Huda Beauty’s Lip Contour Stains Are Causing A Commotion

When Huda Beauty unveiled its Lip Contour Stains — a smudge-proof lip stain-meets-lip liner promising 12-hour wear — the internet went… mild. Unlike the brand’s Easy Bake Setting Powder and Easy Blur Foundation (both recent viral hits among beauty enthusiasts, makeup artists, and editors alike), the stains have received a wave of less-than-glowing reviews. 

On TikTok, it doesn’t take long to find videos claiming that the $25 products arrive completely dry or dry out after just a couple of uses. In response, beauty lovers are flooding the comments with tips and suggestions, like wetting the felt-tip brush before use. The commotion even prompted a TikTok response from Huda Beauty founder Huda Kattan herself.

In a video with 1.7 million views and climbing, Kattan defended the product as a sleek new innovation she believes will soon be everywhere, adding that some users may simply be using it incorrectly. Referring to the tapered felt-tip applicator, she added, “Right now, there’s nothing on the market that looks like this. [It was] made in Japan, and the formula was made in Germany — it’s fancy. It’s the crème de la crème of quality.”

With costs rising across the board, we’ve come to expect serious quality, not to mention ease of use, from every makeup product we buy. But it’s clear that the brand’s claims don’t match the reality of some consumers. So what’s gone wrong?

Cosmetic chemist Javon Ford took to Instagram to explain why your Lip Contour Stain might dry out quickly: “This is partly because it’s a marker, but also because of this specific marker’s composition,” said Ford. Without diving too deep into science, he explained that beyond water and aloe vera juice, the main ingredient is a film-former called polyurethane-35, which helps the color adhere to the lips: “It’s long-lasting and fast-drying,” said Ford. 

He said that all markers can dry out quickly as the volatile substance — in this case, water — can slowly evaporate from the cap. But where Huda Beauty’s is concerned, it can become even more noticeable when there’s a large percentage of a non-water-soluble ingredient, in the case of polyurethane-35. Ford added that while other lip stains are solely water-based (like CoverGirl’s Outlast Lip Stain) or oil-based, such as Haus Laboratories’ Hybrid Lip Oil Stain, Huda Beauty’s formula needs extra attention to work properly.

Zobia Ahmed, a cosmetic chemist and product developer, agrees that the creamier, more viscous liquid inside Huda Beauty’s lip stains might make the product trickier to use: “Emulsions have a habit of thickening over time, so maybe that viscous liquid gets ‘stuck’ and you have to tap it on a hard surface or tip upside down to force the liquid to the tip. Or maybe the viscous liquid becomes thicker just by sitting in the marker,” she says. But here’s the catch-22: that thicker consistency — also made of glycerin and plant oils — is what cushions the lips, making it more moisturizing and flexible, and helping to prevent dryness and bleeding outside the lip line, says Ahmed. 

For consumers whose pens aren’t working at all, Ahmed says it’s possible that during the manufacturing or filling stage, the tip might not have been primed adequately: “If you don’t saturate marker tips and felt tips properly, they will feel dry upon first use,” she says. If yours isn’t doing anything, just reach out to the brand.

Besides this, Ahmed says that user error could contribute: “When this product was developed, it was done so with clear instructions: store the marker cap-side down,” she says. “If users aren’t following the instructions, chances are they’ll experience these drying issues.” 

Makeup artist Maria Asadi says that dried-out tips are a common issue with pen-style applicators like these: “The ink inside behaves a lot like a felt-tip pen, so how you store it really matters,” she confirms. “If you’re holding or storing it with the tip facing up, the ink naturally sinks away, travelling down from the tip, making it dry out faster.” 

Alicia Lartey, an aesthetician, product developer, and cosmetic chemist in training, also recommends shaking it downwards before applying and ensuring the cap is firmly closed when you’re finished. Lastly, because it’s a stain, Lartey recommends applying it directly onto bare skin — and Kattan agrees: “I don’t apply it on top of foundation,” she said, as it simply won’t stick. “What will also happen is you’ll clog the tip,” Kattan added, though running it under hot water can help unclog it.

Another of Kattan’s concerns was the criticism around the product’s fill — a seemingly paltry 1ml, according to users. In her video, Kattan addressed this, explaining that while it might not feel like a lot, it is. “The product is full,” she said. Adding, “If we were to make it chubbier and fill it more, it would just be… a not great experience.” Kattan and her team tested the product strictly as a lip liner, and she claims you’ll get around 200 uses — but only if used as a liner.

Compared to similar pen liners, 1ml does feel quite scant. I asked Ahmed whether this is normal for lip liner pens. “In theory, 1ml may contain enough pigment for hundreds of applications when the formula is thin — like CoverGirl’s,” she tells me. Thicker formulas like Huda Beauty’s, however, would likely have fewer applications: “This is because they don’t distribute as easily as their thinner counterparts,” says Ahmed. But there are merits to a thicker formula: “It’s more concentrated, so there’s less swiping back and forth, and less of a need for reapplication.” Lartey adds that as a beauty consumer, she wants her lip liners to contain a reasonable amount of product that allows her to get enough use out of them without the formula going bad. “With that in mind — and with moderate use and correct storage — I do think 1ml is fair,” she says.

Having tried the Lip Contour Stains myself, I can confirm they leave very little room for error. Even as a seasoned lip liner wearer, I feel a little nervous every time I use one. Since the product behaves like ink, you only have a few seconds to blend with your finger if you want a diffused lip look, and micellar water only does so much to clean up any mistakes. But that’s the entire point, says Lartey: “I think people need to remember that the primary job of a lip stain is to stain. Plus, it’s marketed as such.”

That said, Kattan is listening to her customers, though she seems hesitant to change the formula too much: “I will work on how long you guys have to play with the product, but I don’t know if it’s going to work,” she said in her video. She added, “It might make the product less long-lasting. We want to give you guys a product that lasts all day long.” 

Asadi doesn’t typically reach for lip stains unless a makeup client specifically requests them or she’s working in very humid conditions and needs waterproof makeup. Instead, she likes to use VIEVE’s Modern Lip Definer, $23, and KIKO Milano’s Everlasting Color Precision Lip Liner, $12.50. “These are my go-to for a bulletproof lip liner that holds throughout the day,” says Asadi. “They’re super long-wearing, richly pigmented, and don’t smudge.” For maximum wear, she likes to apply the liner all over the lips as a base, skipping gloss or balm. “This gives you a clean, matte finish that lasts for hours without needing touch-ups, and that will take you through the day,” she adds.

Speaking of excellent staying power, Kattan is aware of the comparisons to other lip stains, particularly KIKO Milano’s Long Lasting Color Lip Marker, $14.50, and CoverGirl’s Outlast Lip Stain, $11.99. Ahmed has used the latter — and she has thoughts: “While it’s beautiful and effective, it lacks the conditioning agents and flexible film formers that would add to the user’s comfort,” she says. Adding, “CoverGirl also relies on a high-alcohol system for quick drying, which is effective but may feel drier over time.” However, Ahmed doesn’t think we’d notice the difference if we were only using the stains as lip liners, rather than all over the lips.

Likewise, Kattan maintains that the Lip Contour Stain is different — in the best way: “We’re not here to give you the same products as other brands,” she said in her video. “Once you get the use right, I’m confident you’re going to love it.”

With the right technique and storage, the Lip Contour Stain can deliver on its long-wear promise, but for many, a lip product that demands more effort might not feel worth the payoff.