What Does Lip Liner Do?

Lip liners help create fuller, wider-looking lips and prevent lipstick from feathering out of place. “As we age, our lips tend to lose their fullness and can even start to fade in color, so lip liner is essential,” says Schwarzkopf-Tilbury.

How Do You Apply Lip Liner?

Schwarzkopf-Tilbury recommends tracing the line of your lips and then focus on creating a defined Cupid’s Bow to enhance the natural shape. She says, “I recommend overdrawing just the top of the Cupid’s Bow and having it gradually match the actual line of your lips for a natural look.”

Can You Use Lip Liner As Eyeliner?

Yes, but you probably shouldn’t. While the formula for lip liner and eyeliner is similar, it can cause irritation and other issues due to the pigment and color additives in them.

The 14 Best Lip Liners in 2022

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In addition to preventing lipstick from feathering, lip liners also help provide the perfect pout and come in a variety of shades, formulas, textures, and packaging. From subtle nudes to bold red, there's lip liner for every occasion. Lip contouring, subtly lining and over-lining lips have become popular trends in recent years, and a good lip liner can give you the look you want.

To choose the correct lip liner, opt for a shade that’s a tiny bit deeper than the shade of your lips. This will help give the appearance of fuller, more defined lips. “With the right lip liner, you can cheat and redefine the look of your lips for a youthful, perfected looking pout,” says Sofia Schwarzkopf-Tilbury, Celebrity MUA and Creative Executive at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty.

Read on for the best lip liners.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Patrick Ta Monochrome Moment - Precision Lip Crayon at Sephora

Best Budget:

L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Matte at Amazon

Best Versatility :

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner at Amazon

Best Drugstore:

REVLON ColorStay Lip Liner at Amazon

Best Matte Finish:

Marc Jacobs Poutliner Longwear Lip Pencil at Sephora

Best Long-Wearing:

Pat McGrath Labs Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil at Sephora

Best for Fair Skin:

Buxom PlumpLine Lip Liner in White Russian at Nordstrom

Best for Medium Skin:

Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Mordore-Nude at Chanel.com

Best for Darker Skin Tones:

Juvia’s Place The Reds and Berries Luxe Lip Liner in Wine at Juviasplace.com

Best Splurge:

Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Definer at Victoriabeckhambeauty.com

In This Article

Our Picks
Final Verdict
What To Look For
Why Trust Byrdie

Patrick Ta Monochrome Moment- Precision Lip Crayon

View On Sephora View On Jcpenney.com

What We Like

Weightless
Glides on
Stays on

What We Don't Like

Not as true-to-skin in color

Who else recommends it? Vogue and Glamour both picked the Patrick Ta Monochrome Moment - Precision Lip Crayon.

From being a celebrity makeup artist to having an iconic makeup brand, Patrick Ta is nothing short of #lifegoals. Our favorite lip liner from his line is the Monochrome Moment Precision Lip Crayon, a creamy lip crayon that glides on effortlessly and wears for hours on end with zero smudges. Plus, it comes in a range of wearable neutral shades for a natural look.

View On Amazon View On Ulta

What We Like

Creamy
Creates a plump effect
Comfortable glide

What We Don't Like

Wears off easily

Consider this a lip plumper minus the tingles or stinging. Easily add definition, give a plump appearance, or find your favorite matte lip liner. The range of bold to neutral hues leaves room to acquire the perfect shade and, at a great budget price, it’s definitely worth a try.

Courtesy of Amazon

View On Amazon View On Sephora View On Nordstrom

What We Like

Waterproof
Can resize and reshape
Transfer-resistant

What We Don't Like

Color doesn't look as good on fair skin

Don’t worry, this lip liner’s shade range is truly made for every single skin tone. Its 17 versatile shades range from subtle nudes to bright berry. And, the shade Supersize Me, is a favorite of Schwarzkopf-Tilbury for its "perfect rosy-pink shade."

View On Amazon

What We Like

Built-in sharpener
Rich color
Prevents bleeding

What We Don't Like

Easy to break

Trust us, this lip liner will feel way more expensive than it actually is. The pointed tip of the pencil makes it easy to apply precisely and impeccably. Plus, the SoftFlex technology allows the formula to stay on for all-day wear. If that wasn’t enough, it’s quite a steal.

Marc Jacobs Poutliner Longwear Lip Pencil

View On Sephora

What We Like

Collagen-infused
Natural barely-there hues
All-day wear

What We Don't Like

Dries up too fast

Let’s be honest, what we love most about lip liners is that they’re matte—and this one is unparalleled. Collagen-infused and composed of barely-there hues, we love how these complement every lip color—regardless of how bright or subtle. And, the gel formula glides on flawlessly for seamless all-day wear.

Pat McGrath Labs Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil

View On Sephora View On Patmcgrath.com

What We Like

Prevents feathering
Can smudge, fill, and diffuse
Waterproof

What We Don't Like

Hard to apply

Leave fading lip liner behind with Pat McGrath’s revolutionary formula. Made with the exclusive Permagel Technology, this formula prevents feathering, is waterproof, and easily sculpts, shades, and defines. Super smooth, it’s also made for smudging, filling, and diffusing to achieve your desired look.

Buxom PlumpLine Lip Liner in White Russian

View On Nordstrom View On Buxomcosmetics.com

What We Like

All in one plumper and contour tool
Smooth finish
Deep color

What We Don't Like

Results not drastic to some

Plumper looking lips are just a simple swipe away, thanks to this liner’s built-in brush. The wide range of versatile shades could work on all skin tones, but we love White Russian, a pale-pink nude, for a pop against lighter skin tones. Creamy and pigmented enough to wear alone, it can also provide the best base for glosses or lipsticks due to its unique peptide and hyaluronic acid booster formula.

Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Mordore-Nude

View On Chanel.com

What We Like

Precise application
Comfortable non-drying formula
Built-in blender

What We Don't Like

A tad pricey

Composed with a soft, delicate glide on-tip, this liner stuns with its taupey-mauve color, a tone that's especially ideal for medium skin tones. The creamy formula glides on comfortably due to the addition of cotton seeds, jojoba seeds, and vitamin E. It makes it simple to keep your lips super hydrated and incredibly contoured.

Juvia’s Place The Reds and Berries Luxe Lip Liner in Wine

View On Juviasplace.com

What We Like

Long-wearing
Super pigmented
Blends well

What We Don't Like

Not a lot of product inside

Wine—a red-wine colored shade—is an ultra-flattering shade for darker complexions. The super rich-pigment blends well and goes a long way with only a little bit of product.

View On Victoriabeckhambeauty.com View On Violet Grey

What We Like

Infused with conditioning Vitamin E
Vegan-friendly
Reduces fine lines and wrinkles

What We Don't Like

Colors look a bit different in person

Dubbed Victoria’s go-to for creating a fuller-looking pout, this lip liner gets us one step closer to becoming Posh Spice. Smooth and creamy, the formula allows for impeccable application with zero feathering, skipping, or smudging. Plus, it contains vitamin E to condition lips while you wear it. Trust us, it’s worth the splurge.

Armani Beauty Smooth Silk Lip Pencil in Shade 5

View On Nordstrom View On Neiman Marcus

What We Like

Silky texture
Applies easily
Subtle, natural effect

What We Don't Like

Doesn't come with a sharpener

If you’re all about wearing the boldest red lip, you’ll want to add this lip liner to your makeup bag ASAP. Suited for basically every skin tone, this subtle red can enhance any red lip with its silky texture and precise definition. We recommend fully lining your lips and then topping off with a bright or bold lip color to fully reap its benefits.

View On Kkwbeauty.com

What We Like

Intense pigmentation
Has a '90s appeal
Very creamy

What We Don't Like

Doesn't come with a sharpener

Hands down, KKW’s lip liner is the best nude you will find. Established by Kim Kardashian herself, it's three subtle shades —90’s Icon, 90’s Supermodel, and 90’s Runway — is exactly what you need to achieve that overdrawn, but not over-embellished, look that she’s known for. And, the intense pigmentation is a huge draw—just one swipe is all you need.

View On Ulta

What We Like

Retractable, no sharpening needed
Infused with very moisturizing castor oil
Custom coverage

What We Don't Like

Product falls out of packaging

Infused with castor-oil, this lip liner will keep your lips super soft with zero feathering in sight. It’s also highly pigmented, water-resistant, and long-lasting. Bonus: the retractable tip requires zero sharpening for on the go usage.

View On Ulta

What We Like

Bleed-resistant
Velvety texture
Applies evenly

What We Don't Like

Poor color selection

Leave smudging, budging, and transferring behind with this waterproof lip liner. Cruelty-free and vegan, this product is made without any questionable ingredients. Plus, it glides on with a creamy texture and dries down matte.

Final Verdict

Known for its ability to help define, line, and plump your pout, lip liners can instantly upgrade your pout (no injectables necessary). Created by Celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta, the Monochrome Moment Precision Lip Liner is our overall favorite. It comes in essential neutral shades, wears for hours on end with zero smudging, and glides on effortlessly. If you’re looking to spend a little less on lip liner, try L'oreal Paris’s Color Riche Matte Lip Liner or Revlon’s ColorStay Lip Liner. Both are super affordable, wear impeccably, and live up to the hype. And, if you’re looking for versatile shades that look fabulous on everyone, try Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Cheat Liner.

What To Look For in a Lip Liner

Texture

"A texture that slides on super smoothly and that doesn’t smudge is a must,” says Schwartzkopf-Tilbury. Creamy textures make the application simple and can be adjusted easily to achieve your desired look.

Color

Choosing a shade that is a bit deeper than your regular lip color will help give the appearance of fuller more defined lips. You don’t want a color that will blend exactly, but you don’t want it to be too dark either.

FAQ

What Does Lip Liner Do?

Lip liners help create fuller, wider-looking lips and prevent lipstick from feathering out of place. “As we age, our lips tend to lose their fullness and can even start to fade in color, so lip liner is essential,” says Schwarzkopf-Tilbury.
How Do You Apply Lip Liner?

Schwarzkopf-Tilbury recommends tracing the line of your lips and then focus on creating a defined Cupid’s Bow to enhance the natural shape. She says, “I recommend overdrawing just the top of the Cupid’s Bow and having it gradually match the actual line of your lips for a natural look.”
Can You Use Lip Liner As Eyeliner?

Yes, but you probably shouldn’t. While the formula for lip liner and eyeliner is similar, it can cause irritation and other issues due to the pigment and color additives in them.

Why Trust Byrdie

Byrdie contributor Rachel Dube has written for some of the biggest magazines and websites out there and has tested hundreds of beauty products. Along with writing about beauty, she also covers wellness and lifestyle. After realizing the importance of lip liner, she is always looking for the next best ones to help contour and define her pout.

These 14 Lip Primers Guarantee Long-Lasting Color

Article Sources

Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

6 Lip Liner Tricks for a Fuller, More Striking Pout. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/lip-liner-guide
The 12 Best Lip Liners Ever, According to Glamour Editors. Glamour. https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-lip-liners