As someone who is obsessed with beauty, one product that my handbag is never complete without is a lipstick. While the world of lip colours has come a long way over the years, I do find that you have to re-apply many of them during the day.
However, there is one product that reviews say “doesn’t budge.” It’s the £18 Wonderskin Lip Stain and Go that has gone a little bit viral recently, with over 22,000 reviews and a number one bestseller status on Amazon.
In fact, I have even spotted beauty editors reviewing it for major magazines including Cosmopolitan and Grazia. Hailed for its “revolutionary all day lip colour” this metallic-hued lip stain is said to reveal a vibrantly pigmented shade that will last all day.
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Considering it promises to be “transfer proof”, I can understand why it’s a new must-have. Now, as someone who writes about cosmetics on the daily, and also loves a bit of lippy, I was thoroughly intrigued by the promises the Wonderskin Lip Masque promised.
Therefore, I managed to nab my own colour and took it for a full-day whirl to test it out. Did it live up to the hype? Can it really last all day, even when eating and drinking? Well, read on below for my thoughts in full.
The application process
Even though I have more lipsticks than anything in my beauty bag, I did find that it was hard to choose from the 18 colours available. While this meant that there is definitely a shade for everyone, it made it difficult for me to personally choose the one I would suit.
Thankfully, the firm offers a ‘colour match’ Questionnaire. A few questions later, and voila, I was recommended the cranberry-hued First Kiss and the plum-based Darling. As someone who tended to favour reds, I opted for the former to be on the safe side.
According to the description, all you simply need to do is apply the metallic-tinted lip stain to clean, dry lips. You can exfoliate them beforehand, but I often apply a lip mask at night to keep them hydrated during the day, so I expected that to be enough.
Despite the formula being similar to a liquid lipstick, I did actually find this difficult to apply at first. In fact, it did take a few goes to ensure a neat application around my lips, as, if not applied correctly, I found it could make your lips look uneven.
I did find that the formula initially had a slight ‘tingle’ to it, although it luckily enough didn’t cause any irritation or redness, and went away within a few seconds. After about 30 seconds to one minute, I wiped it off to reveal what the colour officially looked like.
Vibrant pigmentation… that didn’t last all day
I’ll start with a positive and admit that I loved the vibrancy of the First Kiss shade. It wasn’t an overly bold red, which was a go-to for me in my twenties, but it will still a nice pop of colour that didn’t clash with my lighter skin tone.
Nevertheless, I will admit that the shade didn’t match the advertisement that does look like the classic red lippy, as it had a more pinky undertone to it. While I was lucky not to dislike the colour, it might be something others want to take into consideration.
To properly test out the Wonderskin Lip Masque and its claims, I decided to wear it on a few different occasions. The first time I tried it, I went out for coffee and lunch and found that, even though it didn’t look as though it had transferred, it definitely began to fade over time.
I wasn’t undeterred though, as I was hoping this was just because it was my first application. I then decided to leave the application process a little longer on a day I was working from home, which also consisted of me eating and drinking all day.
Maybe keeping the stain on for longer helped, but I did find the colour didn’t transfer onto anything and was a little longer-lasting. However, I did notice that it was becoming a bit ‘patchy’ and the vibrancy was waning, which was still a little disheartening.
Overall thoughts
Despite being somewhat of a new trend among beauty buffs, I can say that my response to the Wonderskin Lip Masque is a little more mixed than others.
On the one hand, it definitely offers a rich, lovely colour that any lipstick fan would appreciate. While it’s not as drying as other matte-style lipsticks, I did find that I needed to touch it up with a bit of lip oil, which thankfully didn’t smudge the colour.
However, my own personal review has found that, if you’re looking for something that lasts all day when out and about, this might not be the one for you. However, at £18, I am willing to test it out again and see if my mind changes in the future, but for now it’s not wowed me.
If you want to try it yourself, the Wonderskin Lip Stain and Go can be bought on Amazon for £18 here. It’s also available as a Peel and Reveal Kit for a bit pricier at £28 here.
If I had to recommend a few alternatives that I will probably stick to, then one of them is my current favourite, Maybelline’s Vinyl Ink in the shade ‘Royal’. Priced at £11.99 at Superdrug, it promises 16 hours worth of wear that doesn’t smudge or transfer.
Another brand that I haven’t personally tried, but has rave reviews, is the Huda Beauty Creamy Lip Stain, Priced on Lookfantastic at £21, the lip product is available in five creamy colours and can also be used on your cheeks.