Lip Liners

Lip liners define and shape the lips, prevent feathering or bleeding, enhance fullness, and prime for long-lasting, vibrant color. They can help define your natural lip line, or they can be used to overline lips, while also preventing lipsticks from feathering or smudging outside the lip line. Lip liners can add natural structure, or they can make your lips look bigger. So, depending on your mood, you can achieve a bold or subtle lip look. Lip liners can also act as a primer, helping your lipstick last longer and stay vibrant throughout the day.

To make sure you choose the right lip liner, have your lip look in mind. For a natural lip look, select a lip liner shade that closely matches your bare lips or complements your everyday lipstick choices. For a bold effect or for shaping and overlining, reach for deeper shades, which can add definition and create the illusion of fuller lips. You can try all Urban Decay lip liner shades from home or anywhere using our Virtual Makeup Try-On. Next, consider application and wear. Some lip pencils glide smoothly onto lips and sharpen easily, but they may also easily rub off. Look for lip liners that also glide on easily with transfer-resistant or waterproof claims for not only vivid color but durable, long-lasting wear.

Finding the best rated lip liner comes down to a balance of exceptional performance, comfort, and color options—qualities that many beauty experts and makeup lovers admire in Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Lip Liner. This top-rated lip liner consistently receives praise for its ultra-creamy formula, which delivers even, high-pigment color while feeling gentle on lips. The waterproof and smudge-resistant finish means your look stays vibrant and defined, even through long days and celebrations. With a diverse shade range of top-rated lip liners that pair beautifully with our Vice Lipstick shades, finding your favorite lip combos is easy (and part of the fun!).

When it comes to lip liners that truly last, look for waterproof formulas that promise all-day endurance. Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Lip Liner is a standout long-wearing lip liner thanks to its unique blend of smudge-resistant pigments and a creamy texture that never feels dry. This lip pencil glides on smoothly, locking color in place so you can enjoy vibrant, defined lips for up to 16 hours—with no worries about fading or feathering.

For a lip liner that truly pairs with any and all lipsticks, a clear or colorless, multipurpose primer pencil is your best bet. Urban Decay’s Ultimate Ozone Multipurpose Primer Pencil is an exemplary choice; it’s a clear primer pencil that offers all the benefits of a traditional lip liner—definition, feathering prevention, and extended wear—without the need to match shades, making it the most practical and effective "one-size-fits-all" lip liner.

To make your lip liner stay put all day, even through meals and drinks, follow these steps:

Prep Your Lips:

1. Exfoliate Gently: Start with smooth lips. Use a gentle lip scrub or a soft toothbrush to remove any dry flakes. This creates an even surface for the liner to grip onto.
2. Light Moisture: Apply a very thin layer of lip balm and let it absorb for a minute or two. Blot off any excess with a tissue, as too much moisture can make products slide.

Prime Your Lips:

3. Take Urban Decay Ultimate Ozone Multipurpose clear lip primer pencil and apply it over your entire lip area. This creates a tacky base for extra grip.

Apply Lip Liner to the Entire Lip:

4. Sharpen Your Pencil: A sharp lip pencil will allow you to be more precise in your application, which is what you want when defining the lip line and preventing feathering.
5. Outline & Fill: After defining your lip line, gently fill in your entire lip with liner. This creates a base layer of color that your lipstick can adhere to, and even if your lipstick wears off, you'll still have a stain of color underneath.

Layer Lip Color:

6. Blot Before Lipstick: If you're wearing lipstick over the liner, apply your first layer of lipstick, then gently blot your lips with a tissue.
7. Reapply and Blot Again to build color intensity. Apply a second thin layer of lipstick, then blot again. This helps press the color into your lips and improves staying power.

Set with Powder (for Extra Longevity):

8. After applying your lipstick (and blotting), place a thin tissue over your lips.
9. Lightly dust a translucent setting powder over the tissue. The tissue acts as a sieve, allowing only a tiny amount of powder to reach your lips and set the color without dulling it.

By combining lip prep, precise application, and layering, your lip liner (and the lipstick paired with it) will have a much better chance of staying vibrant and perfectly in place from morning to night!