Like a charting pop song playing redundantly on every radio channel, I could not get a certain makeup product out of my mind this entire summer. I’m a bona fide lip liner devotee: I own about 50 (I wish I was kidding), with about three nude-ish pencils rolling around at the bottom of every one of my (many) purses on any given day. However, I can’t say that I go out of my way to collect new ones—no, I’ll use the same four-year-old, nubby MAC lip liner before buying a replacement—but something about the Hailey Bieber-approved Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil stuck with me ever since a celebrity makeup artist put me on to this no-budge, instantly sculpting pout perfector a few months back.
What makes a perfect nude lip liner, you may ask? Bieber once revealed that she depends on this very liner in a TikTok for Who What Wear UK, and though she didn’t name her exact shade, she’s previously shared her favoritism towards the warm brown hue Anywhere Caffeine. Celeb- and influencer-loved MUA Kelli Anne Sewell later cemented this pencil as a staple in her lip combo and a necessity in her TikTok-viral wedding guest makeup tutorial, which has amassed millions of views and thousands of saves—myself included. Desperate to try but not ecstatic to spend $25 on a lip liner, I tried dozens of dupes before finally getting a chance to sketch on the real thing. While the pigment, quality, and longevity of the Make Up For Ever pencils surpass the rest, I did end up with some notable mentions. Below, 8 standout lookalikes to add to your cart (until you cave and buy the real thing).
Swatches of multiple lookalike lip liners on the back of Brascia's hand.
At just $11, this drugstore buy comes at a far more agreeable price than Make Up For Ever’s. I’ve bought several different shades of this budget-friendly lip liner since my college days—its creamy consistency, potent pigment, and trendy shade assortment kept me coming back for more. And though there are a few fundamental differences—Revlon’s is a softer cream pencil than Make Up For Ever’s, which may mean easier application, but ultimately offers less longevity.
It’s worth mentioning that Nude leans a bit warmer than Anywhere Caffeine, so it may be a closer match to the other viral shade Wherever Walnut, if you’ve been eyeing that hue, too. But if you want something low-priced and editor-approved, this one gets my vote.
While this nude lip liner may look lighter than Anywhere Caffeine, they look almost identical on skin swatches and lip tests. Iconic London’s pencil comes equipped with a smudge tip on one end, which I love for blending out harsh lines, but that speaks to the differences I notice with these two formulas. While Make Up For Ever’s pencil balances creaminess with staying power, the Iconic London formula feels slightly drier on my lips, and therefore slightly harder to blend (hence the helpful smudger).
Though I still reach for the Iconic London lip liner quite often (it’s a workbag godsend—no more blending your liner with your fingers during your office commute), the comfortable feel of the Artist Color Pencil still reigns supreme. However, you can score this Iconic London liner for just $16 at Revolve’s beauty sale right now when you enter the code BEAUTY20 at checkout, which makes this pick a bit more appealing.
Bieber stated in WWW UK’s TikTok that she prefers to use these Make Up For Ever liners to “contour and enhance the lips,” which makes this Soft Contour Lip Liner from celebrity makeup artist Etienne Oretga’s line a no-brainer. The chocolatey-nude shade La Chic is quite close to Anywhere Caffeine’s warm caramel shade, but with a slightly cooler hue than the pricier pencil.
While both lippies are exceptionally comfortable, the Etienne lip liner is more prone to smudging due to its extra-soft cream formula. Though I adore this liner for its hydrating, lip-loving benefits, I find that I don’t get the same long-wear results out of this lookalike shade as I do with the Make Up For Ever formula. (Oh, and did I mention that this one is also price-slashed at Revolve’s beauty sale)?
But that’s not where my findings end. Keep scrolling for lookalike lip pencils that give Anywhere Caffeine a run for their money, with prices that start at just $3.
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