The Best Cool-Toned Lip Liners To Contour And Define Your Lips
Image via Tom Ford Beauty
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Cool-toned lip liners are the secret to creating lips that look naturally fuller and more defined. These ten pencils are the best we’ve found for sculpting with soft shadows, offering flattering dimension across every skin tone.
Cool-toned lip liners are a makeup artist’s trick for creating soft, natural-looking definition. Unlike warm browns or reds that add warmth, shades like taupe, greige, and muted mauve mimic the way shadows naturally fall, helping lips look more sculpted and balanced. They can be used to gently deepen the corners, sharpen the cupid’s bow, or blur along the edges for a fuller, softer shape. After testing countless options, these are the liners that we always recommend as the most flattering.
The most natural-looking lip contour often comes from shades that echo the tone of real shadow, a muted beige or greige with cool undertones. That’s why Fara Homidi’s Smudge & Contour in Faun is so beautiful. Its soft, ashy beige can extend the lip line or mute down a bright lipstick without looking like “liner.” On medium skin tones, it works almost like an eraser to clean up edges, while on lighter tones it adds structure without heaviness. Greige is one of the most universally flattering shades for lip contouring because it toes the line between gray and beige. Dior’s 303 Greige Attitude is refined yet versatile, laying down definition that looks seamless whether paired with a nude lipstick or worn alone. Its cooler base helps create the illusion of dimension by echoing the way natural shadows fall around the mouth.
A deep, cool brown like Move from Rhode adds instant blur and structure to lips, especially at the outer corners and beneath the lower lip. The depth of the shade enhances fullness while the undertone ensures it never veers into warm or orangey territory. The added skincare benefits also make it comfortable to wear all over, giving a sculpted look that feels modern and nourishing at once. Few pencils are as iconic for contouring as MAC’s Stone. Its grey-taupe tone has just the right balance of coolness to look like a natural shadow, which is why it works so well for creating the illusion of a slightly fuller mouth. Light pressure gives a diffused, blurred effect, while building it up delivers a sharper, more dramatic contour.
When precision is the goal, a deep cool brown like Tom Ford’s Loves Attention delivers with clarity. The shade has enough depth to redraw or sharpen the lip line without pulling warm, which makes it ideal for structured looks. Its creamy formula ensures the line glides on cleanly, then sets to a long-lasting finish that holds shape all day. Bespoke from MERIT is designed to blend seamlessly into the natural lip tone, thanks to its muted cool undertone. It‘s perfect for giving lips gentle definition that feels natural and subtle. The formula is buildable, so you can keep it sheer for a barely-there contour or add layers for more noticeable structure without it ever looking harsh.
Liberica from Isamaya has a muted taupe-brown tone that reads like a universal contour shade across skin tones. The gel-based texture allows it to glide on effortlessly and stay in place, which is essential for keeping sculpted lips intact. Its cooler base helps create balance, grounding bold lip colors or adding quiet depth when worn on its own. A staple in many artists’ kits, Endless Cacao is a cool taupe-brown that works beautifully for lip contouring because it creates believable shadow. Its slightly grey cast gives structure without drawing attention to itself, and the multiuse formula means it layers easily over or under other lip products.
Cool mauves are perfect for those who want definition with a softer touch. Bobbi Brown’s Pale Mauve enhances the natural pink in lips while still adding contour, which makes it a great choice for shaping without introducing brown tones. It’s especially flattering for lighter complexions or anyone who prefers a fresh, softly sculpted look. With its grounded, cool-leaning brown tone, No. 06 from Victoria Beckham Beauty adds depth and polish to the outer lip line. The formula strikes the right balance between creamy and precise, giving you control when redrawing the cupid’s bow or refining edges. Its shade is sophisticated and subtle, making it a timeless option for achieving contour that feels elevated.
