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!
