HOW TO ACHIEVE THE COVETED BLURRED LIP LOOK
For the last few years, glossy lips have had a serious hold on us and our pouts— taking over our minds, makeup bags and social feeds alike. Between lip glosses, lip oils and high-shine treatments, most of us are stocked up for life. But beauty never stands still which means it’s officially time for something new… enter the blurred lip, also known as the Halo Lip.
First emerging from the K-Beauty scene and slowly making waves in the West — thanks to celebrity MUA favourites Nina Park and Katie Jane Hughes — the blurred lip is the romantic, soft-focus finish that leaves your pout looking plush and just-kissed.
But how do you master this coveted look and which are the best blur lipsticks to deserve a spot in your routine? We’re breaking down the difference between kissed and just-kissed, serving up a blurred lip guide worthy of that viral Margot Qualley Instagram post we’re all still swooning over...
In This Article
- What Is A Blurred Lip
- How To Quickly Achieve A Blurred Lip
- A Step-By-Step Guide To A Traditional Blurred Lip
- Blurred Lip FAQs
WHAT IS A BLURRED LIP
Softly diffused, simple and sophisticated, the blurred lip steps away from the more traditional pigmented block of colour on your pout to something that is sheer and more soft. The look often emphasises the natural line of your lips rather than sharply defining it making your lips naturally appear plumper. Ultimately, the idea of a blurred lip is to look a little imperfect regardless of your level of makeup know-how.
HOW TO QUICKLY ACHIEVE A BLURRED LIP
There are a few different ways to achieving the blurred lip and depend on how much time and effort you want to spend.
The easiest way to achieve a blurred lip is by taking your regular matte lipstick and gently patting it into the centre of your lips for a bitten effect. Then, you can take a fluffy eyeshadow brush to pick up more pigment and lightly dusting it over your pout.
If, however you want something more specific, we would suggest enlisting the help of lip-blurring products that do the heavy lifting for you. Consider formulas that are matte with a sheer, powder finish that add a gentle wash of soft-focus pigments instead of a bold dose of colour.
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO ACHIEVING A TRADITIONAL BLURRED LIP
Now we understand what a blurred lip is, let’s get into how to achieve it.
1. Exfoliate the pout
Because you’ll be relying on a more matte formula, having soft, hydrated lips is paramount to achieving a blurred lip so removing dead skin is essential. Use a lip scrub, treatment of even a soft washcloth to buff everything away and leave lips smooth.
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2. Conceal
If you want to make the pigment of your pout pop (and stay in place longer) lightly dab some concealer across your lips to cancel out the colour.
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3. Line your lips
Start with a lip liner that’s slightly darker than the tone of the lipstick you want to use. With your mouth closed, lightly shade the inner rim of the upper and lower lips to create subtle definition, but don’t be too heavy handed. Think of this process as similar to the lip contouring technique but a little more subtle. You can also use your favourite cream contour for this step but be very strategic about where you place it and use a very defined brush with a light hand.
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4. Dab on your lipstick
Start with applying your favourite matte formula to the centre of your lips and blend outwards towards your lip line. The idea is to diffuse the pigment. You can do this with your finger, a makeup brush or even just smooshing your lips together until your happy with the finish.
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5. Blend everything together
Because you want everything to look like it was applied hours before, blending your lipstick and lip liner together is essential. Diffuse any harsh lines and try and create a soft gradient effect with your lipstick.
P.s This is not to say you can’t still wear your favourite red lipstick... it’s just about tweaking the application, so it looks more lived-in then freshly applied.
BLURRED LIP FAQs
How to do avKorean blurred lip?
Creating a Korean blurred lip is slightly different to the Westen version of the trend. The Korean method calls on a small amount of concealer to cancel out your natural lip colour, the use of a velvety tint or stain and not a traditional matte lipstick and a more layered technique. The Korean blurred lip also has a more exaggerated pigmented centre and is finished with a layer of clear gloss applied only at the centre of the pout. Think of the Korean blurred lip as more of a playfull, cute makeup look while the Western Halo Lip version as something more romantic and undone.
What is the Gen Z eyeshadow lip trick?
The Gen Z eyeshadow lip trick is exactly what it sounds like – using an eyeshadow as your lip colour. Offering a similar soft-focus finish to the blurred lip, this method calls on the use of eyeshadow on the centre of the pout and blended out with a brush. You can either set with loose powder to maintain the matte finish or dot a small amount of gloss or balm in the centre for something more dynamic. The best eyeshadows to use for this look are browns and taupe shades if you want to create ‘latte lips’, dusty roses for something more romantic, peaches for something more summery and berry or red tones for an editorial finish.
What’s the difference between a blotted lip and a blurred lip?
Although similar in finish, the blotted lip and blurred lip looks are technically different. For a blotted lip the lipstick is pressed off using a tissue and the edges of your pout are left natural. It’s more low maintenance and effortless and should give off a ‘my lipstick just faded away nicely’ finish. A blurred lip however, is more intentional and should look more polished. The colour of the lipstick is also blended out and not blotted off leaving a more gradient sign off.
Rina is Cult Beauty’s Midweight SEO Copywriter and has always had a passion for beauty and skin care (rich moisturisers are her obsession). What started as a love for The Body Shop and their famed Born Lippy lip balms (in ‘Watermelon’ of course!), she is now more interested in finding products with proven effectiveness instead of broken promises. A loud and proud VIEVE fan, Rina owns nearly every item of the range and recommends the brand to anyone who will listen... When she’s not intently reading ingredient lists, you can find her either immersed in multiple true crime podcasts or a fantasy romance novel, with an *extra* hot cappuccino in hand.
