Lip Stains: The Best Ones At Every Price Point

Glamorous berry-stained lips are the fashion this fall. Allison Emery picks the top products that deliver the look.

This fall the trend is smoky, metallic eyes and velvety smooth berry-stained lips. The look is very retro, yet classically cool. One of the great things about this look is that you don’t even need the dramatic eyes to pull off the sexy, colourful lips. In fact, with a very glamorous lip colour, it’s better to keep the eyes soft and simple—neutral shadow, lightly smudged liner and mascara are perfect complements. Smoky eyes can be challenging, but trying a new lip colour is easy—all you need is the right product in a suitable shade. The easiest (and surprisingly affordable) option is lip stain.

Why Try A Lip Stain?

* A lot of lip stain products come in a “pen” form so the application is quite easy—just draw your lip shape on however you like and fill.
* It’s long-lasting and it never requires sharpening.
* The richness and depth of colour is impressive, yet lightweight—it doesn’t even feel like you’re wearing anything.
In my opinion every woman ought to have a lip stain. Maybe you won’t wear it every day, but when you want to turn up the glamour, it’s a timeless option for any occasion.

Most lip stain products do not offer much treatment or hydration for the lips, so I recommend using a super-moisturizing lipstick on top of the stain. Adding lipstick makes lips look moist and creamy, and the underlying stain adds life and vibrancy to the lip colour.

MY TOP LIP STAIN PICKS

Best Quality: Stila Lip and Cheek Stain, $32
Stila has great colour options and innovative packaging. This product feels like a light-textured gloss and glides on easily with a small brush applicator. A little goes a long way with this product, and the overall effect is soft, velvety, semimatte luxury.
Stila Lip and Cheek Stain is available at Sephora and selected Shoppers Drug Mart locations.

Best Quality For Less: Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain, $12
This is my product of choice. It has the “pen” applicator which I prefer, and the colour selection is great for everyone. The best part? It comes with a small, clear lip balm on the end to keep the stain from feeling dry.
Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain is available at London Drugs, Pharmasave, Rexall, Shoppers Drug Mart and Superstore.

MY TOP MOISTURIZING LIPSTICK PICKS

Best Quality: Clarins Jolie Rouge Lipstick, $27
I’ve tried a lot of lipsticks, and this one is by far the best I have ever used. There are a lot of colour choices and even a sheer option for a softer look. There are other lipsticks out there that are more pigmented and have long-wearing properties, but so far I still give Clarins credit for this amazing creation.
Clarins Jolie Rouge Lipstick is available at Sears, The Bay and at many London Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart locations.

Best Quality For Less: Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipstick, $12
For the record, most of the mass brands offer a decent lipstick. I think Marcelle deserves the honourable mention this time because compared to the other less-expensive options, it offers more hydration, giving it an ideal texture on top of the lip stain.
Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipstick is available at London Drugs, Pharmasave, Rexall, Shoppers Drug Mart and Superstore.

Photo: Jessica Beil for Just Bitten lip stain by Revlon