Edward Bess has released four new lip stains called Lasting Kiss ($36 each for 0.49 oz/14.5 g, made in USA). These are liquid lip colors that have intense pigment and impressive staying power. They are full-coverage and all shades are without shimmer. The finish is in between satin and velvet, it has a very slight sheen to the finish which prevents them from looking flat (like some matte or full coverage lip creams can do). These come with Edward’s classic fig scent which I’m a huge fan of.
The Lasting Kiss Lip Stains come in a sleek black tube with a slightly angled sponge applicator. The tip is quite study but not stiff. It allows for precise application around the edges of the lips. The four colors include:
- Risque which is a bright coral pink
- Au Naturel which is a neutral-cool nude pink
- Surrender is a cool blue-based baby pink
- Deep in Love is a medium-bright plum rose
The colors are quite intense. They are vibrant shades which will be great for those who like color. I’m a nude/neutral lip lover at heart, so of course I fell in love with Au Naturel. Straight from the sponge tip, these go on the lips with super rich color. The color stays put once applied and doesn’t budge. If you layer on like a gloss or lipstick, you will find some of the color might transfer to a cup if you drink something shortly afterwards. However these are lip stains and you will still see the color stay put on your lips. I haven’t found anything that lasts as long as these do.
Swatches below on the arm with a heavy swatch and then a blended swatch. You can blot the lips after application for a more stained lip look. I find they apply very smoothly on the lips straight from the tube and require only a tiny bit of blending around the edges.
Swatches on the lips straight from the tube with the sponge applicator. Note that my lips pull cool-toned colors weird. Most of the women I know can easily pull off cool-toned pinks beautifully. On me they tend to turn fuchsia-ish (like with Surrender). For skin tone reference, I used Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet in B30 (swatches and review here).
My top two picks are Au Naturel and Deep In Love. Due to the rich pigment of these I find you do need to take a bit of care in applying precisely around the edges of the lips. If you’re looking for a bold lip or something that lasts on the lips for what seems like forever, these are definitely worth looking into. If you’re a more natural lip lover or want something deeper and less bright, I highly recommend Edward Bess’s Ultra Slick Lipsticks.
Bottom line love. In my mind Edward can do no wrong, I’ve been smitten with (and devoted to) his line for years. You can find the Lasting Kiss Enhancing Lip Stains at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and edwardbess.com. These are also available now at BG in NYC (ask for Lauren 212-872-8826) and Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills (ask for Morgan at the counter 310-550-5900).
The lip stains were kindly sent from Edward for review consideration.
