Minimalist makeup has dominated beauty trends in recent years. From clean-girl skin tints to no-mascara makeup, we’ve seen (and tried) it all. Now, as the pendulum shifts from barely there to naturally enhanced, high-quality basics are having a major moment. Like the perfect white T-shirt, nude lip liners are a staple that shouldn’t be overlooked.
The concept of a nude lip isn’t new, but this modern approach aligns more with today’s aesthetic preferences than traditional makeup styles. Instead of contouring with dark browns and filling in with a lighter shade, the look is simpler: a your-lips-but-better finish designed to subtly enhance your natural shape. Ahead, we asked two makeup artists to share their best tips for defining lips with nude lip liner.
Featured Experts
- Randi Orlinsky is a professional makeup artist and educator for MAKE UP FOR EVER
- Amanda Gabbard is a celebrity makeup artist
How to Find Your Shade
For any skin tone, the right nude lip liner should enhance your natural coloring rather than overpower it. The most flattering shades add soft definition while complementing both your undertone and the depth of your complexion. “Using your undertones as a baseline will guide you to the right color,” says Randi Orlinsky, a professional makeup artist and educator for MAKE UP FOR EVER.
According to Orlinsky, warm undertones pair best with equally warm shades such as cinnamons, cocoas or dusty roses. “Cooler complexions work well with rosier colors like petal pinks and mauve,” she adds. For deeper complexions, embracing variations of brown and pink can be most flattering. The key is assessing the color’s depth to ensure it delivers richness instead of washing you out. Raisin-toned browns and dark mauves often make the perfect natural shade for deeper skin tones.
Narrowing down your options is only the first step. The next is testing shades to see how they actually wear on your lips. Since your lip color differs from your inner arm, hands or face, Orlinsky recommends swiping the product directly onto your lips for the most accurate match. “Nude lip liners can look very different on your hand than they do on your lips,” she says. Instead of matching to your skin tone alone, look for a hue that strikes the right balance between your undertone and your natural lip color.
How to Wear Nude Lip Liners
Lip liner application can take practice to perfect, but the beauty of nude liners is that they’re far more forgiving. After prepping your lips with a gentle scrub and balm, use the pencil to softly trace your natural lip shape. “Using the tip, line the outer portion of your lips, lightly feathering the product toward the middle,” says celebrity makeup artist Amanda Gabbard. As you move toward the corners of your mouth, bring the pencil slightly onto the lips and continue the line to create a naturally plump effect.
For a soft yet full-looking pout, Gabbard suggests gently blurring the edges with your fingertip, then filling in the lips with the liner before blending it out with a small makeup brush.
Nude Lip Liners to Try
