The nude lip liners Australian makeup artists swear by
IMAGE VIA @MOOCHIMADE/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY LARA DALY
The shades that never miss.
As someone who carries no less than six lip products in my bag at all times, I’ve probably amassed a dozen lip liners in various shades of pinky-brown. Ever since I borrowed a girlfriend’s Pillow Talk pencil years ago, I’ve become obsessed with using lip liners (not fillers) to define and contour my natural lip shape.
With thousands of options out there, finding the one feels like a small miracle. When you do, it pays to stick with it. Case in point: I’ve gone through more Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme Plumping Lip Liners in ‘Cinnamon Swell’ than I’d like to admit, and it still reels in the compliments whenever I wear it.
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Of course, not everyone wants to walk around feeling like their lips are on fire. So I’m always curious about other people’s holy grail products, especially when that person is a makeup artist. After all, if anyone has road-tested every nude liner on the market, it’s them. Behold, the lip liners worth your time and money, according to seven top Australian makeup artists.
Sean Brady
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My favourite at the moment is Mac Lip Liner in Stone as a base for all lips. I apply just above the lip line and blend it out with a bullet brush, and it’s a perfect shadow around the lip to build on.
Georgia Gaillard
My favourite lip liner is the Makeup Forever Artist Pencil in the shade Endless Cacao – it’s the perfect cool brown!
Ivy Reynolds
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While I never approach makeup with a copy-and-paste mentality, there are a few lip liners that have earned permanent residency in my kit. Mac Whirl is the quintessential ‘your-lips-but-better’ dusty pink for fair tones; Makeup Forever’s Anywhere Caffeine warms up medium complexions, especially those kissed with a faux tan; Mac Cork is endlessly flattering on true medium skin; and Mac Chestnut remains the gold standard for deep tones. They’re the shades that never miss.
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Mac’s pencils bring that long-wear precision artists love. They can be used sharpened for a clean edge or blurred with a bullet brush for a soft-focus finish that doesn’t budge. Makeup Forever’s Artist Pencils are creamier and more fluid, built for blending and multifunctional use, when you want your liner to do more than just line.
Meg McConville
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I have so many go-to lip liners but one that stands out for me is Mac Greige. I find it really hard to find good cool tone, but this is such a hot grey-brown shade. It can be used in a subtle way to look almost like a shadow, or more defined for a bolder statement lip. I love it so much I have one for me and one for my kit.
Kate Radford
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My current faves are the Makeup Forever Artist Colour Pencils in Endless Cacao and Limitless Brown! Multi-use pencils are essentials in my kit (and my personal makeup bag) and these warm and cool natural browns give that gorgeous tonal effect on the eyes and lips.
Jemma Barclay
I’m a creature of habit, my favourite lip liner has been the same for about 10 years… Mac Stripdown! Even with the price point, I keep going back and work it down to a stub every time. It’s long lasting, blendable and great for natural contouring on lighter skin tones, but it has a warmth that makes light blue or green eyes pop.
Yasmine Keong
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I love using the Mac Lip Pencil in Whirl to define the lips for a natural look. So many lip liners lean too warm, but this shade perfectly mimics the rose undertone we already have. For something more fun, I use Mac Burgundy to contour the lips before a red lip. It gives the lip more depth and a dramatic effect.
For more on holy grail makeup products, try this.
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