The secret of Kylie Jenner’s pouty mouth

Well, err, her makeup secret! About the rest, I can’t claim anything! wink

After extensive research on all kinds of websites, I’m able to reveal it: the secret of Kylie Jenner’s pouty mouth is the intensive use of lip liner (she clearly overdraws her lip line with it).
I know, I know, you expect some shocking revelations; but none of that here, this is not my style (no kidding!)! wink

Yes, and did you notice that the lip liner is back, it’s a trend at the moment? And frankly, I wouldn’t really bet on a full come-back…

But since the 90’s are trendy right now, finally, it seems almost logical.

It’s true that 15 (or 20) years ago (OooohMG, I feel so old, now!), the lip pencil was part of my makeup essentials.
Be careful though, not any old colour, the right one was a colour between pink and brown, a dusty and intense pinky nude. I had a look at  my (very old) collection and I have at least 5 different lip pencils (in references that do not exist anymore) in that kind of specific color.

Back in the day, the lip pencil had to be seen! Take a look at my Pinterest board if you want to see some of the 90’s makeup looks and styles I was obsessed with!

Anyway, when I told you that lip liner is a big trend at the moment, I’m not kidding!

So, about Kylie Jenner, the youngest of the Kardashian clan…

I’m still amazed by the number of makeup trends this family launch! When you think about it, it’s a bit scary, but at least, their makeup artist must be very proud (and very rich).

OK, I know with Kylie’s mouth, the trick isn’t only lip liner, that is pretty clear!;)

But we won’t dwell on it, all we need to keep in mind is the colour and finish of the lips: a very velvety pinky brown.
Besides, if you want to know exactly which lip liner she used, it seems to be the Whirl MAC lip liner (with a mix of Brave and Viva Glam V MAC lipsticks above).
Personally, I think it’s a nice color, an easy one, almost universal. Well, with the colour of my lips, it is too brown and too dark, but for a 90’s effect, that’s perfect!

So what exactly is the purpose of the lip liner?

•  Redefining the lip contour:

Recently, I noticed my lip contour was less defined than it used to be. At the same time, I’m wearing darker colours than I was before, and the last thing you want with a dark coloured lipstick is a bad contour.

All lips are asymmetrical, that’s normal but if we can correct that easily, why not do it? If you want, you can also enlarge or shrink the contour of your lips by redrawing it with your lip liner.
Very useful tip, isn’t it Kylie?

• Avoiding lipstick from bleeding:

I’m lucky, I don’t have any wrinkles (yet) in my lip contour. However, some lipsticks (or even worse, lip gloss) formulas are very “greasy” and they have a nasty tendency to bleed all over the lips. If my skin is dehydrated, it gets worst. And let’s face it, that’s so ugly!

So lip liners create a kind of barrier which helps avoid this lip disaster.

• Helping the lipstick last longer:

I cover my lips with the lip liner before applying the lipstick, which is a very good way to make the lipstick last longer.
When it’s very hot (like now in Dubai, the UAE and Middle East in general, it’s hot and humid, so my makeup is basically melted off my face every time I go outside), it’s such a useful tip, believe me!

My favorite lip liners:

• The “universal” nude:

  

  MAC Dervish Lip Liner

Yes, everyone needs this one. It’s a lip pencil which will look great with every lipstick.

Its purpose? Redefine your lips contour and giving them a more “plumpy“aspect.

My favorite? MAC Dervish lip liner, described as a pinky mauve colour, but I would say it’s a very pinky nude, and it’s very close to my natural lip colour.
It’s a very matte texture and it’s quite dry (which is good for the long lasting power) and it’s highly pigmented.

• The red:

  

  Urban Decay Bang Glide-On Lip Liner

If you want  perfect red lips, you will need a perfect red contour too!

I have already discussed the Urban Decay Glide-On lip pencil in my article about evening makeup.
I chose the Bang color, which is perfect because it is a true red, not too cool (pink) or too warm (orange). So I can pair it with all my red lipsticks. It’s like an universal red!

The texture is more “gelish” compared to the MAC ones, so it glides much better when applied. The lasting power is very good and it is a waterproof formula.

The pigmentation is so intense that sometimes, I wear it alone. I just cover the surface of the lips with it and I’m good to go. It’s quite comfortable, and it stays all day/night.

• The blue pink:

  

  MAC Magenta Lip Liner

This one is new in my collection.

Recently, I started to wear more pink fuchsia lipsticks, a very bright and pretty blue pink. This colour doesn’t really work well with a roughly defined contour. Even if it works quite well with my Dervish lip pencil, I really wanted a perfect contour, like when I wear my red lipstick.

So I found the MAC Magenta lip liner, a pinkish purple, that does work very well however with blueish pink shades of lipsticks. It is not too dark, and it’s actually pretty radiant. It even goes very well with all my berry lipsticks, which have purple undertones, so I will love it even more this fall!

 

About the invisible lip liner:

I’m going to kill the suspense now: I was very disappointed with this product.

I recently wanted to try the Lipstick Queen Invisible Lip Liner, because I liked the idea of an universal contour lip pencil, which was supposed to work well with every lipstick (also because I have a quite big collection, I must admit). This lip liner is especially useful to avoid lipstick bleeding, it will not redefine the shape of the lips (it is transparent) but of course, it improves the lasting power of the lipstick (you can fill the lip with it if you want your lipstick to last longer).
It is made of silicone, which makes it a rather waxy texture when I apply it. It doesn’t slide really well on the lips and if you are not careful, it tends to crumble a lot…

So, is it worth the splurge? Mmmm, I’m not sure…

Many brands now offer the same kind of products (Dior, Sephora, for example) but I haven’t yet tried them to compare.

In Dubai, you can find the brand Lipstick Queen in the very cute shop Makeup etc, in the Palm Strip Mall on Jumeirah Beach Road. (The lipsticks are supposed to be amazing, I definitely have to try them!;))

So finally, the lip liner, is it a makeup essential or not?

I would say that it really depends. For an every day makeup, I don’t always think to use it, I confess, but the day I decided to wear a very bright red or pink lipstick, I like to have a very defined contour to go with it and make it look flawless.

And you, what do you think about lip liner? And about Kylie Jenner’s mouth? wink

Photos credits: MAC, Urban Decay, Lipstick Queen, Kylie Jenner. Cet article est aussi disponible en version française: Le secret de la bouche de Kylie Jenner

EDIT 06/11/14: Apparently, the lip pencil Kylie Jenner is currently using is also Soar, from MAC! And it’s kind of an official statement because it comes from… Kim Kardashian herself! Learn more about Kylie Jenner lips below! wink