Choosing a lip pencil is not as easy as it seems. It should lie smoothly, not smear, and be long-lasting, so that you can avoid touching up your makeup for a long time.
We studied customer reviews, the opinion of a professional makeup artist and compiled our rating – which are the best lip pencils of 2024 worth paying attention to
Selection criteria
The best lip pencils must meet certain requirements, including the color scheme of your lipstick, have a comfortable shape and a long-lasting lead.
1. Matching the color scheme
Lip pencil should be selected based on the color scheme that you are going to wear on your lips. But it should be remembered that the pencil best emphasizes the natural skin tone. You should apply it to your lips, first shade the border so that it is not clear and drawn, and look. And after that, create an ombre effect or choose a lipstick of the same or similar color.
2. Durability
To evaluate it, you need to apply a pencil to the skin and try to rub it with the phalanx of your finger. And then take a piece of paper or a disk and check how durable it is. At the same time, the best gel lip pencils do not harden immediately, but a few seconds after application and allow you to adjust the line. If the gel texture does not harden and smudges, this indicates a low quality pencil
3. Texture
Matte pencils add plumpness to the lips and, when shaded, will visually enlarge the lips. Therefore, such pencils can be used instead of lipstick, remembering that they slightly tighten and dry the surface of the lips, and accordingly can emphasize all the unevenness and flaking.
4. Lead thickness
With a thin rod it is easier to draw a clear outline and carefully draw the corners of the lips. At the same time, the thick one is easy to shade and is suitable for creating a fashionable ombre effect.
5. Water resistance
Such pencils are especially relevant in hot weather and at seaside resorts. And also all year round for those with oily skin, as they do not smudge and hold lipstick better. To remove waterproof pencils, a special product is required – usually a soft, two-phase oil-based liquid, which, due to its gentle and gentle effect, is equally suitable for the eye area.
6. Release form
Pencils are automatic and require sharpening. The latter are made of wood mixed with polymers and have a thicker and more durable rod. The best automatic lip pencils have a thinner tip than wooden pencils and are better at highlighting your lip lines. But despite the fact that they do not need to be sharpened, they are still consumed faster due to the small size of the rod.
“A high-quality pencil’s body is usually made not entirely of wood, but with an admixture of polypropylene. Otherwise, during grinding, the wooden shavings will fall off, crumble and leave gaps, as a result of which, when applied, it will scratch the lips,” says Svetlana Sviridova, an international class master, technologist-colorist, and makeup artist at the Persona Presnya-City beauty salon.
Top 10 best lip pencils in 2024
What are the best lip pencils and which one to buy depends on various factors, but also on the ratings and reviews on the most popular marketplaces. We carefully reviewed all the reviews, also studied the comments of makeup artists and compiled a selection of some of the best pencils on the market.
1. Lip pencil Eveline Max Intense Color, tone 29
A classic hard pencil that is convenient for drawing the contour of the lips. At the same time, it shades quite well and does not leave clear streaks. The velvet finish creates a noble velvety finish. The built-in sharpener is sized to ensure proper sharpening of the lead. The waterproof texture allows you to use the pencil in hot climates, in the city and at sea.
2. Farres long-lasting matte lip pencil, tone 301
The pencil contains emollients, including castor oil and petroleum jelly, for a more comfortable matte texture on the lips. The manufacturer allows the pencil to be used on the eyes – thanks to its long-lasting texture, it should not smear even on oily eyelid skin. The wooden body made of cedar has hypoallergenic properties. The varnish coating of the body makes sharpening easy. The shaft shades well, so the pencil can be applied instead of matte lipstick or used to create an ombre effect.
3. Vivienne Sabo Jolies Levres lip pencil, shade 103
The pencil has a long-lasting texture, but the composition is quite soft and does not dry out the skin. The wooden body is easy to sharpen with a regular sharpener. The palette contains 10 shades from light beige-pink to natural brown. The pencil can be applied instead of lipstick – then its shade should match the natural color of the lips. Or you can combine it with lipstick, in which case the colors should be identical.
4. Kiki Matte Lip Pencil, shade 27
Thanks to the soft lead, the pencil does not scratch the skin during application and is easy to sharpen. It is long lasting enough to allow you to avoid touching up your makeup for several hours. Well tolerated even by sensitive skin. The collection features 11 shades corresponding to the colors of Matte lipstick. But if desired, the pencil can also be used as a base for lipstick to add intensity to the color.
5. Long-lasting lip pencil with vitamin E Mixit Make Up, tone 002
The pencil has a light texture that does not disappear into the folds of the skin. It is long-lasting and, if applied as a base for makeup, will increase the longevity of the lipstick. But you can also apply it yourself – it will have the effect of a nude tint on your lips. The twist-out mechanism is convenient because the pencil does not need to be sharpened. The shade can be varied by changing the number of layers of pencil.
6. Lip pencil Influence Beauty Lipfluene, tone 06
The soft gel texture does not dry out the lips and does not get lost in the folds of the lips. The pencil is highly pigmented and therefore quite bright, and gives a rich tone from the first application. This also explains the cost-effectiveness of use. The collection includes 12 shades – from 01 transparent, which is ideal as a long-lasting base for lipstick, to 12 plum. Bright shades can easily replace bright summer lipstick.
7. Ok Beauty Color Salute Slide & Stay lip pencil, Urania tone
The long-lasting formula does not tighten or dry out the skin of the lips due to the natural jojoba and cotton oils it contains. It’s easy to outline the contour with a pencil and, if desired, shade it in a thin layer, for example, if you decide to apply it over the entire surface of your lips instead of lipstick. The pigmented texture gives dense and visible coverage from the first application. The collection includes 7 shades with a matte finish. The pencil needs to be sharpened.
8. Automatic contour pencil TF Liner & Shadow, tone 160
The pencil has a creamy, silky texture that blends easily. There is no need to select a sharpener thanks to the automatic mechanism. Can be applied instead of lipstick – the dense texture will give a bright, rich shade with one application. Thanks to the thin lead, it is quite easy to draw a clear outline. The composition includes castor oil and lanolin, which have a softening and moisturizing effect. Therefore, the long-lasting texture does not dry out lips.
9. Miss Tais matte long-lasting lip pencil, shade 780
The wooden body requires sharpening. But the manufacturer says that the pencil will last for 3 months of regular use. The composition contains castor oil and lanolin against dryness and flaking and paraffin to retain moisture. But when applying a pencil, it is still recommended to first apply hygienic lipstick or balm to soften the skin. Can be used both as a contour pencil and as a lipstick pencil. The palette has many shades: both nude and classic – red, burgundy, wine.
10. Matte lip pencil Pupa True Lips
The pencil has a soft texture that is easy to shade and allows you to apply it instead of lipstick or as a base for color to achieve a more saturated and lasting tone. For quick and convenient shading there is a “built-in” hypoallergenic applicator. The formula includes natural nourishing oils and vitamins for a more comfortable application and a long-lasting texture on the lips. The palette contains the most current shades.
