I Can Never Get My Lip Liner to Last, But This Stain Convinced Me to Ditch Every Other Formula I Own

When it comes to make-up, longevity is one of the hardest things to get right. After all, even if a formula applies well initially and offers great pigment, the last thing you want is to have it slide off your face within the first few hours of wear. And although waterproof mascaras and long-wear foundations have us covered for the most part, lip liners are known to be notoriously tricky to last. But what if I told you that I may have found a solution?

As a beauty journalist who’s tried practically every lip pencil out there, I can tell you that as far as longevity goes, no product managed to impress me to the same extent as a certain newly-launched formula that landed on my desk earlier this month. Enter: the Huda Beauty Lip Contour Stain, which has already been making rounds all over TikTok—and deservedly so.

Truth be told, I’d be lying if I told you that I wasn’t skeptical at first. As soon as I read the word “stain,” I immediately expected to have a hard time navigating all the woes that come with traditional lip stains. I was fully prepared that the formula would be too drying and the application too patchy and messy. But make no mistake: this formula is far from your average lip tint. Right off the bat, I noticed the unique design of its applicator tip, which offers a precise side to outline the lips and a flat edge, should you want to fill them in.

Unlike other lip liner stains I’ve tried, I loved that you don't need to peel anything off to reveal the stain, which also saved me more time and eliminated any extra faff when applying the product.

The formula felt weightless (not at all too watery) upon application, and the pigment was easily blendable, which allowed me to create a natural result that didn’t end up looking too harsh or too obviously drawn-on. The tip also helped me outline my lips with effortless precision (just as I would with any freshly-sharpened lip liner).

As directed, I applied the formula on my bare lips and made sure to wipe off my lip balm prior so as to keep my lips dry for the even distribution of pigment. That said, it’s definitely worth noting that the stain settles pretty quickly, so I’d advise to work in sections and blend any edges out almost immediately after applying.

My only other qualm was that because you need to store the product with the tip facing downwards, this meant I couldn’t rely on storing it in my purse or my make-up bag if I wanted the applicator to be fully saturated with pigment. Then again, given how well it lasts, I didn’t feel the need to have it on me for on-the-go touch-ups either.

Above all, I was really impressed with the shades, which included everything from muted pinks to mauve-y hues, neutral nude shades, deeper browns and even a vibrant red. Although there's only eight iterations to choose from, I'm convinced that you can easily find a shade that will best suit your exact skin tone and undertone.

Better yet, you can mix and match too. My favourite combo is to outline my lips with Soft Nude, which is a neutral light brown that cleverly mimics the shadows to contour my pout, and fill them in with Rosewood, which is a gorgeous rosy mauve that adds a subtle wash of pink. To complete the look with a glossy finish, I often reached for the Huda Beauty Faux Filler Jelly Oil, which is another launch that dropped alongside the lip stains. The formula feels super nourishing yet non-sticky on the lips, leaving behind that "glass"-like sheen that effortlessly marries everything together.

However, as much as I appreciated the initial application, I was determined to put this formula through the ultimate test and see how it performs on an average busy day (in the middle of a heatwave, no less). Having applied my makeup at around 8am in the morning, I knew my schedule was jammed with press appointments, which inevitably involved a lot of running around London while surviving the heat.

As someone who's been practically conditioned to check on my lip combo at least every two hours to see whether I was in need of a top-up, I was surprised to discover that the lip liner stain remained firmly in place even after enjoying a full plate of English breakfast—no smudging in sight.

At around 3pm, I also had an almond croissant as an afternoon pick-me-up, after which I was convinced that my stain had fully disappeared. Lo and behold: it hadn't. Although the pigment around the centre of my lips had inevitably faded, the outline stayed in place right up until my last check-in at 5pm, which was when I was heading home anyway. This means it lasted me well over nine hours in total, which is no mean feat, especially considering the scorching heat and the sweat that followed. I've been religiously using this formula every day since, and have entirely abandoned my extensive collection of lip liners for the foreseeable future.