I just recently shared some favorites from Au Naturale – their Super Fine Powder shadows – and I’m already back with more clean, green, all-natural beauty favorites! Today, I’ll be showing you two shades I’ve been loving from Au Naturale’s su/Stain Matte Lip Stain collection…
Au Naturale Lip Stains
Au Naturale provides very few clues as to what to expect from their latest lip stains. Just going by the name, you might assume that they have a lightweight, fluid formula – one that sinks into the skin as it drys, rather than layering over it. But that’s not the case.
Open up the tube and you’ll find what feels and looks more like a liquid lip cream – but an impressive one at that. Texture-wise, the Au Naturale su/Stains have a thick, creamy, almost mousse-like consistency. They glide over the lips effortlessly, smoothing and hydrating them with castor seed oil, jojoba seed oil, cocoa seed butter and shea butter. At the same time, they coat the lips with an impressive amount of pigment, reaching near full coverage in just one swipe.
Applied straight out of the tube with the wand, you’ll get the look of an opaque lip cream with a semi-matte/satin finish (which actually reminds me a lot of the Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Crèmes). But, if you take it a step further and blot them, that’s when you’ll get more of that stained lip look. The finish will mattify, the coverage will look a little more subtle and natural, and the color will lighten just slightly. (Or, you could apply the formula with a very light hand – I recommend dabbing the applicator wand on the lips a few times and then spreading/blending with your fingertips). That gives you not one, but two ways to wear these lippies.
“Ethically sourced and immaculately curated, su/Stain is designed to nourish your lips & maintain color-play.”
On top of their very impressive, hydrating, deeply pigmented formula, Au Naturale’s Lip Stains are made with 100% natural ingredients, plus they’re cruelty-free, vegan, and gluten-free.
Ingredients: *Ricinus Communis (Castor Seed Oil), *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Seed Oil),*Hydrogenated Palm Oil, *Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa Seed Butter), *Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter Fruit), *Organic Flavoring, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Micas, Manganese Violet, Tocopherol (Vitamin E) derived from Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower Seed). *Organic ingredients
Swatches of Au Naturale’s Lip Stains in On Pointe (left) & Purple Reign (right) in natural light, two swipes each
Au Naturale Lip Stain Review
Coming from someone who reaches for tinted balms most days, I find Au Naturale’s Lip Stains to be extremely comfy and wearable. Stains and matte lipsticks tend to feel drying after a few hours, but Au Naturale’s keep my dry lips soft, smooth and hydrated for hours. They’re also lightweight and cushiony, and very closely mimic the feel of my lips – to the point where I’ll sometimes forget I’m wearing them!
The Lip Stains also require very little maintenance – from the first application until they wear away. Since they never really dry down completely (retaining a slightly moist feel, rather than a sticky/tacky one), you can use your fingers to blend and smudge them without worrying about streaking. And as you wear them, they fade gradually and evenly, rather than flaking off and looking patchy.
However, because of their moisturizing, oil-based formula, that aren’t the longest lasting – I’ll typically get around 3-4 hours of wear – but that’s a small sacrifice when you consider the healthy ingredients list and gorgeous shade range. Speaking of which, here are my favorite two everyday shades…
Au Naturale Lip Stain in Purple Reign (one coat, not blotted)
Purple Reign is described as a ‘light purple with cool undertones’. On me, it’s more of a medium, slightly muted purple. It’s perfect for evening looks, but also toned down enough for the office. I could definitely see this working for all skin tones and depths!
Au Naturale Lip Stain in On Pointe (one coat, not blotted)
On Pointe is described as a ‘muted ballet shoe blush’. On the lips, it translates to a light nude-pink. To me, it’s the perfect everyday shade, for light to medium skin especially.
The two shades shown above are very wearable, muted shades. If you like deeper, bolder shades, check out Going Rouge (a brick red), Hero (a berry purple), Marsala (a muted mauve purple), or their newest shade, Kauai (a berry plum). For more subtle nudes, there’s Camel (a great nude for lighter skin tones) and Mousse (a great nude for deeper skin tones). And for warmer reds and oranges, they have Crushed Bloom (a light orange coral), Terracotta (a burnt orange), and Salsa (red with orange undertones).
Available at Petit Vour, Au Naturale & Beauty Heroes
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What are your thoughts on Au Naturale’s Lip Stains?
