Get ready to blur the lines! The next big makeup trend for 2026 has been predicted, and it's all about soft, romantic lips. Katie Jane Hughes, the renowned makeup artist behind pop icon Dua Lipa's iconic looks, has set the fashion world abuzz with her latest forecast. In a conversation with British Vogue, Hughes declared that the era of crisp, hard-lined lips is over, making way for the "halo lips" trend.
What Is The Halo Lip Trend?
So, what exactly are halo lips? This trending makeup technique focuses on creating a soft, pillowy, and fuller-looking pout by deliberately blurring the edges of lip liner and lipstick. The goal is a diffused, effortless appearance, typically achieved using a brush to blend the product seamlessly. It moves away from sharp definition towards a dreamy, gradient effect.
Fashion entrepreneur and designer Rinkoo Shroff elaborates that this trend is less about contouring and more about creating dimension around the mouth. "The idea is not to contour the lips sharply, but to soften the area around them," Shroff explains. It's a subtle art of enhancing the natural shape with a soft-focus finish.
How To Achieve The Halo Lips Look
Rinkoo Shroff provides a step-by-step guide for anyone wanting to master this ethereal look:
- Take a matte cream bronzer on a fluffy brush and lightly sweep it around the edges of your lips, just outside your natural lip line. This creates the initial soft "halo."
- Next, use a lip contour crayon or a Sculpture Stylo just inside the bronzer, focusing on the naturally fuller parts of your lips, and blend it gently.
- Apply your chosen lip colour—be it lipstick, liner, or even a cream blush—only on the very centre of your lips.
- Softly press the colour outward towards the bronzed halo you created.
- Finally, blend everything together with your brush to form a smooth, natural-looking gradient where the halo meets the centre colour.
The Indian Beauty Secret: A Desi Hack for Halo Lips
Interestingly, Shroff points out that this technique is not entirely new to Indian beauty routines. "Of course, it's a trend, but we Indians have always been ahead of the trends. We may not have given it a name earlier, but we've been doing it," she tells indianexpress.com.
She also reveals a brilliant desi hack to achieve the same halo effect without investing in multiple fancy products. "You don't have to go overboard with bronzer, separate fluffy brushes, or crayon lip liners," she says. "With just one product in the bag, which most of us already carry, you can just get, set, go!"
The simple trick? "Simply take a cheek or lip tint, dab your finger on it, make a pout, and spread the tint towards the fuller, cushiony part of the lips. It'll give the same effect as the halo lips look and add more dimension to the lips."
Shroff categorises this under the "spread look," where the aim is to enhance rather than sharply contour. So, while the international beauty scene has now coined the technical term "halo lips," the essence of this soft, blended lip look has been a long-held secret in Indian beauty practices.
