Juicy red lips are all well and good, but the problem is that not everyone wants to wear your calling card on their cheek! So this week I set out to find the best and most convenient lip stain to help save a few marriages.
First up I tried the current offering from Covergirl – Outlast lip stain.
Pros: It smells good. Like those fruity textas you used to use at school.
Cons: It stings like hell! and doesn’t outlast my lipstick at all. I get far better wear from my MAC Russian Red than this one.
Verdict: FAIL
Next up, the highly recommended Benetint from Benefit
Pros: It does double duty as a cheek tint.
It smells good.
Nice dark stain.
Cons: Brush applicator makes it impossible to get a crisp line to the lips and it subsequently bleeds badly when used in the style I desire.
Very drying.
The bottle shape isn’t very handbag size friendly and it is easy to spill.
Verdict: FAIL
Lastly, I tried Revlon’s Just Bitten
Pros: Simple, easy to apply texta style wand.
DIDN’T Bleed!!
Lip balm included at the other end of the wand.
Moist tips with plenty of colour for consistent application. You can apply and build up the colour gradually for a darker tint.
Lasted a whole day of kisses, coffee, talking without drying out or flaking.
Cons: A bit pricey for what it is. Also, although I had no problems with this one (unlike Covergirl), with the high alcohol content I’d be interested to hear how this goes on sensitive skin.
Verdict: WIN!
Of course, because I was looking for the reddest of red shades, I chose the “Gothic” shade in the Revlon Just Bitten range. Here is how it looked on me straight from the wand with no balm yet to create shine.
The line was quite crisp and it didn’t bleed into fine lines (yes they are there) which is always a problem I have with gloss and stains.
The applicator was fool proof and the balm at the other end of the wand means I don’t have to carry two tubes out with me.
So I’ve found it finally! A stain I can wear out that still has the punch of a good lipstick and won’t leave tell tale marks on all my friends. I’ll be keeping this one handy next time I’m called in to do a kissing booth!
I’m so checking this out!
great review
and I love your nails! They are perfect <3
Tasja: Thank you! I’ve only recently gone back to having acrylics done as I ran out of time to do my own and had to have them fixed in an emergency. After some VERY explicit instructions to the technician, I’ve managed to get not only a nice thin finish, but a lovely almond shape too so I’m really pleased.
Ooh.. I’d been wondering if the new Just Bitten (as they had one about 5 years ago too which was a roll on and not fabutastic) had a red… question is, is it an orange red or a blue red?
Tia: Well I can only wear either true reds or blue based reds and this one works for me. I’d say it is closest to a true red, but given that it is a stain it may depend on what your own skin tone throws off.
Fantastic! I think I’ll be buying myself a little pre-Christmas gift, then
The Covergirl didn’t have a nice true/blue red at all.
I was also going to mention that the BeneTint also comes in a “Pocket Pal” style, that has a brush on stain on one side, and a lipgloss on the other. I found it much easier to use than the large bottle, and the gloss was nice, but it still didn’t get a “lipstick line” finish, and was only good for a blushing effect on the lips.
Woooohoooo finally one I can kiss my man with! I must get it this weekend!
x
Funny, Just Bitten in Gothic was WAY too bright pinky-red on me. It looked cheap! I think maybe it depends on the natural color of your lips how the stain turns out.
The Cover Girl lipstain in #402 which I believe is a new shade in the U.S. market is way better on me. It’s more true red, with slight blue undertones. The Cover Girl stains wear off more evenly too, whereas the Revlon wore off in the center as I ate or drank, leaving a very unattractive “ring” of stain. The convenience of the balm on the other end just didn’t outweigh the other issues for me.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tia, Candice DeVille. Candice DeVille said: Today I'm testing out lip stains to find the most kissable combination. http://bit.ly/fiZTfp [...]
Ooh Want!! That looks awesome. I’m always up for more hassle free lip products. Still not 100% comfortable with lipstick unless its a special occasion so this looks like it might be worth a shot.
Love how precise it looks
The only problem with Revlon Just Bitten is that the lip balm breaks off easily after a few applications!
Hi SKM, have you tried Revlon ColorStay Overtime? It has the colour bit on one side and the glossy clear bit on the other side. So it’s similar to JustBitten. It lasts for hours and hours. Does not come off at all when you kiss your friends on the cheek.
I think you’ll love it 
[...] The Best Red Lipstick – Lip stain | Super Kawaii Mama [...]
I picked up Gothic tonight. It is definitely darker on me than it came out on you. Love it though! The high alcohol content did tingle my slightly sensitive skin, but faded quickly. The colour is really intense!
The covergirl one tastes disgusting too! It’s only kiss-proof because your partner will be too busy dry retching to work it off you!
Glad you found it. I never use lipstick. I have very thin lips, so I enphasize my eyes instead.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Wanted to try something different, so on your recommendation, I bought the “Just Bitten” lip stain to try out at my work’s Christmas party – crossing my fingers that it gets the job done!
XD
I find the brush on the benetint really tickles when I apply it!
I remember Revlon had something similar to the Benefit liptint a few years ago. I think it was also called “Just Bitten” but with a roller ball which was a pain to apply. So it looks like they’ve upgraded the packaging… I’ll have to check this out soon!
Thanks for the review and keep up the great work!
I tried the CoverGirl, but it wears off quickly, leaving a ring around my mouth. Embarrassing.
So I threw down $20 at Sephora for the Josie Maran stain… which also wears off very quickly. It MAY be slightly better than the CoverGirl, but I’m not convinced it’s twice as good.
I’d try the Just Bitten, but I think I’ve blown my lip budget for now. Sigh!
Hey SKM! I love your blog!
I am 17 and from California and I use Maybelline Superstay Lipcolor in Red #743. I wear it every day everywhere and people at my high school always compliment me on how great the color looks on me. You should check it out its awesome
I love the vintage/rockabilly style and you are a great source of inspiration
I hope to visit Australia some day and check out all those vintage stores.
Keep on looking beautiful as always SKM bye!
I bought this after reading your great review – I really wanted a red lip stain that wouldn’t smudge on a night out, and whatnot. I always wear red lipstick, but it can sometimes be impractical!
I have to say – it did make my lips sting. A lot. I didn’t find the attached lip balm to be any good, but it stopped stinging once I put some of my regular balm on top.
I couldn’t get an even colour – maybe I need to exfoliate my lips more first. I ended up having to put my regular lipstick on top. I guess one possible application for this would be wearing it under lipstick if you’re out for dinner or something, so that you don’t end up with the Ring Of Death effect. Hopefully I can play around with it a bit more to get it to work!
One other thought – how did you get it off at the end of the day?
x Nicola
Nicole: Oh no! That’s terrible about the stinging on you… I wondered if that would be the case with more sensitive skin. As for the patchiness that is usually because lips haven’t been exfoliated properly. That’s how I remove it at the end f the day. I take off my makeup then use a soft tooth brush to brush my lips clean and exfoliate at the same time. does the trick perfectly.
That’s what I had to end up doing – I used a lip scrub from Lush, but maybe a toothbrush would work better. Hopefully if I can work out the patchiness issue, and then I’ll be on to a good thing! Thanks for your reply! x
Thanks Candice for the tips. I find it so hard to find a lipstick that stays on throughout the day.
Sam Turner recently posted..RSA Course for Australia
I’ve had trouble with the Maxfactor lipfinity lasting lip tint – whilst it looks great, the pen itself has dried up after only a handful of applcations. Have you guys had any similar trouble with ones you’ve tried? I want to invest again but without this same disappointment!