I Get It Now: This Is How French Girls Make Their Lips Look So Alluring

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't love wearing lipstick. I've never liked that it needs regular top-ups, the fact that it inevitably ends up on my teeth, or how it makes my makeup just look too "done" for most occasions. And as a beauty editor who spots makeup trends for a living, I couldn't be more on board with the blurred lips makeup trend that's sweeping my social feeds right now.

Blurred Lip Trend

So, what exactly is a blurred lip? Imagine a freshly-kissed stain, with soft, feathered edges that melt into your natural lip line rather than sharply defining it. Rather than a block of colour, this is sheer, softly diffused colour that gives your lips a just-bitten effect. It's romantic, very French girl-coded and—perhaps best of all—completely foolproof for those of us who’ve never quite mastered the art of traditional lipstick application. The whole idea is that these look a little bit imperfect, which I much prefer in comparison to high-maintence lipsticks.

How To Do Blurred Lipstick

There are a few ways to do a blurred lip. You can take a regular matte lipstick (avoid anything satiny or glossy, they'll be too slippery) and gently pat it into the centre of your lips for a bitten effect. You can also take a fluffy eyeshadow brush to pick up the pigment and lightly dust it over your lips.

Or, you can enlist the help of lip-blurring products that do all the heavy lifting for you. Look for formulas with a matte yet sheer finish that offer a gentle wash of soft-focused pigment to your lips. They're a great way to experiment with lipstick colours that you wouldn't usually go for, too. A red lipstick may be too bold for many day-to-day. But in a sheer-matte form, it suddenly becomes a lot more wearable.

Ready to embrace your blurred lips era? Scroll ahead for the best blurring lipsticks I've tried.

Shop Blurred Lipsticks