We've Collectively Tried Hundreds of Lip Liners, But Only These 9 Have Permanent Spots in Our Makeup Bags

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Let's be real for a second: the best lip liners can be so hard to come by. And given that Google searches for lip liners are up 50% in the past year, it seems we're all still looking for the ultimate lip liner out there. Too creamy and the formula slides off by the time you've finished your morning matcha latte. Too dry, and the pencil can drag and dry out the lips before you've even applied your tinted lip balm or lip oil.

The sweet spot is a lip liner that glides onto lips with plenty of blendable pigment, accompanied by superhuman levels of lasting power and minimal top-ups needed, please and thank you. We also want an extensive shade range to choose from and packaging that ensures a flawless application every time. We're not asking for much, really.

Between all of us on the Who What Wear UK team, we've tried a lot of lip liners—you'll find at least one in our bags at any one time. And if one thing is for sure, we know not all of the best lip liners are created equal. Which is why we've decided to put the most popular lip liners head to head to find out which ones are truly worthy of the hype. From Rhode's Peptide Lip Shapers to MAC's iconic Lip Pencils, scroll ahead for our honest reviews and swatches. But first, what even is lip liner and how do we use it?

What Is Lip Liner?

"Lip liner helps to define, shape, and enhance the lips," says celebrity makeup artist Lan Nguyen-Grealis. "It prevents lips from looking flat and gives a more sculpted appearance. It also creates a barrier to stop lipstick from smudging into fine lines and helps it to last longer," she says.

How to Use Lip Liner

Lip liner can be used in a variety of ways depending on the look you're going for. "Lip liner can create a fuller look to balance and reshape the lip if they are uneven, and it also works all over the lips like a long-lasting matte lipstick," says Nguyen-Grealis. "The best way is to use a slightly darker shade or similar colour to follow the shape of your lips, and overline to get an even lip shape," she says. You can also fill in your lips entirely for longer-lasting grip for your lipstick on top.

How to Overline Lips

Right now, we love a contoured look with our lip liner, which looks great worn alone or paired with a lip gloss or lip oil. However, this usually requires overlining the lips slightly, which can be tricky. However, Nguyen-Grealis has some tips. "Overline the cupid’s bow and centre of the bottom lip, and avoid overlining the corners of the lips for a natural effect," she says. "Blend the edges with a brush or fingertip for a seamless finish and blot with tissue to remove excess."

How to Choose a Lip Liner Shade

With several brands offering lots of shades, it can be overwhelming to find the perfect one for you. Nguyen-Grealis's advice? Match it to your lipstick or go slightly darker. "For a natural look, pick a lip liner close to your natural lip colour," she says. "For bold lips, match the liner to your lipstick for a seamless blend. For an ombré effect, use a darker liner and a lighter liner or lipstick in the centre of your lips."

How We Tested the Best Lip Liners

Our panel of Who What Wear UK editors are all lip liner obsessives, so between us we've tried hundreds of lip liners. We tested the newest launches from Rhode through to industry icons such as MAC, and tried all the top searched-for lip liners over the course of a month to put each one through its paces. From analysing the shade ranges to comparing the longevity of each, no stone has been left unturned.

We tested affordable drugstore options, all the way to the luxury brands. Our editors have detailed their honest reviews below, alongside before and after images so that you can see the visible results. We tested across multiple skin tones and have also weighed up the pros and cons for each lip liner so that you can make an informed decision on which is the best one for you.

The Best Lip Liners, Tried and Tested

• Best Overall Lip Liner: MAC Lip Pencil, £20
• Beauty Editor's Pick: Makeup Forever Artist Color Pencil, £21
• Best Neutral Lip Liner: Fenty Trace'd Out Pencil Lip Liner, £20
• Best Blurring Lip Liner: Refy Blur Liner, £18
• Best Plumping Lip Liner: Rhode Peptide Lip Shape, £24

1. MAC Lip Pencil

Price: £20

Shades: 36

Shade Tested: Cool Spice

Type: Sharpenable pencil

Rating: 9/10

Humaa's Review: "When it comes to lip liners, MAC has long been a trusted staple, so I was excited to test the shade Cool Spice from the brand’s classic Lip Pencil line. This liner comes in a traditional sharpenable pencil format, which feels timeless yet practical. Whilst the sharpening process might not appeal to everyone, it does ensure the nib stays precise for crisp lines—a definite plus for anyone who loves a polished lip look.

The MAC Lip Pencil range offers an impressive 30+ shades, catering to virtually every lip colour imaginable. Cool Spice, a mid-tone rose with neutral undertones, immediately caught my eye as a versatile shade for day or night. On my olive-toned skin, it worked beautifully, enhancing my natural lip colour without leaning too warm or cool. The texture is firm but not harsh, gliding on smoothly without tugging. It’s not overly creamy, which is ideal for defining the lips and preventing feathering, though this does mean it’s not as hydrating as some softer formulas.

The packaging is sleek and minimalist, in line with MAC’s iconic aesthetic. Application was straightforward, and the pencil’s precision made contouring my lips effortless. I paired it with Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria—a dusty rose brown nude—and topped it off with Rhode’s Peptide Lip Tint in Espresso. Together, these products created a dimensional, polished look. The liner provided a perfect base, gripping the lipstick and gloss beautifully and extending the wear time.

Speaking of longevity, Cool Spice held up impressively well throughout the day. I only needed a minor touch-up after a meal. At £20, the price feels justified for the quality and performance. Overall, I’d rate this liner a solid 9/10. If you’re looking for a dependable, versatile lip liner, Cool Spice is worth every penny."

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2. Makeup Forever Artist Color Pencil

Price: £21

Shades: 14

Shade Tested: Anywhere Caffeine

Type: Sharpenable pencil

Rating: 9/10

Eleanor's Review: As a beauty editor who trawls through the IG and TikTok feeds of celebrities and celebrity MUAs daily, there is one lip liner I see virtually every day, and that's Makeup Forever's Artist Color Pencils. Loved by celebrities such as Hailey Bieber, I've not met any beauty lover who doesn't rave about these Makeup Forever lip liners. So it was high time I tried them myself.

I tested the shades Anywhere Caffeine, a cool-toned pinky brown (which I'm wearing above) and Endless Cocoa, a cool-toned chocolate brown. The former was the perfect lip contouring shade for my lips, whilst Endless Cocoa is more of a statement-making hue for when I want a bolder lip look.

Although having to sharpen any wooden lip pencil is a bit of a faff, I do like how precise these liners are, and even if they're used every day, they'll no doubt last a really long time, which I think makes them good value for money. The formula is matte and very pigmented, yet creamy and easily blendable, but not so much that it blends into nothing. These liners can really hold their own. It can be gently smudged for diffused contouring without disappearing into thin air throughout the day.

As someone who isn't the best at lip liner, these still feel easy to use, and I love that these pencils can also be used on eyes and cheeks, so they're a great multi-purpose product to have in your bag. They lasted really well, only really needing to be reapplied after eating a meal and topped up before heading out for the evening.

I really liked wearing this lip liner with just a dab of lip balm for a more subdued yet contoured look, but it also married well with lipstick and glosses. I paired it with either Fenty Beauty's Gloss Bomb Stix in Is It Fussy (£24) or Rhode Peptide Lip Tint in Toast (£20), which I'm wearing above. My only qualm is that they are a little drying on my lips, but overall, I'd give this lip liner a solid 9/10."

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3. Fenty Trace'd Out Lip Liner

Price: £20

Shades: 10

Shade Tested: Riri

Type: Sharpenable pencil

Rating: 8/10

Remy's Review: "As somewhat of a lip-liner sceptic, it made total sense as a fan of the brand to have Fenty Beauty be my first real foray into pencils, it did also mean however, that the bar was set very high (as anyone who has tried the Pro Filt’r foundation will know).

After experimenting a couple of times as a teenager with a very dry and splintering poppy red pencil, the first thing that pleases me about the Fenty Trace’d Out lip liner is the number of shades on offer. Though lip liner is far more versatile than foundation and you don’t need a different one to match every shade of lipstick you own, there are soft pinks and nudes, warm browns, deep graphic tones and a bright red to make sure most bases are covered. Looking for something to sharpen up my red lip and a rosy pink to go with a gloss, I decided to opt for testing “The MVP”, a blue red, and “Riri”, a rose mauve, which happens to be Rihanna's signature shade.

The real highlight of these pencils is the creaminess of the formula. Expect these to glide and not drag, more akin to a buttery eye shadow stick than what I expected of a liner. Given just how soft the application was, I turned the pencil at an angle to use the side of the nib to line the lips, and only used the point right at the very end to neaten up corners (a tip to stop the point from wearing dull), and the lines were easy to blend out where needed.

After application, you won’t feel it at all, and after long wear it doesn’t cake or flake at the corners (just give it a little bit of time to settle after applying so as not to transfer onto the first thing you drink, as I did). For an everyday colour like Riri, I was happy to leave on my original liner for the entire day, only topping up my lip gloss, but despite checking my mirror every hour to see if the bright red MVP had smudged too, it was staying in place along with my Lisa Eldridge Velvet Ribbon matte lipstick, so top points award for longevity too.

Now to study the pencil itself—unconvinced after the website describes it as 'sharpenable', I gave it a go believing that the thick casing wouldn’t give, and how wrong I was. Gone are the days of using liners sparingly and throwing away the rest; this does sharpen, making the cost per wear even better (although at £20, it’s already pretty reasonable for a premium product). All in all, impressed by the finish and inspired to start wearing lipstick more often; not only is the Fenty Trace’d Out liner officially staying in my makeup bag, but I’d like to invest in some more colours too. A solid 8/10."

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4. Refy Blur Liner

Price: £18

Shades: 7

Shade Tested: Stone

Type: Retractable bullet liner

Rating: 8/10

Megan's Review: "I’ve seen these getting a lot of hype across social, so was excited to see what the fuss was about. I’ve also really liked every other Refy product I’ve tried (shoutout to the brand's lip gloss). First impressions: I love that it doesn’t need a sharpener, mainly because I never seem to have one, and the slick, minimalist packaging. I tried the shade Stone, which is a light nude; I think it gave a 'my lips but better' vibe—they definitely looked plumper.

The blurring effect is 100% true; I didn’t feel like it needed a lot of blending, and the formula felt very creamy. I wouldn’t worry about my lips feeling dry using this product. Although they don’t offer a lot of shades (only seven at the moment), the variation seems like there’d be something to suit everyone. They’re also more wearable, everyday tones than, for example, a bright red, which I like.

I layered this with my Refy clear lip gloss, which worked really well, and my lips felt hydrated, plump and defined. I’d definitely carry this in my bag and use it to top up throughout the day. I'd give it an 8/10."

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5. Rhode Peptide Lip Shape

Price: £24

Shades: 11

Shade Tested: Twist

Type: Retractable bullet liner

Rating: 8/10

Eleanor's Review: "I got to try Rhode’s Peptide Lip Shapers ahead of the launch, and when I spoke to Hailey Bieber, she told me personally that these are designed to shape and contour the lips. The retractable liner features a domed nib on one end, and a flexible angled 'shaper' on the other end, which is designed to blend, blur and fix your liner.

Coming in 11 shades, from deep cool brown to rosy beige, it’s clear that Rhode has thought through what tones best flatter a range of skin tones whilst contouring the lips. I tried the shade Twist, a warm taupe and a personal favourite of Hailey’s, and I think it's the perfect lip contour shade for my skin tone; it’s not too dark, but adds a subtle contour.

I often struggle to get lip liner right, but I love how easy these lip shapers are to use. The domed nib ensures a soft blurred contour that is easily blended or wiped away in case of mishaps (honestly, the smudger tool is a game-changer), and the creamy, soft-matte texture is actually really hydrating too, thanks to the addition of peptides and fenugreek. A lot of pencil lip liners dry out my sensitive lips, but not this one. I will say if you want something very precise, you may be better off with a traditional wood-clench style lip liner that you can sharpen.

I adore how this lip liner looks; however, I’d say the creamy formula isn’t the most long-wearing I’ve tried, so you’ll want to keep this on you for touch-ups. That being said, it’s so easy to do that I don’t really mind. However, at £24 you may find yourself going through a liner quite quickly compared to a traditional wooden pencil liner.

Hailey told me that she likes to pair Twist with a Rhode Pocket Blush (£25) in the shade Piggy. I went for a similar shade with Sprinkle and patted it into the centre of my lips, and I love this combo. The creaminess of the liner means it happily blends with anything else you pair it with, be it a gloss, lip oil or lipstick. Overall, I’d give this an 8/10."

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6. Glossier Lip Line

Price: £20

Shades: 9

Shade Tested: Buff

Type: Pencil liner

Rating: 8/10

Jerrylyn's Review: "Lip liners are a staple in my daily makeup routine, but that isn’t to say that finding one that ticks all of my boxes is easy to find. As a huge fan of other Glossier products, I couldn’t wait to review a few of their Lip Line shades. The liner looks like a traditional sharpenable pencil, but the formula is a slightly creamier consistency (which I much prefer). Have you ever heard that the trick to finding your perfect lip shade is to match it with your nipple? Well, Glossier has taken that concept and run with it, with all nine shades being 'nipple-matched', making them really complementary to a wide range of skin tones.

I tested three deeper hues: Buff (toasted almond, pictured above), Nip (walnut brown) and Bare (dark chocolate); can you tell that I love a brown lip?! The formulas include ingredients such as fractional quartz for smooth application, jojoba oil to keep lips moisturised and a lip grip complex to make it long-lasting. I sometimes find it a bit tricky to find products which flatter my lip colour, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked the look of all three shades once on, but Buff was my favourite.

These medium-coverage liners would suit anyone who likes more of a natural yet still noticeable finish, and whilst they were easy to blend, the colour lasted a few hours before I needed to re-apply. I wore Milk Makeup’s Kush Lip Oil (£22) on top—this super-hydrating gloss sat perfectly on top of the Lip Line and helped keep my lips moisturised. I also tried out their pencil sharpener, which worked great—no loose nibs to report here!

At £20, this is a mid-to-higher-end price point, but overall, I’m really impressed with these liners, and I’d definitely consider trying other shades I usually wouldn’t pick. I'd give them an 8/10."

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7. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat

Price: £22

Shades: 23

Shade Tested: Pillow Talk Fair

Type: Pencil liner

Rating: 7.5/10

Grace's Review: "This Charlotte Tilbury lip liner has been a staple in my makeup bag for as long as I can remember. It's quite subtle on me, and I like to think of it as my 'my lips but better' product on those "no-makeup" makeup days. It comes in 23 shades, but I always opt for Pillow Talk Fair as I feel that this pinky nude hue suits me best.

The velvety texture is super creamy and feels easy to blend, but not so creamy that it's going to disappear from your lips in a matter of minutes. In fact, it actually has pretty impressive lasting power. For someone with dry lips who struggles to keep any kind of lip product on throughout the day, this gets a big 'yes' from me. Don't get me wrong, I still have to top up my lip liner after eating or being at the office all day, but I definitely notice that this lasts longer than other products I've tried.

What I really love about this product is that it's the perfect thing to pair with my Pillow Talk lipstick. This lip combo always earns me compliments, and I feel the combination of both products helps to make my lips look plumper (and who doesn't want that?). The only downside for me is how dry my lips can get when wearing this. As mentioned above, I do have very dry lips anyway, but considering this formula is infused with jojoba oil, I expected this to feel a little more hydrating than it does.

That being said, it also looks great paired with a glossy lip balm, so I tend to opt for this combo on those cold winter days when I know my lips will be needing a little extra TLC. I'd give this a 7.5/10."

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8. Kosas Hotliner

Price: £20

Shades: 8

Shade Tested: Beyond

Type: Retractable lip pencil

Rating: 8/10

Georgia's Review: "I love a lip liner, and I’ve tried a lot of them. My favourites are all traditional pencil liners that you can keep sharpening and use right down to the nub. I have beef, however, with twist-up liners in plastic casing. I think they’re a con: you barely get any product and what you do get either breaks off and falls out when you take the lid off, or the twisty mechanism breaks before long and because you can’t sharpen them, you basically end up chucking away a piece of plastic without much use from production to end of life.

That being said, I have to make an exception for Kosas Hotliner. It’s billed as a 'hyaluronic acid contouring lip liner' and contains konjac root, but I’m not interested in that. What I love about this liner is that it’s creamy (but not so creamy that it slides off after 10 minutes), super easy to swipe on, stays put, comes in versatile, wearable shades and—best of all—it has a sharpener and a brush on the other end!

I have the shade Beyond, described as a cool rosy mauve, which I find to be really flattering; somewhere between a nude lip and more of a statement brick-brown. End-to-end with the sharpener is a teeny little lip brush which is great for buffing out the lip line or feathering the product into the centre of the lips. This is what I do before topping it with the brand’s Wet Stick in Island High (£22); a burnt, toasty red. This combo is pretty long-lasting, and when the high-shine lipstick wears off, the liner is still going strong, blending into my lips for a pretty, pillowy look. Overall, I'd rate this an 8/10."

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9. By Terry Hyaluronic Lip Liner

Price: £26

Shades: 6

Shade Tested: Secret Kiss

Type: Retractable lip pencil

Why we love it: Creamy, long-lasting, hydrating formula

Cons: Limited shade range

Rating: 9/10

Maxine's Review: "As someone who has been wearing lip liner since the early '00s, I know a good one when I try it. Without a word of a lie, By Terry's is the best I've come across. In fact, it was the deserving winner of a Who What Wear Next in Beauty Award.

Unlike most other liners, which feel dry and take considerable effort to apply, this product glides on with ease, and the formula—a mix of shea and macadamia butters, as well as hyaluronic acid—is super creamy and makes my lips feel smooth and nourished. I tried the shade Secret Kiss, and I loved that it was the perfect pinky nude, enough to define your lips but still look very natural. It was easy to overline my lips too without going overboard.

It lasts, too—I've worn it whilst eating and sipping cocktails, and it didn't budge. I tested two colours and loved them both. This is top-tier makeup, so it's a 9/10 from me."

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At Who What Wear UK, we know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our editors have tested thousands of products over the years—spanning skincare, makeup, hair and nails—and work closely with trusted experts including dermatologists, makeup artists and leading industry insiders to ensure every guide is well-researched, inclusive and relevant to you.

We focus on formulas that deliver, whether they’re affordable favourites or luxury investments. Our product selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how and what we’d truly recommend to a friend.