The Hype is *Real* On All Those Viral TikTok Lip Stains, FYI (2024)

You weren't cool at my high school unless you had a Benetint in your pencil case. But low-key we were all onto something, because this lip stain still holds TF up in 2024. Heck, it's still my favorite I've tried nearly a decade post-graduation.

The water-y formula has major stain power. I just dab the O.G. Benetint shade onto my lips with the brush-tip applicator and top with a lip gloss (currently love the raspberry jelly Rhode Peptide Lip Tint on top, or a clear plumping gloss like Manifest Beauty Plump Pout Lip Plumper). It gives my lips a really natural, just-bitten color but makes them look a bit warmer and bigger if I overline.

• Shades: 4
• Finish: Natural
• Size: 0.33 oz

Glowing customer review: "I kid you not, I have been using this product since 2013. It is hands down the best, most natural flushed look that NO other product has been able to replicate. Every few years, I'll try to explore a new blush—assuming there is something better—but I haven't been able to find it yet."

If you love Benetint and want to try a similar formula for less $$, go with Etude House's Dear Darling Water Tint, which offers a similar look but at a fraction of the price. Similarly to the O.G., I use the sponge-tip brush to apply this water-like formula on my cheeks and lips and then use my fingers to pat the color in. Hot tip: I use the brush to overline my lips, which I find looks like the most natural lip liner ever.

• Shades: 4
• Finish: Natural
• Size: 0.32 oz

Glowing customer review: "I am a tried and true fan of Benefit Cosmetics Benetint, and this Etude House Dear Darling Water Tint looked quite similar. It's is very, very close [to Benetint]. Benetint lasts longer on my lips, but the longevity and flush on my cheeks appear to be the same, and this one is a fraction of the price!"

This is unlike all of the other lip stains on this list, thanks to the mousse-y, thick texture that gives the formula total opacity. One swipe on my lips, and I have full color payoff like a liquid lipstick. But it goes transfer-proof almost immediately, giving a stain-like effect on my lips that darkens a bit as it dries. I am typing this at hour six of wearing this lip stain, and my lips still have a dark, brown color.

• Shades: 41
• Finish: Velvet matte
• Size: 0.14 oz

Glowing customer review: "This product is lovely! It glides on smoothly, and I love the applicator! It isn't sticky or drying on my lips at all. It feels soft on the lips, and it's so comfortable, I forget that I even have it on."

You might recognize Wonderskin from, um, all over social media. It’s one of those magic products that's all over the internet for while, but in this case, it actually deserves the hype. Just follow the lip kit’s instructions to carefully paint the lip masque on your lips, spritz with the applicator, and then peel it off to reveal fully pigmented lips.

• Shades: 10
• Finish: Natural
• Size: 2.43 oz for both tubes

Glowing customer review: "It gives your lips a good stain that lasts several hours, even while eating, but it still needs a top coat of gloss or colored gloss to complete the look. It felt complicated at first, but the application becomes easier the more you use it."

Want the best of both worlds? This lip stain basically has flipped every con about lip stains on its head, thanks to its unique glossy formula. It goes on with a juicy, wet-like finish, then after about an hour, it settles into a sheer stain. Basically the exact same look you'd have after eating a popsicle (or lassi, which is what it's named after). I love that it makes my lips look pouty and full, but because it leaves behind a stain, it fades in a way that I don't have to worry about constant reapplication.

• Shades: 6
• Finish: Glossy
• Size: 0.14

Glowing customer review: "The formula is perfect, not sticky. This is the first lip product that has truly impressed me in a while. Highly recommend."

I mean, if I’m covering my lips in a stain, I basically want it to be like a tattoo, you know? Enter this pigmented lip tint that applies like a gloss yet dries down into a semi-shiny, ultra-bright stain. But unlike other stains that can feel drying, this one has glycerin and squalane to keep lips hydrated. I popped the shade "natural rosewood" on my lips at 9 a.m. before a day's worth of meetings, eating broccoli cheddar soup for lunch, and guzzling numerous coffees. My mom asked me at 3 p.m. what was on my lips because the shade still looked opaque.

• Shades: 5
• Finish: Natural
• Size: 0.2 oz

Glowing customer review: "It’s creamy but not thick, you can build the color from a light tint to full color. I finish it with Dior lip gloss or oil, and it’s a soft color that lasts for hours."

I saw a TikTok a while ago that recommended over-lining your lips with a lip stain for a natural, juicy look that won't smudge or wear off. It's a genius tip...but the problem is that most lip stains are a bit too messy to create a straight line. The exception? These lip stain pens from Stila. They make it so easy to line my lips with color, whether I opt for a bright red, a muted berry, or a dark brown. I just let it sit on my lips for two or three minutes, then layer on a lip gloss, and the color underneath doesn't smear or budge for about six hours.

• Shades: 16
• Finish: Natural
• Size: 0.704 oz

Glowing customer review: "These slap for sure! I wear malala most days. I use it as a lip liner and blend it in with my finger!! It's so good!!! I get so many compliments. I hate when things look super fake for daily use and I hate reapplying lip liner frequently. This looks natural AND hardly gets on your lip brush."

When I saw these on the show floor at Cosmoprof (simply the biggest beauty convention in North America with thousands of brands showing off their best and newest products), I immediately ran over and swatched every shade on my hand. They're the cutest frickin' little tubes ever!! But what's inside is also very fab too.

All of the shades—a mix of bright poppy colors and neutrals—are extremely sheer, so they add a light wash of color across my lips. I can build them up to add some more color, but typically, I'll just swipe on one of the bright shades. It has a slight glossy finish, so I can throw it on and go. Plus, it feels so extremely moisturizing on my lips. I've officially got one in every bag now.

• Shades: 8
• Finish: Glossy
• Size: 0.11 oz

Glowing customer review: "This has become my favorite lip stain by far and I’ve tried MANY!! The color lasts all day and is shiny and saturated with building color. Getting more colors soon to add to my collection!"

I couldn't open TikTok last spring without seeing these all over my feed (the feminine urge to bite them is so real). And the hype is so real, because I actually love the natural, bright flush these add to both my cheeks and lips. The stain can be soft and light, but can definitely be built up to strong levels of opacity if you keep adding more (and more.. and more... and more...). They only come in four shades, but each shade leaves a stunning stained, ~bitten~ look on my lips and medium-toned cheeks. I love pairing it for a super-easy, monochromatic look that takes legit zero effort.

• Shades: 4
• Finish: Matte
• Size: 0.17 oz

Glowing customer review: "Love this. So pigmented and soft without feeling like a heavy blush. Will use on lips as well. The formula is really jelly and is good for someone who wants to glow. It’s long-lasting, even in humidity."

This is a pure and simple straight-up stain. It’s a thin, water-like liquid (it’s 77 percent water, in fact) mixed with a range of four pigments to give your lips a wash of long-lasting color. Brush it on over your bare lips, then layer with a lip balm for more moisture.

• Shades: 4
• Finish: Natural with a bit of shine
• Size: 0.2 oz

Glowing customer review: "After seeing a makeup artist share this on TikTok, I had to try it out and I'm so glad I did!" one tester's review reads. "This lip stain not only looks amazing, but it stayed on all day without bleeding!"

This moisturizing lip stain is great for those who want ~options~. Want a shiny finish? Swipe on an opaque layer and don't wipe it off. But if you prefer a more stained look, blot off the glossy finish with a tissue to reveal a sheered-out version of the color that doesn't feather or bleed.

• Shades: 6
• Finish: Glossy or matte, depending on application
• Size: 0.22 oz

Glowing customer review: "This lip stain is moisturizing and doesn’t feather or bleed. It’s easy to use and has nice color."

If you wanna splurge a little on a lip stain from a luxury beauty brand, may I recommend the Victoria Beckham Bitten Lip Tint? The lightweight formula is made with hyaluronic acid to visibly plump your lips and squalane to keep 'em hydrated. For an easy application, the lip stain has a doe-foot applicator which I find allows me to apply the product super precisely to my lips.

• Shades: 5
• Finish: Natural-to-matte
• Size: 0.19 oz

Glowing customer review: "I love VBB’s lip tints. They are matte, yet moisturizing. They have buildable coverage that is transfer-proof and lasts all day. It feels weightless on the lips and stays in place without feeling dry or sticky."

Consider the shade.

Just like shopping for lipsticks, it’s equally, if not more important, to pick a lip stain color you truly like and that's easy to wear—especially because once it’s on, it’s on. This is where elements like your skin undertones come into play, and virtual try-ons so you can get an idea of what it will look like IRL. Still not sure? Take a look at your fave lipsticks, too, and choose similar shades, which brings me to:

Plan your look.

If you want the opaque pigment of a lipstick with the low-maintenance factor of a lip stain, makeup artist Dani Kimiko Vincent suggests pairing your lipstick and stain together. “Sometimes I’ll stain the lip in a similar shade underneath the lipstick, that way you still have some color left when the lipstick wears off,” says Vincent. If that sounds like the perfect middle-ground for you, look for lip stains that most closely resemble your favorite lipsticks, so you can easily layer them for a long-wear look.

Look at the ingredients.

If you live in a particularly dry climate, dry lips are inevitable, and letting go of your hydrating lip balms even for a day might be unnerving. So keep an eye out for moisturizing ingredients like squalane, coconut oil, or jojoba oil. And if the one that you absolutely love still lacks in moisture, top it with a lip balm or gloss after the top layer of the stain has faded to prevent dryness.

• Dani Kimiko Vincent is a celebrity makeup artist and eyebrow technician in Los Angeles, CA, who has worked with celebrities like Sandra Oh. Vincent is also the founder of Kimiko Beauty, a beauty line specializing in brow products, face makeup, and makeup tools.
• Manuel Espinoza is a makeup artist in Los Angeles, CA, who has worked backstage at New York Fashion Week and with brands like Bobbi Brown and MAC.

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan and has been writing about makeup for more than six years. She's covered topics like Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops dupes and magnetic lashes.Before writing this story, she tested dozens of lip stains on her own lips, then chatted with experts about their favorite formulas.

Siena Gagliano is the associate editor at Cosmopolitan and has three years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and lifestyle news. She's an expert at writing beauty and makeup stories that range from setting powders for oily skin to the best green concealers. She's an authority in all beauty categories, but an expert when it comes to lip stains, thanks to a lifetime of trying every lip stain product she can get her hands on. She regularly tests and analyzes them, while working with the industry’s top makeup artists to assess new products and brands.