I Reviewed Tarte's Maracuja Juicy Lip Liner & It Really Delivers

Tarte cosmetics’ maracuja juicy lip liner has only been available on the tarte cosmetics website for a single day and it’s already done the impossible. The latest addition to the brand’s maracuja juicy makeup line had gotten me excited to write a review about lip liner, a product that is, I am sorry to say, not all that exciting. Even though lip liner can actually create the appearance of much fuller lips, it is — like a brow pencil — not much to look at. Still, as they say, once you start overdrawing your lips, you never go back. When I heard that tarte cosmetics was adding a lip liner to its viral maracuja juicy lip product family, I was immediately eager to see if the liner could live up to the hype of its sister products. As you’ll read in my review of tarte’s latest drop, this liner is unique and pretty amazing.

Tarte cosmetics’ maracuja juicy lip plumps, a collection of colorful lip glosses, are among 2022’s most viral beauty products. MUAs and influencers like Mikayla Nogueira have raved about the high-impact color and glass-like finish delivered by these magical little tubes. In addition to the plumps, tarte’s maracuja juicy line includes cremes and lipsticks that all deliver rich color and so much hydration and glossiness that your lips look and feel drenched (in a good way).

The idea of a lip liner delivering similar shine and color payoff didn’t seem possible to me at first, but I’m happy to announce that I’ve been converted. While I wish these lip liners came in a wider shade range, I have no other complaints — and quite a lot of compliments — for these slender little powerhouses.

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Fast Facts:

• Price: $20
• Clean/Cruelty-Free? Yes. Tarte cosmetics doesn’t test products or ingredients on animals. Its products are also formulated without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, or gluten, and tarte’s maracuja juicy lip liners are also vegan.
• Who this is best for: Anyone who wants a plumper looking pout.
• What I like: These liners are easy to use, pack lots of pigment, and come with a sharpener built in.
• What I don't like: I wish there was a wider range of shades.
• My rating: 4.5 out of 5.

My Lips:

My lips are dry, especially in the winter months. While I’ve had lip filler in the past, I currently don’t have anything extra plumping up my smile, so I’m very much on team “overdraw my upper lip.”

Tarte’s Maracuja Juicy Lip Liner:

Tarte’s latest addition to the viral maracuja juicy lip product family is designed to give you a fuller-looking, glossy mouth. As someone who loves a little lip filler, but doesn’t have a lip filler budget, I’m always on the lookout for products that mimic an extra-plumped top lip. According to tarte cosmetics, the tip of this liner is chiseled into a shape that makes your lips look effortlessly lifted.

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Tarte’s maracuja juicy lip liners come in six shades: soft pink, buff, mauve, rosy brown, red, and dusty rose. With the exception of the red, each of these liners is very much a soft, rosy fawn or peachy neutral tone. While they’re all lovely and rich in pigment, I do wish there was a larger range of shades to choose from.

The Packaging: 

The packaging is as sleek as you’d expect from a lip liner, but each liner also comes with a sharpener built into the cap, which I appreciate.

First Impression:

This is definitely a glossy lip liner. The shine that these little liners deliver isn’t something I’ve seen before. Imagine a lip gloss that you can apply with eyeliner-level precision; that’s what tarte’s maracuja juicy lip liners deliver.

I especially loved the finish because, as you probably know, a high-shine lip is very now, but it’s actually quite difficult to create an overall glossy-looking lip with a matte lip liner. Usually, no matter how glassy your top coat of choice, there’s a distinct difference between the finishes of the liner and the lipstick, which can be distracting. I found that tarte’s maracuja juicy lip liner blended seamlessly into my other lip products, even when I wore it with lipsticks made by brands other than tarte.

How To Apply:

Everyone has their go-to lip liner techniques. On my top lip, I like to start at my Cupid’s bow and overdraw the highest points of my lips and lining to about the midway point of my upper lip. On my lower lip, I only apply liner to the center, stopping about a third of the way out in either direction. That said, there are no hard and fast rules here! Line your lips however you’d like. You’re the boss.

The Results:

The result after using tarte’s maracuja juicy lip liner is long-lasting, well-defined color. I found that these liners held up after about three hours of eating and drinking. In fact, they held up even better than the lipsticks I paired them with.

Feathering is a major problem that usually occurs with lip liners, but that doesn’t happen with these liners. The color stays put until you’re ready to remove it.

Ingredients:

Like the other products in the tarte maracuja juicy line, these lip liners are packed with ingredients that hydrate and soothe lips, so you won’t be left looking dry. The hero ingredients include maracuja — aka yellow passionfruit — which contains a ton of fatty acids, as well as vitamin C hyaluronic acid, a well-known megahydrator; and vitamin E, an emollient so powerful that it’s often found in scar-healing creams and serums. Basically, these lip liners share ingredients with lip balms and overnight masks, but work like makeup, which is a win-win in my book.

Similar Products:

The hardest part of this whole review was tracking down products that could be considered similar to tarte’s maracuja juicy lip liners. Liners that lean toward this level of gloss usually slip, slide, and can’t stand up against a meal. However, there are products that deliver similar high-shine for long periods of time.

Lady Gaga’s Haus Labs Atomic Shake Lip Lacquer is the only lip product I’ve ever used that delivers maximum shine and staying power. Dip a lip brush against this lip lacquer’s doe foot applicator, line your lips, wait 15 seconds before blotting, and you’re good to go.

If you prefer the physicality of a lip liner, the most similar option is Kosas’ Hotliner. At $19, it costs $1 less than tarte’s maracuja juicy lip liners, has a similarly glossy finish, and even contains hyaluronic acid. The Hotliner boasts a deeper shade range than the tarte liners, making it an ideal option for anyone who loves a moody brown lip as much as I do, but it doesn’t have quite as much staying power.

Worth It?

At $20 each, these lip liners are on the higher end, but they are also food-, drink-, and kiss-proof. If you’re looking for a liner that will keep your lips defined over long periods of time, these are best in class. If you love overdrawing your lips or like to set and forget your lip color, you should definitely add the maracuja juicy lip liners to your cart.

Final Verdict:

The tarte maracuja juicy lip liners definitely create the illusion of plumper lips and are great for overdrawing. If there were more colors available, this would become one of my go-to products. I hope to see the brand expand its shade range in the future so I can fool the world into thinking I have the lips I’ve always wanted in all my favorite lip colors.

About Me:

I’m Elite Daily’s beauty editor and I’ve been writing about, testing, and reviewing beauty products since 2016.