Pairing lip liners and lip colors

[CURLYGIRLWA]

How do you choose a lip liner that goes with your lip color? Still struggling Thank you! (And may your lip color be fierce!💜)

[WinglessOne]

Depends on how I plan to use the liner.

  - To get an ombré effect, I usually choose a liner that’s darker than my lipstick.

  - To get a very crisp outline of my lips (if I can’t achieve that with a bullet or doe foot), I use a liner that’s as close to my lipstick shade as possible. 

  - To wear all over my lips as a full base layer (to keep a lipstick in place), I usually use a liner close to my lipstick shade. I sometimes use a different shade to affect the lipstick: a base of black lip liner can make a not-black lipstick pop. 

  - To wear as a lip color on its own (all over my lips) or under clear gloss, the sky’s the limit! I treat the liner as if it were lipstick. 

  - To stop a lipstick from bleeding/feathering, I usually choose a liner that’s close to the lipstick shade. 

Quick example: 

How best to contain Urban Decay Firebird (aside from a lip primer).

This is Urban Decay Vice in Firebird, a chronic bleeder. It feathers like crazy on me unless I contain it with a lip liner or lip primer. Above it L-R are NARS Precision Lip Liner in Le Lavandou and MUFE Artist Color Pencil in 902 Versatile Violet. Below it is MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil In Rebellious. I normally use Rebellious with Firebird. If I want to do an ombré effect, I use one of the other 2 liners and do a much better job of seamless blending than I did in this quick swatch. 😄 

Hand swatching is a good way to see which liners work best with lipstick shades, depending on how you plan to use the liner. 

[sephoraaddict918]

Hey @CURLYGIRLWA !!! I choose my lip liner based on the lip color and the formulation. When I want a bold color, I match the liner to the lip color as much as possible. When I want a natural color, I use a liner closer to my flesh color. When I'm wearing a matte lipstick, I use a more moisturizing lip liner like the Sephora Gel Liner, so my lips don't feel super dry. When I'm wearing a gloss or a cream lipstick, I'm okay with wearing a drier lip liner. I prefer the lip liners from Urban Decay because they're super pigmented.

[SportyGirly125]

@CURLYGIRLWA I usually go with a universal color like CHARLOTTE TILBURY - Lip Cheat Lip Liner - Iconic Nude or Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Lip Liner Naked