With glam looks coming back and 2016 nostalgia rearing its head, does that mean we're recycling lip trends from a decade ago?
Puck no!
Here are the lip looks that should be on your radar, so that your lip looks earn more than just lip service.
1. The halo lip
The halo lip is a look characterized by its soft gradient, with the deepest amount of color focused at the center, while being lightly diffused outwards. The darker lipliner you use on the perimeter (the "halo", as it were) should blur your client's natural lip line, creating a subtle shadow.
This creates a soft, pillowy look, that's equal parts luscious and cozy for the cool season, allowing clients a plumper, more volumized look without sending them to a medspa for filler.
2. "Pretty in pink"
When I think "pink lip", I'm not going to lie, I get war flashbacks to being in middle school, when I used to cake on frosty-esque product with a viscosity reminiscent of spackle (with an equally frosty, blue eyeshadow to complete the look, unfortunately.)
Well, for better or for worse, pink's coming back, but don't worry, it's a far cry from the bows-and-rainbows of girlhood. With the rise of quiet luxury, a pink lip look in 2026 means soft, smoky and elegant. Think rich roses to borderline nude; something Sabrina Carpenter would dazzle in.
You'll want to make sure you're stocked with these hues, in both matte and gloss as the glam girls of 2016 elevate their lip game to "dusty rose."
3. Diffused lip
A diffused lip is another look made popular by our favorite girlie-pop, K-beauty. This, similar to the halo lip, concentrates pigment (usually a lush, fruity red) at the center, where the top and bottom lip meet, and feathers it outward. However, there is no set perimeter. The idea is to create a not-quite-natural, but still rather endearing "just-bitten" look.
4. Peel-off lip stains
We have TikTok to thank for this one, guys. While this isn't necessarily something you'll be providing, it's probably good that you know why it went viral.
Many of the peel-off lip stains successfully hold out for all-day wear, while the convenience of a one-a-day application mitigates the hassle of reapplication.
5. Hello, the 90s called; they said we can borrow their grunge lip.
Hello again, nostalgia! We're going a bit further back than a decade for this one, though. If you suddenly get makeup appointments where clients asks are giving you a crazy sense of déjà vu, have no fear, it's not just you.
Moody and matte plums, browns and burgundies are soooo back. Driven by the nostalgia movement, the rise of thrifting and the rebellion against the hyper-perfectionist, near-sterilized beauty standards in this age, many Gen Z consumers are opting to put their feelings where their mouth is.
