Lip stains are 2026’s equivalent of the millennial obsession with winged liner. They’re favoured by the likes of Billie Eilish and Hailey Bieber, which isn’t surprising given the advantages they offer over traditional lipstick. Not heard of them before? The best lip stains are designed to leave a residual colour on the surface of the lips, a stain, as the name suggests. Unlike lipstick and gloss, they can withstand everything from food and drink to hours of wear.
The make-up must-haves come in myriad consistencies – while some have a lip gloss-like finish, others are more comparable to a felt tip. The best ones, though, are the ones that enable you to forget about your lips altogether, leaving you with a perfect pout featuring a weightless flush of colour.
Achieving this without causing dryness or patchiness is no small task, and as someone who’s often guilty of letting lipstick fade throughout the day, the idea of a long-lasting tint seemed almost too good to be true. I’ve put a range of formulas to the test to find out whether lip stains really live up to the hype . Scroll on to find out which lip stains are worth a place in your make-up bag.
The best lip stains for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Nyx Professional Makeup lip IV hydrating gloss stain: £5.76, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – E.l.f. glossy lip stain: £7, Boots.com
- Best moisturising formula – Fenty Beauty poutsicle hydrating lip stain: £22, Cultbeauty.co.uk
- Best for a red lip – Kiko Milano long lasting colour lip marker: £11.99, Kikocosmetics.com
How I tested
I applied every stain to moisturised lips and left them in situ for about three to five minutes before wiping off the residual product with a wad of tissue. I did this with all formulas, whether or not they left a glossy or moisturising finish, to compare the stains. I also paid attention to factors such as hydration, smoothness of coverage, ease of application and staying power. My full testing criteria is listed down below.
Nyx Professional Makeup lip IV hydrating gloss stain
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Best: lip stain overall
Wipe-off: Optional
Shades: 16
Key ingredients: Magnesium, vitamin B12, coconut water, vitamin E, glycerin and synthetic wax
Vegan-friendly and cruelty-free: Yes
Why we love it
- Lasts all day
- Non-drying
- Stain takes effect within a few minutes
Nyx’s IV gloss stain is the affordable lip colour I didn’t know I needed, and now that I’ve tried it, I won’t be looking back. Considering the price tag, it’s packed with skin-loving ingredients, including vitamins E and B12.
The pigment is unmatched, lasting from dawn until dusk, no matter the food and drink it has to contend with, and it leaves lips feeling moisturised even after wiping away its top layer. While I wouldn’t say it provides all-day hydration, it’s by no means drying, and it layers well with a lip balm or gloss.
You can wear it as both a liquid lipstick and a stain, depending on whether you wipe away the glossy finish. I fell into the wipe-off camp, as someone who prefers a sheerer finish, but I’ve heard heaps of social media users praising its performance as a two-in-one lip gloss and stain.
Buy now £5.76, Amazon.co.uk
E.l.f. glossy lip stain
Best: budget lip stain
Wipe-off: Sits better if you don’t
Shades: Eight
Key ingredients: Water, glycerin, squalane, nourishing mango seed butter
Vegan-friendly and cruelty-free: Yes
Why we love it
- Good selection of natural-looking shades
Take note
- Lighter shades have less longevity
- Doesn’t last well when mixed with lip balm/gloss
This budget-friendly lip stain sets out to rival competitors in terms of hydration, staying power and price – it offers a burst of hydration and nourishment, and it’s available in seven earthy reds, neutrals and pinks, plus one gorgeous berry tone for those gothic glamour nights.
Unlike some of the stains in this guide, it doesn’t really lend itself to being wiped away. While it does leave a stain, it doesn’t last as long (less than an hour) without its glossy finish to lock in the colour. When I did wipe away the exterior shine, any subsequent lip oils or balms I used appeared to dissolve the remaining colour.
Overall, it’s a decent budget pick, but it won’t last you a full day.
Buy now £7, Boots.com
Stila calligraphy lip stain
Best: lip stain for easy colour maintenance
Wipe-off: Not necessary
Shades: 16
Key ingredients: Water, glycerin, alcohol, and three types of skin conditioners (ethylhexylglycerin, hydroxyethyl acrylate and sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer)
Vegan-friendly and cruelty-free: Yes
Why we love it
- Precise applicator for perfect lip lining
- Layers well with lipsticks/glosses
- Sets instantly, without stickiness
Take note
- Centre portion of colour dissipates within three hours (lip line remains)
- It can be drying without an additional balm/gloss
Given its flexible, flat-edged applicator, this lip stain is easier to apply than most – it glides along edges effortlessly and takes less than a minute to cover the lips entirely. There’s no need to wipe off any excess (there isn’t any), however, it does leave the lips feeling a tad taught, so a subsequent balm or gloss is necessary.
For me, this is the sort of product that’s perfect for layering under a lipstick, as, when it inevitably wears off, you’ll be left with the flush of Stila colour. The colour selection is also impressive.
Buy now £23, Boots.com
Dior addict lip tint
Best: lip stain for a strong pigment
Wipe-off: Optional
Shades: 12
Key ingredients: Glycerin, alcohol, squalane, hyaluronic acid, fragrance, moisturising cherry seed oil, vitamin E, soothing ammonium glycyrrhizate (derived from licorice root), chilli pepper extract, antioxidants
Vegan-friendly and cruelty-free: Yes
Why we love it
- Moisturising
- Can be worn on its own or wiped off to layer with a gloss
- Leaves a light flush of colour even after the darker pigment fades
This luxury lip tint comes in a Dior signature stopper-topped tube and has a texture that’s between a liquid lipstick and a gloss. You don’t need to wipe it away after application, as it leaves a lovely opaque, moisturising finish, and even after this top layer wears off, the tint remains beneath – which is the main appeal of a lip stain.
The colour lasted for around four hours before fading around the centre of the mouth, but even then, the fade was neat, leaving a noticeable lip line that worked well with my gloss as the day wore on. What’s more, the skin-loving ingredients here are seemingly endless, so you’re definitely getting your money’s worth.
Buy now £28.05, Boots.com
Fenty Beauty poutsicle hydrating lip stain
Best: moisturising lip stain
Wipe-off: Optional
Shades: Six
Key ingredients: Water, glycerin, squalane, softening octyldodecanol (a type of fatty alcohol)
Vegan-friendly and cruelty-free: Yes
Why we love it
- Creates a beautifully blurred edge when paired with a lip gloss
- Relatively hydrating
Fenty’s lip products are renowned within the beauty industry – from the gloss bomb universal lip luminiser (£19, Cultbeauty.co.uk) to the treatz lip oil (£21, Cultbeauty.co.uk), this brand had set my expectations sky high. Thankfully, the poutsicle lip stain didn’t disappoint, either.
The pigment was noticeably strong from the offset, and while some lip stains leave a hue entirely different to their guide colour, Fenty’s (in shade ‘mai type’) left behind a lovely fuschia pink, in keeping with its original application colour.
Though I removed the excess product after a few minutes once it had stained my lips, you don’t need to do this and the finish of the product on its own is the ultimate wet look. My only gripe with this method is that it leaves a rather bold outline. However, I did try layering a sheer gloss on top, which resulted in a gorgeously blurred lip line. What’s more, you don’t necessarily need a gloss or balm to provide hydration with this formula, as it’s fairly comfortable when applied solo. I’ll definitely be reaching for this again.
Buy now £22, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Sacheu stayn lip liner
Best: peel-off lip stain
Wipe-off: No, peel-off
Shades: Five
Key ingredients: Water, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E
Vegan-friendly and cruelty-free: Yes
Why we love it
- Produces a strong lip line for easy lipstick application
Take note
- Doesn’t always peel off in one go
- Can stain unevenly
A product that’s been blowing up on TikTok, this is a peel-off stain designed to be used primarily around the lip line. When you remove the applicator from the tube you’ll notice the fabric of the tip/sponge has a fluffy texture. Given the thick consistency of the stain itself, I found this hindered the smoothness of the lip line I was able to achieve. That said, when I then peeled off my handiwork, none of the jagged edges I’d initially noticed seemed to have transfered through the stain.
The peel-off process is relatively simple – you just need to get a nail under the product to pull it away from the lips. But I did find the formula clung to any areas where my lips naturally crease, producing more of a stain in those areas. The longevity of the stain is very impressive – I found the colour lasted well into the afternoon (even when applied before 8am). Overall, this is a good stain but it does require a bit of trial and error.
Buy now £14, Boots.com
Kiko Milano long lasting colour lip marker
Best: lip stain for a red lip
Wipe-off: No
Shades: Seven
Key ingredients: Water, alcohol, flavouring, hyaluronic acid
Vegan-friendly and cruelty-free: Cruelty-free but not vegan
Why we love it
- Lasts more than eight hours
- Makes eating with a red lip manageable
- Precise marker tip affords easy application
Take note
- Needs a lip balm/gloss to prevent dryness
I’ve been using Kiko’s lip marker formula since July 2024 – I loved it so much that I dedicated an entire review to it. It feels weightless but it also offers zero moisture, which is something to consider if you suffer from cracked lips. However, I found that applying a lip oil on top delivered the necessary hydration. Trust me, the intense colour payoff makes up for the extra step in your routine.
Paired with your red lipstick of choice (though this isn’t necessary), you’ll be able to eat, drink and be merry for hours on end before you need to think about a touch-up. Consider me well and truly converted.
Buy now £11.99, Kikocosmetics.com
Benefit benetint rose tinted lip and cheek stain
Best: dual-purpose lip stain
Wipe-off: Doesn’t need it
Shades: One
Key ingredients: Water, squalane, antioxidants, fragrance
Vegan-friendly and cruelty-free: No
Why we love it
- Ultra lightweight
- Pleasant scent
Take note
- Runny
- Can bleed around lip line
Owing to the water-like formula, you’ll need a little skill when applying this product, but it produces a lovely, rosy-hued stain.
Given its thin consistency, I hadn’t expected it to last as long as it did, nor for it to be as comfortable on the skin, but it’s surprisingly non-drying and withstood my breakfast and coffee without any noticeable fading. Of course, there’s the bonus of it being a two-in-one lip stain and blush – the latter of which, I’ve learnt, works best applied with a fluffy brush from a swatch on the back of your hand.
Buy now £19.97, Johnlewis.com
Your questions about lip stains answered
What is the best lip stain?
While Sacheu’s offering has accumulated viral praise (and rightly so, given its effectiveness as a lip liner), it was Nyx’s lip IV stain that impressed most with its hydrating, long-lasting colour – all at a reasonable price.
How I tested
For each lip stain, I looked at the same criteria:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
As The Independent’s dedicated beauty writer, I’m well-versed in everything from liquid lipsticks to lip plumpers. I’ve spoken to professionals (such as Lily Collins’ make-up artist) about their favourite lip products and, as a lipstick wearer of old, I know what I’m looking for in terms of a good, long-lasting formula. Be it a premium product or a bargain buy, I’ll always provide my honest opinion in my tried-and-tested reviews and will only recommend products I think are worth your time and money.
For a skincare-based product, read our review of the best lip balms
