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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.
Best Overall: Patrick Ta Monochrome Moment - Precision Lip Crayon
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Weightless
Glides on
Stays on
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.
Type: Pencil | Shades: 4 | Finish: Matte | Size: 0.014 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Best Budget: L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Matte Lip Liner
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Creamy
Creates a plump effect
Comfortable glide
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.
Type: Pencil | Shades: 8 | Finish: Matte | Size: 0.04 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No
Best Versatility : Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner
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Courtesy of Amazon
Waterproof
Can resize and reshape
Transfer-resistant
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."
Type: Pencil | Shades: 1 | Finish: Matte | Size: 0.32 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Best Drugstore: REVLON ColorStay Lip Liner
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Built-in sharpener
Rich color
Prevents bleeding
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.
Type: Pencil | Shades: 16 | Finish: Cream | Size: 0.32 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No
Best Matte Finish: Marc Jacobs Poutliner Longwear Lip Pencil
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Collagen-infused
Natural barely-there hues
All-day wear
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.
Type: Pencil | Shades: 9 | Finish: Gel, Matte | Size: 0.01 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No
Best Long-Wearing: Pat McGrath Labs Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil
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Prevents feathering
Can smudge, fill, and diffuse
Waterproof
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.
Type: Pencil | Shades: 13 | Finish: Matte | Size: 0.042 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No
Best for Fair Skin: Buxom PlumpLine Lip Liner in White Russian
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All in one plumper and contour tool
Smooth finish
Deep color
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.
Type: Pencil | Shades: 2 | Finish: Matte | Size: 0.07 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No
Best for Medium Skin: Chanel Le Crayon Levres Precision Lip Definer in Mordore-Nude
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Precise application
Comfortable non-drying formula
Built-in blender
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.
Type: Pencil | Shades: 10 | Finish: Semi-matte | Size: 0.04 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No
Best for Darker Skin Tones: Juvia’s Place The Reds and Berries Luxe Lip Liner in Wine
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Long-wearing
Super pigmented
Blends well
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.
Type: Crayon | Shades: 6 | Finish: Matte | Size: 0.007 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No
Best Splurge: Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Definer
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Infused with conditioning Vitamin E
Vegan-friendly
Reduces fine lines and wrinkles
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.
Type: Pencil | Shades: 6 | Finish: Cream | Size: 0.04 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Best for Red Lipstick: Armani Beauty Smooth Silk Lip Pencil in Shade 5
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Silky texture
Applies easily
Subtle, natural effect
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.
Type: Pencil | Shades: 1 | Finish: Matte | Size: 0.04 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No
Best Nude: KKW Matte Smoke Lip Liner
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Intense pigmentation
Has a '90s appeal
Very creamy
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.
Type: Pencil | Shades: 3 | Finish: Matte | Size: 0.04 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No
Best for all Skin Tones: Beauty Bakerie Sugar Sticks
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Retractable, no sharpening needed
Infused with very moisturizing castor oil
Custom coverage
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.
Type: Pencil | Shades: 6 | Finish: Matte | Size: 0.006 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: Yes
Best Natural: Lime Crime Velvetines Lip Liner
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Bleed-resistant
Velvety texture
Applies evenly
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.
Type: Pencil | Shades: 5 | Finish: Velvety Matte | Size: 0.42 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
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.
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.