As we get older and life gets busier, it's easy to forget makeup for what it really is [1]: fun! Even if you don't realize it, you're creating a little work of art every single day by mixing pigments, contouring and highlighting [2], and buffing to perfection. But while blending several eye shadows to achieve the perfect smoky eye [3] is second nature for many, creating custom lip shades can seem a little bit more daunting.
You don't need to blend colors on the back of your hand and apply them with a lip brush like a makeup artist (though you're certainly welcome to!): just pair a lip liner and a lipstick to get the new color you want. Whether you're new to the world of popping pouts and haven't fleshed out your pretty inventory yet or have put yourself on a no-buy list until the holidays, this is a great way to try something different without spending a single dollar. Keep reading for some gorgeous celebrities modeling our favorite colors to create with product suggestions as part of your art project.
Mauve
Almost everyone has a brown lip pencil like Sephora's waterproof pencil in Natural [4] ($13) lying around . . . especially if they survived the '90s. Fill in your lips with it, and then try a blue-based rose lipstick on top like Bobbi Brown Tea Rose [5] ($26) to get mauve, a color that gets a bad rap for being dated but is surprisingly flattering on all skin tones — just look at Beyoncé!
Coral
Coral is a popular shade in Spring and Summer, but it can be hard to find a suitable coral lipstick for your skin tone (or one that isn’t frosty à la 1974). To get a pretty pout like Emma Stone [6]'s, use an orange-red lip liner like NYX Orange [7] ($4) as your base shade, then apply a pale pink like Revlon’s Pink Pout [8] ($8) and rub your lips together to blend the colors.
Vampy Red
While it sounds scary or goth, it's actually pretty: you can easily use a black eye pencil to line a red lip. Line first using Benefit’s Bad Gal Waterproof liner [9] ($20), filling in your lips about halfway, and then apply Maybelline’s Red Revival [10] ($7) on top. The result is a subtle ombré pout like Gwen Stefani [11]'s that takes almost zero effort.
Pepto-Bismol Pink
If only we had known this trick in the heyday of Proenza Pink, a limited-edition pastel Lancome lipstick that sold out in mere hours. Mixing a white pencil with a glossy pink lip formula can get you the same candy color Rihanna [12]'s rocking without shelling out insane amounts of money on eBay. Try Wet n Wild Icon Liner in White [13] ($9) and Urban Decay Supersaturated Lip Color in Crush [14] ($20).
Nude
The quest for the perfect shade of nude lipstick for your skin tone can take years (though it doesn't seem like Kim Kardashian [15] knows that struggle). Transform one of the lippies you've bought and deemed the wrong shade into something great! Line and fill your lips with a brown pencil like Motives Lip Crayon in Pecan [16] ($15), and apply a nude lipstick like Nars Cosmetics Pure Matte Lipstick in Madere [17] ($26) on top, blending to get your perfect hue.
Berry
While this hue is often overlooked in favor of red, make no mistake — a berry lip is powerful, sexy, and appropriate for every occasion. Mix your own shade to get a lip like Emma Watson [18]'s with MAC Nightmoth lip pencil [19] ($16) and CoverGirl Lip Perfection lipstick in Bombshell [20] ($8).
Purple
We won't be surprised if you don't have this shade in tube form already — the unique blueness of this particular purple on Joan Smalls makes it hard to replicate. That is, if you don't try our trick: blue eyeliner as a lip pencil. Use L'Oréal Silkissime in Cobalt Blue [21] ($9) on the entire lip, blending Milani Rose Hip [22] ($5) on top to get a head-turning pucker.