For the past month, I've been living a lie. Whenever someone asked me what my favorite product for lips is, I'd tell them whatever comes to mind. (As a beauty editor, this is a daily occurrence.) Sometimes, I blurt out the Milk Makeup Lip Color in Wavey; other times, it's the Clarins Water Lip Stain in Red Water. Both are amazing, but the fact of the matter is that my favorite lip product at the moment is the brand-new Innisfree Vivid Creamy Tint. However, I've been using it in secret simply because I haven't been able to tell anyone about it until today. But now that a dozen gorgeous shades of my new K-beauty fave are officially launching, I can officially live my truth.

Back in July, I caught New York City-based makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes working with these new Innisfree lip products on set. After seeing it on models and swatching it on my hand, I may or may not have begged K-beauty brand Innisfree to let me experiment with them before they launched in the U.S. Every day since I got my hands on a couple shades of the Vivid Creamy Tints, they've been a staple in my makeup routine. The reason I keep going back to them is because they go through two phases: high-shine gloss and long-lasting tint.

The Formula

Due to its unique formula, the Vivid Creamy Tint evolves with wear. Its initial texture is unlike any other lip product I've used before. Neither gloss nor balm matches up to it. The closest comparison I can come up with is the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil. Both are like coating your lips in Jell-O. I swear that's a good thing because like the childhood gelatin snack, the Vivid Creamy Tint isn't sticky at all but still reflective and glassy like a gloss. Plus, it has a fun, fruity scent. Unlike the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil, which gives lips the faintest wash of color, the Vivid Creamy Tint has the opacity of a liquid lipstick.

Phase two of the Vivid Creamy Tint commences after your second cup of coffee — it's not completely transfer-proof, but the glossiness will withstand your first. All bets are off with your next iced mocha, though. The shine will start wearing off, but a long-lasting lip stain will be left behind. (At that point, you won't leave a mark on your cup, meaning you can kiss whoever you want without leaving behind evidence.) It even outlasts triple-cleansing, including two rounds of Banila Co Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm. Here's proof:

The Application Technique

You can bypass the gloss phase entirely and go straight for the tint by dabbing the product on the center of your lips and blending it outward with your finger. This method will help you achieve the popular blurred lip look.

My favorite way to apply the Vivid Creamy Tint is inspired by K-pop group Seventeen. Its members typically concentrate color and glossiness on the center of their lips. To recreate the look, I only swipe the product onto the center of my lips. Then, I smack my lips together a couple time to help spread the color out a bit but still let it have its shine moment. With this technique, you don't have to worry about applying it precisely. I often wear it all over my lips, too, for a bolder vibe.

The Shade Selection

As far as lip tints go, Innisfree's newest one has a pretty extensive shade range. You could go as light as a soft peach or as dark as a burgundy. There are also several pinks and reds in between. My favorites are 9, which is a blue-toned maroon, and 11, which is a rich raspberry that reminds me of the hue several members of Seventeen wore in "Oh My". (I also caught S.Coups with a similar shade backstage at KCON LA.)

On top of all this, the Innisfree Vivid Creamy Tint is $12. You can shop all 12 shades now on us.innisfree.com.

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