Eight lip stains that are made to last
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
As a lipstick lover, reapplying product has become a fact of life for me. My preference is for a comfortable formula that necessitates topping up rather than a tight, drying coat that stays put nine to five. But new innovations and updated formulas now mean that increasingly I can find products that do both.
First released in the 1970s, Benefit’s bestselling Benetint is a pioneer in its field, and now comes in several spin-off shades. The watery formula gives a subtle wash to lips and cheeks, not unlike the colour of beetroot juice or crushed berries. Best for those who don’t want to look or feel as if they’re wearing make-up.
Benefit Benetint Lip & Cheek Stain in Rose, £22.50
Wonderskin Wonder Blading Lip Stain Masque in First Kiss, £18
Wonderskin’s Lip Stain Masque and Sacheu’s Stay-N, on the other hand, are delightfully gimmicky, having found popularity with the #BeautyTok set. Wonderskin’s electric-blue mask wipes off after between 10 and 45 seconds (for varying degrees of intensity) to reveal an “all day” lip colour, while Sacheu’s mask peels off after 20 minutes. I like them best as base products, à la Billie Eilish, who sold out Sacheu’s Noohde shade after pairing it with Tower28’s OneLiner in a “pre-show” glam tutorial. They are also nifty used as lip liners, which never last as long as I’d like them to. A grown-up alternative – no wiping or peeling required – is Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Bitten Lip Tint, which comes in moodier shades such as Bisou, a vampy berry brown.
While many lip stains are drying due to their high water content, Violette_FR’s new Lip Nectar combines squalane, shea butter, ceramides and hyaluronic acid for a high-shine finish that leaves a romantic stain in its wake. At a recent event introducing the product, the founder Violette Serrat’s make-up artist’s coat of berry-coloured Bêtise didn’t budge – even after breakfast. YSL Beauty’s Vinyl Cream has a similar moisturising consistency. Crucially, neither feels sticky.
Dior Addict Lip Tint in 541 Natural Sienna, £33
Violette_FR Lip Nectar hydrating lip stain in Bêtise, £30
For all-day intensity, Dior’s Addict Lip Tint and Chanel’s Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue are both highly pigmented and impressively long-wearing: Chanel’s was the most stubborn of the products I tested. I plan on wearing shade 48, Soft Rose, at my wedding this summer, giving me one less thing to worry about.
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