Favorite Lip Liners

Smashbox Nude Lip Pencil in Fair (top) & Too Faced Perfect Lips Pencil (bottom)

I’m not really a lip liner girl.

When I wear tricky lipstick shades like red, I always whip one out. But on a day to day basis, I don’t usually take the time for one. Most of the lipsticks or glosses that I wear are light to mid-tone shades that don’t really need any help, and because my skin is so fair, my lips are naturally pretty defined.

However, if I wear really light lip shades (like my beloved Innocence Beware from MAC), my lips need a little definition to keep me from looking washed out. Instead of buying a bunch of different lip liners to match every shade of lipstick and gloss in my collection, though, I feel like a good liner that’s just a bit darker than my natural lip color is all I really need.

It took me a while to find the right one, but like any determined makeup junkie, I didn’t give up. And because I was so persistent, I actually found two that work like a charm. 

Smashbox’s Nude Lip Pencil in Fair and Too Faced’s Perfect Lips.

They’re very similar in color, though the Smashbox liner is slightly pinker while the Too Faced pencil is a little more brown.

Smashbox Nude Lip Liner in Fair (l.) vs. Too Faced Perfect Lips (r.)

They are both super smooth, so they’re easy to apply and don’t skip or drag along the lips. If I had to choose between the two, I might give the nod to the Smashbox pencil . I like that their Nude Lip Pencils actually correspond to skin tone, coming in Fair, Light, Medium and Dark, so you’ve got a better chance of finding a shade that works for you. The Too Faced Perfect Lips Pencils is a one-shade-fits-all product, and while it’ll work for many, I’m not sure that it’ll fit everyone’s natural lip shade.

I think that they’re both worth a try, though, if you’re looking for a lip liner that you can wear under virtually any lip color for a little added definition.

What’s your favorite lip liner? Do you match your liner to your lip product or your lips’ natural color?  Is lip liner a must-have item in your makeup bag?