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We tried Wonderskin’s bestselling ‘peel and reveal’ lip stain – here’s what happened

The semi-permanent product is designed to give your smackers an all-day tint

Ellie Fry
Monday 04 September 2023 11:41 BST
The coveted stain has gone viral for its longevity
The coveted stain has gone viral for its longevity (Ellie Fry/The Independent)

Finding long-wear make-up that actually works is always a gamechanger. From full-coverage foundations to waterproof mascaras, perfecting such formulas is no mean feat. There’s usually a compromise for longevity, whether it’s in the product feeling dry on the skin or proving difficult to remove.

So, when a long-wear buy goes viral, our ears prick up. Case in point: Wonderskin’s wonder blading lip colour. After enjoying sell-out success in America, with thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon’s US site, the coveted product landed in the UK in 2021 and dominated our TikTok feeds at the time.

The multi-step kit is a peel-off lip stain that claims to last all day long without any budging, feathering or smudging. Aiming to deliver the colour pay-off of a lipstick and the longevity of a stain, it also claims to be water-resistant, with no need for any touch-ups.

These are big promises, considering even the most long-wearing of lipsticks will usually need some TLC throughout the day. The staining process is rather unusual, as it involves applying a bright blue lip masque (not the final shade, don’t worry) before peeling it off to reveal the long-wearing colour.

There is some method to the madness. Wonderskin uses what it calls “liquid blending” technology to infuse colour into the top layer of the lips, before locking it in place with a sealant.

Think of the semi-permanent lip stain as an alternative to microblading, for serious longwear that doesn’t transfer or fade throughout the day. The whole kit is alcohol-free too, so it shouldn’t dry out your lips.

With such huge claims, we put Wonderskin’s bestselling lip kit through its paces, following the multi-step instructions to a T, to give a fair verdict. Read on for everything you need to know.

(Ellie Fry)

How we tested

We used this lip kit on exfoliated lips, as strongly suggested by the brand, and judged the results on longevity, colour pay-off and coverage, as well as our experience of using the kit, from the instructions to the product itself.

Wonderskin peel and reveal wonder blading lip stain

wonderskin results.jpg
  • Best: Natural-looking lip stain
  • Shades: 22
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The verdict: Wonderskin wonder blading lip colour

Despite slightly confusing instructions, we enjoyed the whole process of Wonderskin’s lip kit, and were impressed by how nourishing it felt on the lips, given it’s such a potent formula.

The initial colour pay-off was impressive but, sadly, for us, it didn’t last. Given this is the kit’s USP, we wouldn’t recommend this product if you’re looking for serious longevity. But if you want a natural-looking lip stain that you’re happy to top up throughout the day, and can handle the process of painting your lips blue each time, this might be for you.

Looking for more nourishing essentials? We’ve rounded up the best lip balms

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