While many cringe at their stick-thin eyebrows in old photos, I shiver looking at my lips. I have, and always will be, a lipstick fanatic but that doesn’t mean I knew how to apply it. 

My lips are on the skinnier side, but that combined with my lack of artistry skills left me looking like I was replicating mime make-up for Halloween. When lip liners became all the rage, I couldn’t get to grips with them; too sharp of a pencil and my cupid’s bow looked cartoon-like but too chunky and my pout looked swollen. They didn’t seem worth the faff. However, Refy co-founder Jess Hunt seemed to have a solution for my make-up woes: Refy’s new Blur Liners. 

The dome-shaped nib meant I couldn’t accidentally draw my lips too pointy or overdraw them. They seamlessly deliver an enviable semi-matte blurred finish to the lips I’d seen all over TikTok and previously spent far too long fussing with a reusable cotton bud trying to achieve. Now, it took me just a few strokes, while the waxy texture didn’t require any skin-tugging during application. They add a natural fullness to my lips that I’d struggled to achieve with regular pencils. 

If you find lipstick too bold or that it leaves you looking overly ‘done’, these liners deliver a muted tone that defined my lips but still left them effortlessly diffused. The shade ‘Berry’ left me looking like I’d just finished eating a bowl of juicy cherries, whereas ‘Umber’ is the perfect Cadbury-esque hue. You can build up the intensity of the shade as required – talk about customisable. 

Wear-wise, they’ll stay put for cocktail hour but aren’t 100% pizza-proof. Do they need to be? No. The mess-free applicator means you can top-up as you need to while you’re on-the-go – with no need to reach for a mirror.

It’s safe to say, they definitely made my lips look naturally plumped  – with minimal effort required – earning them a firm place in my make-up stash. 

Jess Hunt will be joining us at this year’s Stylist Live on Sunday 10th November, where she’ll be discussing all things brows, the beauty industry and beyond. You can purchase a ticket to Stylist Live here.    

Images: Charlotte Bitmead; courtesy of brand