Lip liner has come a long way from the trusty pencils our grandmothers swore by. Once only used to keep lipstick “in the lines,” lip liners can now do anything from prime the lips, temporarily “fill” the look of lines, and even treat lips while you wear them.
To instantly fake the look of fuller, plumper lips, take a play from Kim Kardashian’s book: Simply overline the cupids bow and center of the bottom lip with a nude liner, filling in the remainder of your lips as usual.
Here, the best liners for the job.
Kosas Hotliner ($19)
Infused with hyaluronic acid to keep lips looking plump and juicy, these new liners feature a sharp tip to precisely contour and overline the lips.
Tower28 OneLiner Multi-Liner ($15)
Buttery soft and easy to blend, these versatile, shea butter– and marula oil–infused liners are meant to be used everywhere from the eyes to the lips.
Makeup By Mario Ultra Suede Lip Sculpting Lip Pencil ($22)
Featuring a no-slide formula that’s equal parts nourishing and long-wearing, this liner is trusted by Kardashian herself and offers a blending brush at the opposite end for a natural, feathered look.
Kevyn Aucoin Unforgettable Lip Definer and Liner ($22)
Designed to match your natural lip color, this second-skin formula hug lips without tugging and comes in six fair-to-deep hues for a perfect fit.
Jason Wu Stay In Line Liner Pencil ($10)
Available in five nude variations, this affordable liner boasts serious staying power and is infused with vitamin E and jojoba oil to keep lips soft.
Lawless Forget the Filler Definer Lip Liner ($21)
Vegan and long-lasting, this clean formula easily accentuates your lips with every buttery, velvet-smooth glide.
Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Definer ($26)
Pegged as one of Beckham’s favorite-ever beauty products, this clean waterproof liner is packed with peptides and vitamin E to nourish lips and keep them looking luscious.
Milani Understatement Lip Liner ($8)
Designed to accentuate your pout’s natural shape, this perfect-match liner isn’t only super affordable, it’s also loved for its ability to stay put throughout the day.
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil ($20)
The ultimate does-it-all product—it’s available in 39 shades—this liner can be used on the lips, eyes and brows, but we love using the neutral shades to deliver long-lasting definition to our lips.
butter LONDON Plush Rush Lip Liner ($18)
The velvety, long-wearing formula houses filling spheres to help minimize wrinkles and increase the appearance of volume in your pout for a plumping effect while you wear it.
Pat McGrath Labs Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil in Ground Control ($28)
If you favor a soft smudge around your pout instead of a perfectly crisp line, this pencil is for you. Designed to allow you a little bit of wiggle room after its applied in order to diffuse lines before binding to lips for long-lasting wear, this rich, chocolate-brown pencil sculpts the lips and enhances deep skin tones beautifully.
Jouer Long-Wear Crème Lip Liner ($18)
Pigmented enough to act as a lip color and water-resistant enough to keep it in place for hours, this dermatologist-tested liner is also packed with vitamin E to nourish lips and keep dryness at bay, unlike many other formulas.
Dior Rouge Dior Ink Lip Liner ($32)
Dior’s innovative felt-tipped pen is hailed for its long-wearing pigment—and easy ability to totally fill in lips in place of lipstick. Tender, a cool-toned mauve, shown, works best on medium-tan skin tones for that effortless, barely-there lip look.
MAC Cosmetics Lip Pencil in Chestnut ($19)
Countless makeup artists swear by this cult-classic hue for dark skin tones. A true brown that’s neither too warm or too cool, this hue delivers a natural, show-stopping look every time, whether it’s used to line the lips, create an ombré effect or fill the entire pout.
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk ($22)
Coveted for its ability to magically enhance every lip color and every skin tone, this celebrity-loved fits-all shade delivers dimension and the perfect pinky-nude hue in one step.
Marc Jacobs Beauty (P)outliner Longwear Lip Pencil in Primrose ($26)
Infused with collagen to keep lips looking and feeling kissably smooth, this gel lip pencil glides on without ever feeling dry and stays on until you take it off.