping off that cream formula so you can see the stain left behind.
Price at time of publish: $9
Shades: 30｜Finish: Matte｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Glycerin, anise fruit extract｜Size: 0.14 fl. oz.
Best Splurge
Dior Addict Lip Tint
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Sephora
Our Ratings
What We Love: Despite the intense pigment, this product is very easy to apply evenly.
What We Don’t Love: This collection of shades is almost exclusively neutrals.
While the product’s name may be “tint,” it’s definitely a stain — it actually used to go by the name “tatouage” (tattoo in French). A favorite of Hart’s as well as our testers, this sophisticated formula offers saturated color in a thin, almost lotion-like formula that offers great control, spreading smoothly across the lip for flawless coverage. We got great color with three coats, though you could always apply less for a subtler look or more for bolder pigment.
It’s in the iconic Dior packaging, which always feels luxe when pulling it out of your purse for touch-ups. However, considering the longwear of this product (you’ll likely get at least six hours out of it, and up to 24 hours of hydration from the cherry oil!), you won’t need to fix your lips very often. We personally found no need to touch up the color, even after eating or drinking, but did choose to add a bit of balm on top to add extra moisture to our lips throughout the day. That evening, we were pleasantly surprised to see just how much pigment had held on — we had to use both makeup remover and micellar water to get all traces of the color off.
Price at time of publish: $40
Shades: 8｜Finish: Semi-matte｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Cherry oil, squalane, sodium hyaluronate｜Size: 0.2 fl. Oz.
Best Matte
Rose Inc Lip Cream Weightless Matte Color
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Rose Inc
Our Ratings
What We Love: There’s a great shade range for all skin tones in a variety of neutrals.
What We Don’t Love: Because it’s matte, it can be drying.
This creamy formula features a powder matte finish that made our lips look plush immediately upon application; we chose to apply 10 swipes for a bolder look. That creamy texture did transfer to our tissue and a bit to our cup, but it didn’t diminish the look of the stain at all and we didn’t need to reapply at any point. By the end of the day, our lip color was less intense, but not significantly so and there was plenty to remove at the end of the day — it also came off easily with a makeup wipe, which is a bonus for those who don’t want any pigment on their lips before bed.
Remember that matte formulas tend to be more drying than other finishes — we wouldn’t wear this product on a day when our pout felt particularly parched — and they can settle into fine lines on the lips, like this one did. However, we didn’t find the settling to be especially noticeable or egregious, and we expect that using a good lip scrub and balm pre-application would help this formula look its best.
Price at time of publish: $28
Shades: 12｜Finish: Semi-matte｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Squalane, postbiotic blend, fermented botanical complex｜Size: 0.13 fl. oz.
Best For Dry Lips
Jones Road The Lip Tint
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Jones Road
Our Ratings
What We Love: This formula felt like a hydrating lip balm.
What We Don’t Love: It doesn’t stain the lips as powerfully as a true stain might.
This product features a thin, silky texture that easily applies — the format is just like a standard lipstick, but in a sleek, slim bullet — to coat the lips with buildable coverage, yet feels both lightweight and moisturizing. In addition to enjoying the feel of this product on our pouts, we loved how many color options we had to choose from, ranging from punchy orange to deep merlot.
When we blotted our lips with a tissue after application, the formula did transfer, but not enough to require touch-ups. We were impressed by how long the color lasted, though it isn’t water resistant and we’d expect that it wouldn’t be a match for an oily meal. That’s likely because this product isn’t technically a lip stain — but it does feature impressive lasting power, especially for a product with hydrating benefits. We still needed four or five passes of a makeup remover wipe at the end of the day to fully take it off.
Price at time of publish: $26
Shades: 13｜Finish: Balmy｜Applicator: Bullet｜Ingredients: Castor seed oil｜Size: 0.06 fl. oz.
Best Lightweight
Glossier G Suit Soft Touch Lip Creme
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Glossier
Our Ratings
What We Love: The triangular tip of the doefoot made for a seamless application.
What We Don’t Love: This formula is more of a lip mousse than a true stain, so it wasn’t super transfer resistant.
This cream formula features a rich texture that never fully dried down during our test, so our lips boasted a buttery, velvety finish that lasted all day. The application was made simple thanks to the unique, pointed doefoot, which allowed us to create a precise shape at the edges of our lips and along the cupid’s bow.
Despite the fact that it doesn’t totally resist transfer (that’s because of the creamy texture), the formula features plenty of pigmentation that stayed bold. There was a bit of lip color on our cup after drinking, but we were able to successfully eat an apple without feeling the need to reapply. We’d still recommend using a lip balm before slicking this one on — because it’s matte, it did settle into our lip lines, but it didn’t feather or feel like it was stripping all the moisture out of our lips.
Price at time of publish: $22
Shades: 9｜Finish: Demi-matte｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Orchid complex, black raspberry seed oil, shea butter｜Size: 0.2 fl. Oz.
Best for Sensitive Skin
Flower Beauty Bitten Lip Stain
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Amazon
Our Ratings
What We Love: This formula is very comfortable to wear.
What We Don’t Love: Don’t expect a bold color payoff.
We loved how easy this formula was to apply, even on our thinner lips, as it features a thicker, almost glossy texture that stayed put as we smoothed it on. It felt like a very nourishing balm more than a stain, yet never felt heavy or thick, and left our lips feeling hydrated all day. Despite the richer texture, it never got on our teeth, and at no point did it settle into fine lines — the stain stayed even and pretty on our lips.
Because the first coat went on very faint and sheer, we chose to apply several layers to get a bolder look. This heavier application meant we needed to wait about 10 minutes for our lips to dry, but even after blotting our lips (after which there was some transfer to our tissue), we didn’t have to apply more color. Once it had fully set, there was minimal transfer to our water cup — and we also found this formula to be quite water resistant, so we had to use several passes of the makeup remover wipe to get it off. Overall, we were thrilled by the results of this lip stain, especially for the price point.
Price at time of publish: $12
Shades: 6｜Finish: Satin｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Glycerin, squalane｜Size: 1.06 fl. Oz.
Best Pen
Stila Cosmetics Calligraphy Lip Stain
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Ulta
Our Ratings
What We Love: The pointed felt tip made it easy to create a precise line, even with the watery formula.
What We Don’t Love: This product created an ombre effect, which was flattering, but may not be the look you’re going for.
This is one of the only highlighter pen-type lip stains on the market these days, but we didn’t have the horribly patchy application that we’d come to expect from those formats. Instead, this product from Stila, which had a watery texture, spread easily onto the lips, and was easy to control due to the precision felt tip. It was impressively intuitive — the more we pressed it down, the more product came out, allowing us to create a more intense look. It barely transferred except when drinking water, when we assumed the formula’s water base was “reactivated” and faded a bit as a result.
Because of this product’s fluid texture, it is more likely to automatically stain the inside part of the lip more heavily than the outer edge. This created a “just ate a popsicle” effect that we enjoyed, but weren’t expecting. However, if this is your go-to look when applying a lip stain, you’ll love how easy this pen makes that technique.
Price at time of publish: $25
Shades: 16｜Finish: Matte｜Applicator: Felt tip｜Ingredients: Glycerin｜Size: 0.67 fl. oz.
Best Natural-Looking
Kaja Jelly Charm Glazed Lip Stain & Blush
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Sephora
Our Ratings
What We Love: The kitschy, nostalgic keychain adds an element of fun.
What We Don’t Love: It isn’t transferproof.
This collection of neutral lip stains from K-Beauty brand Kaja can be used on cheeks and lips to create a realistic and flattering flush. If you’re a no-makeup-makeup kind of person, this product is a dream come true — we found that it built up nicely for a more saturated look, the color lasted all day, and the bottle even features a little decorative (and functional!) keychain that loops easily onto the handle or zipper of a bag for midday touch-ups or just to add a bit of flair and sparkle to your favorite accessory.
It’s worth noting that we found this stain took a long time to dry — even after 20 minutes, it hadn’t fully set and we stained our clothes getting dressed after application, so keep that in mind when planning your day. It also transferred a bit to our cup and required a few touch-ups, especially because we wanted to keep that initial glossy finish. However, the stain itself held on the whole day, even after we used makeup remover that night.
Price at time of publish: $25
Shades: 5｜Finish: Balmy｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Squalane, lemon fruit extract, raspberry extract｜Size: 0.17 fl. oz.
Best Lip and Cheek
Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip & Cheek Tint
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Sephora
Our Ratings
What We Love: This OG formula is completely transferproof.
What We Don’t Love: The formula is very fluid, so be careful when opening lest you make a mess.
An oldie but a goodie! Benetint is one of, if not the original lip stains ever to hit the market. It was actually created back in the 1970s, when it was developed (no joke) for exotic dancers to help their nipples look a little bolder onstage for those sitting in the back rows throughout a long shift. Ever since, it’s been a mainstay of the lip stain category, and it was one of our favorites because of how fuss-free it is to apply — just one swipe with the included brush was enough to get our desired coverage. It was very flattering and enhanced our natural lip color; on skin, it was much more vibrant. While we do think it would look nice with a gloss on top, the formula doesn’t need it; our lips didn’t feel especially dry after use. It also never budged, even when initially blotting our lips with a tissue (however, it was a challenge to take off).
Unlike other lip stains, which can come in jelly, creamy, or mousse-y textures, this one is a straight-up liquid, so be highly aware of that when you open the bottle, especially for the first time. While a little of this well-priced stain goes a long way, you don’t want to accidentally dump half of it onto your bathroom floor!
Price at time of publish: $21
Shades: 4｜Finish: Sheer｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Squalane, dimethicone, coconut fatty acids｜Size: 0.2 fl. oz.
Best For Mature Skin
Clarins Water Lip Stain
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Nordstrom
Our Ratings
What We Love: We adore the actual brush on this wand, which makes it easy to paint on the stain.
What We Don’t Love: It’s almost too good of a stain.
If you want a formula that disappears into lips to set quickly and give you a candy-colored pout, try this one from Clarins. We found the product to be true to its name: It’s a very light, water-like formula that is packaged in a tube with a tiny brush that allows you to precisely paint on the vibrant stain, which comes in orange (much more flattering than you might expect), red, pink, and violet hues. We also enjoyed the scent, which is sweet and smells almost like Jello. It dried matte very quickly, to the point that initial transfer tests on a tissue showed no pigment at all, and it didn’t budge once throughout the day. It also didn’t break down or fade when lip balm was applied on top.
This is a true and traditional stain and works very well — almost too well, to the point that we struggled to remove it. It was no match for a makeup wipe and we’d recommend using a cleansing balm or oil to help you remove as much of it as possible. However, if you’re looking for something that seriously lasts, this Clarins formula is for you.
Price at time of publish: $29
Shades: 4｜Finish: Matte｜Applicator: Brush｜Ingredients: Aloe juice, raspberry water, green tea extract｜Size: 0.2 fl. oz.
Best Long-Lasting
Huda Beauty Lip Blush Lip & Cheek Stain
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Huda Beauty
Our Ratings
What We Love: The formula sets and dries quickly.
What We Don’t Love: The applicator takes some experimenting.
Lip stain formulas tend to fall into one of two categories — a watery texture that dries quickly without leaving a trace on the lips’ surface, or a creamy texture that slowly fades as it moisturizes thirsty lips. We found that Huda Beauty’s stain toed the line between both, with a buttery feel that we loved so much that we kept applying more. Even with extra coats, it rapidly set to leave a lasting and beautiful tint on lips and cheeks that we kept forgetting we had on because it was so lightweight. It was very transfer-resistant, to the point that we think it could even last if we went swimming while wearing it.
This lip stain’s doefoot features a unique hollowed-out design, which captures a lot of product — and if you’re not careful, this could result in a messy application, complete with feathering. We suggest wiping it down a bit before applying, as you can always add more.
Price at time of publish: $25
Shades: 5｜Finish: Matte｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, coconut extract｜Size: 0.2 fl. oz.
Best Red
Charlotte Tilbury Tinted Love
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Amazon
Our Ratings
What We Love: It’s non-drying, long-lasting, and wears evenly.
What We Don’t Love: We wish there were more shades.
If you are looking for a formula that you can build up to a bolder stain without getting patchy, you’ll love this one from Charlotte Tilbury. It goes on like a cream, yet feels somewhat watery and absorbs rapidly for a transferproof, water-resistant pout. Though we typically find ourselves slathering lip balm on quite frequently throughout the day, this waterlight formula imparted enough moisture that we never felt the need, likely due to hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. At no point did we have to touch up the color.
We will say that we do wish more shades were available — though it comes in six, usually half of those are sold out. This formula is so fabulous that we’d love to add a full spectrum of hues into our regular makeup rotation.
Price at time of publish: $34
Shades: 6｜Finish: Satin｜Applicator: Doefoot｜Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin E｜Size: 0.34 fl. oz.
Our Testing Process
We dedicated many hours and pairs of lips to testing a range of lip stains to ensure we curated the best choices for our readers. After our editors researched and crowd-sourced a spectrum of favorites, we narrowed down our list to 32 different formulas and put them to the test. Aside from simply wearing them, we blotting our lips with a tissue after initial application to determine transfer resistance, drank water from a white cup to evaluate fading, and rubbed our lips with a makeup wipe to see how hard we had to work to remove them. We assessed each lip stain's feel, pigment, transfer resistance, longevity, and ease of application and then we used this data to rank them. This list features the lip stains that earned our top marks.
What to Keep in Mind
Hydrating Ingredients
If you used lip stains in the ‘90s and early ‘00s, you probably associate this makeup category with severe dehydration. Happily, things have changed. “Lip stains have come a long way—we are seeing more hydrating formulas as well as stains that are so powerful that a swipe of gloss on top won’t cause them to move or disintegrate at all,” says Thomas. She recommends formulas that feature nourishing oils and known moisturizers, like Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain, which contains squalane to keep lips nourished. Wayne adds that products with plant-derived ingredients can also support lip hydration; try Clarins Water Lip Stain and Kaja Jelly Charm Glazed Lip Stain & Blush With Keychain, both of which contain fruit extracts like raspberry and lemon fruit.
You’d be remiss if you didn’t look for hyaluronic acid, a favorite ingredient of Hart’s. This and its sister ingredient, sodium hyaluronate, help attract ambient moisture to the lip and hold up to 1,000 times their weight in water. You’ll find these hydration boosters in Victoria Beckham Bitten Lip Tint and Dior Dior Addict Lip Tint.
Prepping Lips
You may have heard the phrase “proper preparation prevents poor performance,” and that’s especially true when it comes to applying a lip stain. If you’ve tried one before, you’re likely sorely familiar with the patchy, uneven look that can come from a haphazard application. “Lip stains can dry patchy if your lips are dry or don’t have an even surface,” warns Hart. “To avoid this it is really important to properly prep the lips by exfoliating and hydrating.”
To slough away dead skin, you can use a lip scrub if you have one, or a dampened washcloth or even a very soft-bristled toothbrush. Then, “apply a lip balm or salve and let lips absorb the moisture,” says Wayne. You don’t want any leftover balm on your lips before slicking on the stain, so wipe off any excess. Hart likes to then apply a lip primer to create a supersmooth canvas; her favorite is MAC Prep + Prime Lip Primer. But keep in mind that if you’ve already applied your foundation or concealer, it is of paramount importance to make sure you’ve removed any trace of it from your lips before putting on your lip stain. “There should be no product on them before applying a stain so that the color can properly adhere to your lips without being muddied or causing another layer to get crusty,” says Thomas.
Shade Range
There are really no rules when it comes to selecting a lip stain shade — it’s all about the mood you’re trying to evoke with your look. If you’re going natural, Thomas recommends seeking out a shade that is slightly more vibrant than your true lip color, which will give a bit of a flushed appearance. “If you are looking for something bold, go with a color that makes you happy or compliments your outfit,” she adds.
If you truly have no idea where to start, figure out your skin’s undertone, which will help you figure out which shades are most flattering. There are three categories here — cool, warm, and neutral. Sounds complex, but it’s truly easy: “Look at the veins on your skin,” says Wayne. “If they're more blue or deep purple, you are likely cool, but if veins are more green or you see more yellow in your skin, you are likely olive or warm toned.” For those who see both blue and green reflected in their veins, you’re likely neutral.
Now that you know your undertone, your lip stain shopping process is simplified. Hart recommends looking for berries and pinks if you have a cool undertone. “If you are more on the warm side, then lip colors with warm undertones like peach, corals. or brick reds will be very pretty,” she says. “Personally, I think most people land somewhere between cool and warm, so playing around with colors will help you decide what works best for you personally.” At this point, you can also experiment with finishes — for example, FLOWER Beauty Bitten Lip Stain will deliver a nice sheen, while Peripera Ink the Velvet Lip Tint offers a sumptuous matte. Don’t be afraid to try a lot of different formulas before settling on a few you like — after all, testing is half the fun!
Your Questions, Answered
Which is better, lip stain or lip tint?
No one product is better than the other; choosing between a lip stain and a lip tint comes down to your lip goals. “A lip stain typically has more pigment to create a richer stained look that has more staying power and can last longer,” says Wayne. Thomas adds that a lip stain is ideal for someone who doesn’t have time to touch up (or even check on) their makeup throughout the day. Alternatively, “a lip tint is usually very sheer and leaves a light wash of color and pigment on the lips,” says Hart. They will wear away much more quickly and create a more subdued look.
How do you make lip stains last all day?
If you’ve adequately prepared your lips by exfoliating and hydrating them, that should go a long way toward creating a durable lip. You’ll also want to give it a test run before wearing it out in the world. “When using a lip stain on clients, I only choose stains that I have tested on myself, and can attest to the wearability and staying power,” says Thomas. If you’re not satisfied with the results of one, try another.
Being careful of your habits while wearing your lip stain can also help it last longer. Hart avoids topping stains with a lip gloss, as slippery textures can break down stains, causing them to fade faster. If you want a glossy finish, try a lip stain with that feature, like FLOWER Beauty Bitten Lip Stain. Also, be aware of what you eat and drink. “Consider using a straw to drink from, and know that any foods that have oil or grease will break down the color,” suggests Hart.
How you apply can also make a difference in the lasting power of your lip stain. Hart prefers to use her own lip brush rather than a product’s included wand, then starts by lining the lip with the stain. “Having the border complete helps me get an even finish across the center of the lip,” she says. Conversely, Wayne likes to start in the center of the bottom lip, brushing small, even strokes outward to evenly paint the lips all the way out to the corners, repeating this process at the cupid’s bow to complete the top lip. “Using small strokes and a tapping motion can help distribute color evenly,” she says.
But this is your look — go ahead and experiment with your style to see how you like the outcome and if it lasts. “Don’t be afraid to mix lip stains, using a darker color on the border of your lips as a liner and filling in with gloss, or applying a slightly lighter shade of stain in the center of the mouth for an ombré effect,” says Thomas. You can go with one coat for a subtler wash of color or several coats to create a deeper stain — it’s up to you!
How can I avoid dry lips while wearing a stain?
Beyond proper lip prep before applying your stain, you’ll want to maintain a thorough lip care regimen. Exfoliate at least once a week, then pamper them with a heavy dose of moisture. Wayne recommends a coconut oil sleeping mask (just slather some coconut oil onto your lips before bed). Hart’s go-to method is a three-step routine: “First, dampen your lips with water, then take a bit of your face cream and rub it onto your damp lips,” she says. “Lastly, cover that with a thick salve like Aquaphor — the balm will act like a shield and hold the moisture in.”
You’ll also need to stay hydrated. “If you are prone to having dry lips, increase the amount of water that you’re drinking throughout the day,” says Thomas. “Your lips are the first place to show signs of dehydration.”
What’s the difference between a lip stain and a lipstick?
The answer to this question is pretty simple — the lasting power. “Lip stains are meant to be absorbed by the skin to give your lips a wash of color,” explains Thomas. Lipstick is designed to coat the lips to transform its color, typically with a waxy formula. Some lipsticks may stain, but do so inadvertently. To determine if the lip stain you’re considering will truly perform the way that you want it to, Thomas recommends performing a patch test. “When I am shopping and would like to see if a pigment will stain the skin, I always test it on the inner portion of the arm or the back of the hand, leaving the product there for at least a minute, then wiping it away to see if there is any pigment left behind,” she says. If color remains after this, you’ve got a lip stain!
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Emily Orofino is a beauty writer, editor, and consultant with more than a decade of experience in the industry. She got her first tube of lipstick at age four from an unsuspecting family member, which triggered her lifelong obsession with all things beauty, especially lip color. For this piece, she interviewed three pro makeup artists: Courtney Hart, Natalia Thomas, and Outlaw Cosmetics founder Sara Edward Wayne.
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