In Search of a New Lip Combo? Try a Few of Our Favorites (2025)

On TikTok, one of the highest compliments you can receive is being asked, “What’s your lip combo?” by someone not yet old enough to rent a car. Whether you consider yourself a ride-or-die liner and lipstick lover or you always top your barely there stain with gloss, a lip combo—that is, a signature product pairing—makes it simple to add extra dimension to any makeup look.

For those new to the lure of a good beauty combo, the trend began gaining traction in the ’90s among models, celebrities, and Black and Brown beauty lovers who coupled dark-brown lip liners with lighter lipstick shades for a bold yet neutral finish.

The brown-on-brown look still reigns supreme, but popular combos also include contrasting tones of varying shades, like red and purple lipsticks paired with deeper liners, à la dark-cherry or cherry-cola lips. You don’t have to be a liner fan to craft a signature order of lip products. Layering your favorite gloss on top of a stain, or different lipstick shades over each other, still counts when it comes to this enduring trend, which has only become buzzier thanks to countless social-media tutorials.

And for those unsure which lip tones look best together, you can also snag no-brainer sets from culty brands like Saie, Charlotte Tilbury, Merit, The Lip Bar, Kylie Cosmetics, and more. Bazaar editors have narrowed down some of their favorite lip combos to give you even more inspiration for your next day or night makeup look. From Ami Colé’s Soft Shape Waterproof Lip Liner to Patrick Ta’s Major Volume Plumping Lip Gloss, keep reading for our top product picks for an elevated lip.

Tiffany Dodson Davis, beauty commerce editor

For day

The liner: Ami Colé Soft Shape Waterproof Lip Liner in Petit Cola

Unless I wear a statement-making red lip, I usually reach for a brown liner to set the foundation for my daytime makeup look. Ami Colé’s Soft Shape liner in Petit Cola is the perfect neutral shade for my skin tone as it’s not too dark, but it still stands out under the rest of my lip stack.

The lipstick: Refy Lip Blush in Orchid

If you’re looking for a lipstick that provides the perfect amount of color for that “just bitten” look, allow me to introduce you to Refy’s highly versatile Lip Blush. I’m obsessed, and I own this staple in at least three different shades. Its buildable formula has the moisturizing comfort of a balm with a feathered blurred flush that looks effortlessly sophisticated.

The gloss: Guerlain Kiss Kiss Bee Glow Lip Oil in Honey Glow

I apply this lip oil so much that I’m surprised I haven’t finished my go-to tube already—but that just proves that a little Honey Glow goes a long way. Its sheer hint of color is the cherry on top of my daily lip combo and adds an easy boost of hydration to keep my lips nice and soft for hours.

For night

The lip pencil: Pat McGrath Labs Dramatique Mega Lip Pencil in Garnet Glow

Since I’m a January baby and this Pat McGrath Labs pencil has garnet (my birthstone) in the shade’s name, you could say my nighttime makeup look from the nose down is written in the stars. It looks great when paired with a red lip, but in addition to lining, I also like to use this creamy yet matte-finish pencil for allover color.

The gloss: Pat McGrath Labs Lust Gloss in Bronze Divinity

To complete my after-hours lip combo, I usually top Garnet Glow with the brand’s shimmery Bronze Venus Lust gloss, which is sadly out of stock at the moment. (Yes, it’s that good.) Thankfully, Pat McGrath Labs’s iridescent Bronze Divinity is another great option I keep on hand for a professional-level finishing touch to my lip look. I clearly have a thing for hydrating glosses, and this nonsticky option fits the bill nicely.

Jenna Rosenstein, beauty director

The liner: Glossier Lip Line Enhancing Hydrating Longwear Lip Liner Pencil in Grip

I love any creamy lipliner that is a your-lips-but-better shade. I don’t overline too much because I think it looks silly on me, but I do trace a little above my cupid’s bow and below the middle of my bottom lip. I’ll then color in a little of the lip itself before topping with a creamy or balmy lipstick that helps blend, soften, and blur the lines.

The lipstick: Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey

This classic balm lipstick is viral for a reason. It’s just the prettiest shade of sheer wine, and I love to use the silky formula over lipliner to help blend and blur any harsh lines before topping with a pigmented gloss.

The gloss: Kylie Cosmetics Gloss Drip in Wine Kisses

I swear this is the best lip gloss I have ever used in my life. Nothing makes my lips look more plump or juicy, and it wears for hours before I need to reapply. This wine shade is stunning. It makes my tiny lips look bigger than they are, and it complements any makeup look. I am deeply obsessed with this formula. Thanks, Kylie!

Katie Intner, beauty market and commerce editor

For day

The liner: Refy Blur Liner in Mauve

During the day, I love a liner shade that matches my natural lip shade but contours the lips too. I love this Refy lip liner because the formula is soft and blurry and can be used all over the lip to make your gloss last longer, thanks to the large size of the pencil.

The lip oil: Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil in Rosebud

I have a Summer Fridays lip product in every bag, but the brand’s silky lip oils are my go-to. This new soft-pink shade, Rosebud, worn on top of the Refy liner in Mauve gives a your-lips-but-better look that is perfect for the gym, office, or brunch.

For night

The liner: Buxom Power Line Plumping Lip Liner in Dangerous Dolly

I am applying my lip combos in elevators, Ubers, restaurant bathrooms–quite literally any way and everywhere. So I love a lip liner that has a built-in brush, like this one from Buxom, which I have been using on repeat lately. I love the pointed tip for expertly carving out my lip line.

The lipstick: Hermès Rouge Hermès Satin Lipstick in 13 Beige Kalahari

I am a shiny, glossy lip girl through and through, but the Rouge Hermès 10 Beige Croisette lipstick is my exception. I love the pinky-nude shade, which is sheer and gives lips a subtle glow. While it was limited edition, this beige shade comes pretty close.

The gloss: Patrick Ta Major Volume Plumping Lip Gloss in Full Syringe

I learned a youthful lip trick from makeup artist Nam Vo where she applies a nude shade to the whole lip and tops it with a red lip gloss concentrated in the middle of the lips. It gives a subtle color and a bitten-lip effect. I top the Hermès lip with this red gloss from Patrick Ta, which is the perfect ’90s gloss. Bonus points for the formula, as it has plumping properties and doesn’t burn.

Looking for more makeup inspiration?

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• The Best Concealers for Dark Circles
• The Biggest 2025 Makeup Trends You Can Start Wearing Now
• The Best Makeup Brush Sets to Upgrade Any Collection
• The Best Under-Eye Setting Powders for a Crease-Free Finish

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