The seven best lip liners this beauty writer swears by

Best for: an on-the-go pencil

Holme Beauty’s Alignment Lip Liner is on permanent rotation in my makeup bag. As a beauty writer, I’ve tried more lip liners than I can count but when I put on the Alignment Lip Liner for the first time, it was safe to say that it was an instant favourite of mine. Packed with ingredients like Japan tree wax, vegetable based butter and collagen amino acid complex, this lip liner doesn’t tug at the delicate skin around your lips, instead it glides with an effortlessly smooth texture giving you an instantly perfect pout that doesn’t budge.

Whilst the formula is excellent, favourite aspect of this lip liner is its square-shaped design which was developed to be friendly for those with arthritis and similar conditions. It also stops the pencil from rolling away during your makeup application making it the perfect on-the-go pencil.

Best for: an au naturel lip liner

I never leave the house without lining my lips, even on my low maintenance beauty days. For those circumstances, I reach for the Glossier Lip Line. Glossier is known for their natural beauty approach to their products and their range of lip liners are no exception to this. With eight true-to-lip shades to choose from, this lip liner is more of a lip enhancer for when you want to buff out the natural look of your mouth. However, don’t be fooled by the seemingly simple look of these lip pencils, the Glossier Lip Line is the best long-lasting lip liner I’ve tried. I’ve put these liners to the test in the sweltering hot humidity of a New York Summer and by the end of the day, it was the only product that hadn’t so much as budged.

Best for: an excellent, affordable lip liner

I’m a firm believer that good makeup doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. I discovered the Revlon ColorStay Lipliner in a moment of dumb-luck when I walked into a Chemist Warehouse. I needed a lip liner in a pinch and pulled the Revlon ColorStay in Nude from off the shelf and well, I was pleasantly surprised at what a great lip liner it turned out to be. Not only was it kind on the wallet, it stayed put the whole day and had an excellent, rich colour pay off. Though I tend to prefer proper pencils when it comes to lip liner, this is one of the few crayons that I think is just as good as a pencil. It also pairs excellently with Revlon’s creamy Super Lustrous Lipsticks.

Best for: a great date night lip liner

I like to think that all my lip liners have their own strengths that sets them apart, making it impossible to choose a favourite, but I can’t lie. The Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in the shade ‘Anywhere Caffeine’ is the favourite child in my makeup bag. It goes well with every lipstick, it looks great on its own, it doesn’t budge on the lips and it has a dreamy, buttery formula which is why it’s my go-to date night lip liner.

There’s nothing worse than racing to the bathroom to fix wonky lip liner or watching your lip make-up stick to the glass of your drink which is I like to think of the Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil as the ultimate wing woman.

Best for: an extensive shade range

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Liner gets an honourable mention here for having an excellent shade range of 22 dreamy hues. It also has an incredibly rich, buttery formula, but it doesn’t have the staying power that my top-tiered favourites do.

Best for: a true-to-lipstick lip liner

Like the Glossier Lip Line, the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat is a great liner for when you want to stay true to the lip or a lipstick shade. With over 20 shades and a waterproof formula, this truly is a great liner to have on hand.

Best for: a classically good lip liner

The humble MAC Lip Pencil is where it all started. Strip Down is just one of 30 glorious shades in MAC’s lip liner arsenal that are universally flattering, easy to use, long lasting – all of which makes it an excellent handbag companion. However, it does clock up to be the most expensive liner on this list making it a once-in-a-while treat.