What are Ombré Lips, and How Can You Get the Look?
A trend once synonymous with the 90s, ombré lips have had a big resurgence in recent years. From sultry red combinations to classic brown 90s ombré lips, our modern-day love affair with this lip trend has lifelong potential! Of course, creating ombré lips calls for a little more finesse than a standard lip makeup look, so we’ve put together our expert tips to help you recreate this beloved trend at home. From complementary colours to lip prep and application tips, consider this your definitive guide to ombré lips.
What are ombré lips?
Ombré lips combine two lip colours: a lighter shade in the centre of the lips and a darker shade of diffused lip liner. This gives a gradient lip effect, where the light colour transitions to a darker one. The ombré lip trend was popularised in the 90s with trademark nude matte lipstick and deep brown lip liner. Today, ombré lips are created using a range of two-tone shades. Lip colours can either complement each other – like two different shades of pink – or contrast each other: like a dark brown and a red.
Our favourite colour combos for ombré lips
The best lipstick for ombré lips will depend on your personal taste, but there are a few holy grail colour combos that we return to again and again.
Cherry cola ombré lips: pairing dark brown liner with a cherry red lipstick and glossy finish, this iconic look is perfect if you want to embrace a dramatic lip look. You might also know this combo by its other moniker – vampy lips. Get the look with the Lifter Liner in ‘001 Cross the Line’ and Super Stay® Vinyl Ink Longwear Liquid Lipcolor in ‘Wicked’ for a glossy finish.
Classic red ombré lips: this gradient lip effect is a little more subtle than cherry cola or vampy lips – you just need a classic red lipstick like Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick in ‘Exhilarator’ and a darker red liner.
Brown ombré lips: as the O.G. ombré, this colour combination pays true homage to the 90s look, using a dark brown liner and a brown or brown-toned nude lipstick. To nail this vintage look, pick up your ‘Lifter Liner in 001 Cross the Line’ again and pair with the Super Stay® Vinyl Ink Longwear Liquid Lipcolor in ‘Nude Shock Punchy’.
Nude ombré lips: a low-key version of brown ombré lips, nude ombré lips pairs a nude lip colour with a dark nude liner for a softer gradient effect. The trick to pulling this off is finding the best nude lipstick for your skin tone so you don’t wash out your complexion. We love achieving this look with the Superstay Teddy Tint 12h Soft Matte Lip Tint in ‘Skinny Dip’ and Lifter Liner in ‘003 Player’. However, you can always forgo lipstick altogether, and opt for a liner and clear lip gloss combo instead.
Pink ombré lips: a surprisingly versatile pairing, you can err on the side of fuchsia with a purple-hued liner or – if you want a softer, more romantic look – slightly different shades of nude pink. Our go-to pink couple is the Superstay Teddy Tint 12h Soft Matte Lip Tint in ‘Knee High' with the Lifter Liner Lip Liner with Hyaluronic in ‘009 Peaking’.
How to create an ombré lip look
To achieve your own ombré lip look, you can use either a cream lipstick, liquid lipstick or a lip gloss alongside your trusty lip liner. Once you have your arsenal of lip products at the ready, you can get the look in just a few steps:
1. Prep your lips by exfoliating and hydrating.
2. Carefully line your lips.
3. Smudge your lip liner inwards.
4. Coat your lips with a lighter shade of lipstick, then blend again as needed.
5. Keep it matte or finish with a gloss.
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1. Prep your lips
The best ombré lips start with a smooth, hydrated base. Lip prep is essential for any long-lasting lipstick, so we recommend lightly exfoliating your lips in advance. It’ll help give you that supple canvas you’ll need for seamless lipstick and liner application.
Take your favourite lip scrub and exfoliate any dead skin. If you don’t have a lip scrub, try using a damp facecloth to gently exfoliate the lip surface. Then, follow with a nourishing lip balm to moisturise your lips. Wait about five to 10 minutes before going in with your lipstick so you’re not mixing any formulas.
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2. Line your lips
Next, take your sharpened lip liner and trace the outline of your lips. This ever-important step can make or break an ombré lip, so our biggest piece of advice is to go slow and approach it in sections: define your cupid’s bow first, then move to the corners, then trace your lower lip line. If you want to create the illusion of fuller lips, you can slightly overline your lips – though this is definitely more of an advanced technique!
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3. Diffuse your liner inwards
Two-toned colour blending is the key to ombré lips. To gently diffuse your lip liner, you can either bring the colour inwards as you are lining your lips or take a small lip brush to softly blend towards the centre of the lips to create that iconic gradient.
Remember to leave enough bare lip space for your lighter shade of lipstick – the inner corners are where you should see most of the diffused liner.
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4. Apply your lipstick, then blend
Apply your lighter colour lipstick in the centre of your lips. While most or your diffusion happens when you apply lip liner, you’ll want to blend again slightly to achieve a smooth transition between shades. You can press your lips together, then lightly blend using your fingertip or lip brush to tidy up any harsh gradient lip lines. The final effect should be a light-to-dark dispersion of colour from the inner to outer lips. Gorgeous! -
5. Choose your finish: matte or gloss
Once you’ve blended to your heart’s content, you have a choice for your final look: keep your ombré lips matte, or finish with a swipe of lip gloss.
A true matte look is the perfect tribute to 90s ombré lips, but a lip gloss can give you an added layer of hydration and give the lips a juicy finish. For a nourishing, high-shine effect, we recommend tying it together with the hyaluronic-acid infused Lifter Gloss in ‘Pearl’.
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Ombré lips are the perfect special event look, but the last thing you want to deal with at the end of the night is a stubborn lipstick that won’t come off. So next, explore our top tips to help you remove long-wear lipstick.
