Kiss and Tell: The New Lippies I’ve Been Testing

From Huda Beauty’s soft-focus mattes to Rare Beauty’s hydrating lip oil and a surprisingly impressive Maybelline multitasker, these are the lip launches currently earning space in my makeup bag.

Somewhere along the way, lipstick stopped being just lipstick. Apparently, simply giving us color is no longer enough. Now our lip products would also like to be an oil, a gloss, a mousse, a stain, a balm, skincare and, if Maybelline has anything to say about it, our blush too.

Honestly, I respect the ambition.

I’ve been trying some of the newest and most interesting lip launches from Huda Beauty, Rare Beauty, Maybelline, Benefit and Coralhaze, and there is definitely a theme happening in beauty right now. Heavy, overly precise lipstick is taking a back seat to formulas that are softer, juicier, blurrier and considerably easier to wear. We want color, but we also want comfort. We want shine without our hair becoming permanently attached to our mouth. We want matte without feeling like we have been wandering through the Sahara since Tuesday.

Basically, we have become demanding.

As we should.

So, which of these actually deserves valuable real estate in your makeup bag? I tested the textures, played with the finishes, wore them around and, naturally, developed opinions.

HUDA BEAUTY

Huda Beauty and lip products go way back. If you were wearing makeup during the height of the ultra-matte liquid lipstick era, chances are you owned something capable of surviving coffee, lunch, dinner, a breakup and possibly mild nuclear fallout. Thankfully, Huda’s newer lip formulas feel much softer, more comfortable and, frankly, much easier to live with.

The Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Mousse is exactly what the name suggests: soft, airy and almost whipped. It gives you that polished matte finish without the heavy, painted-on feeling that used to come with so many traditional liquid lipsticks. Instead of sitting stiffly on the lips, it creates a softer, diffused finish that feels much more modern.

What I like most is that it gives you the sophistication of a matte lip without immediately highlighting every tiny line on your mouth. I still love matte lipstick, but I do not need my lipstick conducting a geological survey of my lips while I wear it.

The formula is also easy to control. One lighter layer gives you that blurred, almost lived-in look, while another pass builds the color beautifully without making it feel thick. I especially like pairing it with a slightly deeper lip liner because it gives definition without dragging us completely back into the 2016 era when we were outlining our lips with the precision of an architect submitting plans to the city.

Then there is the Huda Beauty Faux Filler Extra Shine Lip Gloss, which gives you almost the exact opposite finish but works beautifully alongside the mousse. Where the mousse is soft and velvety, Faux Filler is shiny, juicy and very unapologetically glossy.

I actually love having both because they give me options. I can wear the mousse alone when I want something a little more sophisticated and matte, or I can add the gloss when I want a fuller, more dimensional lip. I especially like tapping the gloss toward the center of the lips because it catches the light and gives that plumper-looking effect without requiring seven different products and a YouTube tutorial.

The gloss is also comfortable enough to wear on its own. It gives you that glassy shine without becoming overly sticky, which is important because there is a very fine line between “juicy lips” and “I accidentally applied pancake syrup to my mouth.”

Huda stays safely on the correct side of that line.

I also appreciate that the gloss gives the lips a fuller-looking finish without the aggressive burning sensation some plumping products seem weirdly proud of. I do not need my lip gloss to challenge me physically.

Together, the mousse and gloss really show how much Huda’s lip formulas have evolved. You can go completely matte, completely glossy, or combine the two depending on your mood. Apparently I am unwilling to commit to one lip personality, and I see absolutely no reason why I should.

RARE BEAUTY

Rare Beauty has built an entire brand around makeup that is easy to use while still looking polished, and the Soft Pinch Lip Oil Stick fits perfectly into that world.

This is one of those products that immediately made sense to me because it gives me the shine and comfort of a lip oil while still giving enough color that I can wear it completely on its own.

And I actually do wear it alone.

That is one of the biggest reasons I like it.

A lot of lip oils feel more like finishing products to me. They are pretty over liner or lipstick, but by themselves they can sometimes feel like clear gloss with aspirations. The Rare Beauty Lip Oil Stick gives me enough color and shine that I don’t feel like I need to add anything else.

More importantly, it feels genuinely hydrating. My lips tend to figure out very quickly when a formula is pretending to be moisturizing versus actually feeling comfortable, and this one really does feel nourishing while I wear it.

It glides on smoothly, gives the lips that soft, juicy finish and leaves them looking healthy rather than heavily coated. I also love that it makes the lips look naturally fuller simply because they look glossy and hydrated rather than dry or flat.

The solid-stick format makes it incredibly easy to use too. There is no wand, no dripping product and no applicator you need to carefully pull out while hoping you don’t launch lip oil onto your blouse. You twist, swipe and go.

That is my kind of beauty product.

It is the sort of thing I can throw into my handbag, apply without much thought and reapply in about three seconds. I can wear it to work, wear it alone on a lighter makeup day or pair it with a liner when I want a little more definition.

This is probably one of the products from this entire group that I would use the most in everyday life because it gives me color, shine and hydration without asking me to make an event out of applying lipstick.

Basically, this is what I want from an everyday lip product: color, hydration and absolutely no unnecessary drama.

And considering how much drama exists everywhere else, my lipstick does not need to contribute.

MAYBELLINE

Then Maybelline showed up with Cloudtopia Cheek & Lip Mousse and reminded everyone that drugstore makeup has become dangerously competitive.

Cloudtopia is a whipped, highly pigmented mousse designed to work on both the lips and cheeks. The texture is soft, airy and almost cloud-like, and it gives you that blurred matte finish that has been everywhere lately.

My first piece of advice is very simple: do not underestimate the pigment.

You do not need half the pot.

You barely need to emotionally commit to the pot.

Start small.

On the cheeks, the mousse blends into a really pretty diffused flush that looks soft rather than overly powdered or obvious. On the lips, it gives you that blurred matte effect that makes the color look modern and slightly more effortless.

One of my favorite ways to use it is actually on both the lips and cheeks in the same shade. There is something about monochromatic makeup that immediately makes your whole face look cohesive and intentional.

Meanwhile, the truth may simply be that you were late and used one product everywhere.

Nobody needs to know.

Because the formula is matte, I would prep very dry lips before using it. If hydration is your number-one priority, Rare Beauty is going to be the better choice. Cloudtopia is doing something completely different. It is about pigment, versatility and that velvety soft-focus finish.

And the fact that it can be used on both the cheeks and lips makes it especially useful when you want to do your makeup quickly without pulling twelve products out of a drawer.

I also love when a drugstore product feels like it can genuinely compete with formulas that cost two or three times as much.

There are iced coffees in Manhattan that require a larger financial commitment than some Maybelline products.

And yet here we are.

BENEFIT COSMETICS

Benefit has decided to remind us that sometimes the best “new” idea is actually a very good old idea.

The Benetint Pocket Pal pairs the classic Benetint stain on one side with a clear hydrating gloss on the other. It is such a simple concept, but that is exactly why it works.

A stain gives you longevity, but sometimes it can look a little flat on its own. A gloss gives you shine and moisture, but eventually it disappears, usually onto your coffee cup approximately five minutes after you applied it.

Pocket Pal basically solves both problems.

You apply the stain first, let the color settle into the lips and then layer the clear gloss over it. Once the gloss eventually fades, you still have color underneath. Then you can simply reapply the gloss instead of completely redoing your lip.

Efficient.

We love efficient.

What I also like about Benetint is that the finish looks much more natural than traditional lipstick. The color sinks into the lips rather than sitting heavily on top, so you get that very pretty “my lips naturally look this rosy” effect.

Do they?

That information is between you and Benefit.

This is also a great option for lighter makeup days because it gives you color without looking overly done. Add the gloss and the whole thing suddenly looks fresher and more polished.

One thing I would be careful about is opening the tint side because Benetint is very fluid. This is not something I would casually wave around over an open handbag.

Benetint looks beautiful on the lips.

I have considerably less interest in reviewing its wear time on the lining of my purse.

CORALHAZE

And then we have Coralhaze, the K-beauty entry and probably the product most likely to make someone stop you and ask, “Wait, what is that?”

The packaging alone gets attention. The rounded little bottles and oversized silver ball caps look more like tiny beauty objects than something that should be rolling around beside receipts, three hair ties and whatever else has taken up permanent residence at the bottom of my handbag.

The Coralhaze Dew Drop Tint is a glossy water tint designed to give the lips a sheer, glass-like layer of color. The formula is buildable and has that very recognizable K-beauty approach to lips: glossy, fresh, lightweight and slightly effortless.

The finish is what really makes it stand out.

A lot of Western glosses are thicker and more cushiony. This one looks more fluid and almost wet, so the shine seems to float over the color instead of sitting heavily on top.

That is what gives you that beautiful glass-lip effect.

It looks glossy without looking heavy and colorful without looking overly done.

Because it is a tint, you can also build the color. One layer gives you something softer and fresher, while additional layers create more intensity. I especially like this type of formula with minimal makeup because the lips still look interesting without becoming the entire event.

I also appreciate the focus on hydration because the current generation of lip products has clearly decided that makeup should also behave like skincare.

Apparently my lips have standards now too.

Everyone is very high maintenance around here.

And yes, I am absolutely influenced by the packaging.

I am only human.

SO, WHICH ONE WOULD I BUY?

The interesting thing about this group is that there really isn’t one obvious winner because they are all doing completely different things.

If I want a sophisticated matte lip, I am reaching for the Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Mousse. If I want shine, I can layer Faux Filler over it or wear the gloss alone. I like the combination because Huda gives me the option of going soft and velvety one day and full glassy lip the next.

For everyday wear, Rare Beauty is probably the one I reach for the most. I love that the Lip Oil Stick actually feels hydrating and gives enough color that I can wear it completely on its own. It is easy, comfortable and requires basically no effort, which is exactly what I want from something that lives permanently in my handbag.

Maybelline Cloudtopia is the multitasker. It gives you a blurred matte lip, doubles as blush and makes monochromatic makeup ridiculously easy. It is the product for those mornings when you want your makeup to look intentional even if the morning itself absolutely was not.

Benefit Pocket Pal is the practical one. The stain leaves color behind while the gloss gives you the moisture and shine you want on top. It is a smart combination, especially when you want something natural-looking that will not completely disappear the moment you take a sip of coffee.

And Coralhaze Dew Drop Tint is the fun discovery of the group. It gives you that glossy, lightweight K-beauty glass-lip finish, and the packaging alone makes it feel a little special every time you pull it out.

The bigger takeaway, though, is what is happening to lipstick in general. We are moving away from formulas that simply coat the lips and toward products that blur, stain, hydrate, shine and multitask.

Lipstick is not dead.

It has simply become wildly overqualified.

And honestly, I am fine with that.

Because I still want beautiful lips.

I would simply also like to drink coffee, eat lunch and smile while wearing them.

Xoxo,
Tishya