does it work?? clarins water lip stain in red water

I used to love a good lip stain. There was a period of time where the Benefit Bene-Tint was my everything. I used it all the time and purchased all sorts of different colours. The stains worked on the lips and the cheeks....and I loved having a makeup product that I knew would stay put. To this day, I enjoy a good lip stain, because it means I don't have to worry about product moving or transferring. It is a low maintenance kind of product and that can be really appealing. That being said, I haven't purchased a tint from Benefit in many years now. There is no reason exactly. I suppose as lots and lots of other products were added to my collection, it just sort of slipped my mind to do a repurchase. (Though now that I am thinking about it...I absolutely just browsed the Benefit website to see what colours were available. Oops!) A little while back, I received a sample of the Clarins Water Lip Stain. I can't quite remember where this sample came from, but nonetheless, it has been waiting for me to put to good use. Finally, I have been able to test out the Water Lip Stain for myself and see how it compares to previous tints that I have tried. Ready to find out if it works? If it is similar or better than the Bene-Tint? Keep reading...

The sample that I received is fairly substantial and comes with 0.09 fluid ounces. There is a good amount to put to the test here to figure out whether it is worth purchasing a full version. The Water Lip Stain comes in four different colours (rose, orange, red, and violet) and costs $36 CDN for 0.2 ounces of product. The sample version that I received is in 03 Red Water, but the violet version is far more intriguing to me. It is always difficult for me to resist a berry colour! According to the brand, the Water Lip Stain is a "matte moisturizing lip stain that delivers sheer-to-stay color with a barely there feel." The formula is supposed to be long-wearing and fade proof. It is also possible to customize the amount of colour based on the number of coats that are applied. Additionally, this claims to be a formula that is "rich in plant extracts to keep lips soft and comfortable" with organic aloe vera and organic raspberry water as ingredients. There are an awful lot of claims...but does it work?? 

The brush is very similar to the Bene-Tint one and applies in the same way. It has a pleasant scent (somewhat fruity and sweet) and there is a lot of colour payoff. This is definitely buildable and makes it easy to achieve a red lip look that will stay put. That being said, there are some things that I do not love as much about the Water Lip Stain. Mostly that this takes a really long time to dry down. It took about five minutes for the product to dry completely, which was a bit of a pain. Once the stain does dry down completely, it feels quite tight on the lips. I found that a lip balm over top was necessary for me. Does it work?? Yes. Could it work better? Also yes. I think this is a good product but there are certainly better tints out there. The Benefit one is superior in my opinion as was one from The Balm that I tried in the past. It's not that this is a bad product. It's pretty decent. However, there are products that perform better for a similar or lower price. This sample will certainly be used up, but in future, I think I will look for something different. Want to see the Water Lip Stain in action? Find out how pigmented that stain really is? Below is a recent makeup look that featured the Clarins Water Lip Stain in the shade 03 Red Water.

Have you tried the Clarins Water Lip Stain? Are there any lip stain products that you recommend?