Vogue Highlights Natural-Looking Lip Liners as 2020s Beauty Trend

Vogue has published a comprehensive guide to natural-looking lip liners, highlighting a shift in beauty trends toward subtle enhancement rather than bold definition. The article notes that this approach represents a departure from the contrasting liner styles popular in the early 2000s and 2010s, aligning with a broader 2020s preference for makeup that offers understated improvements. Merit's chief marketing officer Aila Morin explained that the brand aimed to disrupt the lip liner category by creating a product designed to be user-friendly and versatile, with a sheer formula that is difficult to apply incorrectly. Celebrity makeup artist Joel Vasquez described the effect of these liners as creating translucent finishes or adding depth to emulate natural shadows for fuller-looking lips without obvious lines. The guide features several recommended products, including Merit's Signature Lip Liner, praised for its creamy texture and diffused finish; Rhode's Peptide Lip Shape, noted for its contouring capabilities; and Dior's Rouge Dior Contour Lip Liner, favored for its long-wearing, transfer-resistant formula. Other highlighted options include Refy's Blur Liner, which utilizes blur-gel technology for a softened effect, and Fara Homidi's Smudge & Contour Lip Pencil, recognized for its clean ingredients. The selection process involved input from beauty experts and editorial testing, focusing on factors such as ingredients, texture, and color payoff. The article also mentions that makeup artists Mary Phillips and Katie Jane Hughes have launched their own natural lip liner products, which have gained popularity for enhancing lip shape without requiring professional skill.