Innisfree Eco Flower Tint in Camellia, Rose and Balsam

The beauty world is full of lip colors in different textures and finishes, some turn out good, others are better left alone. What makes all this exploring worth it is the feeling you get when you find the PERFECT lip product! I want color, lasting power and a formula that is comfortable to wear all day long. For me this has come in the form of the Innisfree Eco Flower Tint.

This has to be my favorite lip stain formula and all the colors are gorgeous! Camellia is a bright pink that lifts the complexion, Rose a light red/rose color that is still bright without the full-on punch of a traditional red lip and Balsam a slightly peach orange shade that looks very natural and different from a typical nude. The Eco Flower Tint actually comes in five shades and let me tell you the other two will surely make their way to my makeup bag in the future.

Unlike most liquid stains, they are actually kind of creamy which keeps them from making your lips feel as dry as the Sahara. The light cream is super easy to apply and doesn’t go on patchy so you can get a really even color all over your lips. Rose has a more watery consistency than the others but it is not drying either and applies just as well. They last most of the day on me (depending on what I have for lunch and if I wipe my lips a lot) and they fade evenly which is always nice. The tints have a satin finish, luminous but not glossy and they don’t make your lips look smaller like matte lipstick can do. You can easily apply lip balm or a gloss if you want more shine, my favorite for this is the Innisfree Canola Honey Balm.

I honestly don’t know what more you could want from a lip stain (except for even more shades!), I can’t fault it or recommend it enough. Oh and it’s super affordable to boot! Another amazing product from Innisfree, I think I can see a trend here ;)

You can get the Innisfree Eco Flower Tint from their website. 

Missha The Style Beautiful Tint in Moist Red

I have loved Korean skincare for years now, the formulas are always miles ahead of western brands and they deliver incredible results. What I have not really talked about here before is my love of Korean makeup, but that is about to change. The typical Korean makeup look is one of my favorite: glowy skin, minimal eye makeup and bright lips. This is how I do my makeup most days as it flatters fair skin and in order to achieve the look, a great lip stain is necessary. The Missha The Style Beautiful Tint in Moist Red has been in my beauty bag for years so it’s about time I talk about it.

This lip stain has the perfect bright pink color, it’s not neon or Barbie looking but a beautiful berry-fuchsia shade that brightens your complexion instantly. The finish is satin-smooth and not sticky or drying. On my lips it lasts for most of the day and a bit of lip balm after lunch revives the color. It is the perfect color to wear during the day and adding a simple lip gloss over it can easily transition it into a great going out look. This works best on bare lips, but make sure they are not dry since this formula is particularly prone to cling to dry patches, making them darker than the rest of your lips.  

As much as I love the color, there is still one thing that could be improved in my opinion. The sweet-scented gel formula is nice and evenly pigmented, however the brush applicator is not best suited for its application. It’s quite small and thin so it is difficult to spread the product on your lips, a doe-foot applicator would be best I think. I usually use the brush to dot the stain on my lips and blend it in with my finger. Be sure to wash your hands quickly afterwards or you’ll end up with a pink fingertip.

The Missha The Style Beautiful Tint is available in four colors (here shown in Moist Red) and you can get it from the Missha website as well as in Asian beauty stores that carry the brand.   

Benefit Benetint

You don’t know this about me, but I love lip stains, they are some of my favorite lip products for the natural effect they have. So today, I decided to go back to makeup reviews and talk about a cult lip stain: Benefit’s Benetint. This is a water-like rose tinted stain that feels weightless on your lips and gives them a gorgeous rosy-red tint. The effect after application is a flush of color that’s shine free and it doesn’t look like you are wearing anything on your lips at all.

The applicator is a fine brush, it picks a nice amount of product, but I find that it doesn’t make the application easy because of its size and shape. In terms of longevity, Benetint has decent lasting power (it’s not the longest wearing stain I’ve tried) and you can usually revive the color with a bit of lip balm or a gloss if it starts to fade.

All in all, the color is really what gets me with this product, it’s such a beautiful brightening shade! The formula is also very nice, I prefer water-like stains because they apply more evenly. There is a reason this is a cult product, it really is great and fool proof. Benetint can also be used as a check stain, but I haven’t tested in that way. In terms of removal, using a micellar water or a cleansing oil works best to remove it without scrubbing your lips off.

You can see in the picture that I own the Pocket Pal version which comes with a small benetint and a clear gloss, but you can buy Benetint on its own in a larger bottle. Benefit also has a line of colored lip balms that go with their different lip stains if you prefer a more hydrating product.

You can find Benefit’s Benetint and Pocket Pal on their website and the regular Benetint is available at Sephora and at any Benefit beauty counter.