We Tested Dozens of Lip Stains—We Want to Wear These 16 Forever

Best Overall

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain

View on Sephora View On Ulta $28 View On Sephora $28

Our Ratings

• Feel
  4.8/5
• Pigment
  5/5
• Transfer Resistance
  4.7/5
• Wear/Longevity
  5/5
• Application
  5/5

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

View On Victoriabeckhambeauty.com $36 View On Violet Grey View On Net-a-Porter

Our Ratings

• Feel
  5/5
• Pigment
  4.7/5
• Transfer Resistance
  4.6/5
• Wear/Longevity
  4.8/5
• Application
  4.6/5

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

View On Amazon $7 View On Etudehouse.com View On Walmart $9

Our Ratings

• Feel
  5/5
• Pigment
  4.7/5
• Transfer Resistance
  4.7/5
• Wear/Longevity
  5/5
• Application
  4.6/5

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

View On Amazon $12 View On Ulta $12 View On Walmart $11

Our Ratings

• Feel
  5/5
• Pigment
  5/5
• Transfer Resistance
  3/5
• Wear/Longevity
  4.5/5
• Application
  4.7/5

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

View On Amazon $10 View On Target $10 View On IHerb

Our Ratings

• Feel
  4.7/5
• Pigment
  5/5
• Transfer Resistance
  4.5/5
• Wear/Longevity
  5/5
• Application
  4.8/5

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

View On Nordstrom $40 View On Sephora $40 View On Dior.com

Our Ratings

• Feel
  5/5
• Pigment
  5/5
• Transfer Resistance
  5/5
• Wear/Longevity
  5/5
• Application
  5/5

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

View On Sephora $21 View On Roseinc.com View On Net-a-Porter

Our Ratings

• Feel
  3.5/5
• Pigment
  5/5
• Transfer Resistance
  4/5
• Wear/Longevity
  4.8/5
• Application
  4/5

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

View On Jonesroadbeauty.com $26 View On Libertylondon.com

Our Ratings

• Feel
  5/5
• Pigment
  5/5
• Transfer Resistance
  4.6/5
• Wear/Longevity
  4.2/5
• Application
  4.8/5

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

View on Sephora View On Glossier.com $24

Our Ratings

• Feel
  4.7/5
• Pigment
  4/5
• Transfer Resistance
  4.8/5
• Wear/Longevity
  4.7/5
• Application
  4.6/5

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

View On Amazon $7 View On Ulta $12 View On Flowerbeauty.com

Our Ratings

• Feel
  4.6/5
• Pigment
  4.6/5
• Transfer Resistance
  4.6/5
• Wear/Longevity
  5/5
• Application
  4.5/5

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

View On Nordstrom $25 View On Ulta $25 View On Stilacosmetics.com

Our Ratings

• Feel
  4.2/5
• Pigment
  4.3/5
• Transfer Resistance
  4.6/5
• Wear/Longevity
  4.5/5
• Application
  5/5

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

View On Amazon $25 View On Sephora $25 View On Kajabeauty.com

Our Ratings

• Feel
  4.8/5
• Pigment
  5/5
• Transfer Resistance
  3.8/5
• Wear/Longevity
  4.3/5
• Application
  4.6/5

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

View On Nordstrom $24 View On Ulta $24 View On QVC $21

Our Ratings

• Feel
  5/5
• Pigment
  5/5
• Transfer Resistance
  4.8/5
• Wear/Longevity
  5/5
• Application
  4.9/5

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

View On Amazon $31 View On Nordstrom $31 View On Ulta $31

Our Ratings

• Feel
  5/5
• Pigment
  5/5
• Transfer Resistance
  5/5
• Wear/Longevity
  5/5
• Application
  4.7/5

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

View On Sephora $25 View On Hudabeauty.com $25

Our Ratings

• Feel
  5/5
• Pigment
  5/5
• Transfer Resistance
  4.7/5
• Wear/Longevity
  4.6/5
• Application
  4.8/5

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.