I've Tried Hundreds of Lip Liners, But Nothing Sculpts My Lips Like This One

Even as a beauty editor, I can admit that I own an embarrassing amount of lip liners. You name it, I probably own it. Rhode Peptide Lip Shapers? Check. Merit Beauty Signature Sheer Lip Liner? Yep. Rimmel Lip Liners? I own several. And with new lip liners launching monthly, I was doubtful that I could possibly need another one in my collection. But that was until the Summer Fridays Softline Lip Liners landed on my desk.

Summer Fridays Softline Lip Liner

The Formula

I'm already a big fan of Summer Fridays, and particularly of the iconic Lip Butter Balms, so I couldn't wait to swatch all of the different shades. These pencils have a creamy consistency and glide onto the lips with a matte finish. Alongside the launch are the Summer Friday Flushed Lip Stains (£22), which have a felt-tip application that delivers a long-lasting stain, whether used as a lip liner or all-over lip stain.

As for the SoftLine Lip Liners, they're the kind of lip pencil that you can sharpen, which I appreciate, so you can get a very precise outline, or use them to create soft, diffused definition. There is great colour payoff, and they're not the type of lip pencils that drag on the lips. They're just creamy enough for smooth lip liner application, but sturdy enough to ensure your liner won't rub off after your morning matcha.

A lot of lip liners dry out my lips, but not these ones, which contain hyaluronic acid spheres, coconut and jojoba oils and plant waxes that help to hydrate and boost their lasting power on the lips. It also makes them easy to blend and blur, if you want to sculpt or contour your lips with them. There is just enough playtime to blend and blur before they set into place.

The Shades

Toffee

Toffee with Brown Sugar Lip Butter Balm

There are eight shades in total, all leaning neutral tones that you'd expect from Summer Fridays, from pinks to mid-browns and rich espresso tones. There's definitely a shade for everyone here.

On my skin tone and lip colour, I've been enjoying the shade Toffee (above) as an everyday lip liner worn alone or paired with the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Brown Sugar(£23). It has just the right balance of pink and brown, and is my favourite of the shades for sculpting to make my lips look fuller. For a bolder lip moment, Brownie (below) is a great deep brown that I like to also diffuse the colour by patting it in with my fingertips for a softer look.

All of the shades are well considered and wearable, featuring a mix of warm and cool undertones from deep brown to rosy pink, so you're bound to find one that suits the kind of lip look that you're after.

Brownie

My Verdict

Having now tested these over the course of a few weeks, I can honestly say they've become my new favourite lip liner. Of course, at £21, they are on the more luxurious side as lip liners go, but the formula is brilliant, offering long-wearing colour that's easy to wear either defined or diffused on the lips, or paired with your lip combo. I can easily get a few hours' wear from them; however, if you want something more long-lasting, then the Flushed Lip Stain (£22) may be a better bet for more longevity. The colours are great, too, offering a range of wearable neutrals you'll reach for time and time again for endless lip combos. They're one of the best new beauty launches I've tried this year, so I'm considering them as a permanent staple in my makeup bag from here on out.

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