Most people swipe NYX Lip IV on, admire the shine and stop there. The stain only shows up if you blot, and whether you blot decides what the product does for you that day.
NYX Professional Makeup sells it as a hybrid lip gloss and stain, so some tint stays on the lips after the gloss wears off. Outline the lips with a liner first, then sweep the doe-foot applicator from the center outward in a single thin pass.
The longevity claim on NYX’s own product page is about hydration, not color. That means the gloss and the stain wear off on separate schedules. Etos and Haarspullen both restate the claim on their listings as wear time, one for the gloss and one for the stain.
How to Apply NYX Lip IV Step by Step
NYX sells it as a one-swipe product, so the first pass is the one that counts. Liner first, then the center of the lips and outward, then you decide whether it stays glossy or gets blotted.
- Outline the lips with a lip liner in a tone close to your shade.
- Use the drip-shaped doe-foot applicator straight from the tube. It is built to deliver a dosed amount.
- Place the first swipe at the center of the lips and work outward.
- Check the coverage before reaching for more product.
- Add a second thin coat only where the color looks patchy.
- Leave it as a gloss, or blot it for a stain (covered in the next section).
Retailer copy on Haarspullen and Perfumes Club both tell buyers to start at the center of the lips. The liner step comes from NYX’s own instructions, repeated on the Superdrug and Chemist Warehouse listings.
A liquid gloss has no firm edge of its own, so the outline does the containing. If your liner technique is rusty, a guide to applying the liner cleanly makes this step easier.
The usual mistake is a heavy first coat. One Beauty Bay reviewer says it goes on “super thick” even though it is advertised as a sheer wash. Dry lips make it worse, and a Lyko reviewer reports the color turning uneven through the day when thick layers land on dry lips.
Thin first, build second.
How to Wear NYX Lip IV as Gloss or Stain
Leave the product on for a high-shine gloss, or blot it off for a soft, natural-looking stain. According to the Beauty Bay product description, the formula builds from a sheer wash of color up to an intense wet-shine finish.
Gloss mode
One thin layer is the whole technique. The shine lasts as long as the gloss film stays on the lips, and more color comes from a second layer in the center rather than a thicker first coat.
For a sheer tint, a Walmart reviewer swipes once on the bottom lip, presses the lips together and blends with a fingertip. The result, in that reviewer’s words, is a subtle tint that still stains and lasts a few hours.
Blot-off stain mode
A reply on Lyko’s product page puts the wait at 1 to 2 minutes, then a tissue blot.
The stain half of the formula behaves like a classic lip stain, with pigment staying on the lips after the gloss film comes off. That is why blotting works at all.
Apply, wait 1 to 2 minutes and press a tissue over the lips. Repeat if you want more intensity. Darker shades usually leave a clearer stain, according to the same Lyko reply.
The 10-minute method
NYX Australia’s product copy, as listed by Chemist Warehouse, calls it a pro tip: let the gloss sit for 10 minutes, then wipe off to reveal an even, long-lasting stain. The Spanish listing on Perfumes Club gives the same instruction and says it produces a more intense stain.
| Method | Wait | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 10-minute rest | 10 minutes, then wipe | NYX copy (Chemist Warehouse, Perfumes Club) |
| Quick blot | 1 to 2 minutes, blot, repeat | Lyko product page reply |
| Gloss only | None | NYX instructions |
Run the 10-minute version once to see the strongest a shade gets. If that is brighter than you wanted, drop to the quick blot, since reviewers on Beauty Bay report stains coming out brighter than expected.
What Is in NYX Lip IV and How Does the Formula Behave?
Magnesium, vitamin B12 and coconut water sit on top of a wet-shine pigment base. Each tube holds 5 ml (0.16 oz).
Superdrug’s copy describes the magnesium and vitamin B12 as the nourishing part, and the coconut water as lip-quenching. NYX also uses the term water-breaking technology for the lightweight pigment delivery and the refreshing feel.
NYX’s text on the Lyko listing adds that the water in the formula is locked in on the lips to give a lasting gloss. The full ingredient list lives on the label, and NYX copy tells buyers to read it before use.
Reviewers split on texture.
Musings of a Muse (December 2024) describes a creamy serum consistency, slicker than NYX Butter Gloss with less balminess, that does not emphasize lip lines. Walmart’s review summary lists it as lightweight and non-sticky.
Others found it heavy. A Beauty Bay reviewer calls it goopy despite the sheer-wash claim, and a Perfumes Club reviewer finds it quite thick for a gloss.
Really Ree compares it with Rare Beauty’s tinted lip oils and finds the NYX thicker and glossier, with a similar stain. On texture it sits closer to a gloss, and the way lip oils and glosses differ explains why that matters when you pick a layer thickness.
Thickness is the formula’s main trade-off, so thin layers beat heavy ones.
How to Choose a NYX Lip IV Shade
Pick by the stain you want after blotting, not by how the gloss looks in the tube, and check your local retailer’s list first. The range differs by market and date.
Listings disagree on the count. NYX Australia’s copy mentions 10 shades, Really Ree and Fry’s Food Stores list 16, and NYX’s US site and a Fred Meyer page say 20.
| Goal | Choose | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Visible stain | A darker shade | Lyko reply: darker shades leave a clearer stain |
| Sheer wash | A lighter shade, blotted early | Beauty Bay reviewer: even the lightest color leaves a stain |
| Gloss only | Whichever looks best wet | Lyko reviewer: two shades gave the same pink stain |
Reports on the stain keep pointing the same way. Really Ree says it looks stronger than the swatch, and a German-language Beauty Bay reviewer found it darker than the retailer’s comparison images. Light shades still leave color behind, and the stain seems to depend less on the shade than the gloss does.
One reviewer with pale olive skin, writing on Desertcart, found a shade brighter than its name suggested and wanted more accurate swatches. Test the stain on your own lips before committing to a bold shade.
For reference, Really Ree’s favorites were 02 Hydra Honey, 07 Bubblegum Burst and 08 Drippin in Rose.
Match the outline to the stain rather than the gloss. A guide to choosing a lip liner that suits your shade covers the matching logic.
How Long Does NYX Lip IV Last?
Expect a few hours, not a full day. NYX claims up to 12 hours of hydration, while reviewers report around 4 hours of gloss wear and a stain that holds for a few hours.
That 12-hour figure comes from NYX’s global product page. The roughly 4 hours of hydrating gloss wear comes from the Musings of a Muse review (December 2024), and a Lyko reviewer reports a stain lasting a few hours at minimum. A Beauty Bay reviewer calls the stain good for short events.
Read the 12-hour figure carefully. NYX ties it to hydration, not to color.
The Dutch retailer Etos describes the gloss as staying up to 12 hours, and Haarspullen says the stain lasts up to 12 hours. The number changes meaning as it travels from NYX to the shelf listing.
Reviewers also disagree about meals. A Beauty Bay reviewer says the stain will not budge even if you eat. A Desertcart reviewer says the color lasted through eating and drinking but rubbed off little by little.
For a gloss-stain hybrid, the gradual-fade account is the safer expectation.
Really Ree layers a clear gloss or balm over the faded stain, and a Beauty Bay reviewer does the same with plain lip balm or gloss. The tint stays on the lips, so only the shine needs replacing.
What Goes Wrong with NYX Lip IV, and When Another Product Fits Better
Reviewers report streaky application, a stain that fades within one event, and results that fall short of the hype. None of that is a defect. These are limits of a gloss-stain hybrid.
Common problems and fixes
Streaky coverage is the first one. A Beauty Bay reviewer found a deeper shade streaky and hard to apply, and felt the color did not suit them. Build in thin passes and keep the outline tight so the product has an edge to settle against.
Flaky lips break up any glossy film, so smoothing and moisturizing before application is the fix. A guide to caring for dry lips covers that prep.
Then there is the stain that is gone by evening. The same Beauty Bay reviewer rates the stain as good for short events, so plan a mid-day refresh instead of expecting it to last from breakfast to dinner.
When to pick something else
Skip Lip IV if you need color that survives meals untouched, or if you want a clear gloss with no leftover tint. It is also the wrong pick when you want sheer color from a single, unbuilt coat. The comparison in the next section names alternatives for each case.
On the plus side, the doe-foot applicator places product precisely at the lip line, and Walmart’s review summary calls the texture non-sticky. NYX says one swipe delivers color. One Lyko reviewer rates its staying power as the best of the stains they have tested.
The downsides are real too. It can go on streaky, and the stain fades gradually with meals. The 12-hour figure covers hydration only, and the tube costs more per ml than a basic gloss.
How NYX Lip IV Compares and What It Costs
Lip IV sits between a basic gloss and a long-wear liquid lipstick, with more color staying power than a gloss and less than a budge-proof ink. It also costs more than a basic gloss and less than most designer lip oils.
| Product | Finish | Wear claim |
|---|---|---|
| NYX Lip IV | Wet-shine gloss, leaves a stain | Up to 12 hours of hydration (NYX) |
| NYX Butter Gloss | Sheer to medium, non-sticky gloss | Stays put, won’t feather (NYX copy) |
| Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil | Gel-to-oil tint, layerable | Comfortable all day (Space NK copy) |
| Maybelline Super Stay Vinyl Ink | Liquid color with vinyl shine | Up to 16 hours of wear (Maybelline) |
The wear claims are not like for like. NYX counts hours of hydration, while Maybelline counts hours of color, based on a test of 114 women.
Maybelline sells Vinyl Ink as a liquid lipstick, and a reviewer on Maybelline’s Australian page says it does not last anywhere near 16 hours. Brand hour claims across this category deserve the same discount.
One Musings of a Muse reviewer expected Lip IV to match Vinyl Ink and ended up preferring the NYX, while liking both.
On price, Walmart lists Lip IV at $11.97 and Butter Gloss at $5.97. Butter Gloss comes in the larger tube (8 ml against 5 ml), so Lip IV costs about three times as much per ml, roughly $2.39 versus $0.75. Rare Beauty launched Soft Pinch at $20 (Hypebae, 2023).
Pay the premium over Butter Gloss only if the stain matters to you. If you just want shine, the cheaper gloss does that job.
Before buying a second shade, run a one-week test.
- On days 1 and 2, wear one thin coat as a gloss and note when the shine fades.
- On days 3 and 4, blot after a short wait and judge the stain in daylight.
- For the rest of the week, refresh with balm and see whether the stain alone is enough.
If the stain survives that routine and you still reach for the tube, a second shade is justified.
NYX Lip IV FAQ
Is NYX Lip IV vegan and cruelty-free?
Yes, according to retailer copy. NYX Australia’s listing calls it vegan and cruelty-free, Perfumes Club describes a vegan formula, and Beauty Bay marks it cruelty-free.
Formulas can differ by market, so check the label on your tube.
Does NYX Lip IV plump the lips?
Not the way a plumper does. A Haarspullen listing says it leaves lips visibly plumper, but the NYX copy retrieved names no plumping ingredient.
Treat it as the fullness any wet-shine gloss gives, which differs from how a lip plumper works.
Can NYX Lip IV transfer onto cups and masks?
Yes, while the gloss film is wet. NYX sells Lip IV on shine, hydration and stain, not transfer resistance.
Blotting first leaves less product on the surface.
How do you remove NYX Lip IV stain?
Press an oil-based makeup remover or cleansing balm onto the lips, then wipe with a cotton pad. Stains cling to the lip surface, so dry rubbing mostly irritates.
Can you wear NYX Lip IV over lipstick?
Yes. NYX’s instructions only cover layering it over a lip liner, so use it as a topcoat and expect the tint to nudge the lipstick shade underneath.
A guide to applying lip gloss over lipstick covers the layering order.
What to Do with NYX Lip IV After the First Week
After a week, NYX Lip IV usually settles into one role. Either it becomes a daily gloss that leaves a tint, or it becomes a blotted stain you top up with balm.
Pick the role first, because the mode decides which shade to judge. Adjust the shade to fit that mode, and buy a second tube last.
Each mode costs something. Gloss mode trades color persistence for comfort and shine, while stain mode trades shine for staying power and a stronger tone.
Shade lists change by retailer and grow over time, so recheck the lineup before reordering (verified October 2026).
A steady lip care routine keeps the base smooth for whichever mode wins.
She started writing on the site after fielding the same questions from clients and friends often enough to just write the answers down: which red won't turn orange on a warm undertone, how to keep lipstick from feathering into fine lines, why a "12-hour" formula rarely survives dinner.
Every review on the site follows the same rule she uses with paying clients: wear it first, then decide if it's worth recommending.
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