Lip stains are 2026’s equivalent of the millennial obsession with winged liner. They’re favoured by the likes of Billie Eilish and Hailey Bieber, which isn’t surprising given the advantages they offer over traditional lipstick. Not heard of them before? The best lip stains are designed to leave a residual colour on the surface of the lips, a stain, as the name suggests. Unlike lipstick and gloss, they can withstand everything from food and drink to hours of wear.
The make-up must-haves come in myriad consistencies – while some have a lip gloss-like finish, others are more comparable to a felt tip. The best ones, though, are the ones that enable you to forget about your lips altogether, leaving you with a perfect pout featuring a weightless flush of colour.
Achieving this without causing dryness or patchiness is no small task, and as someone who’s often guilty of letting lipstick fade throughout the day, the idea of a long-lasting tint seemed almost too good to be true. I’ve put a range of formulas to the test to find out whether lip stains really live up to the hype . Scroll on to find out which lip stains are worth a place in your make-up bag.
The best lip stains for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Nyx Professional Makeup lip IV hydrating gloss stain: £5.76, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – E.l.f. glossy lip stain: £7, Boots.com
- Best moisturising formula – Fenty Beauty poutsicle hydrating lip stain: £22, Cultbeauty.co.uk
- Best for a red lip – Kiko Milano long lasting colour lip marker: £11.99, Kikocosmetics.com
How I tested
I applied every stain to moisturised lips and left them in situ for about three to five minutes before wiping off the residual product with a wad of tissue. I did this with all formulas, whether or not they left a glossy or moisturising finish, to compare the stains. I also paid attention to factors such as hydration, smoothness of coverage, ease of application and staying power. My full testing criteria is listed down below.
