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Knowing how to apply lipstick is one of those essential beauty skills worth mastering, alongside nailing how to apply cream blush and perfecting your base. It might seem fairly intuitive, but everything from the tool you use to the way you layer your colour can make a difference to the final finish.
Straight from the bullet is quick and gives you plenty of colour payoff, while a lip brush offers greater precision. Prefer something softer? Pressing colour onto the lips with your fingertip can create that diffused effect. “The good thing about lipstick today is that it’s not about perfection,” Bobbi Brown, makeup guru and founder of Jones Road, tells us. “When I was starting my first company, it was all about perfection – and now it’s a little more relaxed.”
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With 2026 serving up no shortage of excellent lip combos, it feels like a good time to brush up on the basics. Ahead, we asked makeup artists to share their best lipstick application tips, from finding your most flattering shade to minimising feathering.
What is the best way to apply lipstick?
“The best way to apply lipstick is straight from the bullet, generally,” says global makeup artist Lan Nguyen-Grealis. With so many formulas and cleverly shaped applicators now available, she assures us that achieving an even application doesn’t need to involve a lengthy process. For something softer and more diffused, “apply by dabbing with your finger instead.”
Whichever application method you favour, prep is key – especially if longevity is the goal. “For long-wearing lipstick, ensure the lips are exfoliated and smooth before,” says Nguyen-Grealis. Gently buff away any flaky skin and apply a hydrating lip balm, allowing it to absorb before going in with colour. Next, she recommends lining the lips and shading them in with pencil, before applying lipstick from the centre of the lips outwards. “Blot your lips with a tissue, reapply a second layer for more intensity and tidy up any edges with a cotton bud or a little concealer.”
For a more relaxed approach, Brown has another technique up her sleeve. “I like to apply lipstick directly to my lips – apply first to your bottom lip and smack your lips together,” she says. “Then use your fingers to blend on top.” It plays into the more lived-in way we’re wearing lipstick now, although Brown notes that “bold colours will need more attention and precise application.”
How to get the perfect shade of lipstick?
There are no hard rules when it comes to finding your perfect lipstick shade. “If you are someone who loves a bold lip, it doesn’t matter if it works with your skin or not, that’s your colour,” says Brown. Rather than focusing solely on skin tone, she suggests paying attention to the natural colour of your lips. “Personally, I like a lipstick that matches your lip exactly. The colour of your skin matters a little bit, but it’s not as important as your lip colour.”
If you fancy a change, Nguyen-Grealis recommends using your lip colour as a starting point and going around two shades darker or lighter. And don't rely on a swatch on the back of your hand: she recommends assessing lipstick against your bottom lip in natural daylight instead. After all, the same shade can translate very differently from person to person. “A bright colour on me might be dull on someone else,” adds Brown.
Is it better to apply lipstick with a brush?
It depends on the lip look you’re going for. For a precise, stamped-on finish with clean edges, a lip brush gives you more control and allows you to gradually build up the colour. “Using a brush gives more of a defined finish and precision,” says Nguyen-Grealis. “Start at the centre of the lips and work outwards, using the tip of the brush to neatly fill in the corners and define the Cupid’s bow.”
Both experts agree, however, that a brush isn’t an essential tool. “The bullet allows for density and speed,” adds Nguyen-Grealis, while Brown is similarly in favour of keeping things simple. “Modern lipstick should look relaxed and lived in. Brushes are optional,” she says. “I like a lipstick that you could pull out of your pocket and throw on. I think that’s the most modern.”
Your lip combo will thank you.
What is the most on-trend way to wear lipstick right now?
“Everyone is just obsessed with the supermodel era and the '90s lip,” says Brown, who points to brown lipstick as a modern way to wear a neutral. Her preference is for pinky-brown tones with a creamy matte finish, but the key to making the look feel current is keeping the definition soft. “Make sure not to do what people did in the '90s; outlining outside the lips where you can see it. Instead, after applying lipstick, use a lip pencil to softly define the shape for a more natural look.”
Nguyen-Grealis agrees that today’s lip trends are “a nod to the '90s” but recommends subtly overlining the Cupid’s bow for a fuller-looking shape before applying a lighter shade through the centre of the lips. “Think less harsh liner and stark contrast, more softly sculpted ombré.”
The best lipsticks to try
Now you know how to apply lipstick like a pro, we've rounded up some of our favourite, lip products below…
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