I don’t like to wear a lot of make-up. Ok, I lied. I wear make-up but I try to make it seem like I have nothing on. The au naturale look, I call it. Ya know, that I-rolled-out-of-bed-and-don’t-need-make-up look. But really I do need it and I definitely use it. I just make it seem like I don’t! You following? I’m a little trickster!

One of my favorite techniques in acquiring said look is applying a lip stain. It’s not a lipstick or a gloss, it’s literally a stain. It stains your lips in the same way Kool-Aid fruit punch stains your lips. I don’t remember the last time I drank Kool-Aid or whether or not it even exists anymore but I think you catch my drift. The results are redder, fuller-looking lips without the appearance or residue of traditional lipstick. It’s an amazing optical illusion! What better way to achieve the au naturale look, non?

I have invested in many a lip stain throughout my lifetime and one of my favorites is Benefit Cosmetics’ Benetint. This stuff is AMAZING. It is a rose-tinted stain that you dot on your lips and blend with your finger. After applying, you look in the mirror and say to yourself, Holy crap I have naturally red lips. It’s as easy as that. The great thing about Benetint is that it’s also a cheek stain. It gives a subtle pinkish hue to your cheeks that perfectly compliment your Kool-Aidesque lips. The Benefit website also says it’s “kiss-proof” so your bf won’t even know you’re tricking him when you pucker up. Ooooh, I love it.