Lip Combo Guide: Liner, Lipstick and Gloss Formulas

A lip combo is a liner, a lipstick (or tint), and a gloss layered together to make a shade that's more dimensional than any one product. The easiest formula: a liner slightly deeper than your natural lips, a lipstick in a similar family, and gloss in the center. Get the liner right and everything else falls into place.

The three layers and what each one does

Layer	Job	Options
Liner	Shape, definition, depth at the edges	Pencil, retractable liner
Middle color	Main shade and coverage	Lipstick, tint, balm, or skip it
Topper	Shine, volume, softening	Clear gloss, tinted gloss, oil

You don't need all three. Liner plus gloss is a full combo. Lipstick plus gloss is a full combo. The magic is in the contrast between layers.

The core lip combo formulas

These are the building blocks. Swap colors to suit your undertone and depth.

1. The '90s classic: liner and clear gloss

The combo your mom wore in 1996 and your little sister wears now. A brown or rosy brown liner, lined and filled in, with clear gloss on top.

• Line your lips, slightly overlining the center of the top and bottom if you like.
• Fill in completely with the same liner.
• Press a little clear gloss into the center of your lips.

It looks polished but effortless, and it lasts well because the liner acts as a base.

2. The ombré: deep liner, lighter lipstick, gloss

Great for a fuller look.

• Line with a liner a couple of shades deeper than your lipstick.
• Fill in with lipstick, keeping it lighter in the center.
• Blend the line inward so there's a gradient.
• Gloss only in the middle.

3. The monochrome

Liner, lipstick and gloss all in the same color family.

• Choose a liner that matches your lipstick closely.
• Line, fill and gloss.

It's sleek and very forgiving, especially with bold shades like red or berry.

4. The blurred stain

Soft, lived-in color.

• Dab a lip tint or lipstick into the center of your lips.
• Blur outward with a finger.
• Line only lightly, if at all, with a liner close to your natural lip.
• Finish with a sheer balm instead of gloss.

5. The glazed nude

For people who find nudes make them look washed out.

• Line with a liner close to your natural lip color, never paler.
• Fill in with a nude lipstick in your undertone.
• Top with a tinted gloss in a soft pink, peach or brown.

Lip combos by skin depth

Depth tells you how much contrast and saturation your combo needs. Undertone tells you which direction to lean.

Skin depth	Liner direction	Middle color	Gloss
Fair	Soft rosy brown or muted pink	Pink nude, soft rose	Clear or sheer pink
Light	Rosy or warm brown	Rose, peachy nude	Clear or sheer peach
Medium	Warm brown, mauve	Rosy brown, warm pink, terracotta	Clear or sheer gold
Tan / olive	Medium brown, cinnamon	Caramel, warm rose, brick	Clear or bronze-tinted
Deep	Deep brown, espresso, plum	Chocolate, berry, warm brown	Clear, gold or sheer brown

A couple of notes:

• Fair skin: very dark brown liners can look harsh. Go softer and closer to your natural lip. Our lipstick for fair skin page has color picks.
• Deep skin: a liner that's too light leaves a gray or ashy ring. Choose a liner as deep as or deeper than your natural lip line. Explore more on our lipstick for dark skin guide.

Lip combos by undertone

Warm undertones

Lean toward liners with golden, orange or red-brown bases.

• Cinnamon liner, peachy nude lipstick, clear gloss.
• Brick liner, terracotta lipstick, golden gloss.
• Warm brown liner filled in, with a coral-tinted gloss.

Cool undertones

Lean toward liners with pink, plum or berry bases.

• Mauve liner, cool pink lipstick, clear gloss.
• Plum liner, berry lipstick, sheer pink gloss.
• Rosy brown liner filled in, with a clear gloss.

Neutral undertones

You can borrow from both sides. Rosy brown is your best friend because it bridges warm and cool.

Olive undertones

Muted, slightly warm shades usually win. Think rosy brown, soft brick, muted berry. Very cool, bright pinks can look stark against olive skin.

How to blend a lip combo like a pro

1. Prep. Lightly exfoliate and apply balm. Blot off the excess before you start, or the liner will slide.
2. Line with short strokes. Start at the cupid's bow, then the center of the bottom lip, then connect to the corners.
3. Overline lightly, if at all. Stick to the center of the lips. Overlining the corners tends to look obvious.
4. Fill in a bit with liner. Even a little liner under the lipstick gives grip and stops a ring forming as the lipstick fades.
5. Apply the middle color. Concentrate it in the center and blend outward to meet the liner.
6. Blend the edge. Use a fingertip or lip brush to soften the line inward.
7. Gloss the center. Just a dab in the middle of both lips catches light and makes lips look fuller.

Common lip combo mistakes

• Liner too dark with no blending. That visible outline is the main giveaway of a dated combo. Blend it.
• Liner paler than your lips. It leaves a halo. Always go equal or deeper.
• Gloss all over, up to the edges. It slides and smudges your liner. Keep it centered.
• Skipping prep. Liner clings to dry patches and highlights every flake.
• Mixing undertones. A cool plum liner with an orange lipstick can look muddy. Keep your layers in the same temperature family, unless you're deliberately going for contrast.
• Overlining the corners. It drags the mouth down. Keep any overlining to the center.

Finding your combo

The easiest way to find your best combo is to know your undertone and season first, then test. Take our color analysis quiz, then layer shades on your face with the live virtual try-on to see which combo feels like you. Once you've found a favorite, check our dupes page for cheaper versions of the colors.