This $9 Marker Is TikTok’s New Favorite Budge-Proof Lip Liner

Ever since the dawn of the Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kit era, applying lipstick without lip liner has felt wrong. And for good reason: lip liners not only help with longevity but also add dimension and volume to a lip look. The one caveat, of course, is that while many claim long-wearing power, most liners require constant reapplication. I, for one, love a lip liner moment, but often find myself too lazy to reapply throughout the day. 

Enter: TikTok’s newest holy grail product, a $9 lip stain. At first glance, CoverGirl’s Outlast Lipstain might look like a pink marker, but it’s far more than that, with several TikTokers preaching the product’s ease of use and brilliant staying power when used as a lip liner. Most reviews of this lip liner hack result in a TikToker proclaiming that “my life is changed”—but alas, one must approach lofty TikTok claims with caution.

Ahead, read on for all the details, and our honest review of the CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain.

The Product

One swipe of the Covergirl Outlast Lipstain is supposed to be enough for a high impact, weightless lip look. With a vegan, water-based formula available in 14 shades, the product features a pen-like applicator for easy and precise application. Whereas most lip stains are known to dry out lips, the Covergirl Outlast Lipstain features nourishing ingredients like acacia tree extract for seamless application. Perhaps most importantly, Covergirl advertises this product as “kiss proof”—a true testament to its staying power. 

Although it’s meant to be used as a standard lip stain, BeautyTok particularly loves it as a lip liner thanks to its slim shape and precise tip. There are plenty of videos of users applying the stain around the perimeter of their lips, diffusing it with their fingers, and topping it off with lip balm or lip gloss for a transfer-proof, “my-lips-but-better” look.

The Hype

TikTokers have found a multitude of ways to incorporate the Covergirl Outlast Lipstain into their routine, with some users pairing it with lip glosses or lipsticks, and others wearing it by itself. Regardless, all of these lip combinations take advantage of the product’s precision tip and staying power. “I use them as a lip liner and smudge,” TikToker @clarealine explained. “Do you see how good this looks? It’s literally incredible… and it’s drugstore!” 

But does the lip stain perform well on a darker lip complexion as well? According to user @kazganna, the answer is yes. “The fact that I was able to find a lip liner / lip stain that isn’t dark brown and is able to show up on my skin tone is amazing,” she explained. “Covergirl, you did your big one.”

“This might be my new thing,” one TikToker put it, pairing it with a shimmery lip oil on top. “This turned out way better than I thought it could ever.”

TikToker @fioxyriri uses the lip stain to add fluffiness to her lips, adding dimension around the inside of her lips. It “just makes them look chapped and fluffy,” she explained. “Now I have this undone-done lip.”

The Review

“I tried this lip stain when it launched earlier this year, and didn’t love it all over my lips, so I tossed it in my ‘meh’ pile and forgot about it. However, when I saw people using it as a liner, I knew I had to give it another chance—and spoiler alert, it changed the game. Despite the marker format, the stain’s slim tip makes it easy to precisely line my lips, much like a classic pencil. I like to take my finger and gently tap in the stain before it dries to diffuse any harsh edges, but if you want a really defined look, you can easily achieve that, too. I use shade Canyon, a warm brown, and its just enough of a pop without looking over the top, especially when topped with a tinted balm.

“As for the wear, it really is impressive. I have chronically dry lips thanks to two rounds of Accutane, so I re-apply lip balm about once every 30 minutes. Even regular long-wear formulas don’t stand a chance, and I have to constantly touch-up. Though this formula didn’t stay all day long, it does stay put from morning to lunch time, and then again until dinner, so I would still consider it a win. And for just under $10, I really have no complaints.” —Bella Cacciatore, news editor