Stainiac is my favourite lip stain. It comes in three pretty, quite natural-looking shades. It has slightly buildable colour, doesn't dry out my lips and stays on a really long
time. I will be buying Stainiac for life!

I like the natural look of this stain, and it isn't drying. Unfortunately, it doesn't do much staining, and that's the wheel point of a lip stain. Fades very quickly. Will not repurchase.

lots of people here have said this product is drying on the lips and does not have enough tint.
i disagree, but it depends on what you are looking for.

first - i have medium-dark olive toned skin with yellow undertones. so, i'm probably darker than the majority of reviewers here.
even so - this product DOES SHOW UP and nicely.

i have been using "Beauty Queen" since about 2008. Before that i used Benetint. i'm a permanent convert unless they discontinue Stainiac.

Things to know:
this is NOT a pigment - it is a TINT or stain (a true one). it's not a super-sticky, super-matte, semi-perm "long-lasting" liquid or creme pigment like many lip/cheek stains. it is water-based with a gel-like in texture.
it is just a bit "sticky" when compared to a pure liquid product like Benetint but it "dissolves" into the skin on contact and, in my opinion, is superior to a liquid. there is no streaking.
there is no need to hurriedly apply and blend it in order to avoid a hard edge and uneven tint (something that can happen with Benetint)
it does "layer" (to an extent) - ie, if you put on a little you get a little tint. if you put on more, you get a little more tint, etc. you can achieve the just-barely "sun-kissed" look or you can push it to the "i just drank a whole bottle of wine" look.

personally, i love that "flushed" look (not full-on alcoholic, but almost there). it's the same effect i get naturally by drinking a glass or two of wine (i'm part Asian). people seem to notice (and for whatever reason, men in particular seem to respond to that kind of flush - go figure...)

So for those of you looking for a TINT/STAIN that is light-weight and NATURAL-appearing i do not think that you will be disappointed.
if you are actually looking for something with high impact color or a strong hue or something with color that can be easily gradated, then you probably want a creme or powder. Even Benetint can get pretty dark with enough layers. Stainiac doesn't go into "goth" territory.
it's stays in "young girl flush" territory (and who doesn't want that?). not sure if i can say this here, but it makes one look like they just had a VERY good time (if you get my meaning).

as for longevity: not the best on the lips (not the worst) - just "pretty good". it lasts until you eat, drink or lick your lips a few times. on the cheeks - GREAT longevity (IMO anyway; when i apply to my cheeks it stays until i wash my face or i start crying or sweating profusely --- i have combination to oily skin)

LOVE IT. Worth the price (when you consider other products that are similar).

I like this stain. It looks pretty natural, but it fades after a little while so you have to keep applying it throughout the day. Also, use a lip balm with it, since most stains tend to be rather drying.

theBalm's Stainiac is a gel tint for cheeks and lips. Three shades are available, I have Beauty Queen, described by theBalm as a sheer berry pink. This shade is considered to be a dupe of Benefit's BeneTint. theBalm is a San Francisco based, vintage themed brand known for it's high quality products with suggestive, sexy, or quirky names. I got this cheek and lip tint in a swap from my friend Mariah who got it in a Birchbox a couple months ago. I'm so glad that she sent me this product because I was really jealous of everyone know got it in their Birchbox. The full size of this product contains .3fl oz for $17. I have a .04fl oz deluxe sample. As far as I know theBalm can only be bought online at the brand's website, and very frequently on Haute Look, but on the rare occasion you can find a few products at Marshall's or TJ Maxx. theBalm is a cruelty free brand. This product was made in the USA.
theBalm's Stainiac comes packaged like a lip gloss. A clear plastic tube with a grey plastic cap. The name of the product is written on the front of the tube in grey lettering. Some company info and a short warning can be found on the back. Stainiac has a doe foot application that makes applying this product to the lips very convenient, but not so much on the cheeks. Some may not be comfortable using the doe foot applicator on both the face and lips due to potential contamination. I don't really care, mainly because this is a sample size.
Application for the lips is no different from any gloss, so I won't explain. For the cheeks, I dot the product on with the applicator, just two little dabs, then blend in with my fingers. This cheek tint is really blendable, in fact theBalm describes the formula as water based, saying that its "designed to give you more time before the stain sets" helping you avoid the "dreaded streaks that most tints leaves behind". Oh yes, those streaks. They plague my less than smooth cheeks. This tint is in fact streak free. I'm pretty sure that's miraculous.
While I greatly appreciate the longer dry time on the cheeks, it's really, really annoying on the lips. Beauty Queen is really sticky and uncomfortable on the lips. Then it dries down...and dries out, for extra discomfort. All the downsides of a lip stain. At least it's comfortable, lightweight, and non drying on the cheeks. I get a fairly average two hours of wear from this lip stain, and a full days worth of color as a cheek stain.
Beauty Queen is a very sheer berry toned pinkish red. Very Sheer. It looks good on my already pigmented lips, but on my naturally flushed pink cheeks it barely shows up at all. I can detect a slight tint, but no real color payoff. I guess that's great if I'm going for a very natural look, but I'd really prefer it to show up more. I feel like it's a little pointless to apply it if it's nearly the exact same color as my perpetually rosy cheeks. So is Beauty Queen a dupe for the much more expensive Benetint? No. They're similar, but Beauty Queen is is cooler, pinker, and believe it or not, more pigmented than Benetint, at least from what I can see in swatches. I haven't tried Benetint aside from swatching it at Sephora.
I like theBalm's Stainiac in Beauty Queen but it's not working out for me quite as well as I had hoped. Its a good product, but just a little..unbalanced? The texture is good for cheeks but not lips. Pigmentation is better suited for lips not cheeks. See what I mean? It just isn't quite there, a problem that many multi-use products suffer from. Lasting power is decent across the board though. I wouldn't purchase a full size tube of theBalm's Stainiac in Beauty Queen, but I'm really glad I got a chance to try it, my curiosity never would've been satisfied otherwise. This product is probably better suited to those with less pigmented lips and cheeks.

This product makes my lips go numb instantly, as if Novocain was injected into my lips. Maybe this is due to a plumping ingredient in the product that just doesn't work well with me? I really do love this color on the lips, though, which saddens me because the numbing sensation is hard to overlook. I'm fairly pale. Not alabaster, but lighter than most. This product has a better color payoff than Benetint by Benefit, which is great for the lips, but it looks feverish on my cheeks even with the smallest amount. If you're very pale, I'd suggest going with Benetint because it won't have the tendency to make you look sickly. The application of the product is great as well-the gel formula and doe foot applicator are superior to the packaging of Benetint. Just my opinions. Hope it helps. –A

I own this in Beauty Queen (more berry pink on my pigmented lips) and Prom Queen (more reddish pink) and I love this product!

I have tried a lot of lip stains and this one is by far my favorite, for two main reasons:

1) pigmentation: just enough! it gives noticeable color but not too much

2) dryness: my lips look soft and healthy, not dry and crepey, unlike other lipstains often do

the wand applicator is good too, so I can get a good outline to my lips while still having some blending leeway (unlike marker type stains)

I have tried so many lip stains in the cosmetics market. Every single one I have used has been a disappointment except this one. The color is similar the the famous Benefit's Benetint, except this stain is actually of better quality. The consistency is more gel-like rather than a liquid, which I like. The pigmentation is greater and lasts a great deal longer than any other stain. The finish is natural, but not natural to the point where it looks like the product had no affect on you. It gives a great subtle color to the lips/cheek. Great for minimal makeup.

This product is awesome!! Im obsessed!! It seriously looks so natural on my cheeks its amazing. Plus, I love how it looks on my lips too! Its not red, but more of a berry color, and I normally don't like colors like that on my lips, but I can pull this off and it looks really nice.

I noticed some people said they got this at TJMaxx or Marshall's, and so did I! I got mine at Marshall's in a set for only $12.99!! Set included Bahama Mama bronzer, Hot Mama powder blush, and Cheater mascara. What a steal!!

I love all the products but stainiac is my absolute favorite! Once I run out of the product, I have no problem even paying full price for at Ulta for $17.00.

i got this in a set with Bahama Mama and Hot Mama at TJ Maxx for i believe $23. The color it came with is called Beauty Queen. It's a true pink that can be built up to the intensity of hot pink. I have to layer this on twice before i actually achieve a bright enough color that i like on my cheek.
Though it does look cute put straight on the apple of the cheek after another blush has been put.
It layers well on top of powder. It doesn't move or mess up the base underneath it. The stain is a gel that has a nice drying time so you don't get streaks while blending.

Overall a nice product. I do wish i had picked up Prom Queen instead. Beauty Queen just takes a bit too much work to get color