- Lip stains are a comfortable, low-maintenance way to get a wash of color on your lips without needing to constantly reapply like traditional lipstick.
- The Sephora Cream Lipstain Liquid Lipstick is our top choice for its fusion of comfort, longevity, and intense pigmentation.
- We also like ones from YSL, Revlon, Benefit, and Glossier.
- If you remain loyal to lipsticks, here are our top picks for the best lipstick.
I love the look of bold lip color, but I can't stand the feeling of many traditional lipsticks. Unless it's a long-wearing formula, they can often feel heavy or drying, plus they tend to smudge everywhere while I'm doing normal life things like eating, drinking, and talking.
But lip stains are an ideal compromise. They tend to be lightweight and long-lasting, though not in that cakey, clay-like way of a thick liquid lipstick. Even though the word "stain" calls to mind subtle permanence, a range of formulas can fall under the umbrella. Some are sheer while others are more pigmented, but all of them are supposed to cling to your lips for hours while remaining comfortable to wear and fade evenly to a more subtle flush of color, making them easy to reapply after you've eaten or had your 12th cup of coffee for the day.
We researched the most popular lip stains and tested a handful, ourselves, to curate our picks for the best lip stains.
The best lip stains:
- Best overall: Sephora Cream Lipstain Liquid Lipstick
- Best luxury lip stain: YSL Vinyl Cream Lip Stain
- Best drugstore lip stain: Revlon Balm Stain
- Best multitasking lip stain: Benefit BeneTint Cheek & Lip Stain
- Best stain-like lipstick: Glossier Generation G
Prices and links are current as of 2/11/2020.
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