Ballet has long been a muse for beauty, but the trend has had an especially prominent moment as the clean girl aesthetic took off over the past few years, from ballet blush to balletcore nails. Now, people are dialing in on the lips. Ballet slipper lips, the dreamy, barely-there blush tone that mimics the pale satin pink of a pointe shoe, are taking center stage.
“Clean-girl beauty focused on simplicity; with glowing skin, neutral nails and slick-back buns,” says Fresha beauty expert Annabelle Taurua, who reports searches for “ballet” have shot up in recent months. Now, ballet beauty “takes that same polished base but adds something softer and more romantic. It’s all about the details like soft pink tones and glossy finishes.” Ahead, we’re diving into ballet lips, from what they are to how to get them.
Featured Experts
- Annabelle Taurua is a Fresha beauty expert
- Judi Gabbay is a celebrity makeup artist
- Natalie Dresher is a celebrity makeup artist
What Are Ballet Slipper Lips?
“Ballet slipper lips are a soft, diffused lip built in the pink tone family. The liner is blended out so there are no harsh edges, paired with a pink—sometimes slightly frosted—gloss layered on top,” explains celebrity makeup artist Judi Gabbay. “The finish should feel light, dimensional and polished rather than overly defined.”
Celebrity makeup artist Natalie Dresher is very much here for the trend. “A cool-toned pink lip that has a somewhat reflective property? Talk about my dream lip!” she says. Gabbay feels the look is “trending because it hits a few shifts at once. There’s a clear move away from anything overly heavy or harsh toward softer, more diffused finishes. At the same time, it nods to that early 2000s frosted pink lip, but in a more refined, modern way.”
While ballet slipper lips are aligned with the clean girl look, they’re not one and the same. Gabbay thinks they’re resonating right now because they sit somewhere in between aesthetics. “It’s not fully ‘clean girl,’ but it’s also not traditional glam. It’s wearable with a slightly edgier undertone—polished, a little nostalgic and intentional without feeling overdone.”
How to Achieve Ballet Slipper Lips
According to Gabbay, the key to achieving the ballet slipper lip look is layering. “Starting with a more malleable, softer liner like the Makeup by Mario Lip Sculpt Suede Lip Liner ($26) helps create that diffused shape without anything reading too sharp.” She urges that you must blend any harsh edges to nail the look. Dresher’s favorite liner option for this look is only available abroad— Sephora’s lip liner in Pink Frosting—but she says NYX Line Loud Lip Pencil ($8) in Fierce Flirt is a great dupe.
“From there, a pink-toned lipstick adds a soft base, and a touch of gloss or balm is tapped into the center for dimension. Formulas that feel lightweight are ideal,” like MAC Cosmetics Lipglass ($24) in shades Oyster Girl, Cultured or Candy Box. Dresher and Gabbay both recommend the shade Snobbish for MAC Lipglass Air ($25), which is even more weightless. Gabbay says the shades Frozen and Frosting for Lipglass Air also translate well for this look. For another option, Dresher recommends Glossier’s cool-toned Lip Glaze ($22) in Frosty.
Pro tip: “It’s important to be mindful with frost—too much can start to read dated, so keeping it soft and balanced is what keeps the look current,” says Gabbay. The look should feel “femme, soft and girly—the pretty girl vibe without trying too hard.” Consider that your cue to stock up on pink gloss.
