Beauty Rare Beauty Lipstick Shades Compared: Top 5 Ranked Inside
We compare all five Rare Beauty Kind Words lipstick shades: Happy, Hope, Joy, Serenity, and Delight. Happy leads as the universally flattering classic red. Hope follows as the everyday rose everyone reaches for. Joy brings terracotta warmth, Serenity offers cool mauve calm, and Delight delivers berry drama. Each shares the same comfortable flexible matte formula. The choice comes down to undertone, mood, and occasion. Here is the full shade showdown.
| Factor | Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil, H | Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil, H |
|---|---|---|
| Color And Mood | Happy is bold classic red. Hope is soft everyday rose. Joy is warm terracotta. Serenity is muted cool mauve. Delight is rich evening berry. Each owns a distinct mood. | |
| Undertone Fit | Happy suits all undertones. Hope favors neutral. Joy loves warm. Serenity prefers cool. Delight flatters deep and warm. Match to your undertone. | |
| Everyday Wearability | Hope wins for daily wear. Serenity follows closely. Joy works for casual warm looks. Happy and Delight are statement shades. Pick Hope for the office. | |
| Evening Impact | Delight dominates for drama. Happy stuns for classic glamour. Joy glows under warm light. Hope and Serenity stay subtle. Evenings belong to Delight and Happy. | |
| Formula Feel | All five share the flexible matte base. Comfort is identical. Pigment is full across shades. No formula differences to weigh. Choose purely on color. | |
| Photography | Happy and Delight photograph boldly. Joy looks rich in golden hour. Hope reads natural. Serenity can wash out in flash. Consider your camera habits. | |
| Top Shade Pick | Happy takes the crown for universal appeal. Hope is the best everyday pick. Your first purchase depends on lifestyle. Bold lovers start with Happy. | |
Our Verdict
Happy wins as the single best Rare Beauty Kind Words shade for its universal red that flatters every undertone. It is the shade most people will wear and love. Hope is the smarter pick for everyday minimalists who want polish without drama. Joy and Delight serve specific moods beautifully. Serenity suits cool-toned minimalists. If you buy one, choose Happy for impact or Hope for daily ease. Either way the comfortable formula will not disappoint.
More Top Picks in This Category
Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options worth considering.
Best for: Warm complexions after a juicy peach lip tint.
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil, Joy
- Muted peach tinted lip oil
- Weightless gel-to-oil texture
- Hydrating oils keep lips supple
- Sheer wash of warm color
Pros
- Peach tone warms up the face
- Feels like nothing on lips
- Pretty alone or over lipstick
Cons
- Warm peach not for cool skin
- Color payoff is deliberately sheer
- Cap threads can get gummy
Best for: A your-lips-but-better rose tint for daily wear.
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil, Serenity
- Warm rose tinted lip oil
- Plush doe-foot delivers even tint
- Non-sticky cushion texture
- Botanical oils condition lips
Pros
- Rose shade suits most skin tones
- Comfortable through long days
- Subtle shine without glitter
Cons
- Warm rose deepens on pigmented lips
- Not a long-wear product
- Costs more than drugstore oils
Best for: Deeper skin tones or anyone wanting a richer tint.
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil, Delight
- Rose brown tinted lip oil
- Rich yet sheer color payoff
- Gel formula melts into lips
- Nourishing oil blend prevents dryness
Pros
- Rose brown looks modern and chic
- Deeper tint for more impact
- Smooths the look of lip lines
Cons
- Brown tint may overwhelm fair skin
- Transfers onto masks and cups
- Needs blotting to avoid excess shine
Want the Full Picture?
Tinted lip oils as a stain category: what remains after the shine
Tinted lip oils occupy a distinct niche between gloss and stain, and the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch oils here define it. The gel-to-oil texture gives two to three hours of glossy color, then the shine fades and leaves a soft stain that persists for several more hours. That stain is the real product for low-maintenance wearers: it survives coffee and talking far better than the glossy phase suggests. The stain color differs from the bullet color: Joy's peach settles into a warm nude-pink stain, Serenity's rose deepens slightly, and Delight's rose-brown leaves the most visible stain of the three. This makes tinted oils a genuine lip-tint replacement for buyers who find traditional stains drying, since the oil base conditions while the stain develops.
Sheer tints on pigmented lips: which shades actually show
Sheerness is the risk with tinted oils on naturally pigmented or deep lips: the sheerest shades disappear entirely. Of the three here, Delight is the safest pick for deeper lip color, because its rose-brown base has enough depth to read over natural pigment. Serenity works on medium pigmentation as a your-lips-but-better tint, enhancing rather than covering. Joy's muted peach is the most likely to vanish on deep lips, showing only as a glossy sheen. The layering trick for pigmented lips: apply two thin layers with a minute between them rather than one thick layer, which builds the stain without the slipperiness. A lip base or light concealer layer underneath boosts any shade's visibility, but it also mutes the natural-lip effect that makes these oils appealing.
Wear-time reality: eating, drinking, and reapplication
Tinted lip oils wear like a gloss, not like a stain, and expectations should match. Through a morning of desk work and coffee, expect the glossy phase to last two to three hours before fading to the stain. Eating removes the gloss phase quickly, though the underlying stain usually survives a light meal. Reapplication is the format's strength: unlike liquid mattes, fresh oil layers seamlessly over old without pilling or cracking, so midday touch-ups take seconds. The doe-foot applicator encourages generous application, but two swipes suffice; over-application just migrates the oil beyond the lip line. For the longest stain, let the first layer sit undisturbed for ten minutes before eating or drinking. Compare the range in our Rare Beauty lip picks, see the full line in our Rare Beauty lip guide, and browse gloss formats in our lip gloss hub.