There’s a new drugstore lip stain that is flying super under the radar, but is bound to be the next viral makeup must-have. The wet n wild Perfect Pout Lip Liner Stains first appeared on the brand’s Instagram in February, but they’ve been relatively quiet about them since then.
It seems like they completely stopped promoting them until just last week, as they’re just now popping up in more retailers. I happened to find them at Walmart, going in completely blind of any claims— I was just curious about how good a $5 lip stain could be!
The wet n wild Perfect Pout Lip Liner Stains are liquid lip stains that are supposed to give transfer-proof all-day wear.
There are only three shades in this initial launch, which is a little surprising, and no real neutral shades (more on that later).
The pen style applicator features a blade-shaped flat side for filling in the lips, and a super fine edge for precise lining.
This lip liner stain is a true liquid formula that almost feels like you’re using a marker on your lips. Once shaken, it glides out of the applicator smoothly.
What I love about this formula is that you actually have a bit of time to blend it before it sets— something you can’t do with peel off lip liner stains. I love creating a gradient with fuller corners when I do lip line with pencil, softly blending with my fingers. I was surprised to find I could achieve the same look with a liquid formula.
wet n wild Lip Liner Stain Swatches, top to bottom: Nude Tights, I’m Blushing, & Spilled Wine
Swatches top to bottom: Nude Tights, I’m Blushing & Spilled Wine
Back to the shades— we have Spilled Wine, a burgundy, I’m Blushing, a medium pink, and Nude Tights. Nude Tights is marketed as a medium/deep neutral brown, but for some reason it really translates purple on my skin tone. I don’t know if this is color theory at play or just missing the mark on the goal shade for them.
After testing a few ways of wearing these lip liner stains, my favorite way to wear these is to create a thicker outline, then fill in my outer corners blending the color toward the middle of my lips, as shown in the swatches above. Then I usually top them off with gloss, lip oil, or a moisturizing balm.
I would actually advise against filling in the lips completely with multiple layers of this formula, as it can be difficult to achieve an even appearance with this method. These are meant to give that “just-bitten” look– not an opaque liquid lipstick look. Also, layering this liquid over dry areas can also cause patchiness. The blending method keeps the color softer and more even.
Now the real shocker? The wear time. I gotta admit— I wasn’t expecting much from a $5 stain. But these held up through a lot! I tested the wet n wild Lip Liner Stains for 12 hours repeatedly and they held up through all sorts of meals, sipping out of my straw, and drinking cans of seltzer. They also perform wonderfully under gloss or just my go-to lip balm, and don’t smear or break down.
At the end of the day, there was only a little fading but the look was still strong. I could easily just reapply lipgloss and keep going about my night, if I had to.
I would still recommend standard lip prep for these, especially being a liquid formula that dries down. Exfoliation and hydrating the lips ahead of time will give you the most even and long lasting look.
Final Thoughts: The wet n wild Perfect Pout Lip Liner Stains are earning a spot in my regular makeup routine rotation. I really hope they expand the line with more shades, because I could see myself reaching for these way more regularly than other lip stains due to the ease of use… and the fact that they’re so affordable!
But they’re still very hard to track down. I’ve hunted for them online, and here’s where I’ve found them so far.
On Walmart, each shade has its own product page:Nude Tights on WalmartI’m Blushing on WalmartSpilled Wine on Walmart
On Amazon, they seem to be listed under a different wet n wild lip liner here. It’s kind of confusing, but if you hover over the different shades you will be able to find all three of these among the options. They also keep going in and out of stock on Amazon.
You can also order them from wet n wild directly, though the page has only worked half the time I’ve tried to access it over the past few days.
Have you spotted these wet n wild lip stain near you?
– Miranda
