I’ve been pondering how a lip product is designed to be totally practical. Not to be advertised as easy, or aspirationally practical (i.e., something we long for), but to literally be able to take it out of your purse, swiping it on because it’s quickly and easily applied. With all of the lip products out there that advertise simplicity, the vast majority offer the opposite. For instance, a gloss that runs out of its original location and into every line in your lips in under an hour, a lip oil that must be applied with precision and then, after a twenty-minute wait, will feel slippery for at least that long, and a lipstick that dries out your lips before noontime.
We have become accustomed to these compromises; we have begun to view this as something that must be accepted as a way of living.
It does not have to be this way!
The Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Lip Oil Stick proves this and it is going to launch on July 7!
What It Actually Is
More than just a new hybrid lip product trying to capitalize on hype, the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Lip Oil Stick has an authentic 3-in-1 formula that acts like an oil, shines like a gloss, and provides intense buildable color with comfortable wear for 12 hours total through a solid stick design – eliminating all the mess, mirror dependency and re-applications that accompany most liquid forms (liquid, tube or barrel) of lip oils and glosses.
Choosing a formula like this was the first smart move made by the Rare Beauty team behind this product line. An oil in a stick format seems contradictory (oils are liquid, sticks are solid), but it was executed to remove that tension.
Applying the formula mimics putting on a lipstick: it applies with the clean and precise way of lipstick; once on the skin, it becomes a lip oil in every way: it feels weightless, not tacky, and provides immediate hydration. So there is no mirror or precise application necessary; simply swipe it over your lips as you would with a lip balm and let it do all the work.
The Skin Care Infused Lip Oil
Although the Soft Pinch Lip Oil Stick tends to stand out as a different format, its formula is where it really shines! The “hero” ingredient of this product is Apple Seed Oil, which has essential fatty acids and antioxidants to hydrate your lips and strengthen the natural moisture barrier of your lips. This is not just simple surface hydration because it helps to support your moisture barrier, your lips will continue to hold onto moisture rather than absorb it for a short period of time. As a result, the softness you feel will last longer than just an hour.
In addition to Apple Seed Oil, a variety of other nourishing oils work together to condition and soften your lips, keeping them smooth and supple as you wear it. In fact, the types of ingredients you would expect in a dedicated skincare lip product versus a traditional colour cosmetic are exactly what puts the Soft Pinch Oil Lip Stick into the developing category of skincare lip products, which are makeups that improve the health and texture of your lips with time instead of just sitting on top of your lips.
The formula is also lightly scented with fresh apple — subtle enough to be a pleasant sensory detail rather than an overpowering presence, and entirely appropriate for a product built around apple seed oil as its key active. It is dermatologist-tested and suitable for sensitive skin, which matters more than it sounds for a color product: many traditional lipsticks contain fragrance, preservatives, or dye concentrations that react badly on sensitive lips, and having a clean, tested formula removes that concern entirely.
The 3-in-1 Breakdown
It’s important to define each part of the statement “treats like an oil, shines like a gloss, delivers color like a lipstick.” Each claim deserves its own description.
As a Lip Oil
Apple seed oil and a nourishing oil complex hydrate your lips, visibly softening, smoothing, and moisturizing them up to eight hours after application; however, the dedicated lip oils typically only last four hours maximum; thus, the extended period of time in which the lips will retain their moisture due to the added color application makes the use of these types of products an enjoyable experience.
As A Gloss
In addition, the Soft Pinch Lip Oil Stick provides a shine that appears to be healthy and luminous instead of being wet and slippery — it reflects light without emphasizing dry patches or uneven/lumpy textures — it contains hydrating ingredients that do not settle into line; therefore, they do not create the visual impression of fine lines appearing around the mouth.
As a lipstick:
Just one swipe of the lipstick creates a rich, solid layer of color that won’t fade for up to 8 hours (consider it real lipstick; not lip gloss). You can create a natural look by applying the product directly on your lips with no other products and/or add multiple layers for a vibrant and punchy look! The variety of applications allows for many different makeup looks by the same product!
The Viral Soft Pinch Lip Oil
Before the introduction of this product, the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil was viral for one of the biggest beauty moments to go viral! At the 2026 International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Winter Games held in Milan, Figure Skating Olympic Champion Alysa Liu was filmed applying this lipstick literally seconds before receiving her gold medal! The lipstick shade was quickly identified as the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil in “Delight” (Muted Berry). Within a week of this incident, the internet did what the internet does; beauty editors began testing this shade out on themselves to confirm its performance! It sold out completely amongst different retailers within a week.
The beauty writer at PureWow located the exact shade of this lip oil, put it on herself, and described how the product performs: “It gives you a good amount of color with one swipe, and then you can build the opacity by adding more layers until you’re happy with how it looks.” The formula is also a lip stain, so it fades in stages when you eat or drink and leaves behind a pretty tint instead of disappearing completely. She says it’s her favorite lip product to throw in her work bag or travel with because it’s low-maintenance, wears down slowly, and improves your lips’ appearance.
The Soft Pinch Lip Oil Supplement is a next-step product from Tinted Lip Oil and uses the same concept in an easier, cleaner delivery system.
Salena Gomez Philosophy
To understand why Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Lip Oil Stick works as well as it does, we first need to look at the brand’s goal and mission: To create functional beauty products and not to transform you into someone else, as well as the extent to which the company is willing to trust its formulas. For example, the original Soft Pinch name came from the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, which was one of the most viral beauty products of the 2020s because of how highly concentrated the formula was.
The Soft Pinch Liquid Blush delivered a high-impact color for 12 hours with a single dot of product. Based on that success, Rare Beauty realized that its customers are looking for makeup products that deliver maximum results with minimal effort and that the user trusts the formula to deliver top-quality end-product without having to be an expert at applying it — all of which contributed to the development of rings Tone in every lip product in the Soft Pinch family.
The Soft Pinch Lip Oil Supplement is a next-step product from Tinted Lip Oil and uses the same concept in an easier, cleaner delivery system.
Shade Range for Everyone
According to the same emotional naming convention, the Soft Pinch Lip Oil Stick shade philosophy (the entire shade range) continues to use a positive state rather than a trend-chasing color descriptor. It has everyday nude and mauve shades, as well as deeper, bolder colours that create a full lip look on their own, without using any other colour products, like lipstick, to create a complete look. The buildable formula makes the darker colours both easy to wear and sophisticated. With one swipe, the darker colours are very sophisticated and understated; putting on more than one swipe turns it into the boldest colour you have on your face.
Users with sensitive skin will enjoy this product since it is dermatologist-tested and free of irritants, so they can use it every day without worrying about the chronic dryness, peeling or sensitivity that is often experienced over time when using a full-coverage lip product.
Note to Self
This product category of lip colours has needed the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid – Lip Oil Stick for quite some time! There is nothing wrong with the lip oils or the lipsticks or even a handful of genuinely great glosses; however, to have a combination of all three to create a product that gives you no excuse to wear lip colour is another thing altogether! This is the product for anyone who has wanted to create a well-maintained lip look but has not wanted to put forth the effort or maintain them and miss out on the comfort factor of wearing them. If you have been using a lip oil as part of your skincare and have wished it came in “real” colour, this has been what you were secretly waiting for!
You will have juicy lips with 12 hours of comfort; natural oils will continue to work on improving your moisture barrier, and you will only have to swipe it once to achieve this result – that is absolutely NOT a sacrifice…that is simply EXCELLENT!
