Color in the Lines! The Best Lip Liners to Define and Plump Your Pout

If 2024 was the year the best lip liners went mainstream, 2025 was the year they evolved. Amid the splashy makeup innovations that saw everything from foundation to eyeliner get a revamp in recent years, lip liner had largely remained the same. Finally given the attention it deserves, a slew of brands are reimagining this humble pencil as a trusted companion to the latest takes on lip glosses, balms, and lipsticks. Rhode started the year with its Peptide Lip Shape debut, beloved for its contouring effect. Merit followed suit later with a Signature Lip Liner which delivers “sheer” pigment meant to fade naturally throughout wear. It was a phenomena I coined the “no-liner lip liner”—making enhancing and defining one’s pout enviable to even the makeup minimalist.

Vogue’s Favorite Lip Liners

Best PrecisionVictoria Beckham Beauty Lip DefinerRead more$32

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Some of us though, resonate with a classic approach to lining—taking inspiration plus generations of Black women known to sport black or dark brown liners found at the beauty supply store, a look popularized by from nineties supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Iman. A similar story can be told of Mexican-American chola culture—punctuated by an etching of black liner paired with a pinkish gloss.

For subtle definition or full glam volume, there’s a liner for every look. Today, lip liner formulas are better than ever, offering refined, natural-looking shades designed to complement a wide range of skin tones, along with long-wearing performance that prove remarkably versatile. “It can take the place of lipstick—line your lips all over and swipe a lip balm on top—enhance the shape of your lips, or create a crisp, defined lip line,” celebrity makeup artist Fiona Stiles tells Vogue.

Its adaptability is something I can attest to—I always have one on hand, at minimum. The fruits of my years-long tests of every formula below to curate this edit of the absolute best lip liners to shop, plus more insight on how to apply them and make the pigment last.