Bad reputation of lip liners is following them for years now. When we think about them, all we can imagine is a granny make-up with extensively expressive lip outline. Lip liners are unfairly blamed for make-up slip-ups. Skilfully performed lip make-up will look better with lip liner, but we have to avoid the most popular mistakes related to it.
Lip liner wasn’t invented to make lives of women more complicated, but to make make-up more expressive and pleasant. With use of lip liner you can supply lips with desirable shape and size, smoother unevenness and even correct drooping corners of the mouth. Its task is to keep lipstick in place and prevent its smudging. However, lip liner used incorrectly will make you look fussy and makes your face gain stark appearance. What should you do to avoid it?
1. Correct shade
Lip liner should never contrast with the lipstick, their shades should be similar. To highlight lips choose lip liner in one tone lighter shade than the lipstick, and if you want to make your lips smaller then use one tone darker lip liner. The safest, though, is use of mineral lipstick in a neutral colour, e.g. colourless lip liner from MAC.
2. Rounded tip
Quite large holdback when you perform neutral make-up is too sharp tip of lip liner. The most beautiful lines are made with lip-liner with soft and rounded tip. In case of traditional pencil, you should rub it, e.g. on hand right after sharpening, to make it a bit less sharp.
3. Correct lip contour
Correct use of lip liner is not only about right product, but also about skills. So that lip liner would fulfil its task you have to know how to outline even contour. The most common mistake is when on one side lip is raised and on the other concave. You can avoid it by taking a picture of yourself (mirror can misrepresent). Easiest way to apply lip liner is to do it in small sections, because when you will try it at one motion it will almost never look perfect.
4. Concealment of lip liner
The ring effect on lips will appear when you chose incorrect shade of lip liner, but not only then. It can be fault of too expressive line, which wasn’t blended on the lip. When you “eat” the lipstick then lip liner is more expressive and looks unaesthetic. Bobbi Brown’s make-up artist prefers application of lipstick before lip liner, which is expected to prevent this issue.
