10 Best Lip Stains for Long-Lasting Color
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Somewhere between a lipstick and a lip balm, the best lip stains deliver sheer-to-buildable color, often with a moisturizing finish, and unmatched staying power. Just ask Billie Eilish, whose impromptu get ready with me TikTok racked up millions of views when she used Sacheuâs peel-off lip stain as her go-to long-wear lip liner. The result? Hundreds of reaction videos spinning off her lip-stain-as-liner routine.
Vogueâs Favorite Lip StainsBest Overall: Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Liquid Lip + Cheek Blush Stain, $24Best Lightweight: Victoria Beckham Beauty Bitten Lip Tint, $38Best Peel Off: Wonderskin Wonder Blading Lip Stain Peel Off Masque, $22Best Lip Liner: Sacheu Lip Liner Stay-N, $12Best Cheek and Lip: Kaja Jelly Charm Lip & Blush Stain with Glazed Key Chain, $25In This StoryWhat is a lip stain?How long does a lip stain last?How To Apply a Lip Stain As Long-Wear LinerHow do you ensure your lip stain stays on?What is the difference between a lip stain and lip tint?How to take off lip stainsDoes a lip stain actually stain your lips?Meet The ExpertsVogue editors often reach for lip stains on no-makeup days in the sun, when we want a natural flush of color, or during busy workdays when thereâs no time to reapply lip products. Discover our curated edit of the best lip stains to wear all summer.
Best Overall: Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Liquid Lip + Cheek Blush StainBenefit Cosmetics
Benetint Liquid Lip + Cheek Blush Stain
Why We Love It: One of the industryâs most acclaimed stains, Benetint is well-loved for good reason. The formula delivers a burst of pigment to the lips and cheeks with just a few dropsâa little really goes a long way here, so start slow and build to your desired flush. Shade Rose is the most popular, imparting a berry flush suitable for all skin types, though the brand has since introduced three other hues worth considering.Finish: Skin-likeShades: 6Key Ingredients: N/ABest Lip Liner: Sacheu Lip Liner Stay-NWhy We Love It: If TikTok led you to this viral lip liner tattoo, youâre not alone. Proving not to be the stuff of internet legend, this buzzed-about find actually works. To use, line your lips as usual and let the product sit for 10 to 20 minutes. Once dry, peel it off to reveal perfectly lined lips that wonât budge all day long. Pro makeup artist El DeBratto uses this lip stain every day. âI use this lip stain when I do my daily glam and it truly last all day! I love the wearing power of this product and how soft of a pigmentation it leaves on the lips,â DeBratto tells Vogue. âMy current favorite color from this collection is âmuah-ve (ânoohdeâ is the one Billie Eilish is famously known for!).âFinish: MatteShades: 10Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin EBest Lightweight: Victoria Beckham Beauty Bitten Lip TintVictoria Beckham Beauty
Bitten Lip Tint
Why We Love It: Itâs lightweight and never sticky. You wonât even remember youâre wearing Victoria Beckham Beautyâs lip tint no matter how much you layer on. It wonât dry your lips, thanks to hydrating ingredients like sodium hyaluronate, mustard sprout extract, and squalane, and with five sleek shades to choose from, youâll be surprised by how many people come up to you and ask how your lips look so naturally flushed.Finish: SheerShades: 5Key Ingredients: Sodium hyaluronate, mustard sprout extract, squalaneBest Peel-Off: Wonderskin Wonder Blading Lip Stain Peel Off MasqueWonderskin
Wonder Blading Lip Stain Peel Off Masque
Why We Love It: One of the many gripes we have with a lot of lip products is that they disappear the moment you eat or drink something. That is not the case with this one from Wonderskin. The brand uses a patented technology that infuses colorants and pigments (safely) into the top layer of your lips. So no matter where the day takes you, you donât have to worry about constant reapplication.Finish: MatteShades: 17Key Ingredients: Seaweed extract, glycerin, squalane, glucoseBest Cheek and Lip: Kaja Jelly Charm Lip & Blush Stain with Glazed Key ChainKaja
Jelly Charm Lip & Blush Stain with Glazed Key Chain
Why We Love It: Equal parts playful and practical, Kajaâs Jelly Charm Lip & Blush Stain is a multitasking essential that blends beauty with a touch of whimsy. Housed in a glazed keychain charm, itâs as fun to carry as it is to use. The jelly-textured formula glides on effortlessly, delivering a sheer wash of color that can be built up to your likingâwhether dabbed on cheeks for a fresh, just-flushed glow or swept across lips for a juicy, lived-in tint. A blend of berry extracts provides antioxidant protection for skin, plus hydration via lemon fruit extract and sqaulane.Finish: DewyShades: 6Key Ingredients: Raspberry extract, strawberry extract, cranberry extract, lemon fuit extract, olive squalaneBest Matte: Clarins Water Lip StainWhy We Love It: You know the feeling of biting into a strawberry and noticing your lips have been dyed the perfect shade of pink? Thatâs what this lip stain does for youâno fruit required. And despite its matte finish, each of the four available shades are notably moisturizing thanks to ingredients like sanicle, raspberry bush, African ebony, and aloe vera.Finish: MatteShades: 4Key Ingredients: Sanicle, raspberry bush, African ebony, nipplewort, furcellaria, aloe veraBest Glossy: Etude Dear Darling Water TintWhy We Love It: For a perfectly stained pout on a budget, this lightweight tint from K-beauty brand Etude is the answer. Its nonsticky formula stays on for hours and keeps your lips hydrated throughout the day with a vitamin and berry fruit complex.Finish: GlossyShades: 5Key Ingredients: Berry fruit complexBest Longwear: Kulfi Lassi Lips Staining Lip OilKulfi
Lassi Lips Staining Long-Lasting Moisturizing Lip Oil
Why We Love It: This is one of those lip stains I keep in my bag at all times because the shade range is superb across all skin tones, and the wear is incredible. Initially, the formula deposits a high shine, but it dries down to a more natural finish after a few hours, though the remaining stain lasts all day. Mellinger agrees, praising its longevity.Finish: High shineShades: 6Key Ingredients: Mango seed oil, coconut oil, vitamin EBest Luxury: Dior Addict Lip TintWhy We Love It: All of Diorâs lip products are staples in our beauty kits, but this semi-matte lip stain definitely ranks high on the list of go-tos. Infused with cherry oil, it leaves a punch on the lips while also being incredibly hydrating. With a slew of flattering shades to choose from, you can go bright and punchy or barely-there nude, depending on the look du jour.Finish: MatteShades: 13Key Ingredients: Cherry oilBest Lip Marker: Palladio Lip StainWhy We Love It: A true staple for low-maintenance beauty routines, the Palladioâs lip stain marker delivers long-lasting color with the ease of a felt-tip penâperfect for precise application on the go. âThis is my go-to summer beauty staple for a no-makeup makeup look. Even if I’m only wearing SPF, I’ll swipe this marker over the top and bottom of my lips, diffusing with my ring finger for a naturally full look.â Plus, this marker is co-signed for DeBratto for itâs ease of application. The formula is enriched with aloe and coconut oil to soothe and hydrate, plus vitamin B5 to help maintain a supple finish throughout the day.Finish: Soft matteShades: 6Key Ingredients: Aloe, coconut oil, vitamin B5Everything You Need To KnowAccording to makeup artist Viktorija Bowers, a lip stain is a cosmetic product that absorbs into the skin and temporarily stains your lipsâunlike traditional lipstick, which sits on the surface. âIt also creates a look that is more blurred and soft, resembling a bitten lip,â she explains.
How long does a lip stain last?
Bowers says that the amount of time a lip stain lasts depends on the brand and product, but some lip stains can last up to eight hours or more. Your chosen shadeâs saturation is also a factor. For example, red lip stains tend to last longer, while muted pinks and oranges may fade sooner.
How To Apply a Lip Stain As Long-Wear Liner
DeBrattoâs favorite method for lip stains, much like Billie Eilish, is repurposing them as long-wearing lip linerâthey walk us through how to nail the perfect application, mess-free.
âWhen applying a lip stain like a liner, always opt for either a marker (like Palladioâs viral pen) or a peel off stain (like Sacheu or Wonderskin) as opposed to the oil satin counterpartsâ for a mess-free application. âYou can apply lip stains as liner where you would usually apply your lip liner, following the highest points of volume on the lip, from the cupids bow to the base of your bottom lip. Donât stress about perfect precision either of these stain options, especially with peel off, because they leave a very soft stain behind,â says DeBratto. âFor extra longevity and perfecting any spots, you can go over the stain with a lip liner of your choice to really pack that color on more. As the pencil liner fades throughout the day from eating, talking and drinking, the stain underneath will remain intact.â
Say you want even more subtle of an impact on color pay off. In that case, DeBratto recommends putting on your favorite moisturizing lip balm or gloss as a topper on your lip stay, for a further diffused finish.
How do you ensure your lip stain stays on?
The key to a long-lasting lip stain is to ensure your lips are hydrated and well-exfoliated. âI like to use a lip scrub before applying a lip stain,” Mellinger says. “Next, I apply a lip treatment while I prep the rest of the makeup. Before applying the stain, I wipe off any remaining lip treatment with a tissue, making sure the lips arenât too glossy.â For added intensity, you can build the color in layers, dabbing your lips with a tissue between applications to increase the depth of the stain.
What is the difference between a lip stain and lip tint?
According to celebrity makeup artist Kelly Mellinger, a lip tint provides a wash of color that wipes off easily. âThink of a tinted lip balm as emollientâit doesnât stain your lips and requires reapplication to maintain the color,â she explains. Tints are much lighter than lipsticks. On the other hand, lip stains have more pigment and, while still lightweight, are designed to leave lasting color that isnât easily wiped off. âYou canât simply remove it with a tissue; youâll likely need a makeup remover or oil cleanser,â Mellinger adds.
How to Take Off Lip Stains
To remove a lip stain, Bowers suggests using something emollient, like a cleansing balm, but you can use Vaseline in a pinch. She advises: âFor extra stubborn stains, you can exfoliate your lips a little,â perhaps with a lip scrub of sorts, âthen generously moisturize themâ to lock in hydration.
Does a lip stain actually stain your lips?
While you might wish a lip stain lasted forever, thatâs the realm of permanent makeup. Mellinger clarifies, âThe stain on your lips from a lip stain is temporary and can be easily removed with a makeup remover or oil cleanser.â
Viktorija Bowers is a makeup artist based out of New York City.Katie Mellinger is a celebrity makeup artist based in both Los Angeles and New York.*El DeBratto is a non-binary New York-based editorial makeup artist whose clients include Coco Rocha, Flower Beauty, Kristin Ess, and Glamour Magazine.
