The best lip liners in India for every skin tone

Among make-up products that work harder than they appear, lip liners sit at the top. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, they defined the era’s brown lip aesthetic before slipping out of mainstream rotation when matte liquid lipsticks took over. Their resurgence feels especially relevant today, where even the best lip liners in India must adapt to diverse undertones and everyday wear.

“Lip liners can transform lip shape, add structure, correct asymmetry, and also act as a barrier so lipstick—especially creamy or glossy formulas—stays in place,” says Leiya Phinao Ningshen, national artist, M.A.C Cosmetics, India. “With strategic shading, they can also make lips appear fuller, lifted, balanced and overall, a polished dimensional lip.”

How to pick the best lip liner for indian skin tones

The first step to using lip liner correctly is to select the right shade for your skin tone. “Cool undertones look best in pink, mauve, plum, berry, and cool brown shades, whereas warm undertones pair beautifully with caramel, terracotta, brick tones, and rich warm browns. Neutral undertones sit comfortably in the middle, making pinky-browns and balanced neutrals especially flattering,” recommends Phinao Ningshen. 

Choose a shade that’s either close to the natural lip colour for subtle definition or a tone or two deeper for a more sculpted, camera-ready look.

The best lip liner application tips

Start with a clean, non-greasy base around the mouth and avoid excess lip balm to prevent feathering, says the make-up artist. “Begin at the cupid’s bow or the centre of the bottom lip, then connect the lines toward the corners to create symmetry. Adjust the shape as needed, just above the natural lip line for thin lips, and follow the natural border for fuller lips. This ensures the liner enhances lip shape while blending seamlessly with any lipstick or gloss.”

Top 10 best lip liners in India

Here are the best lip liners that offer shades and formulations best suited for Indian skin tones. 

Lip Pencil, M.A.C Cosmetics: Best lip liner for daily wear 

A cult-favourite, trusted by beauty editors and make-up artists worldwide, this lip liner is precise enough to contour your lips and buttery enough to fill them in. Besides a high colour pay-off, the product’s formulation features vegetable oil, vitamin E, and titanium dioxide, making it the best lip liner for everyday wear—creamy and long-lasting at once.

Priced at ₹2,300

Available at Maccosmetics.in 

The Lip Cheat, Charlotte Tilbury: Best waterproof lip liner 

Over a million units of this lip liner are sold each year, courtesy of its creamy, richly-pigmented formulation, enriched with jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid and beeswax. Since they are available in an array of nude shades, they are among the best lip liners to achieve a ‘my-lips-but-better’ look. It contains a patented ceresin barrier, which prevents smudging and budging. 

Priced at ₹2,600

Available at Nykaa.com 

Cream Glide Lip Liner, e.l.f. Cosmetics: Best drugstore lip liner

Among the best lip liners from the drugstore sector, this sharpenable one from e.l.f. is creamy, offers a smooth glide, and is just pigmented enough to contour and coat your lips weightlessly. A nourishing complex of ingredients like castor oil, mango seed butter, argan oil, meadowfoam seed oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin E prevents lips from cracking and chapping. 

Priced at ₹400

Available at Nykaa.com 

Matte Action Line & Fill Lip Pencil, Kay Beauty: Best lip liner for Indian skin tones

From Katrina Kaif’s Kay Beauty, the reformulated lip liner is as good as a lipstick—think solid pigmentation that lasts long. Chamomile and marula oil make sure that the lips don’t dry out in the bargain. They come in 10 shades and are the best lip liners for diverse brown skin tones. 

Priced at ₹649

Available at Nykaa.com 

Lip Injection Extreme Lip Shaper, Too Faced: Best lip liner for plumping 

If Too Faced’s lip plumpers have been a staple, trust these lip liners to be an investment-worthy extension. An angular tip and an intensely plumping formulation make it unique, and the best lip liner choice to make lips look fuller.

Priced at ₹2,500

Available at Tirabeauty.com 

Ultra Suede® Sculpting Lip Pencil, Makeup by MARIO: Best lip liner to contour lips

With a smudging brush at one end and a well-balanced (not too creamy, not too waxy) lip pencil at the other, this is one of the best lip liners on the market. Available in over 20 shades spanning reds, nudes, pinks, and berries, it is vegan and cruelty-free.

Priced at ₹2,800

Available at Makebymario.com 

Artist Color Pencil, Make Up For Ever: Best lip liner pencil for nudes

Appearing in every make-up artist’s kit, these lip liner pencils offer some of the best, most diverse nude shades. The highly blendable formula is loaded with fatty acids, vitamin E, and kaolin clay, allowing the wear to feel comfortable and last all day. 

Priced at ₹2,300

Available at Nykaa.com  

Lip Contour, Huda Beauty: Best lip liner brand 

Retractable, sharpenable, and blendable, this is the best lip liner for rookies. They’re highly-pigmented and offer an opaque, one-stroke application that not only outlines the lips well, but also extends the longevity of your lipstick.

Priced at ₹1,800

Available at Tirabeauty.com 

Trace’d Out Lip Liner Pencil, Fenty Beauty: Best smudgeproof lip liner 

This range from Fenty Beauty is one of the most inclusive lip liners available globally. The transfer-resistant lip liner defines the lips seamlessly, creating an illusion of fuller, well-contoured lips. 

Priced at ₹2,175

Available at Tirabeauty.com 

Powermatte High Intensity Lip Pencil, NARS: Best lip liner and lipstick 2-in-1

For all the lazy girls—or those who prefer minimal make-up—this 2-in-1 lipstick and lip liner fix is an investment with high ROI. The creamy, retractable crayon makes application a breeze, while the adaptive cream-to-matte texture delivers a lasting wear. 

Priced at ₹2,800

Available at Sephora.in