We Tested The TikTok-Famous Sacheu Lip Stain

As much as I tried not to be, I was shocked by how it looked initially on my lips. I went for a mauve color, one of 10 shades available, and at first it appeared black, not the pinky brown that I was expecting for the final result. The liner is thick, with a semi-sticky texture, so as I ran the doe-foot applicator along my lips, I struggled to get a continuous line of pigment.

I experimented with both liner-only and a full-lip approach, coloring in the empty middle space with pigment, too — and I quickly learned that if the pigment went on patchy, it would look patchy when I peeled it off, so I made a point to re-dip the applicator and fill any sparse patches.

Once you’ve applied the goo, it’s time to wait while the color works its magic. That “magic” is actually water-soluble pigment, explained cosmetic chemist Rachel Johnson. Picture the dye being carried by water, so it can penetrate the lips and bind to the skin, rather than just sitting on top like a traditional lip liner would, she said.

But the peeling off serves a purpose too, as a sort of “chemist’s hack,” Johnson said, to increase the time during which the dye sits on the lips. If there were no peel, the wearer may wipe it off prematurely, she said, which could compromise the long-lasting capabilities. Of course, you can wipe off the product before it has fully dried, but sweeping away globs of half-wet-half-dry lip stain is a messy move (and yes, I tried it).

It’s not always easy to know whether the goo is ready to be peeled off. In my testing, I liked to mouth the sounds “oooo” and “weee” as a gut check — if the product was ready to be peeled, it would crinkle, and the edges would curl up, revealing a tab to pull on. If it wasn’t ready, the lip movement would highlight spots that were still damp.

Some applications peeled away with ease — in one seamless strip — while others came off in pieces. I often had to blot away lingering flecks with a tissue or a cotton round, which proved to be a gentler approach than picking it away with my fingers.

Johnson told me to let the fresh color set for a minute or two before drinking water or applying lip gloss or lipstick on top. When I tried waiting for that extra setting time, I noticed that the pigment lasted longer, so I recommend doing the same.

It’s clear that some precision work is involved, which is true for any lip liner, but unfortunately, this applicator is much larger than your average pencil, and its size proved to be a hurdle for some of our five testers.

One tester, editor Rory Evans, a seasoned beauty writer and masterful product tester, said the applicator was too big for her lips, forcing her to abandon the line approach in favor of an all-over application. Another tester, writer Frances Solá-Santiago, said the applicator was “too thick and plushy” and that “the applicator just doesn’t have the same control as a lip pencil does.”

That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to use on thinner lips — Frances was still able to create a neat line along her lips — but it may be easier to use for those with larger or more well-defined lips.