Makeup Artists Swear By These Nude Lip Liners to Fake a Fuller Pout
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My grandma was a beauty queen—not in a pageant way, but in the everyone-knows-her-at-the-Lancôme-counter way. She did hair for a living, wore her lipstick on a casual day, and somehow always looked pulled together, even when she was just running errands. When I was little, she told me I would one day love beauty just as much as her, and she was right. My favorite category? Lip liner.
To be specific: I love nude lip liner. It's a perfect product, allowing you to softly craft the shape of your lips with as much or as little drama as you see fit. It always you to go natural or full '90s supermodel depending on your mood. And despite what the name suggests, "nude" isn't just one shade—it's a whole category, spanning beige, pink, tan, and brown tones that can look wildly different on different lips.
Because there are so many incredible options out there, I'm going to categorize these nude lip liners by formulas and features rather than specific colors (while also sharing my favorite picks in each category). Start with the vibe you want, then find the nude that makes the most sense for you.
Just a girl (that would be me, contributing beauty writer Sophia Vilensky) showing off some of her favorite nude lip liners.
Blurry Nudes
If you're just starting out with lip liner—or are really good at staying on top of trends—a chunky, easily blurring liner should be at the top of your shopping list. There's a sense of "you can do no wrong" that comes with these babies, and it's so appreciated.
Sophia Vilensky trying on Rhode's Peptide Lip Shape in Lift.
Despite the cap on its silicone smudging tool always falling off (knowing the brand, I'm sure they're already working on fixing that), Rhode's peptide-packed, creamy lip liner is a star. The shade Lift, a soft neutral pink, matches my lips perfectly (like spooky good), and I'm sure there's an option in the collection that'll match yours, too.
Thank you for the insight, Granny. Lancôme's lip liners were my intro to the vast world of mouth contouring, and will always be a favorite. While this one doesn't have as thick a tip as Rhode's, its ceramide- and jojoba oil-infused formula is so creamy and forgiving that you won't have a problem. Play around with it, using your finger to blur as you see fit.
The Icons
It's not even a little bit of a secret that the beauty market is saturated. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of great options in every product category. And yet, they keep coming. It's a comfort to know, then, that an icon always stands out. These are the lip liners the internet is nuts for, that the makeup artists and girls in the bathroom re-upping their combo swear by. I do too, obviously.
MC Senior Beauty Editor Samantha Holender said it best while chatting about her favorite lip combos last fall. "Ask any pro: MakeUp For Ever’s nude liner is hands-down the best on the market. They have unmatched staying power and provide an opaque finish in just one swipe." We're both fans of the shade Wherever Walnut because of its subtle pink tint, but the internet is also passionate about the cool-toned Endless Cacao.
It's an iconic nude, darling. Unsurprisingly, Charlotte Tilbury has the nude lip liner game on lock. There's this truly iconic Iconic Nudes pencil, of course, but her Super Nudes Lip Cheat Contour Duo Lip Liner is also a star. One time, I saw a TikTok of a girl who was shocked to realize Iconic Nudes was actually her perfect nude lip liner. Shocked?! Of course it is. The color is literally just described as "nude."
MUA-Approved Options
I'll never get tired of watching a makeup artist expertly apply liner to themselves or someone else. These MUA-created products distill their expert techniques into easy-to-use formats for the normal folk, while still leaving you with their signature snatch(es).
Sophia Vilensky wearing m.ph's nude lip liner in Skinny Dip.
I'm going to say it here officially: m.ph Skinny Dip is my favorite lip liner of all time. The color, a cool beige nude, is so good, and I love how precise you can get with its tip when contouring. There's also something to be said for holding an old-fashioned wood lip liner pencil in your hands (albeit a sexy one—this is m.ph after all).
And then we have Mr. Mario Dedivanovic. Infused with emollients for extra comfort, this long-wearing liner glides on smoothly and diffuses beautifully thanks to the genius little brush on one end. There are a ton of great nude shades in the collection, plus some fun, bright ones if that's more your thing. In which case, I'm still glad you're here. Nudes are a necessity.
Lasting Liners
Even the most powerful formulas need a little reapplication. When I know I want my lips plush all day long but don't know when I'll have a second to pull out my pocket mirror, I'll start the day with a lip stain. Though they're less forgiving than their traditionally formulated sisters, there's a time and place for them. You can handle it.
Brand new to the scene, Summer Fridays' lip liner stains arrived alongside some also very good traditional pencils. Their soft brown Almond shade is practically perfect so long as I'm throwing a tinted balm on top. If I want to keep things more sheer with the gloss layer, I go for cool pink Rosette, which is super close to my natural tone. It doesn't dry down too fast, so you have a little time to blend, and it lasts all day long without budging.
From a "makeup as play" perspective, SACHEU's lip stains have a peel-off formula that I'm sure you've seen someone on the internet show off. They're infused with conditioning hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, and promise to keep your pout lined all day long. Go for the shade "nOOHde" and enjoy the process, just maybe don't try it for the first time before you need to be somewhere ultra-important. The application can take a little getting used to.
New Favorites
Now, let's talk about some lip liners that only recently joined my collection. I haven't known them long, but there was definitely love at first swipe. They're not new new in a just-to-market way, but they are treats I'm glad I discovered when I did.
Merit does "sheer" so well. If you want your nude liner looking extra au natural, you can glide on as little of this as you please—its soft-gel formula has a sheer, satin-y finish that can also be built upon if you want more drama. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, and when I don't, this is the pencil I turn to.
Tilt launched last year with a mission to provide accessible (and fabulous) products that anyone and everyone can enjoy. From their easy-to-open packaging with its braille translations to the first-of-its-kind cushioned grip present on this liner, they're really capturing the dream. The formula is great, and the pretty colors stay put, but my favorite part is how nice it is to wield.
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