What I find most interesting about the defining lip trends of 2026 so far is that they’re more of a texture play than a color one. Think back to, say, 2016. A decade ago the cool lip looks were very matte, yes, but also very dark and vampy. If not rich plums or deep reds, they might be striking blue in King Kylie fashion.
Today, instead of a single dominant shade, pro makeup artist Kasey Spickard notes a growing preference for tones that closely mimic the natural lip: “I’m seeing a huge emergence toward cool-toned colors and the blurred, soft lips we saw on runways and pro artists a few years back really trending with consumers and clients.” The result lands squarely in that coveted your-lips-but-better territory.
Vogue’s Favorite Trending Lip Products
Color fading into the background, brands are playing with finish. Think: the continued rise of blurred lips, lacquered high-shine glosses, the modern revival of lip stains, and whisper-light washes of sheer color. Many of them nod to the ’90s, but the through line isn’t just about mass nostalgia. “Think high-impact, low-maintenance looks,” Spickard adds. Across the board, formulas lean either skin-care-forward or intentionally diffused, creating lips that feel hydrated, comfortable, and slightly undone.
The takeaway: Whether glossy, stained, or softly smudged, the season’s most relevant lip looks share the same sensibility—effortless and comfortable. Below, we explore the four lip trends we expect to take us through summer and beyond.
The Blurred Lips
If there’s one lip finish that has quietly taken over Hollywood’s red carpets, it’s the blurred lip—in both product finish and application technique. A quick scan of recent awards shows makes the case: Mia Goth, Charli XCX, Emma Stone, and Jessie Buckley have all stepped out with softly diffused pouts that make lips look more pillowy without being meticulously overlined. Of course, we can all thank celebrity makeup artist Nina Park, who popularized the look on her star-studded client list.
Re-creating it at home is less about precision and more about technique. Kate Lee, makeup artist for Chanel, recommends applying your lip product and then diffusing the edges with a domed brush, buffing from the center of the lips outward. Cool-toned contour shades or chubby lip liners help softly define the shape, while balmy velvet lipsticks finish the look with that plush, softly blurred texture.
The aesthetic traces back to K-beauty, where softly smudged, velvety lips have long been a signature, as former Allure editor-in-chief and K-beauty expert Michelle Lee previously told Vogue. It’s something Spickard has noticed in his own clients’ personal makeup bags. “I see K-beauty brands like Fwee, Rom&nd, and PeriPera in more of my clients’ makeup bags, where you’re getting that soft matte, velvet blurred look for a lived-in and long-wear look,” he says. Of course, lipsticks now boast velvety textures all on their own.
.jpg)
The Glassy Pout
High-shine lip gloss immediately brings a few images to mind—most of them firmly rooted in Y2K pop culture. Think Destiny’s Child, TLC, and even the glossy, pouty lips of Bratz dolls. The look has always carried a certain diva energy. While blurred lips may be dominating right now, gloss hasn’t faded into the background; in fact, it’s holding steady as one of the most reliable textures in the category.
“Balms, glosses, and lip oils are major players in terms of a staple texture,” says Spickard. “A lot of my clients are Black women, and a rich chocolate brown liner with a nude, pink glossy lip is always the move.” The glosses that ruled the early 2000s (think sticky standbys from brands like Hard Candy and MAC Cosmetics) were known as much for their tacky texture as their mirrorlike shine. Today’s versions take a far more comfortable approach, boasting formulas with skin-care-infused ingredients. Plus, the term gloss has expanded to include any lip product that delivers high shine, including buttery lip balms and oils.
What’s driving that shift is a growing demand for formulas that feel as good as they look. “Traditional lip glosses use petroleum and petroleum-derived ingredients to achieve a shiny look and balmy feel but end up suffocating more than hydrating the lips, which makes you feel like you need to reapply constantly,” Stevie Nelson, education director at Saie, previously told Vogue. Enter the new generation of skin-care-meets-makeup hybrids: formulas that still deliver that glassy finish but with nourishing ingredients that leave lips genuinely softer in the process.
The Lip Stain 2.0
Say goodbye to the drying, heavy lip stains of the past. The category has evolved—and it’s now appearing in far more interesting formats. Peel-off stains, staining lip oils, and even staining lip liners are quickly gaining traction, offering long wear without the stiff, matte finish that once defined the trend. “Long wear doesn’t have to mean matte or overly pigmented,” say Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Ireland of Summer Fridays. The goal now is color that settles into the lips rather than sitting heavily on top of them—another nod to the broader shift toward softer, lived-in finishes.
It’s a philosophy Priyanka Ganjoo kept in mind when developing the viral Lassi Lips formulas from Kulfi Beauty, including both the staining lip oil and liner. “Our community wants makeup that lasts, but they don’t want to feel like they’re wearing something heavy,” Ganjoo explains. Part of the appeal, she notes, is how visually satisfying these formulas are—especially on beauty-driven platforms like TikTok. Whether you swipe on a glossy stain, sketch on a lip marker, or peel away a tint, the payoff is the same: a sheer veil of color that lingers long after the initial application.
The Sheer Lip
Somewhere between the blurred lip and the high-shine gloss sits the sheer lip. Effortless yet undeniably polished, the look taps into the same ’90s sensibility that shapes many of today’s trends. Sheer lipsticks have been around for decades—dating back to the launch of Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in the 1970s—before becoming a cool-girl staple throughout the ’90s. Now, thanks in part to beauty creators on TikTok, Clinique’s best-seller is enjoying yet another revival. Beyond that, there’s been a boom in launches from brands like Chanel and Westman Atelier.
Celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips—whose clients include Hailey Bieber and Kaia Gerber—sees the appeal as a natural extension of the skin-first makeup philosophy many artists favor today. “My approach to makeup has always been very skin focused, so sheer lipsticks feel like a natural extension of that,” Phillips says, describing the finish as breathable and modern while still allowing room to layer and experiment with color.
Another reason for this trend’s reemerging prowess: formulas that blur the line between makeup and skin care. Phillips points to conditioning, treatment-forward options—like those from her own brand, M.ph Beauty—as a reflection of where the industry is headed. “People expect more from their products now. They want performance, skin-care benefits, and versatility.” One more advantage, she notes, is their flexibility: A sheer lipstick can easily double as a multipurpose tint, dabbed onto cheeks or even eyelids for a softly cohesive look.
Everything You Need to Know
Meet the Experts
- Priyanka Ganjoo is the founder of Kulfi Beauty.
- Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Ireland are the cofounders of Summer Fridays.
- Kate Lee is an LA–based Chanel celebrity makeup artist. Her roster includes Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley, Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, and Jessica Chastain.
- Mary Phillips is a renowned celebrity makeup artist and founder of M.ph beauty. Her roster includes Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Kaia Gerber, and more.
- Kasey Spickard is a professional makeup artist based in New York and Los Angeles. Spickard’s roster includes Jenna Lyons, Kamie Crawford, Brynn Whitfield, and more.
