For millennia, lipstick has been a staple of a solid makeup routine. Men and women in ancient times used to crush gemstones to add some bright color to their lips. We knew, even back then, the power of a bold statement lip color.
Today, lipstick has only gained more popularity. With the incredible variety of shades, types, and formulas, you can make your lipstick work for you in ways never before possible. One key component to a perfect pout is a good lip liner that prevents those fun lip colors from feathering out and blurring your perfect lip look.
If you’ve never used lip liner, you probably struggle with getting just the right edge of the lipstick to line up with the edges of your lips. As your lipstick gets smaller and flatter from repeated use, this can only make things more difficult. By applying a lip liner first, you make the rest of your job as easy as coloring inside the lines. However, this isn’t the extent of the wonders a good lip liner can do for you. Here are a few not-so-commonly-known facts about lip liner.
1. Lip liner has been around for over a century
This makeup staple isn’t quite as old as lipstick, but it has been in use for at least a hundred years now. Originally popularized by Clara Bow in the 1920s, lip liner was used to only accentuate parts of the lip, specifically the pouty shape that was popular at the time. The haute look back then was more of a small pucker, somewhat doll-like in appearance.
Since then, it has remained present in the makeup routine of many people who swear by its versatile abilities to transform the shape of the mouth.
2. Its use has changed throughout the decades
Just as brow shape, blush, face contouring, and eye makeup have gone through different phases throughout the decades, the same can be said for lip liner. In the 1920s, lip liner was used at the cupid’s bow and central part of the lower lip but was not used to line the corners of the mouth.
In the ’40s, lip liner was used to actually draw out the cupid’s bow, giving the upper lip a flatter appearance. Its popularity dipped during the naturalist approach to makeup in the ’60s and ’70s, but came back strong in the ’80s and ’90s, with wearers proudly showcased stark contrast by frequently not blending it out at all.
3. It can be used to make your mouth appear larger and fuller
One of its most popular uses today (inspired by makeup gurus and icons of the online makeup community) is to overdraw the lips a bit, creating a more voluptuous look. If done with precision and paired with a matching lipstick, it can camouflage the skin around your mouth to make it appear bigger and curvier than it actually is.
There are many video tutorials online that explain the best practices of where to add contrasting lighter and darker shades to create a contoured look that will trick the eye into perceiving your lips as fuller than they actually are.
4. It can be used for your entire lip
When you think lip liner, you probably think of a tool intended just for use around the edges of your lips, rather than something that could double as a lipstick. If you use the right liner, however, it could be the only tool you need in your kit to create your favorite new look, by doubling as a precision and filling tool for color.
5. It’s just as versatile as lipstick
With the popularity of lip liner, there are just as many shades of this handy product as there are of regular old lipstick. You don’t have to reserve a liner for times when you want a bold, defined look, you can now use this tool for every day, natural looks as well.
If you’re looking to take your lip game to the next level, consider adding a lip liner to your look. It’s certain to be a game-changer.