Bratz Doll Lip Combo

Step-by-step

1. 1

   Prep and blur the natural line

   Step 1 of 6

   Exfoliate, balm, then blot. A touch of concealer patted over the lip edges softens your natural lip line so the overline you draw next reads as the real one.

2. 2

   Overline the cupid's bow

   Step 2 of 6

   With a brown or mauve-brown liner, draw two crisp peaks just above your natural cupid's bow — a millimetre or two, no more. Sharp peaks are the whole Y2K signature; a rounded overline reads modern instead.

   Tip: Rest your elbow on a hard surface. The peaks are small enough that a shaky hand shows immediately.

3. 3

   Overline the centre of the bottom lip

   Step 3 of 6

   Extend the line slightly below the natural edge across the middle third of the lower lip only, then taper back to your real line before the corners. Overlining the corners is what creates a duck lip; leaving them alone creates fullness.

4. 4

   Feather the liner inward

   Step 4 of 6

   Blur the inside edge of the liner toward the centre of the lips with a fingertip or a small brush. The gradient from dark edge to lighter centre is what makes the lip look rounded rather than outlined.

5. 5

   Fill the centre lighter

   Step 5 of 6

   A pinky nude, soft beige, or pale mauve pressed into the middle of both lips, stopping short of the liner so the two blend. Keeping the centre a clear step lighter than the liner is the trick the whole look rests on.

6. 6

   Gloss the centre heavily

   Step 6 of 6Almost done!

   A thick layer of clear or pale pink high-shine gloss concentrated on the middle of the lips and the cupid's bow, thinning out toward the liner. Leaving the outer edge less glossy keeps the overline from sliding once you talk.

   Tip: A dot of gloss right on the cupid's bow peaks catches the light in photos and is the difference between glossy and genuinely doll-like.