Now and then, an under-the-radar makeup category bursts its way to the forefront, and the latest is lip tints. Much like lipstick’s evolution from a sturdy bullet to endless forms, shapes and finishes, that same ubiquitousness is now happening for this buzzy category. Some lip tints are more in the lip balm family, packed with skin-care ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and shea butter, with a hint of, you guessed it—tint to give your lips a little oomph. Other lip tints sit closer to a lipstick or go a step further toward a lip stain, leaving a hue of color hours after you applied it, maybe even after lunch.
In the spirit of the lip tint’s popularity, which is currently at an all-time high—tinted lip serums, one of the category’s fastest-growing formats, have seen searches jump nearly 302 percent year-over-year, according to Spate’s Popularity Index—we rounded up the best lip tints of 2026. Our editors used years of experience testing formulations, dove into our respective beauty closets to try and test, and scoured beauty retailers to determine which ones have landed cult status among shoppers. Keep scrolling to discover your new favorite.
