Lip liner: the unexpected trend taking over beauty

Remember your friend’s perpetually pouty lips – nude liner and Vaseline, a look she’s been perfecting for three decades?

A decade-old secret is back

It seems the Beauty world is having a serious case of nostalgia. Lip liner, once relegated to the realm of outdated techniques, is experiencing a surprising resurgence, and I, a confessed liner skeptic, had to investigate. Let’s be honest, I’ve always favored a simple balm or gloss. But a recent foray into the world of makeup demanded a closer look, and the results were frankly, astonishing.

The subtle shift – and why it matters

A skilled YSL Beauty artist, Sergio Antón De Las Nieves, explained the power of lip liner: ‘It’s a must-have because it allows you to define, correct, and shape in a very subtle, but effective way.’ He’s right. It’s not just about color; it’s about creating a foundation for a fuller, more sculpted lip. Celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes, who works with stars like Dua Lipa, emphasizes the technique – using a liner one shade darker than your skin tone to create the illusion of volume at the corners of the mouth and cupid’s bow. “This creates the soft, blurred finish without removing the product,” she noted,