Your Search Ends Here—We Crowned These 14 the Best Nude Lip Liners for Every Skin Tone

Pros: Doubles as eyeliner and face color, long-wearing, inclusive shade range

Cons: None we can think of

Shades: 21

Celebrities (Hailey Bieber! J.Lo!), makeup artists, and editors alike have long fawned over this versatile, malleable, and altogether perfect liner for everything from plump, overlined lips to defined eyes and brows. Why, you may ask? Because of the multi-tasking formula that works safely on it all (except for Dramatic Plum, a deep burgundy hue which cannot be used on the eyes. Reds are hard to formulate safely for them!). However, I personally prefer the viral hue Anywhere Caffeine for my perfect nude lip. Described as a “warm caramel nude,” this shade fits a wide range of skin tones and acts as a gorgeous base for whatever lipsticks (or extra liners!) you want to layer on top. For a cohesive look, I’ll also swipe this liner across my lids for a wash of bronzy color, and I can even scribble it into my cheekbones for a bit of warm definition.

Customer review: “The formula is super creamy and glides on effortlessly without tugging, but once it sets, it does NOT move. It’s truly smudge-proof and transfer-resistant, which makes it perfect for long days or events. The pigmentation is intense—you get full color in just one swipe—and I love that it gives a soft matte finish without drying out my lips. It also works beautifully as a base under lipstick or even on its own for a more natural, blurred look.”

Pros: Infused with skincare, long-wearing, great for overlining

Cons: Shade range could be expanded to include deeper hues

Shades: 8

Senior editor Allyson Payer was quick to call out M.ph’s lip liner, created by celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips, as her favorite hue for nude lip combos. Her hue of choice is Skinny Dip, a cool-toned nude lip liner that skews more beige than rosy, which is perfect for lining (and overlining, as the name suggests) fair lips and skin. Plus, the formula is infused with vitamin E and nourishing peptides for an extra bit of skincare.

Customer review: “This is the first lipliner I’ve found to near perfectly match my natural lip color. It wears beautifully and stays put, I only had to touch it up once during the day!”

Pros: Long-wearing formula, easy to blend, flattering on a variety of skin tones and undertones

Cons: Cap tends to pop off every once in a while

Shades: 20

If your skin tone falls between fair and light like mine, you’ll find a true neutral hue in Makeup by Mario’s Sculpting Lip Pencil in the beige shade Dmitry. (However, it also works fabulously as a lighter nude on deeper skin.) Makeup by Mario’s lip pencils glide on with creamy ease while ensuring long-lasting results, and I especially love the attached blending brush on the opposite end for blurring harsh lines.

Customer review: “I absolutely love these lip liners! Great shade range and performance! I went from zero to five shades in a week! Just as good as Make Up For Ever, but you get the little brush on the end and a decent sharpener. Love!”

Pros: Universally flattering nude, shade range inspired by real skin tones, long-wearing

Cons: Some shoppers complain that the tip is hard to sharpen

Shades: 9

WWW associate beauty editor Sabrina Talbert named Glossier’s Lip Line in the caramel shade Buff as her go-to nude lip liner. “It’s one of the closest I’ve gotten to my natural color,” she says of the hue, described as “toasted almond” by the brand. Each shade is matched to a nipple color—in line with the old wives’ tale that your best lip shade is the color of yours—to offer a selection of true “nudes” that complement actual skin tones.

Customer review: “Love Glossier products, but I never tried [the] lip pencil. This is fantastic: it’s my perfect lip contour color, not too pink, not too brown. It’s soft but persistent and it smooths perfectly. I think I’ll buy other colors in the future.”

Pros: Wide shade range, versatile usage, creamy glide

Cons: None, TBH

Shades: 21

Golloria has named a few lip liners as personal favorites in the past (including this Summer Fridays' SoftLine Lip Liner in Espresso), but her most recent endorsement is of Make Up For Ever's Artist Color Pencil in Dimensional Dark Brown. A deeper shade of our "most versatile" pick, this liner continues to prove that it not only works on a textural and formula basis, but delivers on shade range inclusivity as well. She used this deep, neutral brown hue to carve a natural nude lip and enhance the contours of her pout, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this dreamy color since seeing this video.

Customer review: “I really love this lip liner! The formula is smooth and glides on effortlessly without tugging. It’s super pigmented, so you get great color payoff right away. It defines the lips beautifully and helps my lipstick stay in place much longer. It also feels comfortable and not drying throughout the day. Such a reliable lip liner!"

Pros: Long-wearing, buildable pigmentation, transfer-proof for 12 hours

Cons: On the pricey side, may require some practice

Shades: 8

If you’re looking for something a bit more long-lasting (and still in the nude lip family), WWW fashion editor Sierra Mayhew recommends the Huda Beauty Lip Contour Lip Stain in Warm Brown. With its svelte felt tip applicator and sheer, yet buildable formula, Mayhew lauds how easy it is to use and how well it complements her skin tone. “It’s so pretty and it lasts all day—sometimes into the next day,” she tells me. Adding to cart!

Customer review: “This product has been my favorite when it comes to lip liner stains. It’s actually long-lasting and all the colors are super nice. I would definitely buy it again.”

Pros: Low-priced, smooth application, MUA-approved

Cons: Some shoppers lament over the non-creamy application

Shades: 30

Many makeup artists swear that drugstore products can compete with spendy luxury picks, and celebrity MUA Mical Klip personally recommends this budget-friendly option from NYX. “[It] gets a lot of play in my kit," they previously told Who What Wear. The silky-soft formula glides like a dream and offers a variety of nude hues for several skin tones, including this cool-toned shade named Nude Beige. Oh, and did I mention it’s just $6?

Customer review: “I love the color! The only thing I wish that this product would do more of is glide. I wish it was a smoother glide during application. Other than that it is a wonderful product and I would still buy it!”

Pros: Easy to blend, offers the illusion of a plumper pout, great color payoff

Cons: Not as long-lasting as some others

Shades: 8

Nina Park lips—aka, the blurred-lip look that’s become a signature in the celebrity makeup artist’s work—has taken the internet by storm. Luckily, L’Oréal Blurfiller is the $13 answer to our high-glam prayers, and a handful of these shades make for gorgeous neutral-lip picks. The soft formula and rounded tip immediately make for softer lines and easy-to-blend pouts, making this an instant staple.

Customer review: “Finally a Lip pencil that I actually use. I've tried so many colors and brands. This is truly one I love and will buy again.”

Pros: Blendable formula, skin-flattering shade, suitable for eyes, lips, and cheeks

Cons: We wish there were more shades

Shades: 6

Senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider swears by this multitasking liner from Tower 28 so much that she wore it on her wedding day—and then her makeup artist purchased it right in front of her. She prefers this her-lips-but-better shade for its natural look and feel, velvety glide, and long-lasting wear time. Plus, you can also use it on your eyes and cheeks for an extra swipe of color. Even Billie Eilish trusted it for her tour glam—that’s how you know it’s good.

Customer review: “Work of Art is a very natural color that works well with a lot of my lipsticks. It is a nice slightly dark liner for light complexions. It also stays put even after I eat (big deal!).”

Pros: Wide variety of skin tone-friendly shades, creamy glide, naturally contours lips

Cons: Some shoppers lament that it’s not longer-wearing

Shades: 11

We can’t talk about the best lip liners in any category without mentioning Rhode’s Peptide Lip Shapes. Not only does this “lip contouring” cream pencil offer the sensually smudged Nina Park lip we mentioned earlier, but it comes in a stunning array of shades that service all skin tones. From ultra-light pink tones for fair skin to cool, contouring lip hues for deep skin, this stick can do it all.

Customer review: “I went back and forth on this for a while because of the mixed reviews, but I’m really glad I finally gave it a shot. It’s not a traditional lip liner, and once I stopped expecting that, I liked it a lot more. It glides on super smoothly and gives a really soft, natural fullness without looking harsh. The blending tip on the other end is actually really handy too. It doesn’t last all day, but I’m honestly okay with that—I don’t think it’s meant to be a long-wear product, and it fades nicely. Overall it just makes my lips look a bit better without trying too hard.”

Pros: Long-lasting formula, two shades in one, enhances fullness of lips

Cons: Pricey for a lip liner

Shades: 4

Okay, yes, we’ve discussed a few lip liner formulas that work well for lip contouring—but I personally recommend the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheats for long-lasting, sculpted lips. The pencil comes with two different shades on both ends, offering a deeper shade for contouring (or regular lip-lining, if you want to match your skin tone and focus on highlighting versus contouring) and a lighter shade for regular lining (or highlighting). With two shade options in each purchase, the pencils work on a variety of skin tones and require little product to achieve a pigmented, defined pout.

Customer review: “Two in one, brilliant. Shades are beautiful and compliment each other perfectly. Doesn’t fade quickly or dry out my lips. Great to travel with.”

Pros: Rich bronzy hue, comfortable texture, creamy application

Cons: None I can think of

Shades: 9

Many nude lip liners run warm due to living in the caramel and brown side of the color spectrum, but editors have called out this lip liner from Rare Beauty in the past for its stunning warm nude hue “Wise” that works on a variety of skin tones. The rich hue offers a touch of bronzy warmth to any look and layers well with other products. Plus, it’s under $20.

Customer review: “I first tried this lip liner when I purchased a Sephora favorites bundle. I love the color: so universal and goes on smooth. My daughter even got herself one. I've repurchased several times now. One of my faves!”

Pros: Long-lasting wear, wide color range, great for contouring

Cons: May not work on all undertones

Shades: 28

The “best” nude lip liner will look different to anyone, and for some people, that means a cool-toned liner. In an era where gray-toned makeup is en vogue, there’s never been a time to try a lippie with blue or gray undertones, and the shade Greige from MAC is a noteworthy pick. (I also recommend Root For Me for a cool option for deeper skin.) Cool-toned liners are also great for realistic lip contouring, which works as a base for your nude lip combo if you don’t want to go entirely gray.

Customer review: “Great color for me under taupe-y browns or for doing a neutral lip line since everything pulls orange on me. Would love if they made a similar shade but deeper. It's just a touch light compared to my lip color. Good texture.”

Pros: Comfortable formula, packed with skincare, long-lasting wear

Cons: Very pricey

Shades: 8

Payer and associate shopping editor Audry Hiaoui both recommend this hydrating formula from Fara Homidi as their go-to nude lip liners. As with many of our other recommendations, the object of this pencil is not perfection, but rather a natural-looking blur. The shades Faun, Bruni, and Minky make lovely nude shades for a variety of different skin tones, and they’re especially beloved for their nourishing formulas—infused with sunflower seed oil, vitamin E, and squalane—and simultaneously long-lasting wear times. (You don’t usually get both, but this is the magical exception.)

Customer review: “This lip liner is so gorgeous and pigmented! I love how it blends so easily and shows up very well! A little goes a long way and [does] not dry on the lips at all. I also love how it comes with a little sharpener on the top. Very convenient."