Blurred lips

Blurred lips are a lip look with a soft, diffused edge instead of a drawn outline, made by pressing a stain, tint or liner into the centre of the lips and blending it outward with a fingertip or brush.

Also known as: blurred lip, soft focus lips, velvety blur, makeout lips, hazy lips

Blurred lips were the headline lip trend of 2026. Who What Wear reports Google searches up 300 percent and describes the Korean-inspired finish as stained into the mouth, not painted on, in the words of makeup artist Christian Briceno, with berry shades leading¹.

The method is the opposite of a lined lip. Colour goes in the centre first, from a stain, a tint or a liner used as full colour. A fingertip or a dense brush then pushes it outward so it fades before it reaches the edge. Makeup artist Kyle Anderson blends liner with the fingers before adding a stain for a hazy edge². A little balm on top softens it further; a gloss makes it a glazed blur.

Liner is still used, but differently. Searches for lip liner rose 52 percent alongside the trend, and brands answered with dome-tipped lip contour products made for buffing colour into the lip³. Makeup artist Fara Homidi describes the autumn 2026 version as layering deep browns, taupes and mauves that are buffed, so colour manipulates shape without an obvious line⁴.

Blurred lips suit thin lips, uneven edges and daytime wear, because there is no line to keep sharp. Berry, plum and mauve tones give the most convincing stained look on most skin tones.

Written and fact-checked by the India Anaïs editorial team. Every number and rule is linked to its source. How the guides are made.