Lip liner: how to choose a shade and line your lips neatly

Updated 2026-10-24Reading time 12 min

A lip liner can help define your lip shape and create a softer, more polished edge to lipstick or gloss. It can also help reduce feathering, depending on the formula you wear over it. Here you will learn how to choose the right shade, how to line your lips step by step and how to pair liner with gloss or lipstick.

What lip liner is for

Lip liner gives your lips a clearer shape and a neat outline, and it can help define the lip line and reduce feathering, depending on the formula worn over it. A pencil line is more precise than a swipe of lipstick or gloss, so it is easier to mark the outline with it. If you wear a creamy lipstick or gloss on top, a well-blended line can help you keep the edge of your lip colour looking neat. How well it stays in place also depends on the texture of the products themselves: the more fluid and slippery the formula, the more easily it travels past the edge.

Over the years the lip line often becomes less defined, and fine lines appear around the mouth – gloss and creamy lipsticks love to “bleed” into them. That is when liner earns its place twice over: it helps the shape of your lips look clearer and makes it less likely that colour will seep into those lines.

Liner also works on its own. Fill in your lips with it and you get even, natural-looking colour without any other lip product – you will find out how in the section on making colour last longer.

How to choose a lip liner shade

Choose your lip liner shade based on the result you want: for a natural look, pick one close to your own lip colour; with lipstick, go for the same tone or one shade deeper. The second thing to consider is undertone – warm or cool.

For a natural look: close to your lip colour

Look at your lips in daylight and choose a liner that is just slightly richer than their natural colour. A shade close to your natural lip colour creates a subtle outline that is easy to pair with gloss. It works with gloss and with most brownish or pink lipsticks, which makes it the most versatile first lip liner to own.

With lipstick: the same tone or one shade deeper

For natural everyday makeup, the easiest option is a liner close to your lipstick shade or one tone deeper. A deeper outline blended inwards gives the lips a little depth. A liner that is noticeably darker or lighter than your lipstick can be a deliberate style choice – just check it in daylight before you head out.

Warm or cool undertone

Warm shades have more yellow and brown in them – think cinnamon, terracotta and caramel. Cool shades lean grey or bluish – muted pinks and berry tones. The colour of jewellery you prefer can give you a hint, but it is not a reliable undertone test. If in doubt, compare two liner shades next to your face in daylight and pick the one that looks most harmonious with your natural lip colour.

If your lip border has become less defined

If your lip line has become less defined, a creamy liner close to your natural lip colour is the most useful: it sharpens the shape without showing as a separate line. You can still wear dark or bright shades – just draw the line precisely along your natural edge and blend it well towards the centre, so a sharp edge does not draw attention to fine lines around the mouth.

LUMIMI lip liners: 4 shades

The LUMIMI lip liner comes in four shades. The table describes them in words; compare the shade photos on the product page before choosing, as colours can vary on screen.

How to apply lip liner: step by step

The secret to an even line is not a steady hand but anchor points and short strokes. Rest your elbow on a table, relax and open your mouth slightly – this stretches the lip line so the pencil glides more easily. Here is how to use lip liner from start to finish.

1. Prep your lipsApply a thin layer of lip balm and wait a few minutes for it to sink in. Blot off the excess with a tissue: on a slippery layer the pencil skids and the colour does not last as long. Twist up only 1–2 mm of the pencil.

   

2. Mark the Cupid’s bowIn the centre of your upper lip, at the dip (the Cupid’s bow), draw two short strokes from the peaks down towards the dip – they should follow your natural shape. If your bow is barely visible, do not draw an artificially sharp “X”; it matters more to trace your own lip line. This is your first anchor point.
3. Mark the centre of the lower lipIn the middle of your lower lip, exactly on the natural edge, draw a short horizontal line. With two anchor points it is much easier to keep things symmetrical.
4. Line the cornersStart at the outer corner and work towards the centre, not the other way round. This keeps the line thin at the corners and stops it dipping downwards, so your lips do not look droopy.
5. Join the dots with short strokesDo not draw one long line – short, overlapping strokes let you correct the direction easily. Step back and check in the mirror: both sides should look similar.
6. Blend inwardsUse the brush at the other end of the pencil to gently pull the line towards the centre of your lips. The outline stays, but the hard edge disappears and the colour melts seamlessly into your lipstick or gloss.

How to make lip colour last longer

To help colour last longer, use lip liner not only for the outline but as a light base across your lips. When people look for a long-lasting lip liner, they often forget that technique – layering and blotting – matters just as much as the formula.

1. Line your lips as described above.
2. Lightly fill in your whole lips with the same pencil and blend with the brush.
3. Apply lipstick from the centre out towards the corners.
4. Gently press your lips onto a tissue – it will absorb the oily excess.
5. Apply one more thin layer of lipstick.

When the top layer of lipstick wears off – on the rim of a coffee cup, for example – the liner underneath usually stays on longer. So your lips do not end up looking bare with a lonely outline around them.

Lip liner instead of lipstick

Yes, you can use lip liner instead of lipstick. Fill in your whole lips, blend with the brush and, if your lips feel dry, add a thin layer of clear gloss or balm on top. It is handy when travelling or at work: one product gives you both the outline and the colour.

Can lip liner make your lips look bigger?

Lip liner will not make your lips bigger, but it can help them look a little fuller. It all comes down to restraint and where you draw the line.

• Centre only. Extend the outline just slightly at the Cupid’s bow and the centre of the lower lip. Check the result in the mirror from a little further away: if you can tell the line is not where it belongs, bring it back closer to your natural edge.
• Keep the corners natural. At the corners, stay exactly on the edge or just inside it. A line drawn past the corners looks blurry and makes the lips seem to slide downwards.
• A shade close to your lips. The darker the liner, the easier it is to notice that the line is not on your natural edge.
• Light in the centre. Dab a lighter or clear gloss onto the middle of your lips. A light-reflecting centre creates the impression of volume.

Lip liner with gloss or lipstick: how to pair them

Lip liner and gloss is one of the easiest everyday combinations: the liner gives shape and colour, the gloss adds shine. Line your lips, blend the line inwards, lightly fill in your lips with the pencil and only then apply gloss. A clear or sheer gloss lets the liner shade show through, while a tinted one softens it.

With creamy lipstick, the liner acts as both a frame and a base. Apply lipstick from the centre of your lips out towards the corners and leave the very edge to the liner – that way the colour will not cross the outline. To find out how these textures differ and when to choose which, read our article “Lip gloss vs lipstick”.

Common lip liner mistakes

• A liner that is too dark and not blended. A dark line around lighter lips catches the eye straight away. If you want a deeper outline for every day, pull it inwards with the brush.
• Harsh lines. A sharp border between liner and lipstick looks severe in daylight. A soft transition is more flattering for everyday makeup.
• Going too far at the corners. Line the corners exactly on your natural edge, even if in the centre the line sits slightly outside it.
• Liner on dry lips. A creamy texture clings to dry flakes and makes them more visible. Balm first, and liner only after a few minutes.
• Too much balm. The line will not hold on a slippery layer. Blot off the excess with a tissue before lining.
• A blunt tip or too much pencil twisted up. If the line comes out thick or uneven, check the tip. Sharpen a wooden pencil; with a twist-up one, twist up only 1–2 mm – a short tip is easier to control and less likely to snap.

Wipe off visible colour after use and clean the brush at the end of the pencil regularly, letting it dry fully, so residue does not build up. For how to look after your other tools, see our article on makeup brushes.

Frequently asked questions

The LUMIMI team. This article is based on our products’ ingredients and our makeup experience.