Rihanna Is Giving The Classic Lip Liner-Gloss Combo A Fall-Friendly Update

Rihanna, spotted at an event celebrating A$AP Rocky’s whisky line, isn’t doing much to dispel the rumors that she’s hard at work on her long-awaited comeback album — which fans think might drop around the time of her just-announced Super Bowl halftime performance. While she keeps the world guessing, though, she hasn’t been at all shy about experimenting with sparkly eyeshadow, playful hairstyles, and the best lip color combos of the season. In fact, Rihanna’s lip liner and gloss, when blended together just-so, might just usurp fall mattes as the autumn lip look of 2022. In every sense, the sighting is perfectly Rihanna — while life-sized rumors swirl around her, she glides by totally unbothered and swaddled in every cool beauty trend of the moment.

Seriously, Rih ticks all the boxes in this latest late-night appearance. Her hair, still in the process of growing out her wispy fringe from earlier this year, are brushed into a gentle side-bangs situation that would make Good Girl Gone Bad-era Rihanna proud. Her lids feature a wash of what looks like spangly silver eyeshadow — an excellent harbinger of the winter-white sparkles to come this holiday season — while her reddish-brown lip liner and glossy topcoat add shine to her otherwise-matte makeup.

By keeping the darker color concentrated on her lips’ outline, Rihanna makes them look plumper and more defined while doubling as the best party makeup hack — the lighter shade in the center means it’s not nearly as obvious when the color fades from eating or drinking. Touchups are a breeze, and there’s no need to worry about product buildup, either. It’s the cool-girl lip combo of the season, but it’s crucial to remember where it originated. Though the look is beloved by stars like Hailey Bieber — who, to a bit of controversy, dubbed her version “glazed brownie lips” — deep brown lip liner isn’t a new trend. Women of color — and Black women in particular — have made the look a beauty staple since at least the late ‘80s. And as Rihanna so perfectly demonstrates, it’s both a glamorous lip combination as well as a timeless one.

To get the look at home, select a liner color just a few shades deeper than your natural lip boarder — Rih opted for a red-tinted version for a more autumnal vibe — and trace the outline. Using a finger or a brush (and more liner if you need it), smudge the product around for a blended, seamless effect. Top with a clear or lighter-tinted gloss or go the Bieber route and use a nourishing lip care product or treatment that feels as good as it looks. Any chance Rihanna will give us a tutorial on the combo in between songs at the Super Bowl?

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