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Looking to pump up your pout without using filler? Lip contouring’s the viral technique you’ve got to try.
And few know more about makeup’s mouth-perfecting powers than Etienne Ortega, the go-to glam guru for pop stars including Lana Del Rey, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey and Demi Lovato.
“The ombré lip has definitely become my signature. People love it,” Ortega tells Page Six Style. “A lip always gives you confidence and when it’s a little overdrawn, it just makes it look more sexy.”
Etienne Ortega has worked with Christina Aguilera for years; the “Beautiful” singer presented him with the makeup artist of the year award at the 2022 Daily Front Row Fashion Los Angeles Awards. WireImage
He’s also Kris Jenner’s go-to glam guru. FilmMagic
As such, the in-demand makeup artist (who’s also worked with the Kardashian-Jenners) focused on lips for the launch his new makeup line, Ortega, offering up an oil, clear gloss, liners and crayon-style color sticks so fans of his star clients can replicate their dreamy contoured lip combos at home.
Of course, using a mix of light and dark shades to create the illusion of a fuller, more shapely mouth is an art unto itself — so we asked the artist to demonstrate three of his favorite lip combos on Page Six staffers. Read on for a trio of tutorials.
Lana Del Rey’s Cinnamon Girl Glam
Brian Zak/NY Post; Getty Images
“My signature look with Lana is a very cool-toned lip,” Ortega explains. “Her look is so simple but yet so iconic and timeless.”
Step 1: Prep
Brian Zak/NY Post
Start by prepping the lips with a balm like Blu Nectar Lip Oil, a jelly-like formula made with hydrating blue agave nectar, jojoba oil, vitamin E, aloe and squalane that “feels like silk,” per Ortega. Leave on for several minutes (or however long you like), then remove.
“You have the smoothest surface after; even when you wipe it off, you just feel super hydrated and rejuvenated,” he says.
Step 2: Liner
Brian Zak/NY Post
Line the lips with your choice of a caramel or mauve liner. Ortega regularly uses two shades of his own Soft Contour Lip Liner on Del Rey: Cinnamon Girl (the name was inspired by one of her songs) and LA Chic.
When it comes to liner, the artist swears by his own signature technique: “I like to start in the Cupid’s bow and draw a little line down the middle. Then, I start to draw a heart on the Cupid’s bow, slightly overlined. That’s how you get that very pouty look that Lana has,” he explains. “After I’m done doing the heart on the top, I like to underline the bottom of the lip, and this kind of helps us as our guide.”
After “connecting the dots” by lining the entire mouth, Ortega continues, “I like to start filling in at the corners of the lip for an ombré effect. I usually like to get a brush and then just blend out the edges for a much more diffused look. That helps soften everything up.”
Just don’t fill in the entire lip with liner: “For that ombré look, you want to make sure that you are separating the deeper tone from the lighter tone,” he cautions. “If I start to mix it all together, you’re not going to have that dimension, so you want to keep certain areas open for the lip color.”
Step 3: Color
Brian Zak/NY Post
Fill in those open spaces using Agave Color Glow Stick in Nubes, or the pale pink-nude lipstick of your choice.
“I’m keeping it very center-focused to keep that ombré effect,” Ortega says. “From there, I’ll go back with my brush and start to blend out the edges and blend it into the liner.”
Step 4: Gloss
Brian Zak/NY Post
Finish with a slick of clear gloss, like the Liquid Icon Hyper Gloss from Ortega’s new line.
“I really worked hard on this formula because I didn’t want it to be really sticky, but I did want it to be very shiny. I like to focus this mostly in the center,” he shares, adding that applying gloss mainly to the middle of the mouth creates the illusion of fuller, more luscious lips.
Demi Lovato’s Dreamy Nude Hues
Brian Zak/NY Post; Getty Images
Lovato often gravitates toward a nude lip, like the one Ortega created for this year’s Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
“We got a lot of hype. Everyone loved the look,” he recalls.
Step 1: Prep
Brian Zak/NY Post
Apply a balm like Blu Nectar Lip Oil to hydrate the lips. Leave on for several minutes (or however long you like), then remove.
Step 2: Liner
Brian Zak/NY Post
Apply a rich, chocolatey brown liner like Soft Contour Lip Liner in Xola (the name nods to Ortega’s and Lovato’s shared Mexican roots), using the aforementioned technique of drawing a heart on the Cupid’s bow, connecting it around the mouth and then filling in the corners.
“My girls love an overlined lip,” he says. “It creates a very pouty effect.”
Step 3: Color
Brian Zak/NY Post
Fill in the rest of the mouth using a warm nude lipstick like Agave Glow Color Stick in Para Siempre, a hue whose name nods to another of Ortega’s clients: Mariah Carey.
“She has a song called ‘Forever,'” he notes. “There’s a little meaning to each shade.”
For more Page Six Style …
See the best celebrity looks of the week in our new series, “Instantly Iconic Style” Browse the best fashion and beauty products, according to celebs Shop our exclusive merchChristina Aguilera’s Muse-Worthy Mauves
Brian Zak/NY Post; Getty Images
“My mauve shades are definitely inspired by Christina,” Ortega says.
“Musa is one of the shades, which means ‘muse.’ I named it after her because she’s my muse! We’ve been rocking the mauves for a minute, and it’s kind of our go-to right now.”
Step 1: Prep
Brian Zak/NY Post
Apply a balm like Blu Nectar Lip Oil to hydrate the lips. Leave on for several minutes (or however long you like), then remove.
Step 2: Liner
Brian Zak/NY Post
Apply a mauve liner like Soft Contour Lip Liner in Musa (Aguilera’s signature shade) using Ortega’s aforementioned technique: Draw a small heart at the Cupid’s bow, underline the bottom lip, connect to the corners and fill in the sides of the mouth to create an ombré effect.
“A lot of the time I use a little bit of foundation to clean up the edges if you want a really defined, sharp lip,” he says, sharing one of his go-to tricks.
Step 3: Color
Brian Zak/NY Post
Fill in the open spaces in the middle of the mouth using a pale pink-nude lipstick like Agave Color Glow Stick in Nubes, blending with a lip brush as desired.
“It’s a very versatile shade for you to create that pop of lightness at the center,” Ortega says.
Shop the products:
Ortega Blu Nectar Lip Oil
Ortega
Ortega Soft Contour Lip Liner
Ortega
Ortega Agave Glow Color Stick
Ortega
Ortega Liquid Icon Hyper Gloss
Ortega
Ortega Striptease Makeup Remover
Ortega
