Welcome to the Age of the No-Liner Lip Liner

Beauty is full of contradictions. No makeup, nude manicure – a popular trend in the past was to look like you were wearing nothing at all (even though you definitely were). The beauty of linerless lip liner is that it’s unnoticeable.

I use these pencils when I want to subtly enhance the fullness of my lips (no needles required) and get results so natural, some may suspect I’ve chosen fillers. The real test is simple: after using any pencil in my collection, do my lips just look a little fuller, or is the eyeliner itself noticeable? (This nuance is especially important to me because I have double lip lines and my natural lip color doesn’t extend all the way to the border.) I consider myself an authority here, having spent years perfecting my collection of natural lip liners.

While playful experimentation is definitely on the rise, liner-less lip liner is still a staple in frequent rotation when you want to keep your lips understated, and it’s the perfect complement to a bold smoky eye or a pop of blue eyeshadow. Trust me: As someone who has never subscribed to the clean-girl aesthetic, I know firsthand their value.

FashionFavorite natural lip liner

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The rise of sophisticated lip liner is certainly a departure from the contrasting lip liner looks of the early 20th century and 2010s—which admittedly could be intimidating for everyday wear. In the 2020s, however, makeup has struck a chord as a subtle form of enhancement. Think about it: Natural skin tones create contrasting lip contours or even a blurred look; one of my favorite debut albums of 2025 from Merit is proof of that.

“Lip liner felt like a product category ripe for disruption by our specific brand,” said Aila Morin, Merit’s chief marketing officer. “It’s a classic product with pain points that tend to scare the average consumer.” Fashion. The idea behind their new lip liner is that it’s incredibly easy to use and designed with versatility in mind. “No matter how much you feel like you don’t know how to apply makeup, our clear eyeliner is mess-free. It’s more forgiving and easier to apply—you can line, contour, or completely fill in your lips—and there’s no wrong way to use it.”

Since then, two of my favorite makeup artists—Mary Phillips and Katie Jane Hughes—have launched their own products that have become instant makeup bag staples. Phillips’ Peptide-Packed Wood Pencil and Hughes’ Retractable Rounded Eyeliner require no professional artist’s touch to master—both are designed to enhance the natural lip shape. Rather than the sheer colors offered by Merit (which celebrity makeup artist Joel Vasquez describes as a translucent finish that softly outlines lips while enhancing natural lip color), other options from Rhode, Refy and Dior lean toward contoured looks; according to Vasquez, it works to “add depth and shape, mimicking natural shadows for fuller, more defined lips without obvious lines.”

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