Vincent Longo • Lip Cheek Gel Stain in My Sunshine • Lips

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birdyb on 6/4/2012 12:55:00 PM more reviews by birdyb

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

This is a really lovely lip stain. I've been looking for it for a long time - both online and in brick and mortar stores- to no avail. It finally popped back up and I jumped. Nice natural red/bitten lip stain that makes your cheeks look nicely flushed. A lovely no-makeup look. $18 is a bit pricey, but if it helps me pare down my makeup bag, well-
I'm also a fan of the lip stain lipstick in Americana- it was my go-to spf lip balm/color/treatment for my beach trip and I anticipate using it all summer at the pool.

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*TOP REVIEWER* harmonyjensen on 2/29/2012 7:28:00 PM more reviews by harmonyjensen

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Would I buy this again? Yes, Yes, Yes...Yes! I love this lip stain so much. It's definitely my HG lip color. My Sunshine was the first color I bought and it's PERFECT! It's a warmer red that just looks beautiful with my skin tone. The doe foot applicator is super easy to use and applies like a dream. This never dries out my lips or look like I painted my mouth with a marker (I'm looking at you, Cover Girl). It's not watery either, like Benetint or The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Stain. Those wear off on me and look like I have pink liner around my lips later in the day. I just love this with all of my heart. I've yet to branch out to other colors, as I love My Sunshine so much, but I think I may have to try some more. They are pricey, but I literally use this everyday, so it's worth it to me! I highly recommend this!

I am sad that Sephora no longer carries the Vincent Longo line. I now buy mine from the Beauty 360 site on CVS.com. I always find a coupon code too!

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*TOP REVIEWER* AmyDbaby on 8/23/2010 1:33:00 PM more reviews by AmyDbaby

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

My all-time favorite cheek stain! This is a warmer red, warmer than Liquid Kiss for sure (which is also beautiful and my second favorite.) I only use this on my cheeks because stains just don't last on my lips but this give a gorgeous red flush to my cheeks like no other product. I apply with a damp 188 (dry give a bit too much color) and it blends beautifully into the skin. I then top with mineral foundation or TM. I hate Sephora for getting rid of this line. It's kind of hard to find now but I will go wherever I have to go to repurchase this because I just love it.

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skylark on 8/23/2010 12:55:00 PM more reviews by skylark

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I havent used many gel stains so I can't compare but I do know that I wish all lip stains were so easy to use!! most long lasting lip stains really dry out my lips and if I put a gloss or chapstick on top it just looks like I have way too much going on on my lips. But this gel stain isn't drying at all! It just delivers really natural looking, very gradually building lip color! It looks like I just ate a cherry popsicle... Hopefully this will last me a long time because at the price I don't wanna have to repurchase too soon ;)

UPDATE: I've had this for about two years now and am on my last third of it. This is quite impressive because for the first year I literally used a swipe of it everyday to make me look more awake and healthy. I wish it came in better variety of colors! Out of all my lip products this is definitely the best one for staying power and texture and it doesn't make my lips look all wrinklely

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*TOP REVIEWER* Noboho on 8/9/2010 11:02:00 AM more reviews by Noboho

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium Brown, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This is one of the best stains out there. I first bought this about three years ago. It goes on like a neutral red. The color is gorgeous. It has lovely lasting power and never dried out my lips. I love the packaging. It's uncomplicated and the black touches look very stylish, very New York. It reminds me of Bobbi Brown's Ruby Sheer and Face Stockholm's Cranberry Veil. It's like a blend of those two lipsticks in stain form. I'm so saddened this line was taken out of Sephora. In the last year my fave products have either been discontinued or increasingly hard to find. This is a stain I'm willing to track down as long as possible.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* mrsbigsky on 2/28/2010 12:40:00 AM more reviews by mrsbigsky

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I have owned this for years. I'm sure I should throw it away but I barely used it when I first bought it and now I like it. (This happens regularly to me as I'm a makeup junkie.) I agree that it is a warmer red and the application is easy. It still looks great, so you know this stuff lasts. It also has a great scent to it even after after owning it for over two years.

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ichorous on 3/7/2009 2:30:00 PM more reviews by ichorous

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

After purchasing two other VL lip stains (liquid kiss and angels's touch) I decided to go for a warmer tone as they usually suit me better (nc15 with mac as a reference)

My sunshine is my favourite of the three. It wakens up my face in a subtle way, draws attention to my lips, and adds a wonderful true red note to them.

Wears really well. The doe-foot applicator (that I usually hate) is perfect for a watery product like this.

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serenitydicarpio on 10/19/2008 1:45:00 PM more reviews by serenitydicarpio

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I am so glad I found this on MUA. I have been looking for a lip stain and found this. I went to Sephora and got My Sunshine, the shade that fit me the best. It's a very natural red that really flatters me. Like what the other readers said, it can be built up to be very dramatic. My lips stand out so much with this and my entire face looks much more alive and energized. My lips look so naturally stained that it doesn't seem like anything is on it. The staying power is quite good too. I use it when I go out/nighttime stuff and it slowly fades, but it's much better than what you would get from a lipstick/gloss. I cannot rave enough about this! Definite HG!!!

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LIZZ4 on 5/22/2008 6:10:00 PM more reviews by LIZZ4

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

MY holy grail! LOve this color...goes on a natural red but can build it up and it just wakes up my whole face! Love this product! Def a HG!

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Hez on 5/8/2008 11:16:00 AM more reviews by Hez

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brown, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

The color is absolutely perfect. It goes on sheer and natural looking, and as others have said it is easily buildable. I bought this to use on my lips (haven't tried cheeks yet), and I thought it was HG material until I looked in the mirror 5 minutes later. It had completley faded off.

I can't figure out if I'm doing something wrong or what. I applied it to clean, dry lips, and didn't put any balm over it. I finished getting dressed, walked by a mirror, and I couldn't even tell I had put anything on my lips.

Right now I can't decide if I want to return this or keep trying to play with it to see if I can make it work.

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*TOP REVIEWER* karrieleigh on 5/6/2008 8:47:00 PM more reviews by karrieleigh

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

Packaging: The packaging of this product is one of the main reasons I purchased this product. I have tried a few lipstains and all of them were so messy and difficult to apply. Lorac's has a rollerball and it was messy and leaky and a nightmare to apply. Benetint is in a bottle with a brush in the cap a la nail polish and it was difficult to get a precise application with it, and application is crucial to me in a stain. VL lipstains come in a tube similar to lipgloss so it's travel friendly, fairly leak resistant, and easy to apply with the doe-foot applicator.

Texture: This is a watery gel stain, and coupled with the doe-foot wand, it makes for really fool-proof application

Color: My Sunshine is a warm sheer brick red and is like a warm girl's MLBB type stain, but it can be built up to be quite dramatic. It's a very wearable shade for me, as i'm definitely on the warm side of neutral. This looks amazing with a little bronzer on your face. It looks especially good with Bonne Bell's Gel Bronzer in Golden Tan which has a bit of a red cast (makes a really believable sunkissed look with a little of the red sunburn you get on the tops of your cheeks and the top of your forehead and nose). I have not tried this as a cheek color, and I don't plan to as i'm not skilled with stains in that way, i always look blotchy and it really irritates me, lol.

Wear: This wears for about 4 hours for me if I am not eating, but it doesn't last through dinner for me. I need to try applying some powder before applying to get rid of any oil on my lips and that will probably help. This product is chock full of alcohol so it can be drying. You can wear a balm or gloss on top to moisten your lips and to create a little shine, but that will speed up the wearing off process. I like to apply the slightest bit of Korres Lip Butter or a MAC TLC on top for a light shine and moisture enhancer.

Price: USD$22.50 is pretty reasonable in my opinion for the amount you get, (.25 oz) and for the packaging and the unique color. I won't go through this very fast I don't think. TheBalm Stainiac is only $14, but i *think* there is less product. That product is a gel also but a little more thick, less liquidy, but there is no color in that range similar to My Sunshine. Lorac's stain is $19 for around the same amount as the VL but I will never buy that again as it is impossible to apply and very leaky and messy. If Lorac ever changes the packaging I would rebuy Sheer Luck again in a heartbeat.

My coloring is NC25(winter)-NC30(summer), Stila 20 Watts, dark brown hair, green eyes.

Overall: I would definitely purchase this product again because the color suits me very well and really helps me to define my un-pigmented and uneven lips and really bring them to the forefront of my look. I would like to try another shade in addition actually.

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taract on 1/2/2008 12:11:00 PM more reviews by taract

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I am so glad I finally bought this product. I have always loved the idea of a stain, as my lips and cheeks generally don't have much color to them. I've tried Benetint, Sonia Kashuk's version of Benetint, Sheer Bliss (which is essentially the same as the Benetint, just cheaper), and Tarte's Rise and Shine Plumping lip stain in Cherry. I don't know why I continued to buy these - they're all pretty much the same cool purply-pink, which really doesn't work that well on me. I'm still not quite sure if I'm "cool" or "warm," but I'm pretty sure that these cool fuschia stains are not ideal on me. (I was also disappointed by the benetint's and sonia kashuk's staying power - they swipe right off if you take a water-moistened tissue to them. kind of ridiculous for a "stain." The tarte at least stays around for awhile.)
I had considered Vincent Longo's stains for awhile, as there were so many colors in the line, but I chickened out on actually buying one until I got a 25 dollar gift certificate for xmas. I pounced right on My Sunshine and brought it home - and I have to say, the color is PERFECT. Not orangey or overly peachy, just a warm pinky-red that is ridiculously flattering. And it really does last on my lips, which is huge.
My only problem is getting it on evenly on my cheeks - I'm sure it takes practice, but its gets a little streaky on me, even though I have smooth, slightly oily skin. I'm thinking that my Aveeno moisturizer with sunscreen affects my blending abilities. When I blend too rigorously at a streak, it kind of pills off with what i'm guessing is residue from my moisturizer. Ugh.
I'm thinking that if I just stick to getting it on my apples somewhat evenly, I'll eventually get it with practice? If anyone has tips for me, let me know.

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*TOP REVIEWER* missnat on 11/9/2007 1:26:00 AM more reviews by missnat

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

This is my favorite of all of Longo's cheek/lip stains, by far. (I have all of them and they're all great, this is def. my fave brand for stain.) It's a warm, but not too orangey red that can look very natural if applied lightly, or dramatic with a heavier application. I have tried lots of different stains (lorac, eyeko, sephora, urban decay...) but have never come across a shade like this one. Very flattering.

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*TOP REVIEWER* syeung2 on 10/18/2007 9:20:00 PM more reviews by syeung2

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Product - Gel stain for lips and cheeks in a sheer warm-toned red - not too dark, not too orange, some might call this an even mix of orange and red. Wears like a sheer natural red on my AAB/NC25 skin. The texture is a thin gel - not runny but barely holds together as a gel, so it's relatively easy to work with. Application as blush is not a problem unless you don't like using your fingertips. Sets pretty quickly though, so practice a few times to get the hang of it. I put three dots on the apple of each cheek then blend out with my fingertips; I wash my hands quickly thereafter. The color is sheer enough to work for most and can look fairly natural unless you overapply; stains cheeks very nicely. Awesome color on my lips as well. Can be applied directly to lips, but for even coverage I put a dot on my bottom lip, rub my lips together, then smooth out with a fingertip; for deeper color, repeat. Not drying to the lips and the staying power is quite good, especially if topped with gloss. As with most liquid-y gel stains, your lips and skin should be in good condition, or properly exfoliated and moisturized first. This shade is listed on Sephora.com as "Only at Sephora" but it is also available through Beauty.com.


Packaging - Dark translucent bottle with black plastic lid. Lid houses a doe foot applicator wand. You can see the air bubble or level of product in the tube, but not really the shade inside, unless you check the label.


Overall - Great multi-purpose product. Requires careful application but then it lasts and lasts.

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sabby on 10/2/2007 4:05:00 PM more reviews by sabby

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

This is a pretty light red stain with warm undertones. I like the color because it is not too dark. Most stains are berry colored but this one is a yellow red which is unusual. I would recommend this for girls with warm/yellow undertones.

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robin72 on 9/11/2007 4:54:00 PM more reviews by robin72

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

Love this! I wear it daily on both my cheeks and lips. The price seemed steep and I almost didn't buy it, but it lasts such a long time it's totally worth it. On the lips it makes a nice base color. (I have fair, yellow toned skin.)

Often I use Clinique's Black Honey on top of it.

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romantica on 8/13/2007 4:12:00 PM more reviews by romantica

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

Don't be afraid of the dark color in the tube, this stain goes on sheer and gives an extremely natural look to the lips and cheeks!! I have a cool-toned, pale complexion, blue eyes, and red (died) hair, and this color suits me pretty well.


As a lip stain, it goes on nice and sheer with the first layer, but it is possible to adjust the intensity by layering on some more. The effect is absolutely wonderful!! Very natural, no matter how many layers you apply, and it lasts most of the day or night! The reason why lip stains top off any other long-lasting lip products, is because you don't get that heavy feel of a long-lasting lipstick glued to your lips, nor do you experience flaking. Stains do fade off gradually, but the effect stays completely natural and flattering!!! I haven't experienced much dryness with this, as I always top it off with lip gloss. With various tints of lip glosses it is possible to create so many wonderful combinations!!!


As a cheek stain, the effect of this stain is also very natural! Just dab a couple of dots to the apple of your cheek, and rub it outwards to spread it. You can layer it as much as you like, and this LASTS much longer than any powder blush!!!


TIP for the cheeks: remember not to take your finger off of your cheek while spreading the stain, this will avoid you having streaks!!!!


I'm usually picky with products but I will definitely be purchasing many MANY more of these!!!!!

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Cindy76 on 6/15/2007 11:04:00 PM more reviews by Cindy76

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

I must admit I am fearful of stains bc I don't usually wear loud make up. However, this stain is a liquid (rather than a gel) and the initial application is very light/sheer so it looks natural. The stain is pricey but worth it. The stain lasts all day. I repeatedly add lip balm and it doesn't wear off. The stain gave me a "flushed" look.

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*TOP REVIEWER* sweetcaroline on 4/30/2007 7:25:00 PM more reviews by sweetcaroline

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This is a limited edition shade only available at Sephora (for now). I already owned Liquid Kiss, so I knew that these stains last longer than most. My sunshine is a more neutral YLBB whereas Liquid Kiss was bright bitten red on my lips. My sunshine imparts a natural "bite" to your lipcolor without being too bright. I top it off with gloss. Lasts most of the day. I hope they add this to their permanent collection.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No