Unlike your cherry red lipstick or that bold, vivid eyeliner you bought to make your eyes pop, lip liner is rarely (if ever) the focus of your makeup look. In fact, if you know how to use lip liner correctly, you may not even notice it’s there. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth using. On the contrary, lip liner can be a huge asset to your makeup routine, even if you prefer subtle lip looks. Here, we’ll give you the run-down on lip liner, explaining its (surprisingly varied) benefits and how to use lip liner the right way. Whether you like it bold and bright or soft and subtle, learn how to apply lip liner like a seasoned pro, ahead.
What Is The Point of Lip Liner?
The main purpose of lip liner is to help prevent your lipstick from bleeding—it almost acts as a barrier between your skin and your lips, helping to keep your lip color in place. When traced directly along your lip line, liner can also help emphasize the natural shape of your lips.
However, lip liners can also be used in other ways. You can overline your lips to fake a fuller pout or use liner in place of lipstick (it can look great worn alone or layered under gloss!) for long-lasting color.
What Is The Best Way To Apply Lip Liner?
Before you start applying your lip liner, there are a few things you’ll want to have at the ready. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Lip scrub
- Lip balm or oil
- Your chosen lip liner (we love the Lip Lingerie Lip Liner Stain)
- Lip gloss or lipstick
- Concealer and an angled brush for touch-ups
- A sharpener, if using a lip pencil
Once you’ve gathered your tools, you can get started on your lip look. Here, learn how to line your lips with our step-by-step lip liner tutorial.
Step 1: Plan your look
First and foremost, mentally map out your desired look. For example, do you want to emphasize your lip shape? Are you looking to create a natural lip look or something bolder? Answering these questions can help you narrow down exactly what you want to achieve, making your entire lip routine easier.
Step 2: Prep your lips
Lip products generally apply best on smooth, soft lips, and liner is no exception—pigment can cling to dead skin, resulting in a patchy appearance. As such, we recommend starting by exfoliating with a lip scrub. Gently rub the scrub onto your lips, then rinse it off with lukewarm water. If you don’t have a scrub on hand, you can get similar results by lightly rubbing a damp washcloth over your lips to slough off dead skin.
After exfoliating, layer on a lip balm to hydrate and nourish your pout. We love the Smushy Matte Lip Balm, which contains mochi rice powder and sugar ceramides for long-lasting, weightless hydration. Be sure to let your balm absorb completely before moving on to the next step in your routine.
Step 3: Trace your lip line
Next, uncap your lip liner. Placing the tip at the center of your Cupid’s bow, begin tracing your lip line. Take your time with your outlining—the more carefully you work, the less likely it is you’ll need to correct any mistakes down the line.
Pro Tip: If you’re after a natural lip liner look, use the Lip Lingerie Lip Liner Stain and blur the edges of your lip liner ever-so-slightly. This helps soften the line and offers a more diffused, blended finish.
Step 4: Apply your lip color
Next, apply your preferred lip color as usual. Reach for the Lip Lingerie XXL Matte Liquid Lipstick if you’re after a long-lasting matte lip look, or pair your liner with our iconic Butter Gloss Non-Sticky Lip Gloss for a flattering, high-shine finish. Keep in mind, though, that you don’t have to match your lip liner and lip color exactly. Coordinating shades will result in a cohesive lip look, while pairing a darker lip liner with a slightly lighter lip will yield a cool, '90s-inspired feel. The choice is yours, so feel free to experiment with different color combinations until you find your dream lip combo.
For a ‘90s-inspired lip, try pairing a chocolatey brown lip liner, such as Slim Lip Pencil in Mahogany, with a lighter brown lipstick (we love Lip Lingerie XXL Matte Liquid Lipstick in Hot Carmelo). Or, rock a low-key look by lining your lips with your favorite shade of our Line Loud Vegan Longwear Lip Liner and topping it with the tinted or clear lip gloss of your choice. The choice is yours, so feel free to experiment with different color combinations until you find your dream duo.
Step 5: Clean up the edges
Sometimes, you may find that your lines aren’t quite as even or sharp as you want. And that’s totally fine—it’s pretty easy to clean up minor imperfections with concealer. Dip a small, angled brush into your go-to concealer and slowly drag it around the edges of your lips to clean up any smudges or stray lines. If you do end up doing this, be sure to blend your concealer well with the rest of your base makeup for a seamless look.
How To Make Your Lips Look Fuller With Lip Liner
As we mentioned earlier, one of the benefits of lip liner is that it can be used to fake a plumper-looking pout. This is done via a technique known as overlining, which involves drawing beyond your natural lip line. Here, learn how to use lip liner to make your lips look bigger.
Step 1: Overline your lips
First, start tracing your lips as outlined in the tutorial above. Then, using the tip, extend the liner slightly beyond your natural lip line wherever you want to add volume. Note that you generally don’t want to extend the overdrawn line all the way to the outer corners of your mouth, as doing so can look a bit clown-like. Instead, work slowly and find a natural point to blend the over-drawn line with your natural lip line.
Step 2: Swipe on a slightly lighter lipstick
After lining your lips, swipe on a lipstick two to three shades lighter than your chosen liner—the contrast will help add to the illusion of fullness. Try pairing the Lip Lingerie Lip Liner Stain in After Hours with the Lip Lingerie XXL Matte Liquid Lipstick in Xxpose for a soft daytime look, or combine the Duck Plump Plumping Lip Liner in Dash of Cocoa with the Fat Oil Slick Click in In a Mood for a sultry, plumped-up nighttime look.
Step 3: Top with a plumping lip gloss
To really plump up the appearance of your pout, we recommend applying a clear lip gloss (like the Duck Plump High Pigment Plumping Lip Gloss in Clearly Spicy) to the center of your upper and lower lips. The spicy ginger-infused formula delivers instant lip-plumping power, while the high-shine finish provides reflectivity, making your lips appear larger. If you’d rather skip lipstick, you can also swipe this plumping gloss onto bare lips after overlining—it comes in 18 shades, from creamy nudes to bold brights.
Step 4: Contour and highlight
You may not think to contour your lips, but trust us: Doing so can make them look extra plump. First, use your go-to contour shade to draw a small line just beneath the center of your bottom lip, at the top of your chin. Blend it out well—done properly, it should appear as if your lip is casting a shadow, which makes it look fuller.
Once you’re satisfied with your contour, grab your favorite Wonder Pencil shade and use the shimmering highlight to trace along the uppermost part of your Cupid’s bow. Whereas the contour creates a “shadow,” the highlight helps draw attention to your upper lip, making it appear subtly plumper.
How To Make Your Lip Liner Stay
Lip liner is typically designed to resist fading and smudging, but that doesn’t mean it’s 100% budge-proof. Plus, it never hurts to have backup! Keep reading to learn our favorite tricks for keeping your lip liner in place.
Choose a long-wear lip liner
One of the best ways to ensure your lip liner stays put is to choose a formula designed for longevity. The Lip Lingerie Lip Liner Stain is among our favorite formulas for all-day wear. Unlike a traditional lip liner, which simply colors the skin around your lip line, this formula stains the lip. Once dry, it provides all-day wear while remaining transfer-proof, smudge-proof, and waterproof. Pair it with a lip stain like the Lip I.V Hydrating Lip Gloss Stain for a fuss-free lip look that lasts.
Fill in your lips with liner
For a super long-lasting lip look, try filling in the whole of your lips with your liner, rather than just tracing your lip line. The Line Loud Vegan Longwear Lip Liner works beautifully for this, as it glides on easily with a smooth, creamy feel and resists fading, smudging, and transferring.
Try a long-wearing matte lipstick
Pairing your lip liner with a long-lasting matte lipstick can help prolong wear. To get the most mileage out of your lip look, try Lip Lingerie XXL Matte Liquid Lipstick—it offers up to 16 hours of transfer-resistant wear, making it our longest-lasting lip color.
Set your makeup
Setting products aren’t just for your face. After finishing your lip look, spritz your face with a long-lasting setting spray, such as The Face Glue Setting Spray, to help keep everything in place throughout the day.
4 Fun Lip Liner Techniques To Try
Now that you’ve mastered the basics, keep reading for a look at some of our favorite lip liner techniques to add to your routine.
1. Barely-there definition
Save this understated look for your no-makeup makeup days. Start by grabbing a lip liner in a shade that closely matches your natural lip color (we love the Duck Plump Plumping Lip Liner in Pinkjection for fair skin and the Lip Lingerie Lip Liner Stain in Naughty Nude for deeper complexions). Following the tutorial above, line your lips to enhance and define your natural lip shape. To complete the look, swipe on a sheer tinted gloss rather than a lipstick or stain. If you need a recommendation, we’re big fans of the Fat Oil Lip Drip in Missed Call.
2. Subtle overlining
Overlining your lips doesn’t have to be obvious. For a subtle, barely-there volume boost, overline just the center of your lips with the Duck Plump Plumping Lip Liner. Then, use your finger to blend the line slightly toward the center of your lips for a hint of natural-looking volume.
3. Ombré lips
Pairing a darker lip liner with a slightly lighter lipstick or gloss makes for a fun, two-toned look that makes your lips the star of the show. You can use any shades for this tip, but for a cohesive look, we recommend staying within the same color family and undertone. For a gorgeous combo perfect for day or night, try pairing the Lip Lingerie Lip Liner Stain in Send Nudes with a creamy matte lip (we love the Smushy Matte Lip Balm in Snuggle Szn).
4. Lip liner as lipstick
As we mentioned above, you can use lip liner to fill in the entirety of your lips—and you don’t have to top it with lipstick, either. For a simple look that’ll have your lips looking and feeling great, fill in your pout with a creamy lip liner, such as our iconic Slim Lip Pencil, then add a shiny finish with a clear lip gloss, such as the Butter Gloss Non-Sticky Lip Gloss in Sugar Glass.
Next Up: How To Take Care of Your Lips: Our 5-Step Lip Care Routine
Share a pic of your signature NYX Professional Makeup lip combo on social media and tag us @nyxcosmetics.
PRODUCTS USED
Lip Lingerie Lip Liner Stain
Ballpoint felt tip lip liner for precise, no-bleed nude perfection in twelve shades
SMUSHY MATTE LIP BALM
A soft-matte buildable lip color infused with mochi rice powder and sugar ceramides in 12 shades.
FAT OIL SLICK CLICK
Lightweight, buildable pigmented lip oil balm in click up packaging available in 20 shades.
Duck Plump Plumping Lip Liner
Plumping lip liner in twelve spicy shades.
Lip I.V. Hydrating Lip Gloss Stain
Lip gloss + long-lasting lip stain in 20 shades.
Duck Plump High Pigment Plumping Lip Gloss
Plumping gloss with spicy ginger in 18 shades
THE FACE GLUE SETTING SPRAY
Up to 24h makeup lock and shield, waterproof setting spray
Line Loud Vegan Longwear Lip Liner
Infused With Jojoba Oil + Vitamin E
Slim Lip Pencil
Natural-looking long-wear lip liner
Lip Lingerie XXL Matte Liquid Lipstick
16H Full-Bodied Matte Liquid Lipstick
