Lip liner should be an essential item in everyone’s beauty kit, but a lot of ladies are still scared of using it – so let’s get serious and talk about how to apply it properly!

First of all, let’s address why a lot of people avoid using lip liner. Because they remember the 90s, and they think they will end up like this:

Of course you’re going to be scared of it if that’s your only reference point. How did we ever think that was attractive? Sorry Gwen – you’re a style icon, but even you can’t pull that off.

Applied properly, lip liner should be both invisible and help your lipstick last all day. It should not be a visible dark line around the edges of your lips! It’s actually a must have product, and here’s how you should use it.

Never go darker than your lipstick. This is the first commandment of lip liner. Your liner should match, or be lighter than the lipstick you plan on wearing. A lot of brands have matching liners available for their lipsticks. However you can also use a neutral toned liner, a light colour or even clear. The idea here is to create a base to apply your lipstick onto, so the liner shouldn’t clash with your chosen colour.

Cover your whole lip. This is the secret to lip liner. First trace around the edges of your lips with the liner, and then fill in the whole lip. Completely cover your lips with the liner. Now they are primed for long lasting colour. Follow with your chosen lipstick. That’s how the pros do it!

I used Innoxa’s Super Smooth Lip Liner in Neutral. It applies really easily and is a twist style product rather than a pencil you need to sharpen.

Don’t draw on new lips. Although you may have read about how you can make your lips look bigger with lip liner, unless you’re a makeup artist or have had a lot of practice don’t attempt to give yourself a new lip shape. It’s not going to look natural. Stick to your real shape and size.

Use lip liner on its own. Yes you can wear lip liner without anything on top! If you are into matte lips, this is the secret behind that look. Lip liners are extremely long lasting, and many formulations are able to be worn without any other colour on top. This is a lip liner revelation!

And that’s it! Make sure to keep your lips in top condition by wearing a thick lip balm overnight. This will help your liner apply perfectly.

Got any lip liner tips? Let me know in the comments - Julia