Is a Lip Liner Really Needed – Everything you Need to Know
Lip liners are often underappreciated for their importance in makeup routines.
Depending on your makeup routine, lip liners have been used to either outline, contour, exaggerate or fill in the natural shape of lips. Citation.
Now in this article, we will go through the benefits and even the drawbacks of using lip liners. And we will share with you some great tips and hacks to better use them.
What is a Lip Liner
A lip liner, also called a lip pencil, is a cosmetic product made specifically for use in defining the outer edges of the lips as well as as a base layer for lip color.
Lip liners are usually sold in a retractable tube or pencil form which can be sharpened.
Lip liners are composed of waxes, oils, and pigment. But lip liners have a firmer consistency and are more deeply pigmented than other lip coloring products.
This makes them suitable for drawing onto the lip with precision. They are also available in the same range of colors as lipsticks
Related Article – Tips on How to Pick a Lip liner & Whats Best Color for You
What is the Purpose of a Lip Liner
1. Can be used as a Base for Lip colors such as lipstick & lip gloss
You can use a matte lip liner as a base or the first layer for lip coloring products such as lipsticks and lip glosses. This helps the pigment from the lipstick to better adhere to the lips.
This will help to reduce smudging and extend wear time. To do this use a lip liner with a similar shade to the lipstick you plan on wearing. Outline your lips then fill in, before applying the lipstick of your choice. Citation.
Related Article: 7 Tips How to use a Lip Liner or Pencil as a Lipstick
2. Prevent smudging or bleeding of lipsticks & glosses
Using a lip liner to outline your lips, will create a boundary or barrier to stop lipstick or gloss from, migrating or bleeding off the natural contour of your lips.
Wearing a lip liner is a must, especially when wearing a satin-finished lip color or hydrating lip color formula.
Filling in your lips with the liner as well can also help to stop a “ring” of the liner from forming around your lips and helps keep cream-based lip color in place.
Lip liners help to prevent feathered lips which occur as a result of lip color bleeding across your lips and looking uneven.
Related Article: Best Lip Liners for Dark & Brown Skin that Blends Well
3. Lip liners outline the shape of lips
Lip liners help to accentuate the natural shape of your lips. This is especially useful to people whose lip shape is not naturally defined.
Related Article – Tips on How to Correctly Apply a Lip Liner – Beginners Guide
4. Lip liners can change the appearance of lip shape
Use your favorite liner along the borders of your lips to manipulate the natural lip lines and alternately change the shape of your lips.
Lip liners can be used to create a sharper pointed lip, a more prominent cupid bow, or a rounded bubble-shaped lip.
6 Tips How to Correctly Wear Lip Liner & Lip Gloss Together
5. Can change the appearance of lip size – Make them fuller
Lip liners when used correctly can give the illusion of bigger, fuller lips or rectify any problems with lip symmetry.
They are an affordable, easy-to-use, and temporary way to plump your lips.
You can make your lips look plumper by overlining your natural lip borders with lip liner before filling them with lip color or contouring it using light and dark lip pencil shades.
This helps to create a more angled 3/D plumping effect on the lips.
You can click here to read how to make your lips look bigger using a lip liner.
6. Lip Liners help with Discoloration
Another main purpose of using a lip pencil would be to fill in uneven areas on the outer edges of the lips.
And to help fill in areas where there is discoloration on the lips, this will make any lip color application look cleaner and neater.
7. Lip liners can be worn alone for a natural look
Lip liners can also be used on their own to create a soft worn-out effect on the lips for those who do not like bold lip colors.
How Lip Liner Makes a Difference
8. Lip liners extend the wear time of lip colors
Using a lip liner as a base for other lip coloring products will lengthen the wear time. This is especially true when using cream based lip products that have a tendency to smudge.
The lip coloring product will attach it self better to a matte surface of a lip liner rather than to your natural lips.
A lip liner base will also act as a primer on your lips even if the lipstick wears off. The waxy consistency of the liner, will act like tape to hold the color down longer. This lip liner trick will also make your lip color appear more matte.
10. Help lips to have an Even & Consistent Color
If you struggle with discoloration or hyperpigmentation on lips, using a lip liner as a base will help to create a consistent color all over lips.
The lip liner will cover all dark marks, and give a blank slate for any lip color application. This will also prevent patchy application of any lip product.
11. Help to correct any problems with lip symmetry
Most people’s lips have lips that are not proportional in size to each other. One lip may be slightly bigger or smaller than the other.
Using a lip liner will help correct any disparity in size and help achieve a more balanced look to your face.
12. Lip liners help make lip color application easier
Lip liners help to define the lip shape which makes lip color application more precise and easier.
The small pencil like shape and hard waxy point of a lip liner helps to create a more precise outline of your lip shape which makes any lip color application simpler.
13. Lip liners help to create a gradient color on lips
Lip liners will create a gradient effect on lips if used along with a different color lipstick or gloss. This effect can be quite flattering to lips and a change from one toned lip color.
Can you wear Lipstick without using a Lip Liner
Yes, you can absolutely still wear lipstick without using a lip liner. But the lipstick’s color may not last as long as if used with a lip liner and may also be prone to smudging and bleeding.
Certain lip color products such as matte lipsticks don’t need a lip liner because its doe foot applicator makes application easy and the formula tends to be smudge-proof and long-lasting.
However, lipsticks that are creamy and more hydrating can have their longevity extended by using a lip liner or a lip liner substitute.
Lip liner Vs No Lip Liner
Do you need Lip Liner with Lip Gloss
When using a lip gloss you don’t necessarily need to use a lip liner. However, there are many benefits that you get from using both a lip liner and gloss together, including;
- Lip liners stop the gloss from bleeding or smudging.
- Using the liner as a base will help the gloss to stick better to lips.
- Since lip gloss doesn’t have much pigment, using a colored lip liner as a base will give the gloss more vibrancy.
- A lip liner under gloss will provide a neat outline and color.
- It can also assist in changing lip shape – for example for a cupid’s bow, you should put a cross in the center of your upper lips to make a very pronounced V.
- You can get fuller lips, using a lip pencil by making vertical lines on your lips before gloss application.
- Using colored lip liners along with gloss you can get different color effects by varying the color combinations.
- Helps cover up any discoloration of the lips (Hyperpigmentation) for flawless application of lip gloss.
Benefits Lip Liners
If you are considering adding lip liners to your beauty regime. Here are some things to consider.
- Lip lines give a clean, more defined line to lips.
- They act as a border to help prevent pigments from bleeding or smudging.
- If used as a base for lip color, lip liners help pigments to stick better and last longer.
- Lip liners help to cover any discoloration on lips.
- Lip liners can be used to even lip symmetry.
- When applied correctly, lip liners give the illusion of plumper lips.
- You can change your lip shape to any flattering shape of your choice.
- A lip liner makes lipstick, tint, and gloss application easier since the lip line borders are clearly defined.
- There is a wide variety of colors available and lip liners can be worn by themselves.
Cons of Lip Liners
- Lip liners are not long-lasting and may require reapplication often.
- Using a lip liner is an additional step in your makeup routine, and application requires more time.
DIY Alternatives to Lip Liners
There are several alternatives to lip liners. You can choose one of the following alternatives depending on the purpose you intend to use the lip liner.
Foundation– If you use a lip liner to even out discoloration on your lips, but don’t have any, try applying foundation all over your lips to form a base layer. This will also help pigment to stick better to lips.
Matte lipstick– matte lipsticks have a pointed doe foot applicator which can be used to create a more defined lip border. And help prevent the lip color from bleeding.
Lipstick and cotton swabs or lip brushes– Drag your brush or cotton swab across the tip of your lipstick.
You want to get a small, even amount of color on your brush or cotton swab. Then use the swab or brush to apply the color to your lip borders, for a more defined lip edge.
Lip crayon– lip crayon is the perfect cross between lip liner and lipstick. And you can sharpen the tip of a lip crayon to get a more pointed tip for easy application and shaper lip lines.
Lip stains– Some lip stains are available in packaging with a pointed edge or marker tip applicators that make outlining lips easy. Plus lip stains are long-lasting and can be used all over lips
