Review: CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain

Let me start out by saying that I used to have a slight lipstain addiction. I've owned several in the past, such as Stila (not the new lip stains, but the old and long-since discontinued ones that had a felt-tip applicator), Vincent Longo, TheBalm, Benefit, and the list goes on. So what I'm saying is, I know a thing or two about lip stains and how they should perform.

That said, one of my dear readers requested that I review the CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain (retail: around $7) and I was happy to oblige since I've owned one for quite a while now and have given it many chances. (Oops! Was that a spoiler?) :)

For those who haven't seen these or owned one, here are some pics:

As you can see, this is a pen with a felt-tip applicator. I've heard women compare it to running a Sharpie pen across your lips, and I have to say that I agree. It takes some getting used to, but I find that you can get an extremely precise application with pens like this, so that's a plus.

I'd say that my biggest complaint about this collection is that you truly do not know what you're going to get by looking at the color of the tube. When I purchased the above lipstain ("Teasing Blush" #415), I was hoping to get a nice, light, warm berry color. Sadly, these colors are much more intense than the tube would have you believe, and they go on much darker than you would expect:

As you can see, this is a very dark shade on my lips. In person it's a dark brick-reddish berry color. But I have to say that it does have the feel and consistency of other lipstains that I've owned in the past. The texture is almost watery at first, and it dries down to a feeling that's almost imperceptible. You really don't feel it on your lips after it sets, so that's a plus. However, the initial flavor is one that takes some getting used to. Again, this isn't unique to this lipstain--even my beloved Vincent Longo lipstain has a funky berryish-chemical flavor that takes a while to get used to. I think that's just the nature of lipstains.

Aside from the funky flavor and misleading color, let's talk about the staying power, which is the number one selling-point for lipstains.

This is a pic of this color swatched on my hand, taken a few minutes after application.

And this pic was taken after rubbing the color furiously for about 30 seconds.

As you can see, it's a true stain in every sense of the word. However, I have found that CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain does a much better job at staining my hand than it does my lips. If you have a tendency to lick your lips a lot (sadly, I do) then you will probably get about 1 hour of wear from this lipstain. But if you don't lick your lips at all while wearing this, you will probably get about 3 to 4 hours of wear from this lipstain.

Another complaint I've heard about this product is its tendency to dry out the lips. Fortunately, this has never happened to me, but you should be aware that some women have had this experience.

Speaking of drying out, the felt-tip applicator has a tendency to dry out mid-application, so definitely store this product tip-side-down. Also, and this is probably the most irritating thing about this product: this pen has a tendency to dry out when you're applying it to your upper lip. I've found that when you're applying it to your lower lip, you're holding the pen in a downward angle, so the liquid is rushing to the tip of the pen, which is great. But when you're applying it to your upper lip, the liquid is rushing to the bottom of the pen and away from the tip. So it's difficult to get the product on your upper lip because, well who holds their lip product UP while they're applying it to their upper lip? It's just not practical!

Let me add that I've worn this product by itself and also topped with a clear gloss or balm. In my experience, it lasts much longer on its own, because glosses and balms will break down the "staining" properties.

If you've never tried a lipstain before, you might want to give this one a shot just to see if you like lipstains in general. These apply, feel and taste very similar to other more expensive lipstains, so it would be a great test to help you determine if you should invest in a higher-end product. However, don't expect a true stain that lasts and lasts all day long, and definitely don't expect to get the color you see on the tube.