Lana Del Rey’s Makeup Artist Has Created The Perfect Lip Contour Hack

Etienne Ortega has just launched his new namesake beauty line. While Ortega has been about five years in the making, the celebrity makeup artist — who works with Lana Del Rey, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, and Salma Hayek — says that one of the main impetuses behind the collection was the curiosity of his social-media fans, in particular the question he gets asked most: “What’s that lip combo?”

“If they’re asking me for the lip combo,” Ortega tells NYLON, “they must be drawn to my signature style of doing lips.” Known as the Etienne Lip, Ortega’s method uses a contoured blend of liner and lip color in a heart shape around the Cupid’s bow. But while Ortega’s collection does include a Soft-Contour Lip Liner in 10 shades and Agave Glow Color Sticks in eight neutral shades, you’ll also find other lip-enhancing products like the Blu Nectar Lip Oil and a clear Liquid Icon Hyper Gloss. Everything in the range costs between $16 and $22.

Ahead of the launch, I tested out the new Soft-Contour Lip Liners and Color Sticks and found that they may be the answer to all the difficulties of lip lining. After choosing the right shade (Ortega recommended trying a color about two shades darker than my natural lips), applying the semi-sheer, creamy color stick on top helped blend everything with the lip liner without making the contour totally disappear.

The collection also has personal meaning for Ortega, who says he made a point to use ingredients sourced in Mexico, like blue agave, as an homage to his heritage. And as for the names of the colors, some take direct inspiration from his clients — or his “muses,” as he calls them. “I remember I showed Lana one of the shades — I named it Cinnamon Girl after one of her songs, of course,” he says. “It was the first time I had the product in the real packaging, and she started taking selfies with it because I used it on her. She was going to post it, and I had to say, ‘Wait, it's not out yet!” But luckily for her and for us, the line is now available for everyone to try and enjoy — shop some of our favorites below.