I wear red lipstick every day, but this smudge-proof stain has me abandoning all my old faithfuls

As a red lipstick devotee, I have a list of criteria they must meet to make it into my daily rotation and this £19 lip stain ticked them all - so much so, I'm retiring a few of my old faithfuls...

I wear some sort of red lip shade every day, be it one of the best long-lasting lipsticks, a matte finish or a tinted lip balm. I just don't feel like myself when I forgo the vibrant hue and perhaps it's the decades-old habit but I just think I look a bit like a slug without it - grey, tired, literally sluggish. A swipe of signature red lipstick makes me feel like myself, or really, a better version of myself - a together, confident person with a bit of extra zing.

As a beauty editor with an affection for reds, I’ve pretty much tried all of the best red lipsticks on the market and naturally, I have a handful of vetted favourites that I rotate weekly, but this new discovery has my previous go-tos gathering dust...

The £19 lipstick our senior beauty editor can't stop wearing

Despite curating a tried and tested collection of the best lipstick formulas on the market, this affordable offering from Fenty has swiftly surpassed them all...

It’s a lip stain, but not as you know it. It’s a dream to apply - gliding onto lips and leaving lips looking plump and juicy. Unlike a lot of other lip stains, it never leaves lips feeling dry or tacky. You can wear it as a high-shine gloss, but if you prefer mattes (like I do), you can swipe off the excess for a pretty, diffused tint. 

My first impressions of the Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain

I loathe to admit it, but it was a TikTok video that made me realise the potential of this formula. I am not a gloss girl - I much prefer a matte finish, so my initial swatch of this formula would've had me dismissing this as a shiny buy and putting it firmly in the 'not for me' camp. 

The TikTok showed a woman applying it, waiting a few seconds then wiping off the gloss for a pretty, zingy lip tint. Much more my style. I tried it for myself and while the high-shine application looked a little scary initially, when I swiped it away I loved the result - a bold pop of colour with the sheer finish of a stain. 

Having worn it non-stop for weeks, I've been so impressed by the longevity of the colour - I can apply it at 7am and still see colour by 2pm. While it definitely fades during the day, it does so in a quite uniform way. With other traditional lipsticks, I find that the colour vanishes around the centre of the mouth, leaving a weird, unwanted ombre effect.  That's why I like this stain so much - it outperforms most long-lasting lipsticks on the market, but the fading process is much more forgiving than other formulas. 

Should you buy the Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain?

If you're looking for a long-lasting, vibrant lip colour that won't dry your lips, you should absolutely buy the Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain. It's available in six bold shades (my favourites are - naturally - the reds Strawberry Sangria and Zesty Bestie) and has a wearable, comfortable formula. If you prefer a glossy finish you'll also love the original high-shine look this creates, so it's quite versatile. 

At £19, it feels fairly reasonably priced, especially considering how well it performs and how well the colour lasts. I've recommended it to countless friends and they've all become devoted fans. There's nothing I like better than recommending someone's new favourite product to them, and I hope I can do the same for you too.