I’m not great at applying makeup. My makeup routine essentially consists of slapping foundation onto my face and hoping for the best. However, one product that has been a constant in my routine for well over a decade is a lip stain.
Like most children of the 2000s, lip gloss was my first foray into the vast world of lip colour — and I welcomed its high maintenance nature, with its constant need for reapplication acting as a low brow fidget spinner for my bored pre-pubescent mind. While I dipped my toes (more rather, lips) into lipstick a few years later, its high-impact aesthetic proved a little too much for second period English class. Fortunately, a solution appeared in the form of the then underrated lip stain. Namely, the Covergirl Outlast Lipstain. Essentially a Sharpie-like marker, it was laughably easy to use (just colour your lips in and make sure to stay between the lines!) and literally. Never. Budged. Plus, it lasted for aeons, with a seemingly endless supply of colour in each marker.
Several shades would litter the bottom of my backpack at any given time, with several of them remaining with me for almost ten years; well past their expiry date and years after they were discontinued. At the time, the Covergirl Outlast Lipstain was the first and only product of its kind, and to me, has come to represent a paragon of what a lip stain should be. Unlike lip glosses or lipsticks which coat the surface of the skin, the best lip stains should sink into the skin, quite literally ‘staining’ it. In doing so, they should be able to withstand surface level disturbance—eating, drinking or a kiss hello, for example.
Times have changed since the Covergirl Outlast Lipstain was last on shelves; presidents and prime ministers have come and gone, phones have gotten simultaneously larger and thinner, and the lip stain category is now heavily catered to, with an influx of entrants into the market.
However, what makes a good lip stain has remained unchanged. With that in mind, we trialled dozens of popular lip stains and tints in search of the best formulas. We trialled each lip stain or tint over a period of 12 hours (i.e. morning to evening), testing each one for its feel on the lips, finish, pigment, transfer resistance, and longevity. For each lip stain, we also employed the ‘drink test’ — drinking a glass of water to determine transfer onto the vessel and its staying power on the lips.
Herewith, our tried and tested reviews of the best (and worst) lip stains and tints on the market.
1. Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain
Price: $43AUD
What we think: when it comes to products that live up to their name, the Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain well and truly fits the bill. This lip stain goes on like a light lip oil (likely thanks to the inclusion of squalane in the formula) yet quickly settles down into a comfortable dewy finish. It’s ultra-lightweight yet richly pigmented and works without settling into the fine lines on my lips.
After an hour or so, the dewy finish of the Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain faded, however the pigmented stain remained. I found I didn’t need to reapply the stain itself for over five hours, however I did find myself applying clear lip gloss over it for extra moisture. One thing to note is that despite it being almost completely transfer resistant, I did find that the Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain slightly bled over the lines of my lips as the day wore on.
Drink test: passed — slightly transfers onto the vessel, however the pigment remains on the lips. Once it completely dries down (approx. 20 minutes), there’s no transfer at all
What we like:
- Richly pigmented, almost completely transfer resistant, dewy finish, doesn’t sink into fine lines, a little goes a long way
What we don’t like:
- Bleeds over lip line a little, could be slightly more hydrating
Shade range: 6 (pinks, purple, red) | Finish: satin, dewy | Key ingredients: squalane
2. Benefit Cosmetics Splashtint
Price: $42AUD
What we think: despite being one of the newer entrants into the market, the Benefit Cosmetics Splashtint has quickly become a firm favourite. However, that shouldn’t be too surprising considering Benefit Cosmetics is known for its iconic lip and cheek Benetint.
The Benefit Cosmetics Splashtint goes on like a liquid lipstick; at first it seems like it might have missed the mark on the ‘dewy’ aspect, however after a few minutes of wear it’s evident that it’s not only hydrating and comfortable, but also slightly smoothens the appearance of the lips. It’s not glossy but is indeed dewy, albeit in a more natural satiny way than the Fenty Beauty iteration. The satin finish wears off after eating and drinking, however the pigment stays on the lips.
Drink test: passed — very little transfer onto vessel and pigment remains on the lips
What we like:
- Easy to apply, low amount of transfer, natural aesthetic, non-sticky, moisturising
What we don’t like:
- Not all shades available in Australia (six of 12)
Shade range: 12 (pinks, nudes, reds, soft browns) | Finish: satin, natural | Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, goji berry seed oil, raspberry leaf extract
3. Clarins Water Lip Stain
Price: $45AUD
What we think: this thing could survive a nuclear explosion. It literally does not move. In related news, one of the few drawbacks to the Clarins Water Lip Stain is that water alone will not suffice when removing it; I needed to call in micellar water or a cleansing balm.
As its name suggests, the Clarins Water Lip Stain has a candy-like scent and a watery consistency, with a tiny brush applicator. Work quickly as it dries down to a matte finish super quickly. A true stain in the classic sense, it soaks into the lips and stays there, providing rich pigment all day long. It’s able to weather eating and drinking without budging, however can be a little drying so applying a clear lip gloss over the top is recommended.
Drink test: passed — absolutely no transfer, she’s a keeper!
What we like:
- Transfer-resistant, vibrant colours, longwearing, easy to apply
What we don’t like:
- Difficult to remove (also kind of a pro though!), small shade range, can be slightly drying on its own
Shade range: 4 (red, pinks, purple) | Finish: matte, natural | Key ingredients: zzz
4. Huda Beauty Lip Blush Lip & Cheek Stain
Price: $39AUD
What we think: the Huda Beauty Lip Blush Lip & Cheek Stain goes on with a light, creamy feel that makes it enjoyable to apply, although the peculiar shape of the hollowed-out doefoot applicator makes it a little messy. The formula felt light on application and quickly dried down, however it…continued drying.
This is inarguably the most drying lip stain formula I’ve tried, and while it passed the drink test, I noticed it looked patchy and uneven on my lips as the day wore on. I also found the shade range a little odd; Apricot Kiss appeared more brown than orange, while Rosy Kiss was darker and had a slightly gray undertone than the product images suggest.
Drink test: passed — very little transfer onto vessel and pigment remains on the lips
What we like:
- Natural matte finish, lightweight
What we don’t like:
- Drying formula, inaccurate shades, patchy/uneven appearance, sinks into fine lines of lips
Shade range: 5 (coral, purple, nudes) | Finish: matte, natural | Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, coconut extract
5. Mecca Max Lip Lock Balmy Stain
Price: $28AUD
What we think: I had high hopes for this lip stain, as it’s relatively rare to find lip stains or tints with a good brown shade in their range. Plus, Mecca Max is known for their affordable yet high-performance products. Much like an eclipse, the Mecca Max Lip Lock Balmy Stain is beautiful yet fleeting.
Mecca Max says this lip stain “wears like a balm, stays like a tint, [and] shines like a gloss” — unfortunately, only two out of those three promises are true. It does indeed have a balm-like application (although it definitely requires two coats; a single coat is almost imperceptable on the lips) and a glossy finish but then it just…disappears? I tried the Iced Mocha, Heavy Petal, and Hot Take shades and found that despite all of them looking good on application, they promptly faded. Did they absorb into my lips? Disappear into oblivion? Hard to say, but all I know is that they were nowhere to be found half an hour after application.
Drink test: failed — considering it was almost gone by the time I walked over to the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water. However what was left did transfer onto the vessel and leave very little pigment behind
What we like:
- Very pretty shade range, moisturising
What we don’t like:
- Doesn’t last, more of a gloss than a stain or tint, doesn’t actually ‘stain’ the lips
Shade range: 6 (brown, purple, reds, pinks) | Finish: glossy
6. Ere Perez Beetroot Cheek & Lip Tint
Price: $44AUD
What we think: this formula is interesting for its eco-friendly credentials, with the two vibrant colours in the range coming courtesy of beetroot extract. The formula itself is very watery and somewhat messy to apply; use a mirror and stay between the lines, otherwise it’s wont to take a world tour of the lower half of your face. That said, once it dries down, the dewiness disappears and it’s pretty much unmoveable.
I found that the Ere Perez Beetroot Cheek & Lip Tint lasted from morning to evening without the need for reapplication, with eating and drinking only slightly reducing the amount of pigment on my lips. Despite the inclusion of moisturising and hydrating ingredients like rosehip extract and glycerin, the formula was a little drying, so lip gloss or balm is necessary. Like the Clarins Water Lip Stain, the Ere Perez Beetroot Cheek & Lip Tint slightly overstayed its welcome. Even after using both michellar water and cleaning balm, and scrubbing my lips rather vigorously, I was still unable to completely remove this stain.
Drink test: passed — only light transfer onto vessel and the pigment stayed rich and vibrant
What we like:
- Natural ingredients, long-lasting, transfer-resistant
What we don’t like:
- Can be a little drying, very limited shade range, messy to apply, difficult to remove
Shade range: 2 (pink, red) | Finish: natural, matte | Key ingredients: beetroot, rosehip extract, vitamin E, glycerin
7. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil
Price: $39AUD
What we think: while this is marketed as a lip oil, it feels closer to a lip stain.
The Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil glides on like a lightweight balm; one application provides a very sheer wash of colour, with two coats necessary for decent colour payoff. While it has a satin finish at first, this quickly dries down. The product doesn’t feel like a lip oil in the slightest; much more like a tint or a stain. As the day progressed, I found the product was quite drying and I needed to frequently apply lip gloss or balm over the top. However, the colour did remain from morning to evening and stayed relatively even (i.e. no patchiness or bleeding) on the lips.
Drink test: passed — light transfer onto vessel and slight pigment fade, but still noticeable colour on lips
What we like:
- Natural finish, long-lasting
What we don’t like:
- A little drying
Shade range: 8 ( browns, purple, pinks, reds) | Finish: natural, matte | Key ingredients: jojoba oil, sunflower seed oil
8. Covergirl Outlast Lipstain
Price: $11.99AUD
What we think: ah, the prodigal child returns. The Covergirl Outlast Lipstain is the OG formula, so when I heard it had made a return, I knew I had to get my hands on a tube. While it’s not sold in the any of the usual suspects (think Chemist Warehouse, Priceline) in Australia, it is (sometimes) available on Amazon. Like the original, the latest iteration of the Covergirl Outlast Lipstain retains the sharpie-like application that made its predecessor so iconic (not to mention easy to use).
I found the reformulated version similarly easy to apply, however the new Covergirl Outlast Lipstain seems to have lost the staying power of the original, with the pigment fading after a couple of hours. Without lip gloss or balm over the top, it also had a tendency to get patchy and peel off. Sometimes old really is gold.
Drink test: passed (but barely) — light transfer onto vessel and a little loss of pigment
What we like:
- Nostalgic, Sharpie-style marker applicator, easy to apply, affordable price
What we don’t like:
- Drying, fades quickly
Shade range: 14 (pinks, reds, purples, browns) | Finish: matte
Words by T. Angel
