How to Apply Lip Liner – Tips and Tricks

If you’ve avoided using lip liner because you’re afraid of having a clown mouth or appearing like Joey’s agent Estelle from Friends, it’s time to relax and see what lip liner can do for you. All you have to do now is figure out how to use lip liner!

Lip liner not only makes lips seem larger but also creates a clean line and keeps lipstick in place. Lip liner genuinely works to keep clown mouth at bay (when done right, of course). Read on to learn how to apply lip liner the right way and elevate your gloss, satin, or matte lips to new heights.

How to Use Lip Liner

Prepare Your Lips

• If your lips are really chapped or dry, exfoliate them before applying the lining. Exfoliation can help remove dead skin and smooth lips, but if done too harshly, it can also cause minor tears. Lips get more chapped as a result of this, so be extra careful with them.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of cane sugar with 1 teaspoon of olive oil until you get a rough paste for a fast DIY lip exfoliating. Gently apply the paste to your lips (avoid harsh scrubbing). Apply a moisturizer after that, ideally 20 minutes before putting lip liner.
• Moisturize. You’ll want your lips to be soft before adding a liner to ensure a flawless application, but they should also be dry. Liner and lipstick will not adhere to greasy lips. Apply lip moisturizer before going to bed so it has time to absorb.
• Choose your color. You’ll want a lip liner color that closely matches your skin tone for a natural effect. Your neutral lip liner will still work with bolder hues, but for added punch, pick a matching color or one shade darker than your lipstick.
• Application (Step-by-Step)
• Clean and dry lips are ideal. Wipe off any moisturizer that hasn’t entirely absorbed with a tissue if you just applied it.
• Optional: apply a small amount of concealer around your lips and blend it in. Because it blurs your lip line, this is required if you want to overline your lips.
• Make an “X” shape from the highest point of your top lip diagonally down, passing over the center of your top lip, starting with the center of your top lip (also known as your cupid’s bow). To complete your “X” form, repeat on the other side.
• Working from the center outwards, apply little strokes to the outside corners of your top lip on both sides, following your natural lip line (or slightly above if you’re overlining).
• Start in the center of your bottom lip and work your way outwards on both sides.
• For even coverage, swipe on your lipstick and massage your top and bottom lips together.
• Blend your lip liner and lipstick together using a lip brush, tissue, or finger.

Going the Extra Mile

• Here are some more methods to improve your lip liner abilities if you want to go above and beyond.
• If you want to go all out, dab a little gloss in the middle of your lips to make them look even bigger.
• Fill up your lips thoroughly with lip liner and then apply lipstick on top for increased longevity. The lip liner has a sticky base that allows color to last longer.
• Use a brighter shade of lipstick in the middle of your lips, a little darker shade on the outside, and a dark lip liner to create an ombre lip (big ’90s vibes). Don’t forget to mix it all together!

What to Avoid When Applying Lip Liner

• Overlining your lips is a bad idea. Lip liner may be used to fudge the form of your lips and make them look fuller, but it’s a narrow line (pun intended) that can easily go wrong. When it comes to overlining, less is more.
• You neglected to blend. Blending, like eye shadow, can make or break your lip liner. For a more uniform finish, use a lip brush, a tissue, or your finger to blend in your lipstick.
• At the corners of your mouth, your lip liner attaches. This results in a huge clown appearance. When you chat, sip, or smile, this area of your lips has the greatest contact and rubs together, making it a high-smudge zone. The lip liner on the top and bottom should blend into the corners of your mouth and not be visible.
• Your neutral lip liner isn’t the right shade for your skin tone. Choosing the right foundation base to match your skin tone is difficult enough; finding a neutral lip liner is no different. Remember to match your skin’s undertones (cool, warm, or neutral) with a comparable lip liner because this hue should reflect your natural complexion. If necessary, use a guide to determine your undertone.
• You didn’t use a lip liner sharpener before applying it. Always sharpen your lip liner pencil before applying it since you’ll need the most accurate tip possible. If your lip liner’s tip is continually breaking, put it in the fridge before sharpening it.
• You didn’t take the time to warm up the lip liner. So, your lip liner is cool and sharpened, but the application is still a little off. Warm up the newly sharpened tip on the back of your hand first for simple swiping.

Conclusion

We hope you now know everything there is to know about applying lip liner! Lip liner, once a terrifying and uncontrollable beast, is now a fantastic method to enhance your natural appearance and amp up your lip colors. Lip liners also have a longer-lasting power, ensuring that your lip line is never choppy.