Lip stains are one makeup product that are very hit or miss for me… and they mostly miss. It’s hard to find one that checks all the boxes, but the new Milani Color Fetish Hydrating Lip Stains come pretty darn close to perfect for me.
There are six shades in this new line, mostly mid-toned pinks and reds. The formula is cruelty free and vegan, contains hyaluronic acid and plant-derived squalane, and claims up to 8 hours of wear, hydration and comfort.
The consistency is somewhere in between a gel and a cream texture. It’s super lightweight and not sticky at all.
To apply, I suggest working in thin layers and building up the color. The Color Fetish Hydrating Lip Stains do, in fact, stain very quickly. My tip is to wipe off as much excess product back into the tube, and apply a thin sheer layer first to control where you’re putting the color. Then go in with a second layer for more color payoff. Two layers of this product gives you nearly the same pigmentation of a liquid lipstick.
Shades:
1. Rose Rising
2. Mauve Mentality
3. Bitten Berry
4. Pink About It
5. Mahogany Mami
6. That’s Fire
Above I’ve swatched 2 layers of each shade without blotting. When you leave the colors unblotted, you get this rich and shiny finish. However, blotting will help the color set into the lips more quickly and make it less prone to transfer in the early hours of wear.
You don’t want to over line your lips with this product. Due to the thin nature of the formula, it tends to feather if you go outside your natural lip line, as seen in the photo below. I suggest lining with a pencil if needed, but only focus this product on your lips. I re-tested it staying strictly within my natural lip lines and had no feathering.
Above is showing the Milani Color Fetish Hydrating Lip Stain in That’s Fire before and after 8 hours of wear. Hands down, this is the most even lip stain I’ve ever worn. Usually, lip stains fade out very patchy on me, but these still covered about 90% of my lips in color after two meals and sipping on beverages all day. You can see that the top lip has some fading toward the inner portion, but it’s not as stark a contrast as other stains I’ve tried. The feathering was due to me over lining by accident.
After 8 hours, the color remains though starts to fade more quickly. As with any lip stain, exfoliating before application is always the best idea in order to get the most even and long lasting color.
Aside from the color, the comfort also lasts thanks to the hydrating ingredients. I’m typically a lip balm junkie and need to reapply several times throughout the day. However, I didn’t feel that urge when wearing these up until the 7-8 hour mark. I never felt like my lips looked dehydrated or felt tight.
The Milani Color Fetish Lip Stains are definitely worth a try if you want something lighter than a liquid lipstick that you don’t have to reapply all day.
– Miranda
