How to Define Your Cupid's Bow: Step-by-Step Guide
A pro’s step-by-step tutorial on defining your cupid’s bow.
A soft and naturally defined lip is the path toward a perfect pout, but it’s not just achieved by swiping on some lipstick and calling it a day. There are all sorts of tricks you can use here, including using a bit of highlighter and lightly outlining your lips –including the Cupid ’s bow – with a lip pencil.

Defining your Cupid ’s bow helps draw attention to your lips, making them look more plump, full, and prominent – with or without filler. Careful accentuation can also lend to a more youthful and glowy look, especially if you get some highlighter involved. Ahead, we’re walking you through the steps on how to define a Cupid’s bow just like a professional make-up artist.

How to Define Your Cupid's Bow
Step 1: Grab the essentials
You only need a few make-up staples to define your Cupid’s bow.
• Lip liner/definer
• Lip brush
• Lipstick or lip gloss|
• Highlighter

Step 2: Draw ‘x’ with your liner
The easiest way to define your cupid’s bow is to use a lip liner or lip definer. Choose the colour that best matches your lip colour. Using the sharpened pencil, draw an x or v-shape right in the centre where your top lip line dips. Make sure you follow the natural line of your Cupid’s bow line to accentuate the area. The idea isn’t to overline or underline, but to draw right along the line.

Step 3: Outline the rest of your lips
With a light hand, continue outlining the rest of your lips with the pencil. It doesn’t need to be a hard or harsh line, but just a light marking to define your lip line. Blend in the lip liner with a brush to further prevent any rigid or obvious lines.

Step 4: Apply a touch of highlighter
Highlighting may seem like an afterthought when defining your Cupid’s bow, but you can swear by this trick. You definitely want a highlighter of some sort, whether cream, liquid, or powder. Just avoid any powder products that have a heavy glitter finish since this is going to look the least natural. Simply apply a tiny amount to the two distinct Cupid’s bow peaks as it enhances the skin's natural youthfulness with a pearl finish.

Step 5: Finish with lipstick and/or lip gloss
Finally, fill in your lips with a colour that is similar to your lip colour, and finish with gloss or lipstick of your choice. Reapply throughout the day as needed.