Lip liner

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Lip liner, or lip pencil, is a makeup product used to shape and define the lips. It fills in uneven edges before lipstick, outlines the lips to prevent feathering, and can make lips look bigger or create a sharper edge. Some people fill the entire lip with liner before lipstick, or wear liner by itself as a lip color.

Liners come in retractable tubes or sharpenable pencils and in colors that match lipsticks—reds, pinks, browns, plums, and more—so the look stays natural. There are also colorless liners to smooth the lips without adding color. They can have different textures; harder pencils give crisper lines.

Lip liners are made from waxes, oils, and pigment. They’re firmer and more pigmented than lipstick, with less oil and more wax and pigment. Japan wax is a common ingredient. Lip liner has been used since the 1920s, popularized by stars like Clara Bow, Marlene Dietrich, and Marilyn Monroe. In the 1990s, pairing dark brown liner with lighter lipstick became trendy.