All About the "Double Lip Line" You're Hearing About on TikTok

By Jessica Harrington
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TikTok is a goldmine for beauty trends that can be both inspirational and informational. A new video making the rounds on the app falls into the latter category, covering tips and tricks for those with a "double lip line." Sarah Khursigara, a UK-based makeup artist and model, initially shared a tutorial on TikTok on how to apply lipstick with a double lip line, spurring countless questions in her comments asking her to explain exactly what a double lip line even means.

"You can see that my lip looks like it ends here, but the 3D part of my lip is actually only right here," Khursigara says in the TikTok clip. "So what's happening here is that the 3D part of my lip is different to the colored part of my lip."

To get some more insight into double lip lines, we tapped three additional makeup artists. Keep reading to learn more.

What Is a Double Lip Line?

As Khursigara explains in her video, this is when the color of your lip and the outline of your lip are in different spots. "A double lip line is essentially where you can see the natural line of your lips and then a noticeable border on the outside of your natural lip line," Kristen Fortier, makeup artist and product innovation lead for Crunchi Cosmetics, tells POPSUGAR. Melissa Hernandez, a celebrity makeup artist for stars such as Sydney Sweeney, Lili Reinhart, and Lana Condor, adds that this pale skin around the colored part of the lips is more officially known as the "vermillion border."

Though you may not have realized it before, having a double lip line is extremely common. "Some of our favorite celebrities have double lip lines, including Rihanna, SZA, and Lana Condor," Hernandez says. Fortier adds: "[It] can actually be a great feature to have when you want to create fuller-looking lips."

How to Apply Lipstick With a Double Lip Line

If you determine that you have a double lip line, the following tips will make lipstick application a breeze. There are two ways you can apply lip color, and each yield a very different look. You can either add fullness by applying lipstick to your double lip line, or you can concentrate your lip products on the colored part of your lip to keep your natural shape.

"If you apply your lipstick to your double lip line, it can then make your lips look very full," says celebrity makeup artist Vincent Oquendo, who's worked with the likes of Gabrielle Union, Jenna Ortega, Jurnee Smollett, and more.

To start, apply a neutral, flesh-toned lip liner to your vermillion border. "Bring the lip liner or lip crayon slightly inward to close the gap between both lip lines and the lips," Fortier says. For this, we recommend the Maybelline Color Sensational Shaping Lip Liner ($8), the Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil Eye, Lip & Brow Pencil ($22), and the Crunchi Everluxe Lip Crayon ($28).

"Lightly smudge the edges of the lip liner using your ring finger, and follow with your favorite lipstick or gloss," Hernandez says. Blending will help make the liner a little less harsh and therefore less noticeable.

If you have naturally full lips and don't want to distort the shape, Hernandez says to "only apply lipstick on the colored part of the lips, leaving the vermillion border bare." To further define the lips, Oquendo has a tip. "I would also recommend using a small concealer brush with concealer and applying it on the outer line of the double lip line to create a sharper lip look," he says.

With these application tips, you won't have to think twice about applying lipstick to your double-lined lips.