Gone are the days of reapplying your lip color after every drink or meal. The best drugstore lip stain is moisturizing, comes in tons of colors and is less than $10… How can you beat that? (Psst! You can’t!)
I remember exactly why I tried my first Revlon Balm Stain. I was in high school and beauty blogs were becoming the new way to learn about products. When Revlon first introduced this line of lip stains, all the blogs I read raved about them. The product quickly became known as the best drugstore lip stain on the market. And yes, ALL the colors were amazing. Every Target trip I made became an excuse to grab another shade. It didn’t take long before I collected them all and became an advocate of this lip product to my friends and family.
Years later, not much has changed. Take a peek inside my purse and you’ll likely find at least one Revlon Balm Stain at all times. Revlon even introduced Matte and Lacquer versions of its lip stain, both of which I love as much as the original.
The Best Drugstore Lip Stain
So, why are they so great? These stains are moisturizing, unlike many others that dry out the lips, plus… They. Actually. Last.
I’m always amazed by how well each of these products stays on throughout the day. There’s nothing worse than putting on a bold lipstick and having it come off after your first sip of coffee. With these, that doesn’t happen. I can even eat full meals confident my lip color will stay on. Does the stain eventually fade? Of course… But what I love about these products is that the lip stain seems to fade evenly. I often find with other lip stains, the color starts to fade more in the center of my lips, leaving a darker outline. Not cute! ;)
The other great thing about this product is that I don’t find a lip liner necessary. The crayon shape makes it easy to outline the lips (like you would with a lip liner) before filling them in. I don’t know about you, but the fewer products I have to use, the better! As with any lip color I put on, I always blot my lips with a tissue after applying. Doing this helps remove excess product, leaving only the product that’s needed to “stain” the lips.
Keep reading to learn more about my favorite shades and why I love the original Revlon Balm Stain, the Revlon Matte Balm and the Revlon Lacquer Balm for different reasons.
Revlon Balm Stain
Why I love it: Ahh, my first love! The original Revlon Balm Stain stays on well and is super moisturizing… A combination you often won’t find with traditional lip stains. I actually own every shade and even wore this product in Honey to my wedding.
Shades I’ve tried + recommend: Adore, Cherish, Crush, Honey, Rendezvous, Romantic, Smitten, Sweetheart
Revlon Matte Balm
Why I love it: Whenever I wear a red lip, I go for matte products, which is why the Revlon Matte Balm in Standout is my go-to. Usually, with bold lip colors, lip liner is needed, but this product’s shape allows it to act as both a liner and stain.
Shades I’ve tried + recommend: Standout
Revlon Lacquer Balm
Why I love it: More of a lip gloss kind of gal? Meet your new favorite product. It has the same amazing staying power as the other stains in the Revlon family but gives a super glossy shine. My new love is this Lacquer Balm in Coy, which is a pretty brownish pink color perfect for fall.
Shades I’ve tried + recommend: Coy, Enticing
Get the Look
The great news is since these are drugstore products, you should be able to find them at any Target, Ulta, CVS, Walgreens, etc. I did have trouble finding the Revlon Lacquer Balm in Coy — it’s so popular is was sold out at the Ulta near me for weeks! You can order it online here if you also can’t find it in stores.
To learn more about the other makeup I’m wearing, check out my everyday makeup routine.