We Tested the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil — Here’s Our Honest Review.

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The heart wants what it wants, and right now, ours are beating for Selena Gomez’s latest beauty launch. Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil debuted just over a month ago, and WWD Shop editors put it through rigorous testing to pen this honest review.

Lip oils are a trending category for lip care. According to a Glimpse trend report from February 2023, internet searches for lip oil have increased 116 percent in the past year. On TikTok, #LipOil has garnered over 1.4 billion views to date. Combine this increased interest in lip oils with the Gomez’s star power, and Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil has become a roaring success since launching in late March, with nearly 295 million views on TikTok and a handful of shades already selling out.

But here’s the thing: This Rare Beauty lip product launch isn’t your typical glossy, clear lip oil. The texture is distinctive — you have to feel it to fully understand — and the color payoff is rich. These qualities grabbed our attention when product samples landed our desks at the WWD offices a month ago, and we’ve been testing this lip oil ever since. Our testing review includes all the details you need to determine if Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil is worth incorporating in your lip color wardrobe, plus more information on the formula’s key ingredients, color payoff, and wear time throughout the day.

Ahead, a breakdown of our month-long testing experience with Rare Beauty’s new tinted lip oil.

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Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil: Editor Testing Review

Four WWD Shop editors have been testing Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil over the course of a month. If you’re in the market for a nearly translucent oil that drenches your lips, this isn’t it. Rather, the Rare Beauty Tinted Lip Oil is more like a hydrating sheer stain. Each of our testers agree that this lip oil has a confounding feel — the texture is like a wet balm at first swipe, then it dries down to mimic a classic hydrating lipstick or stain. We test a lot of lip oils, and we’ve never come across one that feels so cushiony and delivers such long-lasting color.

On your lips, Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil has a slight sheen versus a high-shine effect you get from lip glosses. If you want a little more shine, simply wait for the initial shine to fade and layer on a gloss or balm. We were able to top off the lip oil with many different balms and glosses without misplacing the pigments.

Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil applies like butter on hydrated lips, but it can settle into fine lines if your lips are chapped or extra dry. (We had great results using our best lip scrubs and a light lip balm before application.) Our testers also noted that the lip oil fades evenly throughout the course of the day you wear it. No streaks or uneven flecks of color — just a stain that slowly vanishes throughout the hours after application. Once the initial sheen has faded away, the lip oil doesn’t transfer or smudge while sipping and snacking.

Over the course of our month-long testing period, our editors haven’t noticed the formula dry out in the tube. We’re loving this Rare Beauty Lip Oil for long days at the office or big nights out — it doesn’t budge and leaves your lips looking flushed and healthy.

Is Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil Worth It?

This $20 tinted lip oil is pricier than your average drugstore lip glosses and balms, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a similar multitasking lip product at a lower cost. And because the Rare Beauty Tinted Lip Oil is so highly pigmented, just one dab is plenty to coat your lips. Our testers note that the lip oil leaves a residual stain that lasts for up to six hours, so reapplication is purely personal preference.

Beyond versatility and a long-wear finish, Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil also comes in a tightly edited range of eight shades. The colors run the gamut of gorgeous peachy pinks to mauves and rosy browns. You can’t go wrong when selecting a shade — that is, if you can get your hands on one.

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Meet the Author

Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for WWD and Footwear News. She’s spent over five years researching, reporting on, and writing about the beauty industry for publications like Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She’s tested hundreds of products during her time as a beauty editor, so she’s well-versed in selecting the products that make a meaningful difference in your skin and hair. Sullivan tested each color shade of Rare Beauty’s new tinted lip oil, including her favorite color shade Hope.

Meet the Rare Beauty Lip Oil Product Testers

Adam Mansuroglu is the Director of Commerce for Fairchild Media Group, both writing and top editing stories in WWD’s Shop vertical. Prior to his current role, the Brooklyn native has covered men’s and women’s fashion, footwear, beauty, and lifestyle trends for over 12 years. His writing and reporting has been featured in a number of publications such as Cosmopolitan Magazine, Men’s Health Magazine, and Out Magazine. From splurging at beauty stores to fix teen acne woes to years of previewing trending new products for editorial review, Mansuroglu has always thoroughly enjoyed testing the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil in color shades Joy and Happy, and he loved that just a tab of product can make his lips pop with color for over five hours.

Nikki Chwatt is the Style Commerce Editor for WWD and Footwear News, where she both writes and edits stories on the latest clothing, accessory, and shoe must-haves. As a New York City resident, she’s garnered a love for handbags, shoes, and garments as well as beauty and skincare products that will keep her skin protected during the changing seasons. As a result, she has tested many beauty products — including this lip oil from Rare Beauty in Affection and Serenity color shades — to see which ones work agree for her skin and hair type, and which may work better for others with different needs.

Olivia Cigliano is the Commerce Writer and Producer at WWD and Footwear News. She is a New York City-based fashion and lifestyle writer, riding the pulse of trends and digital culture. Her previous bylines can be found on CR Fashion Book and Elite Daily. When she’s not writing shopping content at WWD and FN, she can be found testing several makeup products found in the WWD office or at her local Sephora, including this new tinted lip oil from Rare Beauty.

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