I hate having to use lip liner. Now don’t get it twisted, I love lip liner on it’s own and I use it over the whole lip a lot of the time, and I also love using lip liner to add dimension or depth to certain shades, but I don’t want to NEED it to get a sharp, even application ya know what I mean?

I’ve gotten pretty good at getting a clean application without using a separate liner, and in my opinion its all about the brush.

(Just a heads up, if lipstick tends to bleed on you this technique won’t really help BUT you can buy one clear lip liner like Ozone from Urban Decay and use it under all your lipsticks and then use this technique. That way at least you’re just buying one lip liner instead of trying to match all of your lipsticks)

These are my all time favorite brushes for lipstick application:

Real Techniques Accent Brush | Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush | Tarte Smudge Brush

Notice that none of these brushes are labeled as lip brushes, that cuz I don’t play by no rules! And also because I just find that the tapered rounded shapes of these just lend themselves really well to lining the lips, but potato potahto. So look for small dense brushes with a rounded end, and see if it works. For me this is the key

My absolute favorite is the tarte one, which I don’t think they make anymore so I am going to hold on to it and care for it and make it my baby so it lasts forever and ever. The real techniques accent brush is a close second though and the bobbi brown fine liner brush is great too. I hate it for eyeliner, love it for lip liner.

Now that you know what type of brush to use, how do we line lips without lip liner?

Step 1: Moisturize your lips with a balm, it will make everything go on smoother.

Step 2: Take your chosen brush and load it up with lipstick. If you are using a typical bullet lipstick then just drag your brush gently back and forth over the flat, top portion of the lipstick until you get a decent amount on there. If you are going to use a liquid lipstick like I am, I reccomend just dipping the brush into the little bit of product that is stuck to the wand when you pull it out of the tube, as to not get too much on right away.

Step 3: Use the brush to line the outer edges.

Step 4: Dip back into your product and connect the cupids bow and center of bottom lip.

(Both of these steps are shown below, some people have an easier time getting the shape right if they do the cupids bow first and that’s fine too it’s just a matter of preference. Feel free to switch them around, but the point is to do it in two steps so that you don’t need to put too much on the brush at one time)

It may take some practice but I get the best results by using a swift, sweeping motion and then touching it up with smaller strokes. Practice makes perfect.

Step 5: Now you can take your lipstick right from the tube or the wand and fill in the rest.

This is Anastasia Liquid Lips in Vintage BTW, isn’t it bomb.com?

And that my friends is how to line lips without without lip liner. It’s pretty simple, just look for brushes with a shape that work for you, don’t get too much product on the brush, and practice practice practice! 🙂