8 Best Lip Stains for a Long-Wearing Wash of Color

The best lip stains have quite a few tricks up their tubes. Unlike your standard lippie, stains (or tints—they’re the same thing) deliver next-level longevity along with requisite hydration and hue. These buildable formulas are breathable—sometimes blurry, sometimes boldly matte—and often infused with skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid, botanical oils, and complexes that fend off damage from pollutants. The result? A tint that withstands burrito bowls, makeout sessions, steam rooms, and back-to-back-to-back Zoom meetings. Our editors put some of the buzziest formulas to the test and got real about the stain-stamina, what they loved, and what they could do without. Scroll on for the best lip stains we’ve tried and not reapplied (in a good way…got it?).

• Best Overall: Clarins Hydrating Water Lip Stain, $32
• Best Peel-Off: Wonderskin Wonder Blading Lip Stain Masque, $22
• Most Pigmented: Peripera Ink Velvet Lip Tint, $10
• Best for Dry Lips: Kulfi Beauty Lassi Lips Staining Lip Oil, $24
• Best Sheer: Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Cheek & Lip Stain, $35
• Best Semi-Matte: Dior Addict Lip Tint, $40
• Best Glossy: Nyx Professional Makeup Lip IV Hydrating Gloss Stain, $12

Why we love it: Toronto-based makeup artist Andrea Claire loves the Clarins Hydrating Water Lip Stain's transfer-proof formula. Its 75% water base leaves behind a hit of sheer color payoff as well as aloe vera, glycerin, and antioxidant-rich camellia sinensis leaf extract (a.k.a. green tea). This Best of Beauty-winning tint was recently revamped to include even more love for your lips, adding raspberry water and a free radical-fighting complex (hi, nipplewort) to the mix. Apply one coat for a subtle wash of hue or build to a brighter pop of pigment, and top the whole situation with the Clarins Lip Comfort Oil for even more moisture and a touch of glossiness.

Why we love it: Over the past year, TikTok has become totally taken with Wonderskin’s Wonder Blading Lip Stain Masque, but our editors have been fans of this peel-off tint since it won a Best of Beauty Award back in 2020 (*hair flip*). It's one of our all-time favorite lip stains for its tri-phase, liquid lip-to-mask-to-tint formulation that leaves behind lasting pigment. Interestingly enough, every one of the 18 shades goes on blue and then peels off to reveal a range of pinks, peaches, and mauves. Let the mask sit for around 30 seconds before peeling or wiping away with a damp towel or tissue, and then enjoy up to 10 hours of budge-free, waterproof wear

Why we love it: Who else remembers the (not so bygone) days when you couldn't scroll through your FYP without catching a glimpse of Peripera's Ink Velvet Lip Tint? This high-payoff, long-wearing, and Best of Beauty-winning formula works wonders as full-coverage color or a barely-there, blurry stain. Complete with marine collagen, jojoba oil, and hyaluronic acid, this formula goes on as a velvety matte texture and absorbs to leave behind hours of vibrant color. If you want something a little less creamy, try the lighterweight, fluffier Peripera Ink Airy Velvet Lip Tint. Or, for a touch of dewiness, go for the Ink Mood Glowy Tint.

Why we love it: You know what’s better than oil stains? A lip-oil-lip-stain. Kulfi Beauty's Lassi Lips Staining Lip Oil kicks things off with a glassy, non-sticky finish and matures into a velvety stain that really lasts. Use it like an oil and reapply when you want a bit of hydrating glossiness, or treat it as a traditional tint with a one-and-done application, letting the sheen give way to stain.

Cosmetic chemist Amanda Lam explains that, ultimately, the formula behaves more like a stain than an oil. "It contains film formers and solubilizers that deliver color to lips and create that staining effect," she says. "It probably won't feel as thick and moisturizing as a traditional lip oil, but it should have a better shine than a regular lip tint." And while it’s not the longest-lasting among its peers, the slippery, hydrating feel of the formula (enriched with mango seed oil) is motivation enough to reapply when color starts to fade.

Why we love it: A roundup of lip stains wouldn't be complete without this classic. Benefit Cosmetics' Benetint Cheek & Lip Stain is a mainstay (that actually stays) on the lips of K-pop stars and common folk alike, applying and wearing subtly and comfortably for an all-day tint. The brand kicked off the line with its eponymous liquidy, red-pink hue but has since expanded into corals and roses—some of which feature a slightly creamier texture. This product also wears nicely on cheeks for a tied-together look that won’t transfer, pill, or patch. Word to the wise: This formula dries down quick (especially the Benetint hue), so blend it out swiftly before the color dries in the shape you applied it.

Why we love it: Yes, we’re primed to adore anything emblazoned with the Dior logo, but when it comes to the brand’s Addict Lip Tint, there’s a lot more than aesthetics to love. Every tube of this sheer, buildable formula is spiked with cherry oil, squalane, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin. Lips are left feeling kissably smooth and flake-free for up to 24 hours, with color that hangs around for 12. And, with 13 hues, you have options. We’re talking pretty peaches and muted berries, ranging from the brick-hued Natural Tea to the ruby-toned Natural Berry.

When you apply this stain, you’ll notice a subtle minty flavor, but don’t get it twisted—this stuff doesn’t plump or tingle. Make sure you apply evenly and with enough product to mitigate any patchiness, and top with your favorite gloss for a bit of sheen.

Why it’s worth it: A drugstore delight, Nyx’s Professional Makeup Lip IV Hydrating Gloss Stain is what it sounds like and then some. Yes, it brings the gloss, and it brings the stain, but it also imparts a hearty dose of skin-care ingredients like vitamin B12 and coconut water for extra juiciness. The application starts as a glazey gloss, and as the day goes on, it soaks into your lips to settle into a stain for 12 hours of saturation. We love how this shade range occupies the darker, moodier end of the spectrum, plunging all the way into an almost-black purple via Grape Gushin. Of course, you can also sink your teeth into more neutral hues with 90s-core pinky-browns.

Here’s the deal: There is no difference between a stain and a tint—it all comes down to marketing, according to Lam. "The formulas for both are usually the same and give the same effect of long-wear staining without being opaque and are water-based with water-soluble pigments," Lam explains.

Cincinnati, Ohio-based cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos adds that, depending on composition, just about any lip product can act as a stain or tint. "The color additives are the primary determinant of whether a color actually stains the lips," she says. "So balms, glosses, and lipsticks can all be lip stains," depending on how much pigment they’re formulated with.

If you have dry lips, "A lip mask or light, clear lip balm will help even out your lips' hydration levels, prepping them for a more even application," Claire says. She also recommends using a lip liner as a base, which helps extend the stain's wear time.

Once you're ready to apply your lip stain of choice, Claire recommends drawing a "V" at the bow and outer corners of your lips and a "U" towards the bottom. Then, connect the dots, fill in the lips, and voíla. For a natural-looking finish, Garner advises tapping the product directly onto your lips using your fingers. For a more saturated look, Claire recommends applying the stain straight from the tube.

• Genevieve Garner, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist
• Andrea Claire, a Toronto-based makeup artist
• Brittany Lo, a New York City-based makeup artist
• Amanda Lam, the cosmetic formulation chemist at DeWolf Chemical based in Warwick, Rhode Island
• Kelly Dobos, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based cosmetic chemist

Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?

For our review of the best lip stains, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and professional makeup artists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and shade range. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.

Give your lips the extra love—and spotlight—they deserve:

• 13 Best Tinted Lip Balms That'll Complement Your Everyday Makeup Looks
• Ooey Gooey Lip Products Are Having a Moment
• Allure Best of Beauty Awards 2023: Lips
• 16 Best Red Lipsticks Your Makeup Bag Needs, According to Allure Editors

Now, watch BIBI break down her most iconic music videos:

Shop all of our latest obsessions in one place! And don't forget to follow Allure on Instagram and TikTok—or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things beauty.