How to Apply Lip Liner

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Exfoliate your lips (optional).

   If you don't have an exfoliating balm or scrub (available at most drug stores and shops that sell makeup), you can exfoliate your lips by applying a moisturizing lip balm and then gently scrubbing them with a clean toothbrush.
   
   Some experts recommend against exfoliating your lips, as this can cause small tears in the skin of your lips, making them dry and chapped in the long term.
   
   Having healthy, well moisturized lips is better than exfoliating your lips, but if your lips are flakey, exfoliating is a quick way to make them smooth.
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   Step 2: Moisturize your lips.

   Before applying anything else to your lips, apply a light moisturizing balm.
   
   Make sure the balm isn’t too waxy — you want it to sink into your lips, not sit on top of them.
   
   If your lips are dry, chapped, or cracked, it will be difficult to apply a smooth line to them, particularly if you intend to fill them in completely with liner. , Some experts recommend waiting 20 minutes to apply anything else to your lips after putting on a moisturizer.
   
   If you don’t have that kind of time, wait at least a couple of minutes, and then dab your lips with tissue to remove any excess moisturizer.
   
   You want your lips to dry but well moisturized before you apply anything else to them. , A primer isn’t 100% necessary, but some makeup artists do recommend it, as it can help smooth your lips and hold both the liner and lipstick on your lips longer.
   
   If you intend to wear lipstick, you can apply a lip liner to your entire lips, and this will also help hold the lipstick in place.
   
   Concealer or foundation can be used in place of primer.
   
   These are good options if you’re planning to change the shape of your lips. , Choose your lip liner color based on what you intend to do with it.
   
   If you’re planning to wear red lipstick, go for a red liner; if you’re planning to keep your lips looking natural, go for a nude or soft pink liner. , Always sharpen your liner before using it.
   
   A sharp liner will give you a good, precise line.
   
   When your liner is dull, it’s closer to the wood of the pencil, and if any pieces are sticking up from the wood they might scratch your lips.
   
   Some people suggest that sharpening your liner before each use removes bacteria from it.
   
   A trick to make sharpening easier is to place your lip pencil in the freezer 20 minutes before sharpening it.
   
   This is supposed to help prevent the tip from breaking off, and should produce a cleaner, sharper point., Before using your lip liner, warm up the tip by drawing on the back of your hand.This way it will go on to your lips more smoothly.
   
   Another way to warm up your lip liner is to rub the tip between your thumb and index finger. , Parting your lips slightly will help you stick to their natural shape as you line them., Many artists recommend sticking to your natural lip line, as overdrawn lips can look unnatural.A common thing to do is to start at the center-top and center-bottom of your lips and then work outward.
   
   Another common lining method is to start at the center, drawing an “x” at your cupid’s bow, and then outline the corners and bottom of your mouth before lining the rest of your lips.Unless you're filling your lips in with lipstick, this isn’t a good option.
   
   As you trace your natural lip line, be extra careful to ensure that you’ve applied liner to any creases or cracks in your lips; this will help prevent your lipstick from bleeding. , If the liner tugs at your lips at all, it’s too hard.
   
   Try warming the tip up by rolling it between your thumb and index finger, or drawing on the back of your hand; you can also see if sharpening it helps., What you do after lining your lips depends on whether you plan to keep your lips looking natural, or to wear lipstick.
   
   If want a natural look, you’ll blend the liner into your lips and follow it up with gloss.
   
   If you want to wear lipstick, you’ll fill in your lips with liner before applying the lipstick. , If you’re not wearing lipstick and simply want to use liner to define your lips, use a nude liner and then a brush to gently buff the line out into the center of your lips.
   
   You would then finish the look off with a clear gloss.Even if you’re not wearing lipstick, a little bit of lip liner lightly applied to your natural lip line can do wonders for helping to define your lips.
   
   If you’re going for a natural lip, your lips should now be done! , Using swift, short strokes, fill in your entire lips with liner.
   
   This will give you a good base that will help your lipstick stay put longer.
   
   It will also help keep the lip color even, meaning the lipstick won't change color where it overlaps with the liner.
   
   Some people fill their lips in with liner and just wear the liner itself.
   
   If you do this, consider using a gloss or similarly colored lip balm over top of the liner to help it look smooth and even. , Starting at the center of your lips and working outwards, apply your lipstick to your lips.
   
   For a lighter and/or more precise application, use a lip brush to apply your lipstick.
   
   Even if you want your lipstick to go on thick, you can use a brush — it’ll just take a couple of layers to get the same thickness as using the lipstick. , Once your lips are lined and filled, the last think you'll want to do is clean up and even out your line.
   
   You can clean up the line with a bit of moisturizer or makeup remover on the edge of a cotton swab or kleenex.
   
   If you need to refine the line, simply draw over the necessary areas with your lip liner, then use your lip brush to blend where needed., This is particularly helpful if you’re wearing a dramatic color that has left small stains around the edges of your lips; it also helps prevent your lip color from bleeding out to the skin around your lips.
   
   Use a small brush or a foundation brush to paint a small amount of concealer or foundation around your lips, as needed.
   
   You can also set the foundation/concealer with a small amount of powder. , It’s really common to apply one layer of lipstick, blot it and then apply another layer.
   
   To blot your lips, open them, stick some tissue or blotting paper between them, and then close them gently in an “mmm” position.
   
   If you’re going to use tissue paper, make sure it’s a thick, good-quality tissue that won’t leave any bits of fluff on your lips. , Makeup artists often set lipstick by laying a thin layer of tissue over the lips and then dabbing a translucent powder over the tissue so that a small amount of powder gets on to the lips and helps hold the lipstick in place., Choose a nude liner and nude lipstick for a natural look, or a more dramatic liner and matching lipstick if you’re feeling more adventurous.
   
   Note that darker colors and mattes can make lips look smaller., This will help blur your natural lip line.
   
   It will also help your liner and lipstick stay put. , To make your lips look slightly larger, line just outside your natural lip line.
   
   To keep it looking natural, only go a very small step beyond your natural lip line., If you want your lips to look significantly larger, you’re better off using a two-toned method, with a liner that’s slightly darker than your lipstick.
   
   In 2014 Kylie Jenner sported newly plumped lips with a ‘90s-inspired lining style of having a darker liner and a lighter lipstick.
   
   Experts say it’s important to use a darker liner and then lipstick that’s only slightly lighter (e.g., a burgundy liner and a cranberry lipstick) for this look., Regardless of what size you go, make sure that you return to your natural lip line as you near the corners of your mouth.
   
   If you don’t, you’ll end up with clown lips., As you do this, be sure to leave space between the lipstick and the lip liner, as you’ll be pulling the lipstick up into the liner and blending the two in the next step.Go thick with this application, as you’ll need to be able to drag it up and blend it into your lip line. , Use a lip brush to pull the lipstick up to your lip liner, and blend the two., Do this gently back and forth until you’ve smoothed out any remaining hard lines.
   
   You want your lips to look smoothly graded, with just slightly darker edges leading into a lighter, plump center. , If you’d like you can dab a tiny amount of gloss or shimmery powder in the center of your bottom lip, which will help make it look a bit more plump. , Choose a nude liner and nude lipstick for a natural look, or a more dramatic liner and matching lipstick if you’re feeling more adventurous.
   
   Note that darker colors and mattes can help make lips look smaller., This will help blur your natural lip line.
   
   It will also help your liner and lipstick stay put. , Using short and swift strokes, line just inside of your natural lip line.
   
   Use a nude lip liner for nude-looking lips, or a darker shade for a more dramatic effect.
   
   Darker colors can help make lips look smaller. , Once you’re done lining and filling in your lips, remove any stray lines with a kleenex or cotton swab, then use a concealer brush and some foundation to clean up around the lip liner and further hide your natural lip line. , Good-quality lip liners are available at drug stores and makeup shops: you just need to know what to look for.
   
   Always try before you buy.
   
   A good liner should easily draw a smooth, richly colored line on your hand.
   
   Avoid liners that go on translucent, chalky, and/or crumbly.
   
   If it’s at all difficult to draw a line on the back of your hand with a liner, avoid it. , Some makeup aficionados have a matching lip liner for every color of lipstick they own.
   
   If you only buy one color of lip liner, however, make it a nude or natural one.
   
   A solid beginner’s set of lip liners would include one nude, one red, and one pink., Unless you’re using a liner stick that twists up (these usually come in plastic casings), you’ll be using something similar to a pencil crayon.
   
   You’ll need a pencil sharpener to keep your liner in good shape.
   
   There isn’t a lot of advice available as to how to purchase a good-quality sharpener; it’s best to ask friends or do an online search for highly reviewed sharpeners within your price range.
   
   Sharpeners can cost anywhere from $2 to over $40, but it’s certainly possible to get a good-quality one for under $10. , Especially when you’re new to lining your lips, you may need to clean up the lines.
   
   It’s a lot easier to do if you have a cotton swab or tissue paper handy.
   
   For particularly stubborn marks, put a little bit of moisturizer or makeup remover on some tissue paper or the tip of a cotton swap, and gently rub at the mark until it disappears.
   
   It can help to dab a tiny amount of moisturizer on the mark then use the dry side of the cotton swab to rub the mark away. , Moisturizing your lips before applying a liner can help prevent them from drying out, which can make your liner look dry and crumbly when it sinks into the cracks that form in your lips when they’re dry.
   
   A good lip balm will sink into your lips and make them feel moisturized.
   
   Avoid anything too goopy, which will make it difficult to apply anything else to your lips. , Some makeup artists suggest applying a lip primer to your lips before doing anything else, as this can help lengthen the life of your liner and lipstick once they’re on your lips.
   
   If you don’t have a primer, you can also use concealer or foundation to prime your lips.
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   Step 3: Wait for the balm to dry.

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   Step 4: Prime your lips (optional).

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   Step 5: Choose your lip liner color.

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   Step 6: Sharpen your lip liner.

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   Step 7: Warm up the lip liner.

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   Step 8: Part your lips slightly.

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   Step 9: Trace your natural lip line.

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    Step 10: Move in light

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    Step 11: short strokes.Moving in light

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    Step 12: short strokes will give you a more precise line than trying to trace over your line in one smooth movement.

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    Step 13: Complete your look.

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    Step 14: Blend a nude liner into your lips for a natural look (optional).

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    Step 15: Fill in your lips with liner.

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    Step 16: Apply your lipstick.

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    Step 17: Refine your line.

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    Step 18: Apply concealer or foundation around lips (optional).

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    Step 19: Blot between applications (optional).

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    Step 20: Set your lips (optional).

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    Step 21: Choose your colors.

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    Step 22: Apply a concealer to your lips and the surrounding area.

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    Step 23: Keep it natural (optional).

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    Step 24: Go big (optional).

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    Step 25: Return to your natural lip line at the corners of your mouth.

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    Step 26: Heavily apply lipstick to the center of your lips.

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    Step 27: Blend the liner and lipstick together.

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    Step 28: Run your ring finger or pinky finger over your lips.

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    Step 29: You’re done!

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    Step 30: Choose your colors.

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    Step 31: Apply a concealer to your lips and the surrounding area.

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    Step 32: Draw slightly inside of your natural lip line.

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    Step 33: Clean up around your lips.

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    Step 34: Buy a good-quality lip liner.

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    Step 35: Know what colors to buy.

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    Step 36: Get a good sharpener.

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    Step 37: Have some tissue paper or cotton swabs available.

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    Step 38: Get a good lip balm.

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    Step 39: Get a lip primer (optional).

Detailed Guide

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