What is it about lips stains that have beauty lovers everywhere hooked? My educated guess is that it has everything to do with fuss-free application. Like all makeup products, when applied properly and with care, lip stains can completely transform your finished look. How to apply it, however, depends on the formula. For cream-based lip stains that are full coverage and highly pigmented, starting at the center of your lips and sweeping the product toward the outer corners makes for an even base to build the color. Alternatively, you might have an easier time applying water-based lip stains in a similar way to how one might apply lip gloss.
Lip stains may also differ in their finish: drying matte, shiny, pigmented, sheer, or with diffused color. It might be worth it to study a lip stain’s packaging before making the investment for transparency about everything from the ingredients that make up each product’s unique formula to tips for application and predicted drying times. My biggest piece of advice? Opt for a lip stain that’s both long-wearing and transfer-resistant for a natural-looking wash of color that lasts all day.
Below, you’ll find the 10 best lip stains on the market based on thousands of reviews and my personal product go-tos. There’s an option here for everyone, from YSL Beauty’s crowd-favorite Vinyl Cream Lip Stain to Rose Inc’s Lip Cream, the brand’s newly released long-wearing lip stain. Ready to learn more? Keep scrolling.