LIP LINER
Lip pencils are having a fashion moment, as we rediscover the joys of lipstick. (Powerful fragrances and high heels are in vogue again, too – a reflection of how many of us are enjoying rediscovering our glamorous side.)
We’ve always liked lip liners for ‘drawing’ all over lips to create a base that gives lipstick itself something to cling to, ensuring it doesn’t fade so fast as you speak. Of course, lip liners can also be used for evening out the outline of lips, offering another bonus: the slightly waxy barrier helps prevent bleeding of colour into lip lines.
We ask for brands to submit ‘lip-matched’ rather than ‘lipstick-matched’ pencils. Fact: if you choose a darker lipliner, at some point your lipstick’s going to wear off and you’re going to be left with a dark line round your lips. Choosing one closest to the natural lip colour is going to give the most seamless results.
One little warning, here: If you choose a wooden pencil rather than the ‘propelling’ type, be careful to keep yours sharp-ish (but not point-y), so that there’s no risk of scratching fragile lip skin. After sharpening, draw back and forth on the back of hand to blunt it slightly otherwise the tip can break off when you’re outlining lips. And here’s 2023’s line-up of winning liners…
GOLD AWARD and BEST NATURAL Tropic Line Up Lip Pencil
This lip liner has made a regular appearance in our Beauty Bible Awards for several years, with Tropic – the British-based brand, founded by Susie Ma (who secured investment from Alan Sugar, after an appearance on 'The Apprentice' – doing incredibly well across a really wide span of categories. Four shades of this pencil are available; created from sustainably sourced wood, it features conditioning ingredients for glide and lip care, including coconut emollients and vitamin E. There are now seven available but the shade our testers received was ‘Stripped’, Tropic’s original neutral nude ‘goes-with-everything shade.’
£14 - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘A lovely smooth liner in a very natural, barely-there colour; great quality, too. Using the liner as a base did seem to make my lipstick last longer and wasn’t drying which I expected’ • ‘This was very easy to apply and went on very smoothly. The outline looked very realistic’ • ‘I haven’t used a lip liner for years but this one is lovely, and I will continue using it. Loved how I can use it all over my lips as a primer, but also just on its own as a lip stain’ • ‘Definitely one to buy for your make up-bag, really nice colour and easy to apply’ • ‘My friend complimented me on the colour when I has applied it all over my lips ,with a bit of gloss over the top. The outline looked realistic, too’ • ‘I really liked this pencil; it was soft enough to glide over lips and not pull or dry out the skin. It worked well under more hydrating lipsticks and stopped the softer lipsticks from bleeding – a good all-rounder. I found the colour pretty universal, too, and worked under most shades’ • ‘A good creamy-soft lip pencil with good colour pay-off and a soft texture. I sometimes skip using lip liner but after using this product daily I noticed that it gave my makeup a more polished and defined look, so I will continue to use’ • ‘A gentle lip liner that doesn’t drag and gives a natural line or base for lipstick. It made my lips look much fuller and plumper and was really easy and smooth to apply.’
£14 - click to buy
SILVER AWARD delilah Lip Line Long Wear Retractable Pencil
The winning entry from British make-up artist brand delilah – who, for the second year in a row, have a rather wowzer line-up of winners in these Awards – is a long-wear, waterproof option that promises to ‘last without smudging or fading for up to 12 hours.’ It’s a propelling pencil-style product, but cleverly, to keep the line crisp, there’s a teeny built-in sharpener at the opposite end, for sharpening. There are three shades, formulated to match your natural lip colour so they can be worn with any shade of lip gloss or lipstick; ours was ‘Naked’.
£20 - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘I don’t usually wear much lipstick, but I trialled this product and really liked the effect it had on my lips and the fact that it lasted for a long time….I could even be a convert to wearing lipstick; people noticed and commented that my lips looked nice, which is always wonderful to hear’ • ‘A perfect base for your favourite lippy. I would never have thought of using a lip liner all over my lips as a base, but this trick works really well! It literally stays on all day and leaves a lovely base shade when your lipstick has faded away’ • ‘This liner actually glides on so easily, very little effort required. Perfect every time! My mum loved it, too, as a devotee of Max Factor Lipfinity; she liked its staying power and texture too. She also liked the shade on my lips – said it made my teeth look a little lighter. Result!’ • ‘Lovely and smooth to use, gliding over the lips effortlessly. It also had staying power, which is so important as a base for lipstick, offering continual colour even if your lipstick has worn off’ • ‘I wore it for a wedding when the weather was really warm, and it did not melt. It went on like a dream, glided over the lips easily and did not drag at all. The texture was fab’ • ‘Didn't feel dry when applying and gave a very natural finish, so I would recommend. My husband noticed my lip colour and commented that it lasted well, even after a smooch!’
£20 - click to buy
BRONZE AWARD and BEAUTY STEAL Sleek Super Precise Lip Liner
A traditional pencil liner: the contouring tip is creamy and the pencil itself is fashioned from cedarwood, sweeping onto lips to deliver your chosen shade from a selection of 12, overall; in this case, the shade sent to testers was slightly bolder than we normally recommend, a brown-y red glorying in the name of ‘Baby You’re Bad’. ‘This long-lasting, highly-pigmented formula delivers intense colour pay off, in just one stroke,’ is how this very affordable brand puts it. We’re certainly thrilled to have a ‘Beauty Steal’ to share with you, in this year’s Lip Liner line-up.) And if you don’t know Sleek? We say: check them out!
£4.99 - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘So easy to apply. Probably the easiest I've ever found for a lip liner. It was like a lipstick in a pencil and glided on with no pulling or dragging, covering my lips really well’ • ‘I would recommend, not least because the brand is affordable by most people, and it performed as well as some of my other expensive lip liners; • ‘I would buy this again in the right shade for me and may be tempted to wear it all over my lips when just wearing lip gloss, simply because of how well it stayed on underneath; I didn’t have to reapply lip gloss as often’ • ‘ I think I can see this replacing my normal make-up. I first wore this to a friend’s wedding in late summer and was really impressed with the look, the fact that it lasted well and the comments I got. I have already recommended it to friends. A really great addition to my make-up bag’ • ‘This created the perfect base for my lipstick to cling to, and it brought out the colour of the lipstick. I think it made the lipstick applied on top look smooth and brighter’ • ‘I'm so impressed with how easy and effortless this lip liner glides on. The formula is incredibly creamy and smooth, and it lasts for hours without smudging or fading. The pigmentation is also very good. I love the precision tip, too, which makes it easy to create a variety of looks. I 100% would purchase this.’
£4.99 - click to buy