Lipstick is one of those things that can make or break a makeup look. Some swear by a signature color and others may eschew it altogether for some wild notion of its high maintenance reputation. Whether you take it in a bullet, liquid, or some other new-fangled formula, the expectations of lipstick are fairly static. You've got your color, your finish, and the feel. But lipstick is a mood for me. It doesn't pull together a look for me, it is the look. My current lipstick look as of late has been that hazy dreamy, blurred-edge effect. It's not ombré and it's not gradient (no lip styling that would require me to abstain from eating/drinking), but it's the anti-liner lip look. It's a little rebellious and purposefully messy — the bedhead of lipstick, if you will.
While most lipstick looks I see on Instagram are very defined and sculpted, this particular lipstick styling still seems to be one of this hazy, lazy lip look. Scrolling makeup artist Terry Barber's feed, usually gives me such gems as this one. (I love how he does makeup and then compares it to something completely bonkers, like bacon.)
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Talking shop with makeup artists being a hobby of mine, I asked makeup artist Benjamin Puckey his thoughts on this whole lip liner embargo. "I definitely think that it’s become a trend as a reaction to the crazy over-drawn lips that we’ve been seeing these past years," he said, after I asked if he thought this would become a trend. "I think people are yearning for something softer and a little more romantic. A sharply drawn lip can look cool when balanced with more minimal makeup, but can also have a slightly aggressive feel." (Kind of a "speak softly but carry a big lipstick" mood perhaps?)
I've always just applied a regular lipstick and smeared the outline with my finger, just blurring slightly into the overdrawn zone but not so far into makeout-mouth territory. Apparently, I am not the only one, since lots of makeup brands are releasing lip products to recreate this exact kind of look. Those products are generally labeled as matte lip stains, but all you need to do is style those edges with some smudge-action and you're in business.
If imprecise makeup and not using a lip liner gives you hives, maybe pick another adventure. Puckey, who calls this a "blurred lip stain," has a few of his own techniques for creating this effect:
With Utensils: "Apply your lipstick with a fluffy brush like the M.A.C 217 and buff the color into your lips applying a lighter pressure by your lip line. The fluffy texture of the brush gives a diffused look to your lip color application.
Paint and blot: "Apply a pigmented lipstick to your lip, let it sit for a bit and then blot the color off with a tissue until all you’re left with is the color that has stained your lips. Seal the lip stain with a matte lip balm (He suggests Nuxe Rêve de Miel) and your lip stain will stay for hours."
Finger-painting: "Apply a lipstick from the bullet to the center of your lips, fade the color out with your finger to the edge of your lips and then use a [cotton bud] to fade the edges." (this one isn't so different than how I do it)
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If you're down to get a bit blurry, but don't have time to use things like "tools" and "techniques," here are some lip products that are specifically engineered to give you this blurred lip stain look all on their own.
"Diffused, sheer matte goodness" is how this sheer matte lip balm is billed on Glossier's site. And that's pretty accurate. The best thing about this guy is that it wears like a balm so it's comfortable like your favorite jeans are comfortable. Jam is a great berry-stain shade and builds in color the more you swipe. This lipstick is definitely dress-code casual and that's not a bad thing (it's great, actually). My other fave shade is Leo, a medium-nude brown shade.
$18 (Shop Now)
This lip color is $6. I don't want to bury the lede but I feel like that's a pretty good argument right there. It's a liquid formula that dries down to a sheer blotted texture. It's not the most comfortable wear (I mean, what matte liquid lipstick truly is?) but ColourPop really nailed the whole "blotted" moniker here.
$6 (Shop Now)
On the opposite spectrum, we have the Chanel "that's Poudre à Lèvres to you" lip color compact that on one side has a clear balm and on the other, a pressed powder pigment. I find lip palettes entirely too dramatic, but this is genius because the little brush and eye shadow-sponge-tipped applicator that comes in it are crucial for getting that look, while not getting stuff on your fingers (luxury beauty products are always looking out for you). I brushed on some balm onto my naked lips, pressed the sponge-tipped applicator onto the powder and pressed that on top of the balm on my lips and it leaves a seriously opaque super-matte lip color — this shade in particular is so vibrant it looks 3D on my face (I mean, more than a face is already three-dimensional).
$37 (Shop Now)
This drugstore hero is legit. It's got a squeeze-tube body with a cushion tip applicator, which makes it really easy to squeeze the product onto the tip and dab onto your lips. This shade is a good deep berry that you can either lightly pat on for the sheerest tint or really go at it for a full-on matte vamp look. For a matte "stain" this one wears really comfortably — it's got that silicone-y velvety glide, and honestly, the color really doesn't even smudge or transfer that much. All that for less than $10. Don't take my word for it — introduce this to your mouth and see for yourself.
$9 (Shop Now)
These lip powders can be a bit unwieldy but they do give a great sheer matte finish that I love. Plus, it doubles as blush, so it's working overtime. Desert Rose is a cool pink/red shade (Hot Choco is another fave of mine) that feels weightless but delivers a lot of pigment. It can be a tiny bit drying so I tend to tap some non-shiny lip balm on top (never under) for some comfort.
$20 (Shop Now)
You really can never have enough lipsticks:
- 11 of the Best Lip Stains and Lip Tints
- K-Beauty’s 7 Best Nude Lip Tints, According to Reddit
- Here's a Breakdown of Every ColourPop Matte Lip Formula To Date
Wanna see that Melting Lip Powder in action?:
