Knowing how to match lip liner and lipstick colors are essential if you want to achieve a certain look.
Do you want fuller lips? How about more natural yet plump lips? Maybe make them kissable without having to pout all the time. Or maybe you just want to make your lipstick or lip gloss stay longer.
All of these can be worked out with a lip liner. But you need to know the color combination to get the looks you want.
In the next sections, you’ll find out more about the proper way to pair the colors of your liner and your lipstick, even if the brands don’t match at all. In case you can’t find the perfect color matching, there’s always a universal one that matches every color, which you’ll learn here too.
How To Match Lip Liner and Lipstick
Even if you’re able to cleanly apply a very beautiful color on your lips, wouldn’t you want it to stay perfectly in shape longer?
A lip liner is what will make this happen. It makes lipstick “stick” longer and prevents it from feathering.
It effectively creates a fuller and more natural look by defining the edges of your lippie, making your lips stand out fabulously.
The rule of thumb when you’re trying to match lip liner and lipstick color is to always go for a lighter shade on your liner, that is if you can’t find an exact match. As Beauty News NYC puts it, having contrasting colors is hideous.
Don’t go too light, though. One or two shades lighter will do.
A subset of this rule is to stay in the same color temperature as your lipstick. So if you’re planning to wear a warm-toned lippie, choose a liner color that’s light and warm-toned as well.
Urban Decay 24/7 Lip Pencil
It can be hard to choose a lip liner color if you don’t have your lippie with you. If you’re heading out to your favorite makeup counter, either swatch it on a tissue paper before you leave home or bring it with you. Swatch the liner you want to buy, side by side your lippie swatch. This will help you easily pick the right color.
Unless you’re already into using a lip balm to prevent feathering, you can just use a lip liner too. If your main concern is to just prevent feathering and make your lip gloss or lipstick stay longer, then you can go with a colorless lip liner.
A reverse lip liner like Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Ozone is a great product to achieve this. It’s colorless once applied.
Here are a few more color matching tips depending on what you’re trying to achieve:
Do you want a fuller pout?
Instead of a lighter shade, you’re going to have to use contrasting shades with this.
Remember that you don’t need to outline your entire lips with this darker shade. Apply it only on the cupid’s bow and the middle of the bottom lip. It creates a subtle shadow effect, making them look like their pouting naturally without having to do any effort on your part. MAC Lip Pencil and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil both have a lot of dark colors to choose from; you might find one that can go well with your lipstick. Keep in mind to just go with 1 to 2 shades darker this time.
Do you prefer a natural lip color look?
You can achieve kissable and plump lips without actually wearing red.
A nude lip liner like Sisley Paris Phyto-Levres Perfect Lip Pencil in Nude or the shade Beige Innocent from the Chanel Le Crayon Levres Precision Lip Definer line can help create the illusion of fuller lips by applying it to the border only. Then you can buff out the edges to the center and top it off with a lip gloss.
Want a liner with an exact matching color?
If you don’t feel good about the available lip liner colors on the counter, you can always stick to using the same color as your lipstick.
To do this, you can use a lipstick brush to apply your lipstick like a liner. Voila! You now have a matching color. However, you need to make sure that you have a long-lasting lipstick like Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink since it’s missing the added benefits of an actual lip liner. Another smart choice is the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Matte Lipstick which stays in place for up to twelve hours.
Also Read: Choosing the Right Long Lasting Lipstick for Your Dry Lips
As you can see, color matching your lip liner with your lipstick is quite flexible, especially as you become more confident and experienced in doing this.
Lip Liner For Every Color
Lip Liner for Every Color
Not all of us are confident in choosing color combinations, and sometimes it’s all about not having too much time. Choosing the right dress to wear takes so much time already, it would be a relief not having to choose a matching lip liner anymore.
Fortunately, there’s a lip liner you can use for every color. A colorless lip liner that I’ll be mentioning later works well with any lippie or lip gloss.
If you don’t want to go colorless, you can choose a nude liner to go with your nude lipstick. Be sure to pick the one that matches your skin tone. Keep in mind that It’s not the skin tone of your arm where you do most swatches, but the skin tone around your lips.
This way, you can get your lippie to stay longer while allowing you to achieve fuller and more kissable lips naturally. It might look like you’re an expert in applying red lipstick.
Also Read: How To Prevent Lipstick Bleeding Even With No Lip Liner
Lip Liner and Lipstick Combo
Until popular cosmetic brands like MAC or drugstore brands like Maybelline makes a lipstick and liner in-one, we’ll have to settle with doing the matching ourselves. I’ve seen a few not-so-popular brands who already offer this 2 in 1 combo, but I’m not comfortable using them so I’ll not recommend them to you.
On one note, this matching game allows for versatility. However, having to bring just one item is always a welcoming experience.
There was a good product like this from Sephora, SEPHORA COLLECTION Contour & Color Liner, and Lipstick Duo, but at the time of this writing, it’s no longer available at their shop.
Charlotte Tilbury The Pretty Pink Lipstick Set
An easy way to buy coordinating lip liner and lipstick is to let the brands match them for you. You will never go wrong with Charlotte Tilbury The Pretty Pink Lipstick Set. When you buy this Nordstrom-exclusive trio set, you get to have two pink lippies and a neutral pink lip liner that goes well with both lippie shades.
MAC 3pc Pink Lip Kit
When you’re in the mood for a brighter color, then you can go with MAC Cosmetics’ 3-Pc. Pink Lip Kit. This trio set, which is Macys-exclusive, was created by MAC’s Director of Makeup Artistry, Romero Jennings, and is only available for purchase online. Aside from the matching bright long-wear lip pencil and retro matte liquid lip color, you also get Prep + Prime Lip Primer. I swear by this lip primer in its power to hydrate, even under some of MAC’s matte lipsticks which could be extremely drying otherwise.
Wrapping It Up
You can certainly achieve a fuller, luscious, and more kissable lips if you know how to match lip liner and lipstick color. It’s a very essential skill to have if you love wearing lipstick, and fortunately, it’s quite easy to do so. If you still can’t find which color to choose, or you’re pressed for time you can always go colorless. Having a lip liner like Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Ozone in your cosmetics arsenal is always a great backup.