Lip contouring is the make-up artist’s way to make lips look fuller, more even or more defined, without fillers and without the heavy, drawn-on look of a bold overline. All it takes is a lip pencil a shade deeper than your lips, a lighter lip colour and a touch of highlighter. Here is how to contour your lips step by step, how to adapt it to your lip shape and which shades to choose.
- Dark recedes, light comes forward: deeper colour at the corners, lighter colour in the centre.
- Use a liner one or two shades deeper than your natural lips, in a similar undertone.
- Follow your natural line; overline only by a hair’s width at the centre, if at all.
- Blend where shades meet, then add highlighter to the cupid’s bow and the centre of the lower lip.
- Smooth, hydrated lips make contouring look softer and more natural.
What lip contouring is (and how it differs from overlining)
Lip contouring borrows the principle of face contouring. Deeper shades make an area look smaller or further away; lighter, shinier shades bring it forward. Placing a deeper shade at the outer corners and a lighter one in the centre makes lips look rounder and fuller.
Overlining is different: it means drawing outside your natural lip line. A little at the centre of the top and bottom lip can add fullness, but overlining all the way round is easy to spot, especially in daylight. Contouring gives a softer result and suits every lip shape.
What you need
| Step | Product | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Prep | Lip balm or lip oil | Apply a few minutes before, then blot so colour does not slide |
| Line and shade | Creamy lip pencil, 1–2 shades deeper than your lips | Creamy pencils blend better than very dry ones |
| Fill | Lipstick, crayon or tint, 1 shade lighter than the liner | Satin or sheer finishes blend most easily |
| Highlight | Cream highlighter or a dab of gloss | Use a tiny amount: it should glow, not sparkle |
| Blend | Lip brush or clean fingertip | Soften the line where liner meets lipstick |
How to contour your lips step by step
Prep and smooth
Gently buff away any flakes with a soft cloth, apply balm, wait a few minutes, then blot. Contouring shows every dry patch.
Line along your natural edge
With your deeper pencil, start at the cupid’s bow with two small crosses, then follow the natural line out to the corners. Repeat on the lower lip, starting at the centre.
Shade the outer corners
Use the side of the pencil to fill in the outer third of the top and bottom lips. This is the “contour” that creates depth.
Fill the centre lighter
Apply your lighter lipstick, crayon or tint to the centre of both lips, overlapping the shaded area slightly.
Blend the join
Press your lips together and blend where the two shades meet with a lip brush or fingertip, so there is a gradient rather than a line.
Highlight
Dab a little cream highlighter on the cupid’s bow and just under the centre of the lower lip, or press a touch of gloss into the middle of the lower lip.
The secret of a natural contour is the blend: if you can see where the liner stops, keep blending.
Contouring for your lip shape
| Lip shape | What to do | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Thin lips | Overline by a hair at the centre only; keep the centre light and add gloss | Dark, matt colour all over |
| Uneven lips | Line the smaller side very slightly outside the natural edge to match the other | Redrawing the whole shape |
| Downturned corners | Stop the liner just before the corners and blend upwards; a dot of concealer under the corners helps | Dark liner right into the corners |
| Very full lips | Line exactly on the natural edge and use a mid-tone; contour adds definition, not size | Overlining and heavy gloss |
| Undefined cupid’s bow | Draw two small crosses at the bow and highlight just above them | A sharp, angular line |
Choosing your shades
Fair and light lips
Soft rose or warm nude liners with a pink-beige lipstick. Very dark browns can look harsh.
Medium and olive lips
Rosy brown or berry-nude liners with a warm rose or terracotta lipstick.
Deep and rich lips
Chocolate, plum or deep berry liners with a caramel, mauve or berry lipstick. Many people with two-toned lips use the liner to even out the outer edge.
Bold colour
Choose a liner the same shade or one step deeper than the lipstick, so the contour adds depth without changing the colour.
Common mistakes
- A liner much darker than the lipstick. It leaves a visible ring as the lipstick wears off. Fill the corners with liner too.
- Overlining all the way round. It is the most obvious giveaway; keep any overline to the centre.
- Skipping the blend. The gradient is what makes it look like contour rather than outline.
- Glittery highlighter. On lips, a soft cream glow looks more natural than shimmer.
- Dry lips. Pencil catches on flakes. Prep with balm first; for more on care and fuller-looking lips, see our guide to making lips look plumper.
Our lip contour kit
In stock today: a liner, a shading pencil, a lip colour and a highlighter. Check the shade selector on each product for availability.
Creamy, richly pigmented nude pencil that defines lips and helps stop lipstick feathering; comes with a sharpener and brush.
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Blendable matte pencil for eyes and lips, made with oils and waxes; easy to shade the outer corners.
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Lipstick, serum and stain in one: lightweight, deeply pigmented colour with a velvety satin finish.
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Cream highlighter with a natural, dewy glow, never greasy or glittery: ideal for the cupid’s bow.
Shop now →Prefer a crayon to fill? Ere Perez Coco Crayon gives hydrating colour for lips and cheeks with baobab oil.
Explore natural lip make-up, lip pencils, lipsticks and lip care to prep. For a fuller look, read our guide to making lips look plumper.
Frequently asked questions
What is lip contouring?
Lip contouring uses a slightly darker liner, a lighter lip colour and a touch of highlighter to add shape and dimension to the lips, so they look fuller or more even. It works like face contouring: darker shades recede, lighter shades come forward.
How do you contour your lips step by step?
Prep with balm, then line the lips with a pencil one shade deeper than your natural lip, following your natural line. Shade the outer corners with the liner, fill the centre with a lighter shade, blend where they meet, and dab highlighter on the cupid's bow and the centre of the lower lip.
What is the difference between lip contouring and overlining?
Overlining means drawing just outside your natural lip line to make lips look bigger. Contouring is about light and shade within and around the lips. Most make-up artists combine a subtle contour with very slight overlining at the centre only, which looks more natural than overlining all the way round.
What colour lip liner should I use to contour?
Choose a liner one or two shades deeper than your natural lip colour, in a similar undertone. A neutral, slightly muted nude or rose suits most people; a very dark brown can look harsh in daylight.
How do I make my lips look fuller with contouring?
Keep the darkest shade at the outer corners, the lightest in the centre, and add a small amount of highlighter or gloss in the middle of the lower lip. If you overline, do it only by a hair's width at the centre of the top and bottom lip.
Can I contour my lips with just one pencil?
Yes. Line and shade the outer third of the lips with the pencil, then press a balm or sheer gloss into the centre. The contrast between pencil and the softer centre gives a contoured effect.
How do I stop lip liner from looking harsh?
Choose a shade close to your lips, blend the inner edge of the line with a lip brush or fingertip, and fill in the outer corners with the same pencil so there is no visible ring.
