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Ilia's New Lip Crayon Will Replace All Your Other Lipsticks and Lip Liners—It's That Good

You can line, define, and fill in with this one lip product.

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Published on May 14, 2024 05:00PM EDT

Ilia Lip Sketch Hydrating Lip Crayon Launch — Photo:
Real Simple / Marcus Millan

With the hot, sticky summer weather threatening to make my go-to glossier lip formulas slide off my face, I've been considering a switch to matte lip colors. I love the look and longevity of a good matte lipstick, but the drying effect on my already-parched lips feels more like a punishment than a power move. A hydrating yet velvety matte formula may seem paradoxical, but Ilia's new Lip Sketch Hydrating Crayon delivers high-impact color, lasting power, and the ability to also ditch your lip liner for good without compromising comfort. Thanks to the crayon's unique pencil casing, it's precise enough to use to outline your mouth, but also rich and creamy enough to fill them in with color in just a few swipes.

The combo of hyaluronic acid, hydrating sea succulent, conditioning rosehip oil, and plumping seaweed extract imparts a soft finish and high pigment color that lasts up to 12 hours. And the versatility of this lightweight lip crayon makes it worth the $26 price tag; you can line, sculpt, and fill in your pout with moisturizing color with just one product that managed to stay budge-proof through my eating and drinking (even through a three-course Italian dinner). The formula transferred a bit, but I still had a good amount of color that required little touch-up by the end of my meal.

Ilia Lip Sketch Hydrating Crayon

Buy Now $26

Like a traditional pencil, this lippie demands a large sharpener to keep the tip precise, but I used the crayon many times before needing to actually sharpen it. Despite the stubby shape of the pencil, I didn't find the formula messy even when using a blunt tip to apply it. It still glided on so effortlessly, and the creamy texture slightly blurred the fine lines on my mouth, too.

A total of 12 shades were unveiled with the new product launch, ranging from mauve to brick red to a warm brown that’s great for various skin tones. The brand sent me free samples of its beige pink, mauve brown, and cool cherry red to test—all gorgeous shades that I'd typically wear. Without using any other balm or definers, I was elated to see that the colors never smeared or feathered in the balmy Ohio climate, whether or not I used them to also line my lips beforehand. Now I know I'll be reaching for these when the next heatwave arrives!

Cut your lip routine in half and kiss cakey texture goodbye with Ilia's fresh Lip Sketch Hydrating Crayon that seamlessly applies onto your lips. Below are five more of my favorite shades worth getting your hands on.