When I was younger, I had a friend whose signature beauty look was nude lip liner with a bit of Vaseline every day. It was fantastic—subtle and chic—and she’s still wearing the exact same thing 30 years later.
I, on the other hand, always thought lip liner wasn’t for me. I like to wear my lips with just a touch of balm or gloss. But recently, lip liner has been trending, so for the sake of journalism, I decided to give it a try. A makeup artist applied a soft pink shade to my lips, and I was shocked by the immediate change to my look.
Now, I completely understand my friend’s obsession—and dedication—to lip liner. Here’s how I’ve started using it every day.
The benefits of using lip liner
“Lip liner is a must-have because it allows you to define, correct, and shape in a very subtle, but effective way,” says Sergio Antón De Las Nieves, a YSL Beauty makeup artist. “It not only makes the lips look better, but it also transforms the entire face.”
Shaping lips to appear bigger with lip liner is a trick that celebrity makeup artist and KJH.Brand founder Katie Jane Hughes uses on high-profile clients like Dua Lipa, too. She recommends using a liner one shade darker than your skin tone to add small marks outside the lip line at the corners of the mouth, cupid’s bow, and the middle of the bottom of the lip. From there, blend with a fluffy brush. “This creates the soft, blurred finish without removing the product,” she said, noting that less blending creates more definition, while more blending gives an even softer finish.
The secret to natural-looking lips
For those like me who’ve avoided lip liner for fear it won’t look natural, De Las Nieves says the key is to use shades very close to your natural lip color.
The application is important, too. “Don’t draw too rigid a line and blend the edge in a little,” he adds. “It also helps to lightly fill in the lips with the liner itself because it makes everything look more integrated, more natural, and it lasts longer.”
I almost always apply my lip liner, blend, then fill in my lips, and add a touch of gloss to the center, in a way, reinventing my teenage friend’s staple.
What lip liner should I use?
De Las Nieves suggests looking for a product that’s long-lasting and creamy (his favorite is YSL Beauty’s Kiss Shaper Sculpting Lip Liner, which comes in 10 different shades).
Vogue’s favorites, which all fit the bill, below.
