Spotted on celebrities such as Emma Stone, Lily-Rose Depp, Zoë Kravitz, and Mia Goth, a specific lip look has been taking the beauty world by storm. The increasingly popular blurred Cupid’s bow method is also being dubbed the “Nina Park lip”, in honour of the celebrity make-up artist who is a key proponent of the look.
What is the “Nina Park lip”?
The blurred cupid’s bow aims to soften the outer lip line and create a rounded silhouette. Nina Park has made this sort of subtle and feathery lip line her signature – and a staple on the red carpet.
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Where did the trend come from?
The trend seems to be another gift from the ’90s revival, alongside Naomi Campbell’s contrast lip liner (a chocolate brown border melted into a clear gloss) and barely-there brows. Interest in the look experienced an uptick last year, just after the 2025 Oscars. LA-based Park was behind Lily-Rose Depp’s beauty look for the night, described as “modern with a graphic twist”, and most notably, incorporating that blurred upper lip line.
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Make-up fans have been recreating the look ever since. Rhode founder Hailey Bieber last year launched a selection of chunky lip liners infused with peptides, to boost hydration and create the illusion of naturally fuller, more voluminous lips. Another fan of the blurred lip, Bieber also tends to trace the outer corners of her lips first, before going over her Cupid’s bow a few times. To fade the lines, she uses a silicone shaper tool to gently blur out the liner.
Content creator Sumi Mrkulic says Park’s signature blurred lip method has made red-carpet beauty more accessible. “It focuses on a very sleek and clean look, while still making her clients appear as though they are radiating from within, which I feel should always be the goal when doing your make-up,” she says. “Blurred lips are very achievable and wearable.” Plus, Park cites the exact products she uses on her Instagram so that fans can recreate the look at home.
What’s the difference between the blurred Cupid’s bow and the halo lip?
The halo lip trend is also key for 2026. Slightly different to the blurred Cupid’s bow, there is an emphasis on doing away with definition altogether, rather than focusing on softly rounding the upper lip line. The key to a perfect halo lip is applying your product in the centre of your mouth, gradually blending it outwards for a plump, pillowy effect.
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Why you should include a lip liner in your routine
According to British make-up artist Celia Burton, mastering lip liner is a foolproof way to look put together. “If you need a touch-up and still have your slightly worn, all-day make-up on, refreshing your lip liner creates an instant lift and elevates the look.”
For fans of a minimal beauty look, celebrity make-up artist and beauty brand founder, Mary Phillips, says blurring out your liner is the way to go. “The result is effortless and natural, obscuring the use of make-up to accentuate the lips,” she says. “Lips are a major focal point in make-up these days, and everyone wants their lips to be perfect – even on my ‘no make-up’ days, I always grab a lip liner for a little bit of definition.”
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“The Cupid’s bow, in particular, dictates the shape of the rest of the lip,” Burton continues. “How you define the ‘V’ of your Cupid’s bow, dictates either the pertness or the fullness of the mouth.” When applying lip liner, Burton hones in on both the Cupid’s bow and the centre of the bottom lip, which makes it easier to neatly glide the product around the rest of the mouth.
How to recreate the blurred cupid’s bow
“I start by contouring the lips with a cream contour,” shares Phillips. “Then, I select a shade closest to the natural lip colour, before using a small brush to diffuse the lip liner so there are no harsh lines. Sometimes, I like to contour again with a cool-toned lip liner on the Cupid’s bow and corners of the mouth,” she adds. “Lastly, I’ll apply lipstick and pat my finger on the lips to work the product in.”
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For Burton, “a gel texture is better because it tends to be more long-wearing”. She adds: “You also need a really good lip balm – nothing too slippery to completely wipe off the lip line.” The make-up artist’s hero picks include “Glossier’s lip-line enhancing pencil and lip gloss. It’s so dense and sticky that it kind of keeps everything in place.”
