January 31, 2017

NYX Epic Ink Lip Dye Review & Swatches

I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

NYX Epic Ink Lip Dye ($6.99) is a new lightweight, pigmented lip stain that was introduced with the NYX Spring 2017 Collection in 12 shades. I used to love lip stains! They were seriously the only thing I used on my lips back in the day. Nowadays I’m more of a lipgloss girl but lip stains still hold a special spot in my heart.

Like many brands NYX seems to have been inspired a bit by Korean makeup and beauty trends as lip stains particularly ones that give you a gradient look are all the rage in Korea. I personally don’t like the look, it reminds me of a corpse. Sorry!? Eep! I do however, like long wearing lip stains so, that’s why I purchased this one. I was surprised at the poor reviews this one got as I ended up liking it a lot!

Here are my thoughts and review.

NYX Epic Ink Lip Dye (0.25 oz) comes housed in a round barrel with an attached doe foot applicator for application. NYX launched these in 12 very bold, pigmented shades and surprisingly I’m hearing a lot of ranting about this. Apparently people wanted something a little more natural. For some reason, I found this interesting as most people rant about sheerness of a product not the fact that it’s too pigmented. Another issue seems to be with the formula being too watery and difficult to apply. Neither of these issues were a problem for me. I actually had a good run with this product with a one minor quirk I’ll tell you about shortly.

This formula is indeed a very watery and thin texture. It’s pretty standard in the Korea world for lip stain to sport such a formula and apparently this caused application issues for many people. Personally, I didn’t experience an issue but maybe that’s because I’ve used so many different lip stains that application is second nature at this point. I thought it applied fine and i also builds easily as well. Apply a single layer, swipe a few times with the applicator, and follow up with another layer using the same technique and build as needed. I have drier lips but not finer lines on or around my lips so, I had no issues with migration or feathering. Color was very smooth on my dry lips and didn’t stick to the drier areas around my lips and believe me I have pretty dry lips. The color looked smooth and very even not to mention it wears like a champ. I can drink, eat, and talk without color fading or losing intensity through a good six hour period. Although, I will say the color feels a little drier at around hour four and pills a little at hour seven and starts to cling to the drier areas on my lips at this point. But the initial six hours color remains fairly smooth and transfer and budget proof (my swatch below is nearly a day after I applied to my arm and still going strong after two showers). I didn’t notice any flavor or fragrance in this formula.

If you’re used to using lip stains you should be very successful with NYX Epic Ink Lip Dye especially Asian formulas. However, if you’re not really a daily lip stain user you might struggle a little bit with the thin, watery texture of the formula but I don’t think there’s a major learning curve here, you should be able to learn the application and building technique very easily!

I liked NYX Epic Ink Lip Dye! It’s quite long wearing and has a very nice pop of color. And if the Korean gradient lip looks are your thing, you can def embrace the look with this formula.

NYX Epic Ink Lip Dye is available now at Ulta.com.

Tried it already?

Do share your thoughts!

I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Aneiren

    The gradient thing SO DOES look like a corpse! Like embalming fluid gone wrong.

  • Katie

    I’ve been looking at these on the NYX website for a couple weeks now because I love lip stains! Thank you for the review! I will definitely go pick one up. Which color is this? Did I miss the name somewhere?

  • Amy Baldwin

    Thank you for the review , I think the lip stain look is pretty.
    I’ll be buying some of these

  • Lorraine. E.R

    Pretty!! Oh man, I used to love my DuWop lip venom stain, in the tin. It was a similar color to this but less intense (though you could build it!) It smelled a little like red-hots candy. Do you remember it?? I used a lot of stains around that time but that was my fave BC it was least drying. Also I noticed a lot of my stains were either the same shade on my lips or all similar reds and berry shades plus then my lips got more dry over time so they don’t always play well as I’d like with my lips. Ah well!
    This is pretty though and it looks FAB on you! Is it glossy or did you add gloss?

  • Liz

    Some of the people who disliked this product were probably trying to use it as a liquid lipstick, not a stain. Because the dye or staining power on this product is so strong, it’s very easy to accidentally stain your gums, teeth, or tongue, even after the product has dried down on the lips. I recommend removing most of the product after the stain has set before going about your day, especially for the darker colors. Unlike the liquid lipsticks that a lot of women wear in the US, this stuff re-liquefies when you lick your lips and can end up staining things that you didn’t want stained.

    • Isabella Muse

      Thankfully I didn’t experience transfer issues after it set. But I did blot and build color and blot and build color during application! I was confused by the rants because I thought it held up wel!

  • Zovesta

    I hate the gradient lip thing too… it’s to make fuller lips seem smaller, but being as American as they come, I’m of the mindset the fuller the better, so it just doesn’t appeal to me at all. =S

    That being said, I do like lip stains! And this one looks fabulous on you. I might have to pick this one up! =D Thanks for the review, Muse!!

    • Isabella Muse

      Yeah, totally have the same American mentality that plumper is better but Asian’s think thinner is more doll-like and appealing! I get it but the gradient lip look isn’t doll-like to me, more like a corpse. Aw my pleasure dear!

  • Jessa

    I love these too. I was looking for an old Tarte lip stain that has been discontinued, but this is even better and a third of the cost! You can have bold lips and they don’t transfer to your teeth (a big issue since I talk a lot at work). I just swiped it carefully on dry clean lips, and it dries really fast and doesn’t bleed. The color is more intense on lips than when I swatched them on my hand at the store. And this stuff does not come off until you want it to! If my lips are feeling dry, I apply this first, let it completely dry, then add a layer of tinted lip balm over. Liquid lipsticks are all the rage, but they don’t work for me.