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18 best lip liners that shape and define for a smudge-free pout

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Lip liner is often overlooked as an extravagant extra rather than a necessity. And yes, while it isn’t an absolute essential for everyday survival, it is the building block for a good-looking lipstick.

Essentially, lip liner creates the line drawing that lipstick can then colour in. It provides a barrier to stop any colour from running into fine lines and wrinkles, and can even be used to accentuate the natural shape of your mouth, to make lips appear fuller and larger.

Coming in a pencil-like form, either in a classic wooden style that needs to be sharpened or in a more modern twist-up, plastic-cased variety, there’s a huge number to choose from. Depending on how soft it is, lip liner can also be used to colour the lips as a base for lipstick or for a hit of colour on its own that can be left as is or layered with a gloss or balm for a shinier finish.

Every brand, from budget buys such as Essence and Collection to luxury labels such as Chanel and Dior – not to mention lipstick-lovers’ cherished brand Charlotte Tilbury – has a great range of options, and, in true IndyBest fashion, we set out to test the best.

So, from the vibrant red of 17. to the nude tones of Huda, keep reading to find out which ones deserve to land on your lips.

How we tested

There’s only one way to test lip liner, puckering up that pout and drawing it on – and that’s exactly what we did. Wearing each option for a full day, our tester rated them on a number of factors, including how easy it was to apply, how it felt, looked and how long it lasted.

This process took weeks, with dozens of options to get through, so whittling them down certainly wasn’t easy, which is why there are slightly more options than our usual round-ups. But, if they’re all the best, then we have no choice but to include them. With options for every colour, style and budget, you’ll need to look no further to find the right one.

The best lip liners for 2022 are:

  • Best overall – Huda Beauty lip contour: £17, Cultbeauty.com
  • Best budget lip liner – Essence soft & precise lip pencil: £1, Justmylook.com
  • Best light-nude lip liner – Code8 lip surrealist lip liner: £20, Codeeight.com
  • Best for overlining – Nars precision lip liner: £16.20, Boots.com
  • Best budget red lip liner – 17. lip define pencil soft liner: £2, Boots.com
  • Best dark-nude lip liner – Collection cosmetics lip definer: £2.99, Superdrug.com
  • Best waterproof lip liner – Il Makiage make-up for ever aqua lip waterproof lipliner pencil: £18, Ilmakiage.com
  • Best luxury lip liner – Chanel le crayon lèvres: £22, Chanel.com
  • Best refillable lip liner – Suqqu lip defining pencil: £14, Selfidges.com
  • Best white lip liner – NYX Professional Makeup longwear line loud matte lip liner: £8, Boots.com
  • Best high-street lip liner – Maybelline colourshow shaping lip liner: £3.15, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best designer lip liner – Dior contour: £23, Dior.com
  • Best long-lasting lip liner – Catrice cosmetics aqua ink lip liner: £2.14, Justmylook.com
  • Best pigmented lip liner – Illamasqua colouring lip pencil: £15, Illamasqua.com
  • Best for brand-lovers – Charlotte Tilbury lip cheat: £19, Cultbeauty.com
  • Best internet-famous lip liner – Morphe color pencil: £6, Morphe.com
  • Best precise lip liner – Mac lip pencil: £18, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best full lip kit – Makeup Revolution lip contour kit: £4.50, Lookfantastic.com

  • Best: Lip liner overall
  • Rating: 10/10
  • Shades available: 12
  • Shade tested: Muted pink
  • Type: Classic pencil (sharpener included)
  • Time before reapplying: Seven hours

It was an incredibly tough choice, but with the discount, Huda is our best pick. Firstly, we do prefer the twist-up options to the classic pencils, for ease of use – if you’ve ever been on holiday and found a blunt lip pencil in your make-up bag with no sharpener in sight, you’ll know it’s a bummer. Secondly, it has a very strong pigment, is easy to apply and has little to no transfer, while lasting a good seven to nine hours. It’s slightly larger than some other options, which made it easier to hold, and it even had a handy mini sharpener in its base to keep that tip nice and pointy. With lip balm layered on top, it was a real standout star, and soybean and licorice helped keep the pout nice and plump.

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  • Best: Budget lip liner
  • Rating: 9/10
  • Shades available: 28
  • Shade tested: 402 honey-stly
  • Type: Classic pencil
  • Time before reapplying: Four hours

At just £1, this Essence lip liner is an absolute bargain. Cheap and cheerful, it ticked every box for a fuss-free lip liner. However, in a classic pencil format, it does need to be sharpened every now and again.

In a medium softness, it was easy to apply and left quite a precise line, but we did go over it a couple of times to get a stronger pigment, which lasted for around four hours before we needed to re-apply. Although it has an impressive 28 shades, we would love to see the colour range expand into some brighter tones, so everyone can benefit from such a bargain.

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  • Best: Light-nude lip liner
  • Rating: 9/10
  • Shades available: Three
  • Shade tested: Pablo
  • Type: Classic pencil
  • Time before reapplying: Four hours

A classic pencil, this liner was on the firmer side than some of our other options, meaning it gave a very crisp, fine line when kept sharp. Thanks to quite a long tip, it can also be used to quickly colour full lips when pressed on its side. The pigment can’t be faulted, as one layer was enough to give a great pop of colour.

With avocado oil and hyaluronic acid, it wasn’t drying and had a silky finish our tester fell in love with, while smoothing out the fine lip lines for a fuller-looking pout too. It didn’t last quite as long as some of the other options, but our tester got a good four hours’ worth of full colour before having to top up.

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  • Best: For overlining
  • Rating: 9/10
  • Shades available: Six
  • Shade tested: Jungle red
  • Type: Classic pencil
  • Time before reapplying: Eight hours

Overlining lips can go one of two ways: you’ll either end up with a plump pout ready to rival any Kardashian, or be left with a clown-like grin – may the odds be in your favour for the former. Luckily, this Mac liner can help. Ultra-precise, its thin pencil tip can cover any area, whether that’s your actual lip or around the edge, to give a seamless colour that blends and pops. The pigment is incredibly strong and, even though it did transfer, it stayed strong and vibrant all day.

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  • Best: Budget red lip liner
  • Rating: 9/10
  • Shades available: 10
  • Shade tested: Scarlet
  • Type: Classic pencil
  • Time before reapplying: Five hours

At just £2, we were blown away with this lip pencil. The pigment is fantastic, it’s easy to apply and can give a crisp, fine line as well as filling in. Infused with nourishing vitamin E and coconut oil, it’s not drying and leaves a shiny finish that would rival any lipstick. It does transfer, so be sure to top up at around three to four hours. But, for anyone after a bold red on a budget, this may be the one for you.

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  • Best: Dark-nude lip liner
  • Rating: 8/10
  • Shades available: Six
  • Shade tested: 02 cappuccino
  • Type: Twist-up
  • Time before reapplying: Five hours

Our tester was very sceptical of this colour, usually opting for pale pinks or light-skin nudes, but this really surprised us. With pinky undertones, it’s not your regular brown lip colour and can flatter a whole range of skin tones, making it quite the versatile pick. More like a lipstick, it is soft, so doesn’t create the crispest line, but does keep its point quite well and gives a great shiny finish that feels hydrating. It does transfer, but due to the strong pigment, the colour lasted for hours even if its shine was dulled.

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  • Best: Waterproof lip liner
  • Rating: 9/10
  • Shades available: 24
  • Shade tested: Antique pink
  • Type: Classic pencil
  • Time before reapplying: Eight hours

You may not have heard of Il Makiage, but this is your nudge to take a look at the relatively new brand. While this lip liner may not have all the handy extras that drew us to the other options – sharpeners, twist-ups or fancy application brushes – it expertly nails the classic lip pencil in such a way we didn’t need anything else.

The key reason this stole our hearts was the fact it wasn’t as drying as the other options, thanks to jojoba wax and vitamin E. It’s incredibly pigmented, meaning only one swipe was needed to get a great colour, and it has no transfer, even when in contact with water so you can eat drink and be merry while knowing your pout is perfect.

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  • Best: Luxury lip liner
  • Rating: 10/10
  • Shades available: 12
  • Shade tested: Rouge cerise
  • Type: Classic pencil (buffing brush and sharpener included)
  • Time before reapplying: Eight hours

Chanel beauty is a long-standing favourite for a little luxury that makes a make-up bag all the more luxurious. Coming in at £22, this is the most expensive option on the list – paired with Dior – but, comes with a logo-emblazoned sharpener and a mini application brush to sweeten the deal.

Cotton seed derivatives and jojoba seed oil make for a smooth and nourishing formula that melts onto the lips and leaves it with a slightly tacky semi-matte finish that wasn’t in the least bit drying. But, due to the softness, it does need to be sharpened regularly, which is no problem, thanks to a sharpener being a handy little extra. Lasting all day, we had no complaints but, compared with Dior, it’s a difficult choice.

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  • Best: Refillable lip liner
  • Rating: 10/10
  • Shades available: Five
  • Shade tested: Benimokuran
  • Type: Twist-up
  • Time before reapplying: Five hours

Bucking convention, we just tested the refill of this lip liner, forgoing the case to get a tiny, micro-purse-sized liner that really can be taken anywhere. With more of a soft crayon consistency, it acted like an incredibly thin lipstick, hydrating and nourishing the lips with a shiny healthy finish. Super pigmented, it was hard to fault, but we would certainly opt to use it alone rather than under a lipstick, as it may start to feel a little heavy with too many thick products on top. It didn’t last as long as some of the other options, but it’s no hassle to take it with you to top up.

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  • Best: White lip liner
  • Rating: 7/10
  • Shades available: 18
  • Shade tested: Gimme drama
  • Type: Twist-up
  • Time before reapplying: Six hours

Very few people would probably opt to wear a full block white lip like our tester here, but to truly show you the effects of this liner in the same way as the others, we had to do it. White lip liner can actually be used like white eyeliner to make the lips look bigger.

Some say applying it to the cupid’s bow and the centre of the bottom lip can help draw the mouth out for a fuller-looking pout. It also can give lipstick a stronger pop. Of course, NYX has a huge range of other shades to try, and although it looks like a classic pencil, this is actually a handy twist-up with jojoba oil and vitamin E for added nourishment. So, if white isn’t the shade for you, we’d still encourage you to take a peek at the others.

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  • Best: High-street lip liner
  • Rating: 7/10
  • Shades available: Five
  • Shade tested: 10 nude whisper
  • Type: Twist-up
  • Time before reapplying: Six hours

Incredibly thin, this lip liner is expertly precise, but it did snap a couple of times, so be sure to be gentle. In a twist-up style, there’s no need for a sharpener, but don’t take it too high, or you’ll increase the risk of breakage. Super pigmented, our tester was incredibly impressed with the colour, but due to the size of this lip liner, we would recommend it for lining only, rather than colouring the full lips. Used alone, it lasted us a good six hours before needing to re-apply, and when paired with the matching Maybelline colour sensational matte lipstick (£7.99, Boots.com), we’re sure it would be a regular go-to.

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  • Best: Designer lip liner
  • Rating: 10/10
  • Shades available: 17
  • Shade tested: 525 chérie
  • Type: Classic pencil (buffing brush and sharpener included)
  • Time before reapplying: Eight hours

Yes, we have been sneaky here, naming Dior the best designer lip liner and Chanel the best luxury lip liner, but there’s next to nothing between the two, meaning it comes down to personal brand preference.

Clearly, the two luxury labels are paying close attention to each other, as these products are the same price, and both have a logo sharpener and applicator brush included.

Looking at Dior specifically, the soft crayon-like liner uses peony and pomegranate flower extracts and shea butter to give it a creamy formula that lasted all day. Easy to apply, it had a little bit of a firmer shape than its neighbour, but we would recommend regular sharpening to keep it crisp and clean.

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  • Best: Long-lasting lip liner
  • Rating: 8/10
  • Shades available: Two
  • Shade tested: Rosewood flair
  • Type: Felt tip
  • Time before reapplying: 12 hours

More like a lip stain with an ultra-precise applicator, this lip liner certainly stands out from the crowd. Instead of a pencil, this liner is more like a felt tip, with a tiny round ball-point tip to draw around the edges of the mouth as well as colour in. But, you wouldn’t want to make a mistake when putting this on, as it lasted all day, just as a stain would, and there’s not really any way to get it off except to wait for it to fade. At less than £3, it’s a real bargain, and we’re sure to wear it when we’re just after a little bit of colour that we don’t have to think about maintaining.

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  • Best: Pigmented lip liner
  • Rating: 9/10
  • Shades available: 11
  • Shade tested: Fiesty
  • Type: Classic pencil
  • Time before reapplying: Six hours

Whereas 17. (£2, Boots.com) was a young and vibrant red, this Illamasqua option is its grown-up sister. More muted in tone, it’s a much heavier pencil, meaning it takes time and precision to drag it across the mouth, which gave us a much cleaner and sharper line.

Semi-matte in finish, the pigment was incredibly vibrant, and it wasn’t drying at all. With little transfer, it lasted for around six hours. As a trick to save time, if looking to flood the lips with colour, fill the bottom lip and just smack them together, et voila! You’ll have a perfect pout in seconds.

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  • Best: For brand-lovers
  • Rating: 9/10
  • Shades available: 13
  • Shade tested: Supersize me
  • Type: Classic pencil
  • Time before reapplying: Six hours

The lipstick OG Charlotte Tilbury had to feature highly on this list. Fans of the brand are pretty loyal, usually stocking up on lip liners, lipsticks, lip glosses and even eyeshadows in their favourite colour, and it’s easy to see why. Again, it’s a classic pencil, so needs a sharpener, but giving a strong, long-lasting colour with little transfer, it’s a well-loved classic for a reason.

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  • Best: Internet-famous lip liner
  • Rating: 8/10
  • Shades available: 48
  • Shade tested: Sweet tea
  • Type: Classic pencil
  • Time before reapplying: Six hours

Shooting to fame a couple of years ago, thanks to Kylie Jenner’s make-up artist naming it the best lip liner ever, Morphe’s sweet tea liner has racked up a large fan club.

A classic pencil, it’s super soft and easy to apply but needs regular sharpening to get those clean and crisp lines. Matte but not drying, our tester was impressed with the formula, and little transfer meant it lasted a good number of hours too. The kicker with this one is that it’s hard to get hold of. Despite having a huge number of shades, they’re often sold out, so it’s a real grab ’em while you can scenario, which for us lazy girls often means we’re probably going without.

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  • Best: Precise lip liner
  • Rating: 10/10
  • Shades available: 22
  • Shade tested: Cherry
  • Type: Classic pencil
  • Time before reapplying: Eight hours

Mac is one of the most famous make-up brands in the world, adored by make-up artists and beauty lovers alike, so it’s unsurprising that this liner is up there with the best.

The hardest pencil of the bunch, this classic lip liner draws a great line, giving crisp and clean angles every time (so long as you keep it sharp). Make a mistake though, and you’ll have to start over, as its pigment is so strong it does stain the lips (or face, if you really go off track). This also means it lasts an incredibly long time, with little transfer, just be sure to have the oil-based remover on hand for when you want to take it off.

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  • Best: Full lip kit
  • Rating: 7/10
  • Shades available: Six
  • Shade tested: Queen
  • Type: Classic pencil and liquid lipstick
  • Time before reapplying: Two hours

The majority of people would use a lip liner as a base for their lipstick, and while we’ve shown images of what all these lip liners look like as a full lip colour for ease of demonstrating the finish and pigments, it is good to remember you can use a lipstick on top too. Coming in a kit, including a lip liner and liquid lipstick, this Makeup Revolution option is a one-stop shop for your lip-colouring needs. At £6, it’s certainly a bargain and, although there are, of course, other lip kits out there, for a liner-lipstick duo it did the job, was easy to apply and lasted a couple of hours before wearing off.

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