Five Makeup Artists Break Down Their Signature Lip Combos

Five professional makeup artists — whose clients span Viola Davis, Lizzo and Susan Sarandon — have detailed the exact lip product combinations behind their recent red carpet looks, in response to a WWD Weekend inquiry on the multistep lip routine now known as the "lip combo."

WWD Weekend consulted artists from breakout creator Ngozi Edeme, known on Instagram as @paintedbyesther, to the veteran Sam Fine. Each artist named a favorite look, listed the products used and described the technique. Their answers show one consistent pattern: every look relies on at least three layered products, and none uses a single lipstick alone.

What did Sam Fine use on Gabrielle Union?

Fine, whose clients include Queen Latifah, Viola Davis and Gabrielle Union, cited Union's lip at the 2025 "Riff Raff" screening. His kit for the look: Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Definer in 05 and 06, Victoria Beckham Posh Lip in "Girl" and Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Lip Gloss in "Raina."

"This is a classic nude lip, which has been a signature of my work since the beginning of my career with Naomi Campbell," Fine said. "The look is all about definition, paired with a beautifully curated pale lip color and a touch of gloss for a sensual glow."

His method follows a fixed order. He starts with a brown lip liner a few shades deeper than the client's skin tone, feathers it softly into the lips for depth and dimension, then applies lipstick and gloss with a lip brush so the liner's definition stays intact. The stated result: "a perfectly sculpted, polished nude lip that feels effortlessly sensual."

How did Jaleesa Jaikaran build the "strawberry lemonade lip"?

Jaikaran, who works with Emma Grede, Precious Way and Jasmin Savoy Brown, named Way's lip at the "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins" Tribeca Film Center screening. She used four products: MAC Lip Liner Pencil in "Cork," Maybelline New York Lifter Liner in "Cross the Line," Tom Ford Beauty Slim Lip Color in "13 Slip" and Tom Ford Gloss Luxe in "All Access."

"I call this a 'strawberry lemonade lip,'" Jaikaran said. "I love the balance of a softly defined brown liner, a pinky nude center, and a juicy gloss."

She frames the blend of liner into lipstick as the step that creates dimension while keeping the transition seamless — "polished, fresh and playful — and the kind of lip that brings the whole face to life," in her words.

Why did Skreem reach for an eyeliner?

Skreem, whose clients include Lizzo, North West and Bktherula, chose Dess Dior's look at the 2026 BET Awards. The product list contains one unconventional item: One/Size Lip Snatcher in "Coin Collector," MAC Cosmetics Sleek Satin Lipstick in "Crème Cup" and Nyx Professional Makeup Epic Wear Metallic Liquid Liner in "Silver Metal" — an eye product applied to the lips.

"What I love about this look is that it was freestyled," Skreem said. "My client told me she wanted to look like art, and for it to still feel like her; it's sexy, fun, and show-stopping — she literally slayed the carpet."

No step-by-step technique accompanies this entry. The quote confirms the look was improvised on the spot, which limits how far readers can reproduce it from the information given.

What is Ngozi Edeme's soft-lip method?

Edeme, who works with Kelly Rowland, Lauryn Hill and Cassie, selected Cassie Ventura's lip at the 2026 "Mobland" premiere. Her products: La Mer the Lip Balm, MAC Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in "Candy Yum Yum" and "Honey Love," and MAC Lip Liner Pencil in "Cork."

Her routine begins before any color. "I started off with a good lip scrub — any brand will do — and moisturized her lips with the La Mer lip balm," Edeme said. She then dusted on a mixture of the two matte lipsticks, lined lightly with "Cork" and buffed the liner out.

Her reasoning is technical: "lightly diffusing everything you apply to the lips helps to achieve" a soft lip shade and application.

How did Katey Denno make a bold lip and bold eye coexist?

Denno, whose clients include Susan Sarandon, McKenna Grace and Geena Davis, picked Clara Khoury's lip at the 2026 Oscars. She used Aora Inicia as primer, the Aora Háblame Lip Liner pencil in "Rosa" and the Aora Acaríciame Solid Lip Gloss Serum in "Rosa 03."

"It's somewhat unexpected to pair a pop of a lip color when you're also doing a pop on the eye — but I knew it would work, and it did," Denno said.

The primer served two purposes, she explained: extending the lip products' wear and adding "a subtle luminosity to the skin of the cupid's bow that catches the light beautifully and makes lips look more full." She lined with "Rosa," filled the lips entirely with the pencil, then handed Khoury the solid serum to tap on herself "until she felt the level of emollience she wanted — not too glossy, but just enough hydration to feel good and look luscious throughout the night."

What links the five routines?

Three threads run through the answers. First, MAC's "Cork" lip liner appears twice, in the kits of both Jaikaran and Edeme — the only product repeated across artists. Second, layering is universal: primer or balm, liner, color and gloss appear in nearly every list. Third, diffusion dominates technique; four of the five artists describe feathering, buffing or blending rather than hard lines.

The artists did not disclose product quantities, application times or costs, and WWD Weekend did not ask whether the artists have commercial relationships with the brands named. Readers comparing kits should note that La Mer's balm and Tom Ford's gloss sit at the top of the price range, while Maybelline's liner sits at the bottom — the combos span the full market.

As red carpet schedules accelerate through 2026, these five formulas — nude sculpt, strawberry lemonade, freestyle metallic, soft matte and self-applied serum — now function as reference points for clients requesting the same looks by name.