Even though lip lining was reintroduced to the general public only a few years ago, this beauty practice actually has roots that go back about a hundred years or so. Believed to be invented in Britain at the beginning of the last century, lip liners were all about making the lips plumper and fuller all the while making sure that the lady doesn’t have to go through a lot of effort to get there.
Sounds familiar? That’s because it is! Through the years, the purpose of the lip liner has indeed stayed the same, but many things did change. For example, lip liners are still sold in their original pencil-like packaging and still serve the same purpose, but the formulas which are used now differ widely from the ones used all those years ago.
There are also a lot more colours and shades you can choose from to truly express your individuality and accentuate your looks. It’s not all about red and purple, you know. There are many different ways to experiment with this beauty product, but the very first thing you’ll need to do before absolutely anything else is to buy a quality lipstick pencil.
Wondering how to recognize one? (Lip)Stick around!
The Traits of a Quality Lipstick Pencil
A good lip liner is a lip liner that’s creamy and smooth and can easily glide onto your lips, leaving behind a perfect trail of colour. If the liner you’re looking at has adjectives like “chalky” or “hard” to describe it, your best bet would be to leave it behind and try to find a different one.
Next up, you’ll need a liner that’s long-lasting and won’t bleed around your lips. Instead of buying randomly and then catching yourself googling tips on making your lip liner last longer, it’s much better to get a pencil that has longevity in its core from the get-go. The longer the staying power the better, but beware, as staining can be an issue, too, so you need to find that perfect balance between the two.
Finally, the lip pencil you choose must leave a saturated, rich colour behind or you shouldn’t want it. I mean, the whole point is the colour (except with the clear ones!), so why would you buy something that’s sheer when it wasn’t meant to be?
And that’s it!
Now that you know how to recognize a good lipstick pencil, it’s time to explore the different uses one has! These tips work with any colour and shade, so you’re absolutely covered.
Outline
Using your lip liner to outline your lips and give them a plumper, more enlarged look is one of the most basic uses of this beauty product. Peaking in the mid-to-late 90s and early 2000s, outlining was reintroduced by Kylie Jenner a few years back and obviously doesn’t have any intention of going away.
You can use a lip pencil to outline your lips in two ways. Number one is following the natural edge of your lips, enhancing their pre-existing shape. The other is to overline your lips and give them that extra boost.
Overlining is, however, a bit of a double-edged sword, as it looking good and it looking bad are separated by a very thin line. If you choose to overline your lips make sure you don’t go too far out of your natural lip shape and always check your look in daylight.
What you look like on your phone’s camera or in an indoor mirror and outside in real life can differ greatly, so it’s always best to make sure everything’s a-okay.
Filling In
Next up, filling in.
If your lip liner is as creamy and smooth as it should be you’ll have no issue applying it all over your lips and using it as a lipstick all by itself. I know, I know, the whole point of a lip liner is to complement the lipstick you’re already using, but sometimes lipstick can be too much, while just a liner and a bit of gloss can give off a lot more subtle, more romantic kind of look.
If you want to fill in your lips with a liner you’ll first need a bit of prep. Since your liner doesn’t really have a similar formula as your lipstick it may end up getting erased in the middle part of your mouth much faster, so priming your lips with a bit of concealer can really help you out.
Furthermore, using a lip scrub just before applying can also do wonders as your lips will be smooth and will soak in the liner much easier. If you do go with a lip scrub, don’t forget to moisturize those lips with a bit of chapstick before applying your pencil, unless you’re into cracked, painful lips!
Detailing
You know how a good pair of eyelashes or just the right eyeliner can really accentuate an eye look? Well, the same thing goes for lip pencils, too, only this time it’s all about the shade and the colour.
If you’re looking to have a bit of fun and would like to switch things up you can get a lip liner in a vibrant colour or a colour that’s drastically different from the lipstick you’re using and outline your lips completely or just choose to outline some parts, like the cupid’s bow.
Another idea is to use a darker-coloured lip pencil to shade the inside of your lips or the corners and create an illusion of a mysterious, but very plump lip that nobody will be able to resist!
In the end, it’s important to remember that the whole point of beauty products is for you to figure out all the different ways they make you feel prettier, so don’t hold back. Unleash your creativity and mix and match until you’ve found every single way you like to use them. Then, everything that’s left is to wear your unique look with pride!