One of our favorite
makeup trends to emerge from Korea
in the last few months is a blurred lipstick look. When we visited Seoul last fall, it seemed as if every cool girl on the street was rocking diffused edges on her lips, with a pop of bright coral, berry, or crimson in the center. The effect is both dreamy and editorial, and considering how little you need to touch it up throughout the day, it’s also rather wearable.
To learn how to achieve the look ourselves, we called up Glam Squad co-founder and makeup artist
Kelli J. Barlett
. Little did we know, her application method wasn’t limited to just a lip product—she’s a fan of using powder eyeshadow to enhance the color and make your pout
really
pop. Check out the five easy steps for achieving a blurred neon lip below, and follow along with the video above for her technique.

FILL IN WITH LINER
Be sure to start with a
moisturized lip
before applying any other cosmetics. Use MAC Lasting Sensation lip liner pencil all over the mouth. Fill in the lip entirely, but you don’t need to be perfect about it.
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“TIGHTLINE” THE LIPS
Close the mouth and then line the inner center, right where your lips meet, with Huda Beauty Lip Contour Pencil in Trophy Wife.
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DIFFUSE
Blur and diffuse the center where you tightlined with a MUA Pro Double-Ended Contour and Highlighter Brush.
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BRIGHT, COLORFUL POWDER
Pack on a bright red eyeshadow over the top. The shade Slow Burn from the Urban Decay Electric palette is ideal. Apply over the entire lip using the same brush. This helps mattify and intensify the neon shade.
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“ERASE” OUTER EDGES
Lastly, use MAC Powder Kiss Lip in shade Best of Me to the edges of the lips. It acts as an eraser for a cool ombre edge. That’s how you get the juicy center that fades out into flesh tone.
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Final Look
Model: Diana Veras
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