ELF Lip Stain Pink Petal: Review + Lip Swatches!

I have never quite been brave enough to try a staining product of any sorts. I tried the Covergirl lipstick in Hot and that stained my lips like no other, I'm not kidding, I couldn't get the red off even after exfoliating! It was bad. That made me not want to try staining products, and also, I don't like dry products so I just knew to stay away from stains. Well, I couldn't resist the urge to try the ELF ones because they were only $2. I thought this would be a great chance to experiment.

For reference this is part of the essentials line and comes in four shades. Pink petal was the brightest shade they offered so I picked it up since it is spring and that makes me think of bright colors.

Pigmentation: Honestly, I feel the color payoff for this was really wimpy. It barely transfers to my lips unless I layer it up a bunch. I would hope the deeper colors would be more pigmented but I haven't tried them yet. Will keep you updated when I do.
Longevity: I must say, this isn't a super long wearing stain. Color starts to fade after 2 hours, and after 4 it is basically all worn off.
Application: This has the typical marker style tip that really feels dry until you really rub it onto your lips.
Formulation: Typical stain. Very dry but doesn't make the lips look overly flaky. Other Cons: I feel like these dry out SUPER quickly. Even at $2, these could get pretty spendy if you need to keep repurchasing them all the time. I think I have had better luck storing them sideways instead of upside though, so if you know which works better for this product, let me know!

I have found the most effective way for me to wear these is with a lip balm on top. When I put my EOS lip balm over top, I think it does look great. I like that this is a completely hassle free lip product because I can't feel the product on my lips, which means it looks like I'm not wearing a thing which I love. Adding the lip balm on top just makes it not become too drying. I'm in love with wearing a product that does not wear off because it makes it very work appropriate.

Without

With

I have very poorly pigmented lips, so this gives me color which I really appreciate :) While the overall quality I think is very poor, I do like this product just because it works well enough for me and it is hassle free! If you are use to other stains that perform well, I recommend staying away from this one. Otherwise if you just want a little bit of color like I do, I think they are worth a shot for $2!

I'd love for you to share your thoughts with me on this product :) Also, I want to try more lip stains now! Suggestions would be HIGHLY appreciated!
Ashley