having somehow always been cast in stage roles in which i am furiously making out with someone, it was always a personal quest to find a lip color as permanent as a sharpie. (cannot be done, by the way.) and yes, i have tried marker . . . just in case you were wondering. to be quite honest, the "magic marker" is not a far cry from the products i would like to discuss this week.
i'm talking about lip stains. or should i say lip "stains?" (insert air-quotes.) be weary of this term while being romanced by so many brands, promises and pretty, shiny packaging. first of all, a true stain should be in a liquid form. anything cream-based boasting the title of stain should be second-guessed. it's really just a dry lipstick, ladies. i'm not going to tell you that some of these products are not wonderful, because a lot of them are. but in the truest sense of the word stain, pass on these for now; these are not the stains you are looking for—move along, move along.
many years ago i fell in love with a little bottle of fruit-scented, blood-red potion by borghese. it was a lot like a bottle of nail polish for all intents and purposes, and you simply painted it on the lips. of course, the consistency was much thinner . . . closer to water. they no longer make this product, but there are some pretty good ones out there that are very similar and easier to use. surprisingly, my latest favorite is from cover girl! *gasp!* you read right; their outlast lipstain is fantastic! don't let the colors fool you into thinking what you see is what you get. when it comes to true lip stains, think back to the days when you drank gallons upon gallons of kool-aid in the summer. same thing. it's going to give to a wash of color. so you can take the color you see in the tube and dial it back considerably. it will only be a tint of that. some of the others worth mentioning are stila's lip and cheek stains, benefit's benetint, urban decay's lip envy, lorac's sheer wash, and if you're lucky enough to still find it, lancome's potion of love. most of these should be available through sephora – who also happens to have an entry called lush flush wine lip and cheek stain.
the very best thing about stains is that they truly do wear like they are supposed to; but as with everything, there is always a catch. don't expect your lip stain to provide hours worth of moisture and conditioning. ain't gonna happen. however, one of the very best benefits of the lip stain is a fabulous foundation for a lip gloss! as an avid adversary of the lip gloss, a lip stain underneath will be my one and only exception every time. like most women, i simply won't wear gloss because it's gone in a minute. i'm definitely not claiming that a lip stain will keep your gloss intact for hours on end, but i am here to tell you that under favorable conditions, it can come close. because at least when that gloss does start disappearing, that stain will still be around to keep you from looking washed-out and naked!
and what about moisture? since it's not coming from your lip stain, there are some measures that should be taken to ensure a positive lip staining experience. stains have a habit of collecting unfavorably in creases, on dried skin, etc. i hate to break it to you, but it is imperative that you start with soft, smooth lips. if you happen to use an exfoliating scrub, try using it on your lips a few times a week to get rid of flakes and dried skin. if you don't have any scrub, never fear – try using a generous amount of vasoline, or any lip balm of choice, and scrub gently in a circular motion with an old toothbrush. works just as well. so now that you've gotten all that dead skin out of the way, your lip balm/lip moisturizer/lip conditioner will work even better! but here's the caveat: you must allow your lip moisturizer to absorb before applying your stain. otherwise, it is not going to stain. since most women apply their lip color last, it's a good idea to moisturize those lips at the same time you're moisturizing everything else. by the time you get around to applying color you should be in good shape!
a stain can provide a great background for all of your favorite glosses and lipsticks too. it's fun to mix and match to come up with variations on your old stand-bys. and my very own personal tip for this blog is about how to keep your lip color fresh for as long as possible. while exfoliating the lips is a great start, just be mindful of your lip color. try and refrain from licking your lips, rubbing your lips together, or shoving large portions of food into your face. i know it seems like a no-brainer, but the biggest enemy of lipstick is rubbing the lips together. use a lip brush to apply your color; you'll get the perfect application without having to "distribute" the color by pressing the lips together. to finish, i wrap my lips around my finger and pull my finger away to remove the excess that can collect on the teeth! better than a tissue – no lint!
i'm talking about lip stains. or should i say lip "stains?" (insert air-quotes.) be weary of this term while being romanced by so many brands, promises and pretty, shiny packaging. first of all, a true stain should be in a liquid form. anything cream-based boasting the title of stain should be second-guessed. it's really just a dry lipstick, ladies. i'm not going to tell you that some of these products are not wonderful, because a lot of them are. but in the truest sense of the word stain, pass on these for now; these are not the stains you are looking for—move along, move along.
many years ago i fell in love with a little bottle of fruit-scented, blood-red potion by borghese. it was a lot like a bottle of nail polish for all intents and purposes, and you simply painted it on the lips. of course, the consistency was much thinner . . . closer to water. they no longer make this product, but there are some pretty good ones out there that are very similar and easier to use. surprisingly, my latest favorite is from cover girl! *gasp!* you read right; their outlast lipstain is fantastic! don't let the colors fool you into thinking what you see is what you get. when it comes to true lip stains, think back to the days when you drank gallons upon gallons of kool-aid in the summer. same thing. it's going to give to a wash of color. so you can take the color you see in the tube and dial it back considerably. it will only be a tint of that. some of the others worth mentioning are stila's lip and cheek stains, benefit's benetint, urban decay's lip envy, lorac's sheer wash, and if you're lucky enough to still find it, lancome's potion of love. most of these should be available through sephora – who also happens to have an entry called lush flush wine lip and cheek stain.
the very best thing about stains is that they truly do wear like they are supposed to; but as with everything, there is always a catch. don't expect your lip stain to provide hours worth of moisture and conditioning. ain't gonna happen. however, one of the very best benefits of the lip stain is a fabulous foundation for a lip gloss! as an avid adversary of the lip gloss, a lip stain underneath will be my one and only exception every time. like most women, i simply won't wear gloss because it's gone in a minute. i'm definitely not claiming that a lip stain will keep your gloss intact for hours on end, but i am here to tell you that under favorable conditions, it can come close. because at least when that gloss does start disappearing, that stain will still be around to keep you from looking washed-out and naked!
and what about moisture? since it's not coming from your lip stain, there are some measures that should be taken to ensure a positive lip staining experience. stains have a habit of collecting unfavorably in creases, on dried skin, etc. i hate to break it to you, but it is imperative that you start with soft, smooth lips. if you happen to use an exfoliating scrub, try using it on your lips a few times a week to get rid of flakes and dried skin. if you don't have any scrub, never fear – try using a generous amount of vasoline, or any lip balm of choice, and scrub gently in a circular motion with an old toothbrush. works just as well. so now that you've gotten all that dead skin out of the way, your lip balm/lip moisturizer/lip conditioner will work even better! but here's the caveat: you must allow your lip moisturizer to absorb before applying your stain. otherwise, it is not going to stain. since most women apply their lip color last, it's a good idea to moisturize those lips at the same time you're moisturizing everything else. by the time you get around to applying color you should be in good shape!
a stain can provide a great background for all of your favorite glosses and lipsticks too. it's fun to mix and match to come up with variations on your old stand-bys. and my very own personal tip for this blog is about how to keep your lip color fresh for as long as possible. while exfoliating the lips is a great start, just be mindful of your lip color. try and refrain from licking your lips, rubbing your lips together, or shoving large portions of food into your face. i know it seems like a no-brainer, but the biggest enemy of lipstick is rubbing the lips together. use a lip brush to apply your color; you'll get the perfect application without having to "distribute" the color by pressing the lips together. to finish, i wrap my lips around my finger and pull my finger away to remove the excess that can collect on the teeth! better than a tissue – no lint!
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