When we started to spot the growing momentum around recent lip liner releases, we scratched our heads about the WHY!? Literally, Jamie and Michelle started discussing their use of lip liner and discovered that one never uses it, while the other has a culty MAC Whirl for the occasional extra effort. That was just it: why reintroduce the product that seems like it’s adding on another step?! We get the darker liner and lighter lip (the halo or micro-lined lip trend), or the more substantial hybrid liner/lipcolor stick that does it all, but true lip liners? Like the Maybelline New York June launch of Super Stay Peel Off Lip “Liner,” bringing a semi-permanent, tattoo-like tinted blush effect to the drugstore market, each of these new releases has a purpose: WHY NOW!?
MAC and Summer Fridays Go Glossy
Which lip liner are you? MAC posed in a recent August 27th email blast. Lipglazer Glossy Liner or Lip Pencil (Soft Matte)? Introducing a NEW glossy liner that lines, fills, and visibly volumizes. Line and shine with a gel liner. This softly shiny innovation is supposedly designed to create fuller-looking lips (shine creates the illusion of fullness, unlike matte). Lipglazer Glossy Liner visibly volumizes with a nourishing mix of lip-caring ingredients, including meadowfoam seed oil and jojoba oil. The lightweight, gel-cream texture allows for an easy, tug-free application.
Ginger Spark: Billed as “the liner made for gloss days,” this glossy liner makes so much sense as the go-to when you are finishing a glossy or shiny-finish lip product. Obviously, MAC has been famous for years for classic Spice, Stone, Chestnut, Whirl, Soar, and Cork original Lip Pencils - one of the new Lipglazers is called Cool Spice (playing into the new cool-toned trend as well) - but why use a matte liner when the desired effect is glossy? Add on the lip-nourishing ingredients, and it seems a win-win. Similarly, Summer Fridays recently debuted its dedicated SoftLine Lip Liner to work alongside its Flushed Lip Stain and Lip Butter Balms, featuring a nourishing, tug-free glide infused with hyaluronic filling spheres and natural oils.
Victoria Beckham and Louis Vuitton Make It An Object
Always one with a penchant for drama, on August 25th, Victoria Beckham announced “V-SUITE ACCESS: NEW Lip Definer (Sign In to Shop).” The Lip Definer is an exercise in precision. With a sleek, first-ever design, an innovative silver aluminum long cap protects the entire Lip Definer pencil and, when reinserted at the end, extends the overall length for complete control (much like the elegant cigarette holder effect). The smooth but not-too-soft waterproof formula stays exactly where it’s applied: no feathering; while added peptides offer lip-care benefits. Rich “hyperspecific” shades - seven lip-tone-inspired shades that define and contour lips with ease—plus a classic true Red and a deep berry Merlot.
Ginger Spark: Interestingly, this “Made in the Czech Republic” Lip Definer offers a classic wood-cased pencil in a first-of-its-kind silver-aluminum, elongated case; this design not only extends the lip pencil for ease and control but also allows the Lip Definer to be used down to its very end. A true “stroke of genius.” Pat McGrath with La Beauté Louis Vuitton introduced her highly anticipated first LV Crayon collection for Louis Vuitton, complementing the brand’s signature red gradient and ombré lip artistry looks. Like VB Beauty, the emphasis is on the luxury of precision, the LV Crayon House’s design codes. (We’re legit swooning over these, but $58 for a lip pencil…wahhh!!!) From shaving in the shape of their flower-shaped monogram to its gold monogram flower cap, the smooth formula is housed in a black matte wood stick.
Haus Labs, Rhode, & Sarah Creal Get Personal
A simple Instagram post on August 25th featured a model with a HAUS LABS lip pencil between her lips with the copy ”Unlock your lip tone with 18 shades of nude. The Edge Lip Shaping Pencil.” @thecelebrityglamspot elaborated: @hauslabs is adding a new essential to the lip lineup. The Edge Lip Shaping Pencil launches with nude shades inspired by your natural lip tone, designed for effortless definition, precision, and blendability. The long-wearing, transfer-proof formula is made to keep your lip look locked in all day. Launched August 24 on the Sephora app and August 25 at HausLabs.com, Sephora, and Kohl’s. Which shade are you reaching for first? 👀
Ginger Spark: Several major beauty lines expanded their “lip contour” and liner ranges for summer 2026, focusing heavily on an expanded range of neutrals (again, 18 to be precise for HAUS LABS, including the “cool” tone callouts). Similarly, Rhode expanded its Peptide Lip Shape lineup for summer 2026 with three new soft-sculpting shades: Push (soft neutral beige), Squeeze (cool taupe), and Jump (chocolate brown), designed for a feather-like, contoured pout. In mid-August, Sarah Creal called out that lip lines start to fade and become uneven in your ‘40s, so the brand created pHLip Liner Personal Lip Contour. It’s formulated with pH-activated pigments to enhance your natural lip line and give you a completely custom color. xx Sarah. With the choice of To The Point (“A Personalized Pink”) or On Edge (“A Personalized Mauve”), we’ll go with the Insta comment of @beautiful_glowy_skin: “Sounds promising.”
