A few weeks ago I shared a post about my FOTD using some new products I picked up. This included using Stila’s lip & cheek stain in Acai crush. I wanted to do a separate review on it because it is such a great product.

For starters, don’t be confused. In my book, there are 2 different kinds of stains:

1)

MAC Prolongwear Lip Color from maccosmetics.com

The ones that set like a high-laquer paint.  Since it is actually a layer that sits on top of the lips, it needs to be hydrated with gloss or lip moisturizer on top otherwise it can crack and break apart. But, with proper gloss application, it will look like freshly applied lipstick no matter how long you wear it. The only way this stuff comes off is with waterproof makeup remover. Hence why it’s a favorite of mine to use on brides! MAC’s prolong wear lip color is one of my faves.

2)

These are the kind that literally deposit a temporary color stain on your lips. They apply like gels, and once absorbed by your lips leave no texture behind. These are also great for the cheeks. After some time passes, the color will eventually fade. The Stila stain is one of these.

I am reviewing Stila’s Lip & Cheek Stain in the color Acai crush. It retails for $24 and can be found at Stila’s website, Sephora or Amazon (hey 2 day Prime shipping, how you doin’). The color is a reddish berry which believe it or not makes it a really versatile color for me (an olive-toned gal with a MAC NC37 complexion). A thin layer will yield the sheerest berry shade, but as it builds up, it becomes more and more vibrant. According to Stila’s website, the formula will look unique on each person who wears it:

“The formula reacts with the pH level of the skin to create the perfect pop of color on the lips and the cheeks that is uniquely you.”

I love using this on the lips because of how buildable the color is. Let’s take a look at how it builds:

Shown above is one coat, 2, then 3. You can see by 3 coats it was pretty dark and opaque.

While I’d previously only used it on my lips, as the name suggests, it can be used on the cheeks as well.

See below for how I applied it in a few little strokes and then blended it out very quickly with my fingers. I wanted a little bit more color, so went back in to build it up a bit more. This stuff does set very quickly so you do have to work fast!

(You may wonder why I used my fingers and not my most favorite MAC 188 brush – that’s because the consistency of this is so thin. And the warmth of blending it out with my hands actually makes blending easier and smoother.)

Because of how quickly you have to work with the product, and the fact that if you mess up it’s basically stuck that way until the product naturally fades, I prefer using it on my lips only, and would only grab it to use on my cheeks if I’m in a pinch.

Overall, what I really like about this product is the versatility of the formula. It gives me the flexibility of creating a natural, pop of color of vampy lip color using the same product! It can be a bit tricky to use on the cheeks but practice makes perfect, so do think this could be a great staple to add to your makeup arsenal if you’re a girl constantly on the go.

Have you tried this? I’d love to know your thoughts!

Btw while I love the way vampy lips look on other people, I don’t usually love the way it looks on me. But I’m actually liking the dark application of this. What do you think?