Do not be afraid of lip liner, you don't have to look like this! I've had my face done by different make up artists around the world and almost every one of them used lip liner. Used properly, there is just nothing that will define, shape, and plump your lips as naturally (not even restylane!). It also helps your lipstick and lipgloss last longer. And for older beauty snobs, lip liner will help prevent the bleeding of lipsticks into the fine vertical lines that sometimes develop with age. Here are a few tips I've learned throughout the years:
1. Line only the middle 2/3 of your lips. If you extend it from corner to corner, you'll look like a clown or the joker, neither is a good look.
2. Don't just draw a line around your lips, fill in half of your lips on top and bottom so when you apply lipstick or lipgloss afterwards, there is not an obvious line.
3. Stay within the contours of your own lips, if you want to extend outside the line for nighttime, make sure you choose a soft shade of liner and blend it to the middle of your lips.
4. Matching lip liner to the color of your lips (choose one shade darker than your natural lip color) is most natural. And when your lipgloss is worn away, you're not left with a tell tale line.
5. Blend Blend Blend
My favorite natural hued lip liners:
1. Chanel Precision Lip Definer- Nude $27.50 - I've used this since college. There is a brush on the other end I use for lipgloss pots and lipsticks. It's very creamy and easy to blend into lips. Best for medium-dark toned complexions
2. Nars - Rosebud $19. This is a gorgeous color and a creamy blend, best for fair - medium complexions.
3. Wet 'n Wild $0.99 #666 liner - I discovered this at Thriftys on Beverly Dr. when I was in high school. It's still one of my favorites. For 99 cents you get a nice lip liner with good consistency. Best for medium - dark complexions.
4. Stila Lip Glaze Liner in Nude $14 - This is a color that looks good on almost everyone! It's very neutral and you can go a little bit nuts and draw bigger lips if you want without looking like Tammy Faye.
Lastly, never, EVER, get your lip liner tattooed. It's gross and obvious and no, you're not fooling anyone.
Another great colour is MAC Spite. =) A lot of people use it, and almost every girl friend I know use it.
wet n' wild #721 is better and more natural looking on me.
I definitely agree that lipliner is such an essential piece to perfecting lips.