TikTok Is Obsessed With the "Gym Lips" Makeup Trend 'Cause It's so Damn Easy

CLEAN MEAN MAKEUP MACHINETikTok Is Obsessed With the "Gym Lips" Makeup Trend 'Cause It's so Damn EasyWe asked the makeup artist who coined the term to reveal all her secrets.

By Addison Aloian

May 20, 2022

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Gym lips. If you haven't heard of this TikTok-viral makeup phrase, it might not be what you're thinking it is. It's not a new type of plastic surgery or a plumping effect your lips might get after running on the treadmill — it's a new trend we've been seeing all over social media and a casual way to prep your lips whether you're wearing makeup or not.

Coined by New York City makeup artist Kelli Anne Sewell, gym lips are the result of overlining your lips with a pencil similar to your natural lip color, then applying a moisturizing lip treatment to finish it off. Sewell came up with the look by finding a shade similar to her lips in order for her makeup not to appear too overdone, she told Allure. Once she found a matching hue, she noticed that her lips looked naturally fuller — it doesn't even look like you lined your lips. The name comes from the fact that it's so casual, you can wear it to the gym if you want.

"This trend is so successful because you don't have to go out and buy one specific lip pencil and you're [not] looking for a product that is sold out," she tells Allure. "It's all about finding the lip color that's right for you. I think it's a fun little challenge to find your perfect gym-lip combo. Your perfect gym lip liner will disappear into your lips and that's the goal to make it look the most natural. It makes you feel elevated, fancy and it's fun."

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Sewell specifically loves the Laneige Lip Treatment Balm and the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm, since they make it look like you're not wearing makeup while running errands or going on a run. We also recommend the Revlon ColorStay Lip Liner in Natural and the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Iconic Nude for go-to gym lip liner options.

Lip Treatment Balm$25 at SephoraLip Butter Balm$23 at SephoraRevlon ColorStay Lip Liner$10 at AmazonLip Cheat$24 at Violet Grey

So if you're unmotivated to hit the gym, take this as your inspiration — wearing a little makeup as you lift weights will make the workout more fun. No, it's not our opinion; it's science. 

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Addison Aloian is a New York City-based lifestyle journalist. A soon-to-be graduate of New York University, she is obsessed with all things beauty, wellness, and pop culture. Her work has been published in StyleCaster, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, VMAN, Gotham Magazine, Ocean Drive, and others. When she's not researching the... Read moreContributor

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