Hailey Bieber and Lily-Rose Depp are embracing halo lips for a fuller, more natural pout
Have you ever looked at Lily-Rose Depp or Zoë Kravitz on the red carpet and wondered how their lips always look so naturally full? The answer comes down to two words: halo lips. This understated makeup technique has become a firm favourite among the most influential makeup artists working today, and it’s far more achievable than it looks.
The makeup artist behind the halo lips trend
The method was pioneered by Nina Park, a trailblazing makeup artist who developed and popularised this approach. Her work is instantly recognisable for its soft, feminine aesthetic, think rosy and beige tones where every detail is subtly blended to enhance features rather than transform them. It was through her work with Emma Stone, Mia Goth, Zoë Kravitz and Lily-Rose Depp that Nina Park cemented her signature style.
What sets her makeup apart is precisely the absence of dramatic effects. No glitter, no heavy contouring, no thick gloss. Instead, the curve of the lips is accentuated through a precise technique that gives rise to what we now call halo lips. The result might sound paradoxical, defining the lips without distorting them, but the photos speak for themselves.
Why Hailey Bieber is also on board
Nina Park isn’t the only one to have embraced this approach. Hailey Bieber helped amplify the phenomenon, particularly following the launch of her Peptide Lip Shape pencils from Rhode, designed for the most subtle lip definition imaginable. That launch sent interest in this aesthetic soaring on social media, where the halo lips effect has since become a genuine talking point.
The inspiration behind the movement most likely comes from Korea, where a blurred, smudged effect, achieved using soft, finger-blendable pigments, is the go-to technique for adding volume to the lips. This “less is more” philosophy is exactly what the halo lips technique delivers: visible fullness, with no visible effort.
How to recreate halo lips at home, step by step
Makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes shared a tutorial on her Instagram account so that anyone can recreate this effect. The process relies on a series of precise gestures, applied in a specific order.
- Blur the lip line using a little concealer to erase the natural edge.
- Redraw the contours with a brush using a cream bronzing powder, following the natural shape of the lips.
- Refine the shape with a contouring stick to sculpt the edges.
- Restore colour with a hydrating balm in a natural shade.
- Apply a light stroke of lip liner, then blend it out with a brush to sharpen the definition.
The final result is a sculpted, natural-looking contour, and crucially, no gloss in sight. Katie Jane Hughes notes that the effect can look a little strange mid-application. But that’s exactly where the joy of experimenting lies: if you’re not happy with the result, simply remove it and start again.
The key products to nail the look
A few products are particularly well suited to this technique. The Nars Laguna Bronzing Cream works beautifully for the cream contouring step. The Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Precision Sculpt Shaping Balm Contour Stick allows you to refine the shape with precision. And the Mulac Lip Master Matita Labbra is ideal for the blended liner step.
In 2026, the quest for fuller lips remains a beauty priority, but the means of achieving it have evolved. The halo lips technique embodies that shift: out goes the overdrawn liner and mirror-finish gloss, in comes a hyper-natural contouring approach that plays with perception without ever giving the game away.
