Once upon a time, I was a devoted lip stain collector. Lip stains won my heart for their lack of stickiness, the ease of application, and the super-inky colors you could conjure up with multiple applications.
Maybe it’s winter (which is kicking my skin’s – specifically my lips’ – ass this year), but I’m finding myself less interested in non-moisturizing lip agents, which leaves lip stain in the bottom of my bag. I’m sure I’ll fall in love again when summer rolls around, but right now I want rich, silky, and hydrating lip colors that have the sheer, bold effect of a stain.
I came across this Stila After Glow Lip Crayon in some pretty punchy shades. I love Stila, and it was 50% off, so it was kind of a no-brainer.
This lip formula contains sunflower oil and algae, as well as vitamins C and E, which can really help attract moisture and rehydrate your lips.
These three colors each err on the side of neon, which contributes to the main reason it’s called After Glow: it’s UV-reactive. In the daytime, these colors look fresh and vibrant, but under a blacklight, they look… well, to be honest, a bit insane but also kind of cool.