Gone are the days of the ultra-matte liquid lipstick. Today, makeup trends are decidedly more radiant, with juicy lip stains leading the charge—offering the allure of a glossy finish, paired with the long-lasting wear of a tint. For many of us, the entry point into beauty was a glitter-flecked, candy-scented lip products—bedazzled, nostalgic, and decidedly Y2K (Hard Candy pun fully intended). Then came the matte makeup movement of the twenty-teens: full-coverage foundations, transfer-proof lipsticks, and a beauty ethos rooted in maximum staying power.

So, why the sudden pendulum swing? Makeup artist Kasey Spickard credits a blend of late-’90s nostalgia (think TLC, Destiny’s Child, and those iconic MAC Lipglasses) alongside the rise of the “clean girl” aesthetic. “Think: skin-forward, Hailey Bieber-inspired blush and glow. Traditional full-coverage or long-wear matte lipsticks just don’t match that previous aesthetic,” he says. “But today’s beauty consumer still wants performance—so the juicy lip tint scratches both itches: that glossy payoff, with color that lingers.”

While lip gloss delivers shine, it rarely survives a snack, a smooch, or even a sip. On the other hand, traditional stains can lack hydration or luster—leaving lips parched and in need of a balmy top coat.

Enter the juicy lip stain, the modern beauty hybrid that merges a non-sticky lip balm with the enduring color payoff of a stain into a single swipe. The look is enticing, jammy, and dare we say—very Bratz doll. “A juicy stained lip combines the best of both worlds—the effortless, lived-in lip color with the glossy, hydrated finish that feels modern,” Kulfi Beauty founder Priyanka Ganjoo tells Vogue. Her brand’s Lassi Lip Oil—a viral favorite on TikTok—embodies the trend. “It’s nostalgic because it nods to the ’90s and early 2000s makeup looks with high-shine lips, but it also feels fresh today because of the lip tint it leaves behind, which makes it easy, wearable, and low-maintenance.”

Vogue’s Favorite Juicy Lip Stains

The algorithmification of beauty plays no small role either. As Ganjoo notes, “Staining lip oils are perfect for TikTok because they have that satisfying transformation element—the gloss that sinks in and leaves behind a pretty tint feels magical on camera.”