Hailey Bieber is something of a TikTok beauty queen, sparking viral makeup and skincare trends with every video – but her latest technique, or "the lip combo vibe I’m feeling for fall", as she puts it, has some TikTokers questioning her influence.
Hailey's dubbed her go-to lip look for autumn "brownie glazed lips", tapping in, of course, to her 'glazed donut' aesthetic, and the principal messaging behind her skincare line, Rhode Skin.
Here's what you need to know (and her routine).
The combo is based around Hailey's favourite low-key lip technique – lining her pout with a contrast liner before adding a glossy lip balm on top. Her choice, naturally, is Rhode's Peptide Lip Treatment, (which is once again completely sold out, despite being restocked in mid-September).
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The autumnal element is a deep brown lipliner, of which Hailey's favourites are the Make Up Forever Artist Colour Pencil in Anywhere Caffeine, and the Scott Barnes Atelier Lip Pencil in shade Naomi. She lines her lips before smudging them a little with her finger, adding some extra depth in the middle of her cupid's bow and lower lip.
But many fellow TikTokers have criticised Hailey and her association with the lip trend, which people of colour have been wearing for years. Others pointed out that the technique hails back to the '90s.
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"Cute cuteeee. Where’d you get this inspired girlllll? My chola tias have been doing this FOREVER but when they do it it’s 'ghetto'," one poster replied to Hailey's video. Another wrote: "Old School POC lip combo. Been doing it since ‘90s," and further added: "Brown liner and gloss, got it. Wore this in high school every day in the ’90s."
Beyonce's makeup artist, Sir John, also stepped forward and spoke to Diet Prada to give his thoughts on the look, explaining, “It's not about Hailey." He expressed the importance of context and accreditation when recreating a look inspired by black and brown culture.
“All you had was a lip liner and a clear gloss back in the day. We had to be creative and try things in an unorthodox way because of the lack of products for Black and Brown people,” he said. Now that people are referring to Hailey's Brownie glazed lips as a “new” trend, it's uncomfortable to watch he continued, explaining, “everyone feels like they found gold for the first time. That's why we need to look and say 'hey, we've been here,'” he said adding, “we've always known to give a nod to where it came from. That was what gave it swag.”
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He explained, “when it was on my sisters or my mom, and in Black and Latino communities, it was seen as ghetto. Now that it's on white bodies, it's seen as 'fashionable.'"
As for whether anyone can really have autonomy over a beauty look and in particular brown lip liner, Sir John explained, “beauty is for everyone," but he added, "it doesn't have to be brown, but something two shades deeper than your complexion. The goal is to highlight the silhouette of your lips.” For lighter skin tones, he recommended MAC's spice lip liner, and for deeper skin tones, he pointed to iconic shades like MAC's lip liner in Chestnut. “It’s the OG. It doesn't matter if you were in Anaheim or Brooklyn, everyone knew it,” Sir John said.
As for Hailey's role in the situation, Sir John said, “when you have a megaphone that goes out to millions of young, impressionable people, it's your job to know. As long as we're having the conversation about equity in beauty, we're in a good place.”
Others defended Hailey, with some noting that her mother is Brazilian, and may have inspired her beauty aesthetic. "All of y’all saying that she didn’t start this trend but when did she say she started it though?? She just said she likes this lip combo."
Shiny and sleek.
“Her Brazilian mother literally did this in the '90s. Let her be,” another replied.
Hailey Bieber also recently came under fire for the 'clean girl aesthetic' she has become known for, which many consider to be heavily inspired by black and Latina women. As of now, she hasn't addressed the backlash.
