I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I don’t love wearing lipstick. I’ve never liked that it needs regular top-ups, the fact that it inevitably ends up on my teeth, or how it makes my makeup just look too “done” for most occasions. And as a beauty editor who spots makeup trends for a living, I couldn’t be more on board with the blurred lips makeup trend that’s sweeping my social feeds right now.
Blurred Lip Trend
So, what exactly is a blurred lip? Imagine a freshly-kissed stain, with soft, feathered edges that melt into your natural lip line rather than sharply defining it. Rather than a block of colour, this is sheer, softly diffused colour that gives your lips a just-bitten effect. It’s romantic, very French girl-coded and—perhaps best of all—completely foolproof for those of us who’ve never quite mastered the art of traditional lipstick application. The whole idea is that these look a little bit imperfect, which I much prefer in comparison to high-maintence lipsticks.
How To Do Blurred Lipstick
There are a few ways to do a blurred lip. You can take a regular matte lipstick (avoid anything satiny or glossy, they’ll be too slippery) and gently pat it into the centre of your lips for a bitten effect. You can also take a fluffy eyeshadow brush to pick up the pigment and lightly dust it over your lips.
Or, you can enlist the help of lip-blurring products that do all the heavy lifting for you. Look for formulas with a matte yet sheer finish that offer a gentle wash of soft-focused pigment to your lips. They’re a great way to experiment with lipstick colours that you wouldn’t usually go for, too. A red lipstick may be too bold for many day-to-day. But in a sheer-matte form, it suddenly becomes a lot more wearable.
Ready to embrace your blurred lips era? Scroll ahead for the best blurring lipsticks I’ve tried.
Shop Blurred Lipsticks
Not only is this one of Violette_Fr’s best products, but, it delivers the most perfect blurred lip in one swipe. Founder Violette Serrat was inspired by the French “bouche mordue” look—which translate to “bitten lips”—and that’s exactly the effect it gives. It applies like a lip balm but gives lips a veil of sheer velvety colour that looks effortlessly Parisian.
Vieve‘s Poutder applies as a lightweight liquid lipstick and bestows a soft-focus finish to lips with a petal-soft feel. It doesn’t dry out lips, instead, it feels airy and moisturising on the lips.
Ilia‘s Color Haze applies like a gloss, but coats lips in a luxuriously matte yet sheer finish. Ideal for throwing in your bag for on-the-go touch-ups without needing to worry about being precise. Plus, you can even use it as a blush too.
Beauty Pie
Unlipstick Modern Matte Lip Tint
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A swipe of Beauty Pie’s take on a blurred lipstick trend gives you a wash of cloud-like colour while feeling light as air on the lips. It has just the right amount of pigment for a modern vibe—it doesn’t feel heavy like a traditional lipstick.
If you’re more of a lip liner kind of person, then try Rhode’s Peptide Lip Shape. This creamy lip contouring pencil lines lips with soft-focused, matte colour that adds soft definition that you don’t get with a regular lip liner pencil.
Refy‘s Lip Blush comes in a stick form that allows you to dial up the the intensity of your blurred lip. It looks really pretty when applied into the centre of the lips and patted out.
Glossier’s Generation G lipsticks capture the blurred lip look in one swipe and come in an array of chic and wearable colours, from neutrals to statement hues. Because they’re so sheer, they make wearing even the brighter shades more wearable and less intimidating.
