HOW TO OVERLINE YOUR LIPS WITHOUT IT LOOKING OBVIOUS

There is a very specific moment when lip liner looks perfect. Your lips look slightly fuller, the shape looks more defined, but nobody can immediately tell what you changed. Then there is the version where the liner is clearly sitting outside your lips and suddenly the whole thing looks a little too obvious.

The good news is that you don't need to stop overlining. You just need to be a little more strategic about where you do it. The trick is not drawing a bigger lip. It's subtly adjusting the shape you already have.

DON'T OVERLINE EVERYWHERE

One of the biggest mistakes is taking the liner around the entire outside edge of your lips. That usually creates the drawn-on look people are trying to avoid. Instead, focus on the areas where a little extra definition actually makes a difference.

The centre of the upper lip and the middle of the lower lip are usually the easiest places to slightly extend. At the corners, stay much closer to your natural lip line. This keeps the shape believable and prevents the outline from becoming too wide.

THE CUPID'S BOW MATTERS

Your cupid's bow is one of the first places people notice when lip liner has been overdrawn. Instead of completely changing its shape, trace just slightly above your natural line and follow the curves you already have.

If you want a softer, fuller look, don't create a completely new cupid's bow. A tiny amount of extra space is usually enough. The goal is for the liner to disappear into your lip colour rather than sitting there as a separate outline.

KEEP THE CORNERS NATURAL

This is probably one of the most important parts. The corners of your mouth naturally become narrower, so extending the liner too far outward can make the shape look wider rather than fuller.

Start your liner slightly inside the corner and gradually build toward the centre. You can always add more later, but removing product and trying to fix an overly wide shape is much harder.

BLEND THE LINE INWARD

A lip liner should not look like a border around your lips. Once you've created the shape you want, lightly blend the liner toward the centre of your lips. This creates a softer transition between the liner and whatever you put on top.

You can use a lip brush, your fingertip or simply apply your lipstick over the edge and blend it into the liner. The more seamless the transition, the more natural the finished look will be.

DON'T GO TOO DARK

A liner that is dramatically darker than your lipstick can make even subtle overlining look obvious. For a more natural result, choose a shade that is close to your natural lip colour or only slightly deeper.

If you love a darker lip liner, there is nothing wrong with that. Just keep the overlining itself subtle. The stronger the contrast between liner and lip colour, the more precise your application needs to be.

TRY THIS SIMPLE TECHNIQUE

If you're not sure where to start, keep it simple. Follow your natural lip line around the corners, slightly overline the centre of your upper and lower lip, then blend everything inward before applying your lip colour.

• Follow your natural shape at the corners.
• Slightly overline the centre of the upper lip.
• Add a little extra fullness to the centre of the lower lip.
• Blend the liner inward instead of leaving a hard border.
• Choose a liner that works with your lip colour.

THE FINAL STEP

Once everything is blended, step back and look at your lips from a normal distance rather than directly into the mirror. This is where you'll notice whether the shape actually looks natural. If something immediately catches your eye as “liner”, soften that area rather than adding more product.

And remember, your lips don't need to look completely different. Sometimes the most flattering result is the smallest change. A little definition in the right places can do much more than drawing a completely new lip shape.