FULL, bee-stung pouts continue to be the beauty trend of the moment.
But not everyone wants to go under the needle and have filler: welcome to the world of lip liners.
Cameron Diaz just debuted minimalist brand Merit's new Signature Lip Liner at Paris Fashion Week and ‘s Rhode launched the long anticipated, and now-viral, Rhode Peptide Lip Shape at the end of January.
Since confessed to using the magic make-up product to achieve fuller lips a decade ago, it's been the go to buy for a plumper pout without needles – and far less dangerous than many of the ‘Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge' methods that followed.
, , and are all famous for their fuller-pouts, with and joining their ranks in recent years.
Unlike most beauty trends today, it appeals to everyone from Gen Z to middle-aged, and is universally flattering and virtually fool-proof, adding definition and shape without the need for professional-level make-up skills.
As more and more women get their fillers dissolved – with TOWIE's this week, as well as influencer and ex-Love Islander Cally Jane Beech – lip liner sales are soaring.
On Pinterest, searches for ‘90s lip’ shot up by 760% last year as contrasting liner came back into fashion, while between January and June 2024, sales of liner rocketed 28% compared to the same period in 2023.
A quick search for ‘lip liner' on Boots.com gives me 149 options to choose from, while at Sephora.co.uk, there's over 80 on offer – although Amazon knocks them both out of the water, with a whopping 1000 results.
On Tiktok, there's one standout; Sacheu Lip Liner Stay-n, £12.
With hundreds of thousands of videos from content creators and even celebrities – Billie Eilish being one – there's no wonder Google searches of the novel, peel-off stain have shot up 150% in the UK in the last week alone.
You apply the liquid to your lips, let it dry for 10-15 minutes, and then peel it off to defined, fuller lips that last for hours – at least that's the plan.
Sceptical of the hype, I put it to the test.
The consistency of the liquid liner was much thicker than I anticipated, and the doe-foot applicator was quite large – both of which made it really difficult to get a precise, clean outline around my lips.
Plus, it feathers into any fine lines and wrinkles, so you won't get a crisp line.
It's also difficult to get a consistent amount of product, so I ended up with more in some places and less in others – at the time, I didn't think much of it, but once I'd peeled the excess off, it left a patchy result behind.
Sacheu Lip Liner Stay-n, £12
The plastic-like liquid started to set almost immediately after I applied it, which meant I couldn't talk, eat or drink while I waited for the tint to take hold.
A few videos I'd seen on Tiktok said the longer you left it on, the better the results – despite the packaging suggesting 10-15 minutes would suffice – and it took every ounce of patience to eek it out to 20 minutes.
Not only was I excited to peel it off to be able to move my mouth again, but I was also expecting impressive results.
The peel was as satisfying as you'd expect, but it left a few specks behind that I had to scrape off – and it was hard to find the edge of the stain, so a no go with short nails.
Unfortunately, the tint was negligible – and because I couldn't get a precise line, there was virtually no plumping effect.
It's a fun experience, but the results aren't worth the time and effort you have to put in to get them.
Determined to find a liner that does deliver both plumping and long-wear results after the beauty fail, I've tried tens of different products over the last few weeks.
There's one brand's new launch that has won me over.
Best of all, this plumping liner costs less than £10.
The product in question is NYX Professional Makeup Duck Plump Plumping Lip Liner, £8.99.
NYX Professional Makeup Duck Plump Plumping Lip Liner, £8.99
It follows hotly on the heels of NYX Professional Makeup's first plumping gloss – NYX Professional Makeup Duck Plump Lip Plumping Gloss, £10.99 – which launched in the same range last year.
Both contain a ginger-based lip-tingling agent which immediately make lips look bigger.
It's the first time I've ever come across plumping agents in a pencil format – so I wasn't sure at all what to expect.
Well, let me tell you, it stung.
Not in an unbearable way, but I could feel my lips tingling for hours after drawing a steady line around the edge of my lips, which I'm sure helped them look more full almost instantly.
It has a creamy formula that doesn't drag on the skin, and a slanted tip, which hugs the lip and helps keep the edge sharp for a precise line – great if you have fine lines or wrinkles around your lips that can make it harder to get a smooth result.
As well as the sharp edge, the diagonal design of the liner means the top has a flat, large surface area that can be used to fill in the whole lip should you wish.
Best of all, it boasts 10 hours of wear – I bite my lips constantly, so I don't think anything has ever stayed put that long, but the liner has stayed put throughout a three course meal, which is no mean feat.
There's 12 shades of red, brown, pink and nude, as well as a genius clear colour which you can pair with any lip product you'd like, making it even better value for money!
The clear shade has a slightly sticky dry down, which stops bold lip colours from breaching the border and feathering around my mouth, but it's not at all uncomfortable.
As the plumping agents are only on a small area of my lip, I also found the liner far less drying than plumping glosses I've tried in the past- and you don't have to worry about your hair getting caught in them either.
If you don't like the sound of the tingling, plumping agents, but still want a liner for definition, I rate these affordable lip liners too.
Collection Lasting Colour Lip Definer, £2.99
Wind up lip liners are my favourite – you don't need to worry about using a sharpener, or getting rid of the shavings.
They're usually softer than pencil versions too, so glide on more easily.
However, they're often more expensive, so this £3 version is a steal, and does exactly what I need.
Morphe Soulmatte Filling Gel Lip Liner, £8
This was my most-used until the NYX Professional Makeup Duck Plump came into my life, as the super-soft gel format makes applying and blending out the liner completely effortless.
The pigment is far higher than you'd expect for the price, and it lasts me a good few hours.
Plus, there's a host of nourishing oils included in the formula to help hydrate lips and stop the colour collecting in fine lines or chapped lips.
PS… Lip Liner Pencil, 75p
I defy anyone to find a cheaper lip liner – but you get so much more than what you pay for with this bargain option.
It's slightly stiffer than the others, so I tend to use my finger to smudge the line rather than relying on pressing my lips together to do the job, but given it's basically the same price as a bar of Dairy Milk, it's well worth the extra effort.
KIKO Milano Everlasting Colour Precision Lip Liner, £8.99
Much like Rhode's famous lip liner, Kiko's contains an inbuilt smudging tool so you can blend the line for a more natural finish.
It's also got an in-built sharpener, so you don't have to worry about it getting blunt if you like a super-thin line.
Maybelline Lifter Liner, £6.99
This is the creamiest pencil lip liner I've ever tried, and goes against basically everything I thought I knew about the format.
The colour lasts all day but doesn't feel heavy or leave my lips dry because of the hyaluronic acid and jojoba oil ingredients.
I'm eagerly awaiting for the 10-strong shade range to be extended.
