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10 Best Lip Stains In 2023

Stephanie Patterson

These are the days we can spend wasting away on a sandy beach, going on hikes in the sun, having a couple of wobbly-pops with friends on a patio, and plunging face-first into crystal clear waters. 

Regardless of what you like to do in the summertime, the heat is hard on your lips. So, having one of the best lip stains by your side is imperative to keeping your pout looking plump. 

Whether you are looking for something light and flirty, dark and mysterious, edgy and unique, or sultry and seductive, you are bound to find a lip stain on our list that suits your fancy.

How to Choose the Best Lip Stains

Before getting into the nitty gritty details, you need to have an idea of what you are looking for. There are a few key elements to choosing the best lip stain for you: 

Below, we go through each of these factors to help you set the basis for your purchasing decision.

Color

Of course one of the first things you should ask yourself is what color you want to wear; but it is never just about the color you want, but also about the color you need. Sure, the super vibrant blue may look edgy and bold, but does it complement your skin? Do you care? If you don’t, then go for it! If you do, then you might want to rethink your purchase. 

If you want the perfect shade, you need to first determine whether your skin is fair, medium, tan, or deep. Then you need to consider the undertones of your skin: is it warm, cool, or neutral?

Finish

After the skin-alysis is complete, you need to figure out how you want your lip stain to feel and look. Do you want it to be glossy and slick, matte and smooth, or velvety and soft? Buyer beware that the finish can have an affect on other things like the durability of the stain; for instance, a glossy stain might not have the staying power that a matte stain would, and a chunky glitter look may not keep itself together well throughout the day. 

Application

Next up, consider how you would like the stain to be applied. Again, this is crucial. If you opt for something like a wand, you will need to keep an eye on the brush tip that you use because build-up or stray hairs might ruin things. 

If you opt for a tube, you have to be really steady with it, as it is super easy to accidentally squeeze out the entire contents of your product. If your stain is a stick, then be gentle so it doesn’t break and show imperfections. 

Durability

Most people that purchase lip stains are doing so because they want that lipstick look with greater durability. It goes without saying that it is an incredibly important factor to consider. Some lip stains stay on for 6 hours or a typical work day, while others will remain as remnants on your lips until the day you die. It depends on what you want and what you need. 

Ingredients

You might be concerned about the ingredients: do you want a conventional formula? Do you seek only natural ingredients? Are you looking for something cruelty-free or vegan? These are things to consider when finding the best lip stain for you. It is always nice to see ingredient lists that contain natural, gentle items, such as jojoba oils and shea. 

Regardless of your preferences though, it is recommended that if you can avoid chemical ingredients like parabens and  terpenes, you really ought to for your own safety. If your lip stain says ‘please do not consume’ or smells like a biohazard, it probably is not good vibes. 

Additional Benefits

These are like the hidden easter eggs of your products. Aside from the luscious color and staying power, what else do you want your lip stain to do for you? Do you want it to moisturize your lips throughout the day? This might be important if you spend a lot of time in the sun. Do you want it to plump your lips? Do you want it to gradually give your lips a natural tint? These are the questions you need to ask yourself, and possibly a specialist when you are shopping.

10 Best Lip Stains to Buy

Once you have all of the questions and answers out of the way and you’ve set your basis for choosing a lip stain, it is time to pick your product. Luckily for you, we compiled a list of the 10 best lip stains to shop for this summer. Now, you can be on-trend while sporting a color and style that suits your particular needs and desires.

#1 – Bite Beauty Outburst Longwear Lip Stain

This bold, intense lip stain uses passion flower oil, coconut oil, and sunflower seed wax to nurture and moisturize your pout, all while providing incredible durability (even if your lips get wet!). 

This lip stain from Bite Beauty is also vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free, and you can get it in three lavish colors: Sangria Slush, Orange Fizz, and Strawberry Frozé.

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#2 – Victoria Beckham Beauty Bitten Lip Tint

This product is a natural matte lip tint that is applied with a doe foot applicator. It is a lightweight gel that offers plumping, moisturizing, and smoothing benefits. The vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, dermatologically tested lip stain contains mustard sprout, hyaluronic acid, and squalene to give wearers a natural blush that compliments their features. 

This product comes in two shades from Victoria Beckham Beauty: cherie, a beautiful deep red, and bisou, a blush pink.

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#3 – Clarins Water Lip Stain

Organic raspberry water for softening, organic aloe vera for moisturizing, and Clarins’ anti-pollution complex for protecting lips from the elements make this lip stain the durable, yet gentle, wonder that it is. 

This product lasts through a day of kisses and mask-wearing, making it the perfect pandemic companion, regardless of your actual pandemic companion *wink wink*. It comes in violet, rose, orange, and red for $28. 

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#4 – Dior Addict Lip Tattoo

This product advertises 10 hours of staying power with a bare-lip, natural feel. You can wear it alone or use a primer underneath to boost the vibrancy of the stain. Notable ingredients include squalene and castor oil, which both work to moisturize and nourish the lips. 

With a doe foot applicator, the Dior Addict Lip Tattoo swipes on shades like natural rose, natural rosewood, natural red, natural berry and natural brown. It costs $39. 

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#5 – Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment 

This gorgeous, vibrant matte lip stain boasts high-coverage and a non-sticky finish. It is unsurprising that it is the Allure’s 2020 Best of Beauty Award Winner, as it provides a lightweight, flexible, smudge-proof color that is sure to turn heads. 

Plus, each color is named after a twist on iconic songs and phrases. For example, walk this way is a rosy pink shade that gives a nod to Aerosmith, whereas Starwoman is a cool-toned red hue that screams Bowie-fever for $34. 

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#6 – MAC Lunar New Year Versicolour Varnish Cream Lip Stain

This product’s packaging is simply stunning. The Lunar New Year lip stain promises a glossy, full-coverage, long-wearing (nearly 12-hour), experience. MAC products do not test on animals, making this product a good choice for those who are looking to buy cruelty-free makeup. 

Swipe on a deeper reddish brown hue or a bright pink with a doe foot applicator for $23. 

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#7 – Yves Saint Laurent Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip Stain

This product boasts matte tattoo-like color that is long-staying (8 hours), lightweight, and  non-drying. Instead of using the same type of wand as other brands, YSL’s lip stain uses a liner-like applicator tip for more precise results. 

The Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip Stain comes in a tangerine color, a black-red, and even a nude for $37.

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#8 – Charlotte Tilbury Tinted Love Lip & Cheek Stain

Hyaluronic acid and vitamin E are included in this little tube to hydrate and moisturize your pout. This long-wearing, buildable lip stain can act as a cheek tint as well, making it a truly versatile product. 

To top things off, it’s vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, and void of harsh chemicals like parabens and formaldehydes. It comes in a bright red, pinky brown, cherry red, nude brown, and soft pink for $39. 

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#9 – Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss

This product is the first to be more of a nourishing serum gloss than a lip stain. Nonetheless, ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, evening primrose oil, avocado oil, konjac root, and shea butter all work to plump, moisturize, and protect your pout during wear.

The coverage is sheer and wet-looking, which is ideal for those who may want a flirtatious, juicy hint of color. Kosas’ Wet Lip Oil Gloss comes in clear, pink, nude, magenta, and red, and it’s priced at $35. 

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#10 – Burberry Lip Velvet Crush

Burberry’s Lip Velvet Crush is a buildable, sheer-matte stain that offers a hint of customizable color. The cushioned applicator applies the product evenly and smoothly, resulting in a uniform, bold finish. 

Plus, this product moisturizes lips for 8 hours. It also comes in a variety of shades, from cranberry red to dark oxblood. It rings in at $34.

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Which lip stain lasts the longest? 

Of the lip stains featured on our top 10 list, the products that seem to offer the most durability are the MAC Lunar New Year Versicolour Varnish Cream Lip Stain, the Yves Saint Laurent Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip Stain, and the Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment.

With YSL’s product, you’re getting absolutely everything you need, from intense color payoff to immeasurable staying power. On the other hand, with MAC’s stain, you’re getting durability with a more lightweight feel, while Nars’ product offers you a matte finish with longwear.

Which lip stain offers the most colour variations?

Without a doubt, the brands that offer the highest number of color variations are Nars (15), YSL (18), and Burberry (12). People are unique: a one-shade-fits-all approach to beauty is just not cutting it in today’s society. 

These three brands offer shades for every occasion, ranging from casual to extravagant, and every type of skin, from super fair to ultra deep. 

Which product contains the most benefits for my lips?

Look no further than Clarins’ Water Lip Stain, which contains raspberry water, aloe vera, and an anti-pollution complex, making it the choice for somebody who wants their lip color to be nourishing, but still have the staying power to last them all day. 

As for the overall most beneficial product, that would be the Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss. Less of a stain and more of a glossy serum, this product contains hyaluronic acid, peptides, evening primrose oil, avocado oil, konjac root, and shea butter. If your main concern is protecting and nourishing your pout, this is the product for you. 

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