Step aside, liner-lipstick combos. With Google searches for “lip stain” hitting an all-time high this year, there’s a new lippy vying for space in your makeup bag.
As summer wraps up and we return to our routines, I devoted the final weeks of the season to testing a dozen of the most popular stains on the market so you don’t have to. From new launches to bestselling brands Shop TODAY readers have been loving for years, I swatched, sipped and smooched my way through peel-offs, glossy oils and ultra-thin water tints for our Ranked series. All claim to be transfer-proof and long-wearing, but — spoiler alert — I learned the hard way that not all of them live up to their marketing messaging.
When testing the best formulas, I rated each on the following attributes:
- Application: Is it easy to use? Is it quick to apply? Does it skip or leave residue behind? Is it fun to use? Does it feel heavy on? Is applying it in any other way unpleasant?
- Color accuracy: Is the color of the stain as advertised? Are multiple applications required to achieve the desired shade?
- Staying power: How well does it last through a full day of talking, eating and drinking? Does it transfer, run or fade?
- Ease of removal: Does it come off easily at the end of the day with my usual facial cleanser?
Scroll on to discover the best lip stains, plus expert tips on application and more you need to know.
What should you look for in a lip stain?
Makeup artist Brenna D previously told Shop TODAY that lip stains are “the perfect way to add a little bit of color without feeling like you have something on your lips.”
Plus, they last longer than your average lipstick or gloss, because they’re absorbed into the skin instead of sitting on top, Brenna explains. She likens applying lip stain to spilling wine on a shirt — the product soaks in immediately and when wiped away, a stain is left behind.
But, not all stains are created equal. “There’s lip stains that immediately go right into the lips,” Brenna says, “and there’s ones that they wear off or, if you were to wipe off the top layer, you’re left with a stain.”
Personally, I look for the longest-lasting lip stains that don’t transfer, fade or smudge, which I found to be mostly markers, peel-off and wipe-off options. I found the glossy, balm-like varieties I tried the least effective at depositing lasting color. Makeup artist Tobi Henney also previously shared that she looks for natural finishes and packaging that is easy to use.
Lip stain application tips
Much like the makeup you apply to the rest of your face, your lip stain requires the proper preparations in order for it to look its best.
Clean, dry lips free of balms and oils are non-negotiable, since more occlusive products can create a barrier that prevents the stain from absorbing into the lips and may even clog the applicator. Brenna also recommends exfoliating beforehand to ensure you haven’t got any flaky or chapped areas. I’ll second that tip, as I saw some stains settle into and accentuate dry patches on my lips in my trials.
To add moisture to the lips, wait for the stain to dry completely and top with your favorite balm, oil or gloss.
Best overall lip stain, tested by an editor
Application: 3.5/5 | Color accuracy: 5/5 | Staying power: 5/5 | Ease of removal: 4.5/5 | Overall score: 4.5/5
Early in 2026, I got a top-secret tour of Maybelline’s labs to preview some new innovations before they officially launched to the public, and this peel-off lip stain was my favorite of everything I got a sneak peek at. While the peel-off lip stain phenomenon had been around well before this May 2026 launch hit the market, this iteration instantly became my favorite.
The applicator features an angled, doe-foot tip, much like your average lip gloss, so I found there to be less of a learning curve when applying than with some of the other options I tried (although it still takes a bit of practice if you’re new to the peel-off lip stain game, hence a point and a half docked here). The angled tip gives you the versatility to use the product as a more defined lip liner or use the sides to achieve broad strokes for all-over color. It dries to a film and peels off in a single, smooth strip, without leaving behind additional fragments of residue to scrub off.
I most frequently reach for the shades “Aura” (a warm brown tone) and “Haze” (a bright berry hue), and I have found the color to be exactly as advertised. It doesn’t require multiple applications to show up pigmented, and the color truly does last all day. I have worn this traveling, on busy work days and more, and can vouch that it lasts through breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks. When the day is done, it comes off relatively easily with a bit of lathering with my usual cleanser.
My only complaint? The limited shade range, which skews a bit vibrant for my liking. Because it’s a newer product, I’m hoping the brand will expand beyond its existing five-shade repertoire, perhaps dabbling in more neutral nude tones in the future.
More lip stains, tested by the editor
Best for precision:
Application: 4.5/5 | Color accuracy: 5/5 | Staying power: 4.5/5 | Ease of removal: 3.5/5 | Overall score: 4.38/5
I recently rocked this “lip marker” for the ultimate test of endurance: a marathon 12-hour day at the Minnesota State Fair. I logged 22,000 steps, tasted my way through 17 various types of greasy, saucy foods and sipped five different beverages... and my lip stayed on through the very last bite of deep-fried ranch!
This liner stain features the most precise tip of all of the options I tried, making it phenomenal for getting a pencil-like line along the exterior of your lips. The felt tip also makes it easy to feather out the product and get a more gradual, blended look than with the bolder options I tried. That said, it takes a bit more effort to build up the pigment or create broad strokes to fill in color all over, but it’s still achievable.
I gravitated toward the color “Hotvine” and found its black cherry hue to be pretty spot-on compared to what’s pictured in the product listing. While it faded a tiny bit from the center of my lips after many rounds of eating and drinking, the product’s staying power really impressed me, with the exterior still about as pigmented at the end of the day as it was when I applied it in the car on the way to the fair.
At just $5, it’s the cheapest option in my rotation, but I’d honestly pay quadruple that for how much I like it. While it was a bit stubborn when it came time to remove the stain, that’s a trade-off I’m more than willing to make because of its impressive longevity.
Best for all-over color:
Application: 3.25/5 | Color accuracy: 5/5 | Staying power: 4/5 | Ease of removal: 4/5 | Overall score: 4.31/5
As its name implies, this viral contender puts the “stay” in “stain.” If you’re looking for a peel-off that delivers all-over color and you want a wide range of shades to choose from, this is my recommendation. I’ve been using Sacheu’s cult-loved lippy in the low-key, nude shade “MUAH-ve” for around two years now, and there’s a reason it’s remained in my arsenal. It lasts all day long, and it’s easy to rock alone or layer with a gloss or balm.
Applying it seamlessly takes a bit of practice in my experience. The tip is flexible and flat, so you can carve out sharp lines with the edge or use the wide side to apply a lot of product at once. This one tends to leave a little more residue behind to remove after the first peel than other options, but it stays so well that I’m happy to spend a tad longer wiping off the initial film. Also, the shade of the stain can be a bit more subtle if you peel it off after only a couple minutes, so it’s a safe starting place for any lip stain novices worried they’re going to end up with far-too-dark pouts. Leave it on for up to seven minutes if you want a deeper hue.
Easiest to use:
Application: 5/5 | Color accuracy: 4/5 | Staying power: 3/5 | Ease of removal: 5/5 | Overall score: 4.25/5
Palladio’s chunky, felt-tip option reminds me more of a children’s marker than a standard lip stain, but maybe that’s why it’s the most intuitive of the bunch. The short handle gives you a lot of control and the tip is thicker than the other marker options I tried, but it’s still pointed enough that you can draw sharp, clean lines around the edges of your lips with ease. It dries down quickly — a major “pro” in my book compared to other contenders. My shade of choice — a brick brown named “Mocha” — goes on a hair fainter than the images in the listing had led me to believe it would, but a few passes built up the color nicely.
It didn’t transfer at all onto a paper towel or my water bottle when I executed a few test smooches and sips. A trip to the shower, however, proved a little too hardcore for the stain, as I noticed some color bleeding under my lower lip when I took a couple gallons of water to the face. Overall though, this lip stain has proven itself to be worthy of its place in my everyday bag, especially since it’s so easy and quick to touch up on the go.
Best wipe-off:
Application: 3.5/5 | Color accuracy: 5/5 | Staying power: 4.5/5 | Ease of removal: 4/5 | Overall score: 4.25/5
A few years back, you may recall a metallic purple Wonderskin lip stain made its rounds on the internet. To me, that multi-step, peel-off stain with a separate “activator spray” felt a bit too gimmicky and time-consuming for day-to-day wear, but the brand’s wipe-off version seriously impressed me. And, since it previously won in Shop TODAY’s Beauty Awards, I know I’m not the only one who thinks it’s worth the hype. Upon initial application, the Wonderskin family resemblance is immediately obvious, as you paint on an unmistakeable indigo hue with a thin, blade-like applicator and wait for it to dry. After just a minute (a notably shorter time than the peel-off formulas require) you can remove the royal purple coating by wiping it off with a damp washcloth to reveal the true stain color underneath.
I like that this works quickly, and in my experience it really does stay on remarkably well through multiple meals, beverages, humid weather, sweaty gym sessions and more. Ultimately, I knocked off a point for ease of removal, as it’s a little too long-lasting for my liking, particularly around the edges. I also hate doing laundry, so on behalf of lazy folks everywhere, I had to dock a point and a half to reflect my general annoyance at having to soil a washcloth in the process (a damp tissue wasn’t sturdy enough to get it off). To note, this is also the priciest of my picks, ringing up at $22. That said, this has become a go-to for special events when I want to get the perfect color (I like the shade “Hush”) and ensure my lip will stay on all day... and night!
Best new launch:
Application: 3.5/5 | Color accuracy: 4.5/5 | Staying power: 4.75/5 | Ease of removal: 4/5 | Overall score: 4.19/5
Rounding out my favorites of the dozen I tried, we have yet another peel-and-reveal option. This is the newest launch of the batch I tested, and it bears all the hallmarks of a good peel-off stain in my book: long lasting, not too hard to apply, fun to use and transfer-proof.
The short tip offers a slightly different application experience from the others, so there was a learning curve when it came to drawing on the lip stain. It also took me a few tries to get the hang of timing out when to peel it off, too, since the color develops more the longer you leave it on. I went with the color “Coffee,” but with a dozen shades to choose from, there’s sure to be something for everyone.
This lip stain survived a 16-hour travel day, inclusive of a couple fitful plane naps. Even through my toughest beverage test of the stint (sipping a couple rounds of hot black coffee from a white mug), not even a stitch of a lip print made its way onto my cup. This longevity also leads it to be slightly difficult to remove — I needed to spend some time sudsing up with my cleanser to get my lips back to their natural pale hue.
Overall, I’d happily recommend this option to the beauty lover who wants to be ahead of the masses and try out a fun lip stain not everyone else has.
Why trust Shop TODAY?
Audrey Ekman is an associate market editor at Shop TODAY. She has over 4 years of experience writing digital editorial content in the lifestyle and beauty space and has produced Shop TODAY’s annual Beauty Awards since the franchise first launched in 2023. She estimates that she has tried more than 30 lip stains over the last few years and she considers herself very picky when it comes to formulas, pitting 12 top-rated and expert-recommended options head-to-head for this story over the course of two months.
How we tested the best lip stains
I tested 12 lip stains over the course of two months, using each one at the start of my day and seeing how it held up through a full day of drinking, eating, talking, splashes and even a few kisses. Throughout testing, I scored each lip stain in the aforementioned categories on a scale of 1-5 (1 being the worst, 5 being the best).
Meet our experts
- Brenna D is a New York-based makeup artist who has more than a decade of experience in the field.
- Tobi Henney is a bicoastal makeup artist originally from Sydney, Australia, where she served as the L’Oréal Paris Makeup Director for the region.
Jenny Patinkin Demi Dual-Ended Makeup Brush Set
Jenny Patinkin Demi Dual-Ended Makeup Brush Set
