{Summer Must Haves} Lip Stain!

Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stain in 420 Sassy Mauve and Laura Mercier Lip Stain in English Rose (LE).

So instead of doing one massive summer must haves post, I thought I would break it apart by category, starting with lip stains. I'm not a huge lip person, I usually play up my eyes, but in the summer when it's soooo hot, it's a lot simpler to do a stronger lip than to do a stronger eye.

I don't own many lip stains, only three actually including my Urban Decay lip stain that's not pictured because I couldn't find it lol, but I do have to say that there's a lot to choose from. If you're on a budget, the Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stains are great. There's a wide variety of colors from light pinks to deep plums and reds. If you have a bit more money to spend and are looking for something that is not liquid, Laura Mercier's lip stains are a good option as well.


Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stain in 420 Sassy Mauve and Laura Mercier Lip Stain in English Rose (LE).

As far as applicators go, the felt tip marker on the Cover Girl certainly makes application fun and more importantly precise. I like how easy it is to get into all the little nooks and crannies to get a really full lip going. On the other hand, the tip does have a tendency to dry out. I store this marker with the felt tip pointing down and every so often I spritz the tip with some water to keep it moist.

The Laura Mercier stain isn't really a stain. It's more of a heavily pigmented longer lasting lipstick in a pot. I think by stain they meant that it's to be applied using the staining technique (use a finger to dot the product on for a stained look). I did a full review here (and posted a better swatch here), but as you can tell just by looking at the creamy product, it's not going to last all day. I still like it for the summer because the formula is waxier and does last longer.

Swatches:

CoverGirl Outlast Lip Stain in 420 Sassy Mauve and Laura Mercier Lip Stain in English Rose (LE).

I only have a couple of minor complains about the Cover Girl stain. One is that it tends to apply patchy if you have any dead/dry skin on your lips. Also, although it is long lasting, it doesn't last all day, especially if you wear the stain at it's full intensity. After eating it does sometimes leave the outer edge of my lips looking a bit darker than the inner. Other than that, it's a great stain!

The stain that I didn't picture is the Urban Decay Lip Envy Lip Stain in Envious (see it here on the Urban Decay site). I really like this stain because it's not a marker applicator which can dry out. It comes in a little container that holds the liquid stain and you apply it with a little felt tip that you dip into the product. I like this a lot better because there is no drying out. I'll post a picture when I find it.

And I know that the Laura Mercier Lip Stain was limited edition, but there are tons of stains to choose from at any budget, so you really shouldn't have much trouble finding something in a similar shade. Thanks for reading! More coming soon!