If you think about some of the major qualms people may have with traditional lipsticks or glosses, they often have to do with how high-maintenance they can be. Most formulas will smudge, fade, feel overly noticeable on the lips and require a frequent reapplication schedule. Your care-free beauty alternative may just be a lip tint or stain.
Once applied, these low-effort lip products typically dry down completely and weightlessly — or in some cases apply like a mask that peels off to reveal a stain underneath — so the color appears to be fused with your skin. This means no smudging or uncomfortable texture, just a long-wearing pop of color that can last all day, even through eating.
Stains and tints can even be a great choice for anyone that appreciates a more subtle-looking lip since most formulas (though not all) impart a sheer and very natural hue that layers beautifully under your favorite everyday lip balm. Some stain enthusiasts are even using these lip products to do things like line the outer border of their mouths or contour their noses when they want to go makeup-free.
Many of the best lip stains and tints out there have gained huge buzz on TikTok, like the frequently sold-out Milk Makeup’s Cooling Jelly Water Tint (which is great on your cheeks, too) and the viral Sacheu Stay-N-Peel Off Lip Tattoo. Learn more about these and more of the app’s most beloved and viral options in the list ahead.
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A bouncy and cooling and water jelly tint
We somehow caught almost all four shades of these delightful little tints in stock, which is quite a feat considering the fact that TikTok managed to sell them out for weeks on end. Meant to be worn on both the cheeks and lips, Milk Makeup's Cooling Water Jelly Tint features a bouncy Jello-like texture and glides on the perfect touch of glassy, buildable color. The hydrating formula is also infused with vegan collagen, soothing aloe and refreshing seawater.
A well-loved K-beauty water tint
TikTok touts this K-beauty water tint as a more affordable alternative to the long-standing favorite, Benetint cheek and lip stain. The water-based and vitamin-infused formula claims to be imperceptible on the lips, completely smudge-proof and bursting with hydration. You can find this highly rated tint in five buildable colors, each one promising a juicy and not completely matte finish.
A long-lasting and nourishing lip tattoo
This all-day-wearing stain initially earned its TikTok fame for being used as a lip liner or lip contour because of its ability to offer a natural hint of accentuating shadow that lasts all day, without looking overly done.The Sacheau Stay-N-Peel Off lip tattoo comes in eight shades that can be used as neutrals for contouring or deep pops of red. It dries into a peel-away mask after applied, and what's left behind is a flattering stain that truly will not budge.
A classic and well-known cheek and lip stain
Benefit Cosmetics' Benetint lip and cheek stain is an eternal beauty classic with some pretty "titillating" origins. TikTok has helped to keep its following very much alive and users adore its lightweight liquid formula and its non-drying natural finish. You can find this in three buildable shades (although this rose-toned one was the original) that claim to last all day.
A high-pigment velvet-finish stain
Probably one of the most pigmented and opaque stains on this list, the PeriPera Ink Velvet is best known for its blurred, soft-matte finish that many users claim feels soft and cloud-like. it's available in over 20 transfer-proof shades from rosy nudes or coral-hued reds.
A transfer-proof and wipe-off lip stain
Another popular peel-off lip stain option is this one by Wonderskin, which applies like a metallic blue cream then magically transforms to the shade of your choice once it's wiped away. It's available in 19 pigmented colors that stand up to eating, kissing, swimming and drinking and have a skin-like finish.
A cream tint with a subtle gloss finish
Combining the long-lasting and budge-proof power of a lip stain with the slightest hint of a shine finish (if not wiped off), this tint from E.l.f. can be a good affordable choice. It features a creamy texture that claims to feel more like a balm than a lipstick and comes in eight sheer-to-fuller coverage shades.
A hydrating stain that starts off glossy
The Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain starts off with glossy finish then, once wiped away, leaves behind a juicy swath of color that doesn't feel overly dry on the lips thanks to an innovative oil-in-water formula that contains squalane. It's available in six vibrant shades like deep berry and fuchsia.
A semi-matte lip stain
Infused with beloved hydrators like hyaluronic acid and plant-derived squalane, this stain from Milani claims to leave a cushioned and comfortable feel on the lips that's never drying. The buildable liquid formula may apply with a glossy finish, but once dried down, it becomes semi-matte and budge-proof for up to eight hours of wear. It's available in six shades.
A buildable and moisturizing water stain
You may have heard of the Clarins lip oil, a hydrating and non-sticky gloss with a major following. The luxury French beauty brand also formulated this lip stain that has a watery gel texture and a buildable color. The brand promises a fade- and feather-proof wear that may be matte, but also hydrating. And like many of Clarins products, this stain contains a plant-based complex that may protect skin from pollutants. Find this in four sheer-to-fuller coverage shades.
A precision lip marker
For anyone who struggles with precise lip product application, the Stila Calligraphy Lip Stain might be a worthy investment thanks to its innovative marker tip applicator that can make it easy to line or fill lips or both. The stain itself claims to be sheer but buildable, lightweight and non-drying. It comes in 16 colors.
A jelly glaze lip stain
This adorable jelly stain for the cheeks and lips promises a juicy pop of color and a formula infused with squalane to moisturize and an antioxidant-rich triple berry complex to help protect the skin. Each of the five buildable shades offers a radiant and non-completely matte finish. Plus, it comes on this adorable charm keychain.