Lip stains and tints: how to choose

How to choose lip stains and tints

Begin with the effect you want rather than the name on the tube. A stain is designed to sink in and leave colour behind once the top layer has gone, which suits long days when you would rather not think about your lips. A tint sits closer to the surface and behaves like a wash of colour you can add to through the day. If you like to control depth as you go, look for something described as buildable; if you want one confident pass, look for dense pigment.

Then decide on finish. Our pieces come in matte, sheer, gloss and glossy finishes, and in liquid, balm and stick formats, and each reads differently on the same pair of lips. A matte finish settles and looks soft rather than wet; a gloss or glossy finish keeps light on the lip; a sheer finish lets your own lip tone show through. Think about the rest of your makeup, too: matte sits well with a bare eye, while a glossier finish balances a stronger brow or liner.

Think about how you apply makeup. A pen that lines and fills in one suits anyone who likes a defined edge, while a wand or a squeezable tube suits anyone who prefers to tap colour in with a fingertip. Our range includes tints made for both lips and cheeks if you want one product to do two jobs. On shade, our pieces cover reds, browns, nudes, pinks and roses, so decide whether you are shopping for a quiet everyday tone or something deeper for the evening.

Formulas, finishes and shades

Matte finishes are the easiest to read from a distance. Colour settles into a soft, skin-like finish and stays smooth rather than powdery, and a velvet matte pen can draw an edge and fill the centre in the same pass. Sheer finishes work the other way, leaving a translucent veil so your natural tone stays visible beneath the colour. Gloss and glossy finishes keep a wet look while they dry, and some peel-away pieces go on glossy and leave a tint once the film is lifted.

Format matters as much. Liquids and fluids feel like water going on, then set; jelly sticks warm on contact and bloom into a flush; solid oil sticks and balms sweep on like a balm and settle to a soft matte. Our formulas include glycerin and rose, and several are described as lightweight, which matters if you dislike the feeling of a heavy layer. Buildable formulas let you stop at a veil or keep going for depth, and a waterproof formula is useful when you want colour to hold through a long lunch.

Shade comes down to contrast. Nudes and browns sit close to most natural lip tones and read quietly; pinks and roses lift the face on grey mornings; reds carry an evening without much else on the face. If you are new to stains, start one or two steps deeper than your natural lip and see how the colour settles, since a stain can look stronger once the top layer has gone.

How to apply and wear them

Prep makes more difference than technique. Start on clean, dry lips, because colour grabs unevenly on balm. If lips feel rough, a gentle rub with a damp, soft cloth and a thin layer of balm blotted away a minute later gives a smoother surface.

Each format has its own method. With a squeezable tube, squeeze gently to release a small amount onto the applicator, outline the lip with the fine tip following your natural edge or a fraction outside it for a fuller shape, then glide over the lips and layer to build intensity. With a wand, sweep a small amount onto the centre of the lips and blend outward with the wand or a fingertip for a diffused edge. With a stick, start on clean, dry lips and sweep it back and forth to spread colour evenly. Where a formula needs it, shake before use, then sweep a thin layer from the centre outward, following your natural shape.

Give the colour a moment to set before you press your lips together or drink, and build in thin layers rather than one thick one, since a second pass deepens tone without patchiness. To soften an edge, tap over it with a clean fingertip while the formula is still wet. If you use a tint on the cheeks as well, dot a small amount on and blend quickly with your fingers before it sets.

Hygiene, storage and shelf life

Wash your hands before you apply, and wipe the applicator or the surface of a stick with a clean tissue after use so colour does not collect and dry at the tip. Avoid sharing a wand or a stick with anyone else, and if a formula has sat unused for a while, give it a shake or wipe the top layer before using it again.

Store lip products upright, out of direct sunlight and away from radiators, windowsills and the warmest shelf in the bathroom. Heat softens sticks and can change how a liquid sets, and light fades colour over time. A cool, dark drawer or a small pouch in your bag is enough, and a firmly closed lid keeps a formula from drying out.

Every lip product has a shelf life, usually shown on the packaging as a small open-jar symbol with a number of months. As a general guide, liquids and glosses tend to be shorter-lived than sticks and balms. If the colour, smell or texture changes, or the formula starts to separate, replace it rather than trying to revive it.

Standout pieces

• Peptide Moisture Lip Tint: The 14 ml squeezable tube can be worn on bare lips for a wash of tint or layered over your usual lip colour when you want an extra layer of care.
• Velvet Matte 2-in-1 Lip Liner and Tint: One pen traces the edge with a narrow tip and fills the centre with dense velvet matte colour, across sixteen shades.
• Waterproof Matte Lip Stain: A water-light fluid that dries to a soft matte and is described as waterproof, so colour holds through sips and long evenings.
• Temperature-Reactive Jelly Lip Tint: A clear jelly stick that blooms into a flush which deepens with warmth, in a 3.4g format that slips into a small evening bag.
• Tinted Solid Lip Oil Stick: A solid tinted oil stick that settles to a smooth matte with a cushioned feel, in eight shades for a soft flush.