How To Choose the Right Lip Liner for Your Lip Look

Lip liner has long been viewed as an accessory to lipstick, but really, it’s so much more than that. Liner can help define your lips, emphasize your lip shape, and even make your pout look bigger. Plus, pairing your lipstick with lip liner can help make your lip color appear more vibrant (and wear for longer, to boot).

But of course, you’ll only reap these benefits if you choose the right lip combo and apply your products properly. We’ll teach you how to do just that and share some of our favorite lip pencils (and lipsticks) worth adding to your cart, ahead.

Do Lip Liner and Lipstick Need to Match?

While you could argue that makeup has no rules, matching your lip liner to your lipstick—in both shade and finish—is a fantastic way to ensure a seamless lip look. So if you're wearing a nude matte lipstick, for example, you’ll typically want to pair it with a matte nude lip liner. The whole point of lining your lips is to create definition and a base for your lipstick to prevent feathering and smudging, so when the shades and formulas match, the outcome is cohesive and long-wearing.

How to Match Lip Liner and Lipstick

Here are two things to consider when trying to match your lip liner and lipstick.

Find a similar finish

Both lipsticks and lip pencils come in an array of finishes, from glossy to matte. For a seamless look, you’ll want to pair like with like—in other words, make sure your chosen products have the same finish.

Satin lipsticks, for example, should be paired with satin lip liners. The L'Oréal Paris Colour Riche Lip Liner is one of our best lip liners for satin-finish lip looks. The creamy, anti-feathering formula offers rich color and definition. And it pairs perfectly with the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Satin Lipstick, which takes the guesswork out of finding your perfect lip combo.

Pick the right color

Typically, you’ll want to use a lip liner a shade darker than your lipstick—the slight contrast will help create definition. If you prefer a more dramatic look, you can opt for a slightly darker lip liner and use it to contour your lips for a subtle gradient effect. To ensure a flattering end result, make sure the liner you choose is in the same color family and has the same undertones as your lipstick (more on that shortly).

How To Care For and Maintain Mushroom Brown Hair

Color-treated hair requires plenty of special care to look and feel its best. Read on for some tips and product recommendations to help you maintain your mushroom brown hue.

Use a color-safe shampoo and conditioner

Every good haircare routine for color-treated hair begins with a color-safe shampoo and conditioner. For mushroom brown hair, we recommend trying the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Strengthening Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner. This system penetrates inside the hair cortex to help rebuild weak hair bonds. It’s ideal for bleached or color-treated hair with split ends or breakage.

Combat brassy, dull color with a purple shampoo

At-home toning products, like purple shampoos, are a great way to help banish brassiness and maintain that cool, ashy mushroom brown look. We love alternating our go-to shampoo with a color-safe purple shampoo, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Purple Shampoo. Use this toning formula once a week for visibly brighter color and moisturized strands after just one wash.

Step 1. Exfoliate

Just like prepping your skin before applying makeup can help ensure a smooth application, so can prepping your lips. Before uncapping your lip liner, exfoliate with a hydrating lip scrub (if you don’t have a lip scrub, lightly rubbing your lips with a damp washcloth works well, too). Exfoliating helps soften the lips and removes flaky skin that could make your lipstick and liner look patchy and uneven. Once you’re done, smooth on a nourishing lip balm and let it sink in before getting started on your lip makeup routine.

Step 2. Prime

After exfoliating, dab on a lip primer to create a smooth base for your lip liner and lipstick. If you don’t have a lip primer on hand, you can use a tiny bit of foundation or concealer to blur your natural lip line. Then, lightly dust some setting powder on the outside of the mouth at the edges of the lips. This helps to prevent feathering and stops your lipstick from bleeding throughout the day.

Step 3. Line and fill

Next comes lining your lips. Sharpen your lip pencil, if needed, then trace along your Cupid’s bow to create a defined shape. If you want to make your lips look plumper, feel free to extend the line just past the natural border of your lip. Continue tracing along the remainder of your top lip, then line your bottom lip as usual. Finally, use your lip liner to color in the unfilled portion of your lips—this will help prolong the wear of your lipstick.

Step 4. Touch up the edges

If you happen to color a little outside the lines at any point, don’t stress: you can use the L'Oréal Paris RevitaLift Radiant Smoothing Wet Cleansing Towelettes to clean up the area around your lips before swiping on your lipstick. Alternatively, dip an angled brush into your favorite concealer and use it to trace the outer edges of your lips for an ultra-clean, sharp-looking finish.

Step 5. Apply lipstick

The final step is to layer your lipstick over your lip liner. The L'Oréal Colour Riche Satin Lipstick can be applied directly from the tube, delivering vibrant color in a single swipe. Try the shade Worth It for the perfect pop of nudeish pink.

Next Up: How To Get Overlined Lips That Don’t Look Ridiculous