The Clever Lip Liner Hack That Keeps Your Look Fresh All Day Long

Ever gone through most of the day thinking your lips look flawless, only to look in the bathroom mirror and find out — yikes — they don't anymore? They might have looked immaculate first thing in the morning, but lipstick and lip liner are notorious for getting just about everywhere by the end of the day.

You talk and eat with your mouth, maybe press your lips together sometimes when you're thinking, and sometimes might even absent-mindedly wipe them. With all that action going on, it's no mystery why our lips might not look quite so crisp as the day goes on.

Smeared lip liner isn't exactly sexy; quite frankly, it can be pretty embarrassing if you're out in public. But you can't constantly pull out your compact mirror to make sure your lipstick hasn't strayed. And waterfalling all your drinks isn't something you want to do in certain professional settings (unless your boss is just really cool like that, then you do you). Instead of going out of your way to stop the smear as the day wears on, use this lip liner hack during your makeup routine to make sure your liner stays fresh all day long.

Most makeup lovers know the power of setting powder. After you put on your foundation, using setting powder is one of the best ways to keep it all locked in place. It's like the cherry on top of a gorgeous sundae. But we still find that many people aren't using this powerful makeup for all it's worth. Not only can it lock your foundation in place, but it also comes in handy when you want your lip liner to do the same.

All it takes to achieve this TikTok lip liner hack is two coats of translucent setting powder. You start by blending setting powder over bare lips. Then apply your lip liner before using your lipstick (this is a must). Finally, top it all off with another coat of translucent powder. Just like that, your lip liner is locked. 

This trick is amazing. Talia Cich, who is the executive director at Anastasia Beverly Hills, explained to Byrdie that the setting powder's ability to absorb shine is why this hack is so effective. "This gives you maximum color payoff, longer wearability, and helps to prevent any movement or slipping of your lip products," Cich stated.

While the original hack's TikTok comments are filled with people gushing over the absolute usefulness of the setting powder and lip liner combo, others saw an opportunity to build upon the hack. "Ultimate hack: Urban Decay eyeshadow primer > translucent powder > lipliner / lip combo," one user commented. Basically, this user is calling for using primer before ever touching the setting powder and lip liner. It's an addition we can fully get behind.

Every good makeup routine begins with a cleaned, moisturized, and primed face. Priming your face is going to take your makeup to the next level. It all depends on what ingredients are in your primer, but one of its greatest perks is making the skin appear smoother. This is a huge plus when you're using setting powder.

When applying your primer, make sure to use a very small amount, as professional makeup artist Allan Avendaño told Allure. After you're done, your lips will have the smoothness they need to begin the lip liner hack.