Happy Tuesday, y’all. And welcome to a new series that I’m starting over here on Emmie’s Beauty Life. It’s called Save, Spend, Splurge, Skip. The concept behind it is pretty self explanatory. I’ll select a makeup or skincare product and I’ll share which ones I rate (depending on your budget) and which ones I’d skip. And for episode one of this series, I’ll be starting with lip liner!
Lip liner tends to be one of those products where you either are obsessed with it, or skip it completely. I definitely fall into the former these days. For me, a good liner and gloss combo is my lip of choice. I’ve tried countless formulas over the years. And I definitely have my faves that I gravitate towards. So, I can’t wait to share them with you. Let’s get into it!
SAVE (Budget: $1.00 – $14.99)
When I think of super affordable lip liners, only one brand springs to mind. And that’s Essence! I’ve been buying Essence lip liners since 2015 because I remember Tati Westbrook absolutely raving about them back in they day. And they are so worth the hype. Now, while you can’t really go wrong with any of them, my preferred liners are the ESSENCE SOFT & PRECISE LIP LINER – $3.50*. The shade range is usually pretty expansive and for me, they are the right balance of creamy and firm. Smooth enough to line the lips without too much pressure. But not so creamy that they bleed everywhere. If I didn’t love the other two formulas as much as I do, these would be the only liners I’d own.
SPEND (Budget: $15.00 – $29.99)
This was the tough category to fill. Because lip liner tends to be one of those products where I’m either buying the dirt cheap ones or the super pricey ones (I like what I like). But I recently got my hands on the new TOWER 28 ONE LINER MULTI LINER – $24.85. And they have been my current obsession. Now, for all intents and purposes, these are marketed as an all over face pencil. Meaning you can use them for lips, eyes, and cheeks. And they are a little creamier than what I would normally go for in a liner. But what they lack in firmness, they make up for in pigment. They are easily some of the most pigmented liners that I’ve ever used. And they wear surprisingly well considering how creamy they are. The only downside is that the shade range is limited (only three at the time of writing). But I hope they expand in the future.
SPLURGE (Budget: $30.00+)
Ok, maybe this was the hard one. Because most of my favourite liners are on the pricier side. Now, conventional wisdom would suggest me saying the Huda Beauty liners, Because I do love them. But I also just gave them a shoutout in my last post. So, instead, my pick is the CHARLOTTE TILBURY LIP CHEAT – $32.00. This is the liner I turn to when I have an event where I need my lips to not budge, but still stay comfortable. And while they aren’t as creamy as the aforementioned Huda liners, the wear time on them is out of this world great!
SKIP (No Budget)
Ok, so you’ve seen my preferences when it comes to liners. I like them to be smooth, but not too creamy. And the one thing I refuse to tolerate with my liners is dryness. So, while I like what I like. I also know what I don’t like. My first choice for the skips were the Revolution X Clueless lip liners. Because they were hot garbage. But they were limited edition hot garbage. And I can’t speak for their regular formula. I also wasn’t wild about the now discontinued Kylie Cosmetics liners. But that’s mostly because they constantly broke on me. And again, can’t speak for the updated formula. So, for the skips, I have to admit my greatest makeup shame. I am not a fan of the MAC COSMETICS LIP PENCIL – $34.00. Yes, the shade range is massive. But I’ve never used or swatched one of these liners and had them not tug or crumble on me. They feel so dry and uncomfortable on the lips. And with the deeper shades, I find they aren’t as pigmented as I would want them to be. I have mostly decluttered the ones I own. But I still hold onto a couple of them to see if one day, they’ll work for me.
And those are some of my picks for some amazing lip liners! I have also conveniently swatched them for you here.
What are some of your favourite lip liners? And which are some that you wouldn’t recommend? Let me know in the comments below.
Cheers and love
Emily xo