Quick Tip: A Double Duty Product

If you have a busy day ahead of you, you do not need a ton of products to sift through just to look your best.  I would suggest having a work cosmetics space with just a few products.  One particular product that should be in that pile is a lipstain in a neutral-pink color.  This can be used on your lips to even out the color and as a long-lasting blush!  I suggest neutral-pink because the color is most believable, but if you like working with other colors (or if you are one of the few people that doesn't look good in neutral pink), use the other colors.

When using the stain as a blush, you want to create a light flush that makes you look alive in all lights, even the horrible fluorescent lights of work, so taking a stain and applying it directly is not ideal.  To get a natural flush, color a bit of the stain onto a makeup sponge, blot it on a tissue 1-2 times, then stipple it onto the apples of your cheeks.

When using the stain on your lips, it can get easy for the color to drift, so line the outside of your lips with lip balm to prevent feathering.  Swipe the color gently on your lips and blot the excess color with a makeup sponge.  When the color is dry, wipe the balm from the outside of your lips and swipe a balm or lipgloss on your lips to lock the color in and to make your lips feel more comfortable.  Stains can be very drying, so balms are lifesavers!

Some of my favorite lipstains:

Revlon Just Bitten- It has a balm on the end so you have your color and conditioning all in one!
BeneFit BeneTint-  Originally designed for an exotic dancer to put on her nipples (No joke!) and one of the best stains on the market!  Also available are the sister stains PosieTint and Cha-Cha Tint
Josie Maran Lipstain- It has a little argan oil in it so it is not as drying as others without a balm
Tarte Lipsurgence- Available in regular tint, matte, and shimmer.  They are more like tinted balms that leave a stain, but that is not a complaint!  NOTE:  This is not good for cheeks, but it is still lovely on lips.
Tarte Cheek Stain- Dries quicker than Lipsurgence, but is not moisturizing, so this definitely needs balm.


Hope you all find this useful!

-M