This Lip Stain Miraculously Makes My Chapped Lips Look Better Than Ever

My lips are currently dry — and not your typical dry, but the kind that makes you feel like you should get casted in a lip balm commercial. They're unbearably cracked and flaky, and because of their current state, I have been avoiding lipsticks all together.

I only picked up the MAC Versicolour Varnish Cream Lip Stain ($22) because the color in the tube's window caught my eye. It was a peachy-pink that read more coral as I swatched it on the back of my hand. I couldn't resist, so I swiped it on my lips to find that the shade was too light against my caramel complexion, but that the formula was dreamy. It starts out creamy and cradles every chapped inch. Then, it dries down to leave them looking as though they were naturally the color I'd just swiped on. It never made them feel dry or creased into the flaking areas.

As I mentioned, the first one I'd tested wasn't my shade. My favorite from the collection is No Interruptions — a bright red that makes lips look as though I'd just finished a cherry popsicle. At least I'm getting a little slice of Summer somehow. . .