A Subtle, Less Scary Way to Wear the Ombre Lip Trend

I can’t even tell you how often I’ll be scrolling through Pinterest or Instagram and see all these really cool chicks wearing the coolest makeup trends, then get super bummed because I don’t think I can actually pull them off! But even for makeup trends that are super scary, there’s usually a more wearable way to wear them, although we should all just be brave enough to wear whatever we want, whenevever we want. Of course, that’s easier said than done.

One of those trends I always “pin” but never wear is an ombre lip. I decided to grow a pair and just try it, and it turns out, I love it! And it turned out to be pretty wearable too! I could walk around wearing this and not feel like a crazy person, even though that’s sometimes a liberating feeling. 😉

I love how customizable ombre lips are; you can literally do whatever colors you want, and make them as dramatic as you want. For my lips here I decided to go with red and coral and fairly subtle.

1. Blank out the color of your lips

The first step is to use the leftover product of whatever you used for your foundation to blank out the color of your lips. This will make the lip colors you use more vibrant and longer lasting.

2. Line your lips, and bring in the color slightly at the inner corners

Next, use a lip liner in the darkest shade that you want to use for your ombre (gradient) effect. I used an ancient Sephora Collection Lip Liner in a deepish raspberry that I didn’t realize wasn’t available anymore (sorry about that!). Line your lips, and bring in the color slightly at the inner corners.

3. Blend a coordinating lipstick into the liner

Now choose a lighter but coordinating lipstick color, and put that in the center of your lips. Then, blend it into the liner.

Go back and forth between the lip liner and the lipstick a couple of times to make sure the two sort of melt into each other. If you want a more dramatic lip look, choose colors with a lot of contrast between each other! I chose a more orange-toned lighter red from the Chris Chang x MAC collection called MAC Vermillion Vee (this one is limited edition, but it’s still available, so snatch it up if you want it now!)

4. For even more ombre, add another color

At this point you’ve got a bit of an ombre lip going, but I wanted a little more. Going a few steps lighter, I used Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Unapologetic for a bright pop of coral in the center. Again, go back and forth between this and the previous color to really blend them together well.

5. For fuller lips, add a pop!

To make my lips look a little fuller, I’m using an old trick and popping a bit of Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop in the very center of the lips. Champagne Pop was perfect for this look because it’s almost gold, which goes perfectly with these colors!

6. Clean up your lines

To clean up your lines, use a really thin lip brush and some concealer to make things look really sharp.

Phew! That’s a lot of work for lipstick, but I guess it’s like spending time on eyeshadow or contouring or anything else. It’s a really cool look, and I think I just may take the time to treat my lips to something a little extra special every now and then. 🙂 Next up, purple and lavender!

I hope I made the ombre lip trend a little less scary for you. Do you think you’ll ever give it a try? Maybe even go a little more dramatic than I did?