The Makeup Artist Secret
Lisa Eldridge, makeup artist:
“I love a lip pencil that is a little bit darker than the lipstick.”
And this is where one of the biggest professional makeup secrets begins.
We often assume that the lip liner should perfectly match the lipstick. But makeup artists don’t always aim for that kind of exact match. Sometimes, a subtle difference between the liner and lipstick is what creates that beautiful sense of dimension and depth.
The key is not to completely redraw the shape of your lips.
Lisa Eldridge:
“You can slightly overdraw the lip, but you need to be really careful around the corners.”
And this is one of the most important rules.
If you want to make your lips look slightly fuller, you can go just a tiny bit beyond the natural lip line — especially through the centre of the upper and lower lip. But keep the corners close to their natural shape.
Why?
Because the corners are where obvious overlining becomes noticeable fastest.
Now for another professional trick.
Instead of leaving the lip liner as a sharp, defined line, makeup artists often blend it inward toward the centre of the lips.
Lisa Eldridge:
“I like to blend the lip pencil into the lipstick.”
This creates a much softer transition between the liner and lipstick. There’s no obvious “drawn-on” outline — just a natural-looking shadow that gives the lips more dimension.
And texture matters too.
With a matte lipstick, you can usually create a more defined shape because the finish itself has a naturally graphic quality. But with a creamy or satin lipstick, an overly sharp outline can look heavy.
In that case, it’s better to work more softly: apply the liner, blend it slightly, add lipstick, and then bring a little more liner back into the areas where you want extra depth.
Pat McGrath, makeup artist:
“The lip is a canvas.”
And that’s exactly how professional makeup artists approach the lips — not simply as a shape that needs to be outlined, but as a surface where you can create dimension through colour, light, shadow, and texture.
For example, using a slightly deeper shade around the edges and a lighter or more luminous shade in the centre can create the illusion of fuller lips without dramatically changing their shape.
And there’s another secret: don’t try to make your lips perfectly symmetrical.
Real lips are rarely perfectly symmetrical.
Professional makeup is often about correcting asymmetry where it’s actually noticeable, rather than completely redrawing the lips.
That’s why an expensive-looking lip isn’t necessarily about achieving a flawless outline.
It’s about soft transitions. The right depth of colour. A thoughtful combination of textures. A subtle touch of light in the centre.
And most importantly — no obvious boundary between “your lips” and the makeup.
Because the most beautiful lips often look as though they’ve simply become a slightly better version of themselves.
Not bigger. Not more drawn-on. Just fuller, softer, and beautifully balanced.
Read the article: Blush Can Change the Shape of Your Face
