12 Best Lip Liners for a Plumper, Fuller Effect

Tester Feedback: "Growing up, the MAC wood pencil lip liner was a staple in my mom's makeup stash, so it makes sense why it's become my holy grail liner," say social media manager Bianca Richards. "Not only is this a tried and true liner for its color payoff and formulation, but the shade Cork compliments my lips so well. It's so hard to find that perfect shade of brown that is versatile in a way where I can apply one coat for a simple/minimal contrast, or add more product for more definition without appearing too stark."

Available Shades: 29 (Richard is wearing Cork)

Most Comfortable Wear: Ilia Lip Sketch Hydrating Crayon

Why It's Worth It: Ilia's Lip Sketch Hydrating Crayon is topping this list because it quickly dries down to a comfortable, matte finish and stays put for 12 hours. This long-wearing lip liner has a stain-like grip on lips yet feels totally weightless, a high achievement for any matte formula. Our editors also love the moisturizing feel of this lip liner, which is all thanks to hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and antioxidant-rich seaweed extract.

Tester Feedback: "This new Ilia lippie is the only lip product I've been using since it hit my doorstep," says shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis. "Its creamy formula glides onto my lips with ease and its precision tip allows me to outline without error. Since it's a rather thicker lip pencil, I can just fill in my lips with it and skip the lipstick step."

Available Shades: 12 (Trakoshis is wearing shade Rhyme)

New and Noteworthy: Kosas Hotliner

Why It's Worth It: After a year-long sabbatical, the Kosas Hotliner is finally back, and the demi-matte formula is already a mainstay in Allure editors' deskside beauty collections. Spiked with hyaluronic acid and konjac root to curb dryness and cracking, this new-and-improved version glides smoother than butter and stays in place without feathering or fading (that is, until you start eating or drinking, as with most lip product.) Since this retractable lip liner has a built-in brush and sharpener, you'll be able to free up some space in your makeup bag.

Tester Feedback: "I rarely use lip liner, but Kosas' Hotliner currently has a chokehold on my lip routine," says commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. "Unlike other liners I've tried, this one doesn't begin to crack or feather when I touch up my lips throughout the day. It also gets bonus points for its slender build, which is perfect for my ludicrously overstuffed tote bag."

Available Shades: 8 (Hussein is wearing shade Supreme)

More lip liners we love:

Best Waterproof Lip Liner: Pat McGrath Labs PermaGel Ultra Lip Pencil

Why It's Worth It: Our editors live and breathe just about anything from Pat McGrath Labs, including the PermaGel Ultra Lip Pencil. This matte-finish lip pencil has a sturdy yet gentle tip that draws crisp, precise lines that blend with just a few pats of your go-to brush (or finger) for natural-looking fullness. Once this waterproof lip liner locks in place, it'll withstand just about every drink, meal, and whatever action your mouth has throughout the day.

Available Shades: 10

Best Multitasking Lip Liner: Tower 28 Beauty OneLiner Lip Liner + Eyeliner + Cheek Pencil

Why It's Worth It: The Tower 28 Beauty OneLiner Lip Liner + Eyeliner + Cheek Pencil is three products in one formula, which is why Hussein is such a fan. This nifty pencil comes in three neutral, matte-finish shades that can be used on lids, lips, and even cheeks as a cream blush for a natural-looking flush. It's like a colored pencil, but for your face, so feel free to get creative with its versatile formula. When Hussein wants a fuller-looking lip combo, she starts her usual lip routine with this lip pencil in the cocoa-brown shade Draw Me

Available Shades: 3

Best Shade Range: Makeup By Mario Ultra Suede Sculpting Lip Pencil

Why It's Worth It: As Trakoshis perfectly put it, "Leave it to Mario Dedivanovic to create the perfect lip liner." This dual-ended lip liner comes with a built-in brush to blend and blur the long-lasting lip liner's pigment. Speaking of pigment, its lightweight formula is available in over 20 red, berry, brown, and nude lip liner shades to mix and match with your favorite lipsticks and glosses. Since this matte-finish lip pencil locks in place for full-day wear, you can apply it as a wear-enhancing base for your lipstick or all by themselves.

Available Shades: 23

Precise Application: Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Definer

Why It's Worth It: You know a product is good when it's in a makeup artist's kit and their own personal makeup bag, as is the case for Robin Black and the Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Definer. "The smooth, intensely pigmented formula of this liner is ideal for creating precise lip looks and can be used under lipstick or alone," Black tells Allure. In addition to the variety of nude shades—like No. 5, the gorgeous toffee brown one seen above—Black says the Red is also brilliant: "It's bright, but with a neutral undertone that works under many different shades of red lipstick," she explains.

Available Shades: 7

The Pros' Choice: Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner

Why It's Worth It: You'd be hard-pressed to find a makeup artist who doesn't sing the praises of Lip Cheat Lip Liner by Charlotte Tilbury, the eponymous brand that has more than proven its lip-product prowess. "Velvety texture and long-lasting pigment make this a go-to for makeup pros," Black says. "When I want to overdraw or reshape lips using liner, this is the product I reach for."

Black especially loves the shades Iconic Nude, Foxy Brown, Hollywood Honey, and the legendary Pillow Talk, seen here, which is also one of Carillo's favorites. "It's the perfect shade for most light to medium skin tones. It's 100% like your lips, but better," he tells Allure, adding that it glides on like a hydrating lip product yet stays matte and in place.

Available Shades: 23

Longest-Wearing Lip Liner: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil

Why It's Worth It: Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil is an absolute legend, so it should come as no surprise that its lip pencil counterpart deserves equal adoration. Contrary to its name, though, you can expect up to 16 hours of wear from this waterproof lip liner, which is still more than enough time for a lasting lip look. This liner's staying power is so impressive that Allure news editor Nicola Dall'Asen has abided by it (specifically in the pink shade, Venom) for the past five-plus years. "I'm not sure if it's the creamy consistency or the not-too-dark and not-too-light plum tone, but I simply refuse to use another." It comes in a classic lip pencil format that houses an ultra-creamy gel formula infused with conditioning vitamin E, jojoba oil, and cottonseed oil.

Available Shades: 18

Creamiest Formula: Huda Beauty Lip Contour 2.0

Why It's Worth It: Makeup artist Rose Siard loves the Huda Beauty Lip Contour 2.0 liners because they're so creamy and pigmented. "They never skip, and they blend into lipstick seamlessly," she tells Allure, offering an interesting trick for defining your lips with a pencil like this one—which just so happens to come with a built-in sharpener. "I like to apply my lipstick first and then line the lips. You have more control if you line after and you can blend it into the lipstick easier," she explains. Siard shouts out the shade Vivid Pink (seen above) for its true dusty-pink tone that adds a contouring touch to most nude lipsticks.

Available Shades: 12

Best Luxury Lip Liner: Dior Contour Lip Liner

Why It's Worth It: It may be on the pricey side, but Black assures Allure that Dior Contour Lip Liner is totally worth it. "This is one of my favorite pencils for filling in the entire lip under lipstick. It stays put and increases both the wear time and the color intensity of the lipstick on top," she says, adding that the formula is remarkably smooth and doesn't drag on the lips.

Available Shades: 20

Best Affordable Lip Liner: Juvia's Place Lux Lip Liner

Why It's Worth It: The Juvia's Place Lux Lip Liner is for those of you who want to save a few dollars without sacrificing quality. Comprised mostly of neutrals, browns, and one jewel-toned red aptly named Ruby, this liner's shade range has the advantage of being compatible with a variety of lipstick colors on virtual shelves. This lip liner has the added bonus of coming in a retractable format, so no need to worry about accidentally smashing the tip of your liner with your cap anymore.

Available Shades: 12

Frequently Asked Questions

Finding the right shade of liner depends on your overall lip combo. If you're opting for a classic red lip, New York City-based makeup artist Vincent Oquendo previously told Allure to apply an identical to slightly deeper shade of your lipstick. "For the most precise red lip, work backward," he adds. "Apply lipstick, then liner to create the shape."

Whereas to create a fuller, more accentuated style, Donni Davy, Euphoria's head makeup artist, previously told Allure to find a shade that's slightly deeper than your natural lip color. "Depending on your complexion, these shades [of brown] might range from a medium pink-peach to mauve-taupe, or espresso-black," she explains.

Lip liner is undoubtedly versatile but there's a fine line (literally) between creating a crisp yet natural-looking result and teetering on obviously overlined. Below, we share a few tips that Davy and Chanel makeup artist Tasha Reiko Brown previously shared with Allure:

We all love the feel of breaking in a freshly-sharpened lip liner, but hold off on sharpening if you want a more diffused finish. Both Brown and Davy agree that when it comes to lip pencils, the duller, the better. "I love soft diffusion on the edges of lips," Brown notes. "[A diffused line] helps make lips authentically look fuller."

If you usually prep your lips with a balm, try holding off until after you've applied your liner. "For staying power, I like to line on drier lips," Brown says. "If lips are too hydrated or have too much slip to them, it prevents the waxy liner from creating a bond with the lip. It will sort of float on top of the emollient lip balm."

You may feel inclined to try heavily overlining (and if that's your look of choice, you do you!), but Brown recommends following your natural perimeter and drawing ever-so-slightly above your natural line. "On the sides of the lip, top, and bottom, sketch the liner inwards towards the [center] of your lips," Brown shares. This helps to blend the color versus creating a distinct border.

If you used a liner that was too sharp or applied too much product, grab a small, angled makeup brush to soften the liner color towards the center of the lips. "I think it looks more artful, glam, and a tiny bit lived in," says Davy. "Your lips will look luscious and full."

You can also follow this step to ensure a smooth base before applying your lip color over top. "When I'm doing a bold lip look, this helps get a [consistent] color across the entire lip," says Brown.

When applying your next product, Brown suggests applying a small amount on the center of the lips and blending outward rather than smearing all over. "This ensures that all the beautiful shadowing I’ve done with the brown lip liner doesn’t soften too much," she says.

For a little extra oomph, "Pop a lighter shade in the center of your lips for a little more dimension," adds Davy.

• Robin Black, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist and founder of Beauty is Boring
• Joseph Carrillo, a makeup artist based in New York City
• Rose Siard, a makeup artist based in Los Angeles
• Vincent Oquendo, a New York City-based makeup artist
• Donni Davy, a makeup artist based in Los Angeles and founder of Half Magic Beauty

Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?

For our review of the best lip liners, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and professional makeup artists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.

Find more Allure editor-approved lip products:

• 13 Best Lip Oils for a Glossy Finish (Without the Stickiness)
• The 12 Best Lip Plumpers in 2024, Reviewed by Allure Editors
• 15 Best Lip Balms to Soothe Dry, Chapped Lips
• Ooey Gooey Lip Products Are Having a Moment

Now, take a virtual stroll through Jenna Lyons' dreamy closet and spa-worthy bathroom:

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