NEW FEATURE: READER BEAUTY QUESTION

I was recently on photo shoot with my talented photographer friend, Christine Austin, when she asked me a beauty question. I thought it was an interesting question that would make a good blog post. I also thought that if she had this question, possibly other Karen's World of Beauty Readers would benefit from the answer too.  Christine wanted to know all about lip stains so here's some brief info on what they are and what they do:

Lip stains are a cosmetic product designed to stain the lips with long-lasting color which will resist wear. Unlike lipstick, a stain does not contain wax -  it  temporarily stains and saturates the lips with color like a dye, rather than applying colored wax to the lips like with lipstick. Lip stains are usually created to be waterproof so that the color will be long lasting, smear resistant, wear unevenly, or not come off on your teeth.

There are generally two types of lip stains; the kind that come in a bottle or tube with an applicator to brush the color onto the lips or in a jar and you use your fingers or makeup brush to apply the stain. Most stains are matte so you can apply gloss or blam on top to provide sheen or moisture to the lips. Some cosmetic companies now create sets that include a stain paired with a gloss or lip plumper.

Christine is not much of a makeup wearer and she told me going into Sephora is overwhelming.  With so many cosmetic lines and various types of products it's easy to be confused. Christine has fair skin with a cool undertone and brown hair so the products listed below are ones I suggest for her coloring but note that all these brands offer a variety of shades. Choose a lip stain color that will best suit your own skintone and look most natural.

PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS:

Stila - Lip & Cheek Stain  ($24) - Yumberry Crush (sheer pearlized pink)
A multi-tasking lip and cheek stain, packaged in Stila's iconic clickable pen, that reacts to pH levels to create a perfectly personalized hue.

Benefit - Posietint  ($28)
Benefit's Posietint is a petal-pink stain that plants a kiss of see-through tint on cheeks and lips that last for hours.

 

Laura Mercier - Lip Stain ($20) - Shy Pink (light natural pink)

Laura Mercier Lip Stain provides the visual effect of a stain with the comfort and sheen of a lip gloss.

 

NARS - Lip Stain Gloss  ($24)  Rage (rose coral)
Soft shine and sheer color that gently stains the lips. Shades can be layered for added intensity.  

Tarte - Natural Lip Stain with LipSurgence™ Technology  ($24)  Enchanted (rose)
The old meets the new with LipSurgence™ technology which is clinically proven to increase moisture content so your lips appear naturally fuller and healthier. Like the cheek stains, each shade of these natural lip stains leaves a natural hint of tint that will last throughout the day.

 

Pixie - Lip Blush  ($18)  Purity (a natural pink tone)

This feather-light water stain tints and tones your lips, creating a blushing healthy hue.

Hope you all enjoyed this new Karen's World of Beauty Feature and please let me know if you have any beauty questions you'd like answered.  You can email me or leave your questions as a Comment to this post. If you do, you just might be featured in the next blog post of "Reader Beauty Question."