We Tried Rhode’s Viral Lip Liners & Here’s Our Honest Opinion

Lip pencils are the new lip oils. In other words, they’re everywhere right now; you only need to open your nearest group chat to see the girlies dropping lip combos left, right and centre. While it seems every brand has its version of a humble lip pencil, only one has managed to break through the crowded landscape recently.

Enter: Rhode. 

The Hailey Bieber-founded brand was launched with a core system of skincare products but gradually branched into makeup in its own unique, Rhode way with the arrival of the Peptide Lip Tint — tinted versions of the brand’s bestselling Peptide Lip Treatment. Then came Pocket Blush, a creamy stick blush that earned a 2024 MVP Award from yours truly. The point is, I'm yet to try a product from the brand that I didn’t genuinely love. As such, the team and I had lofty expectations for Peptide Lip Shape — the brand's new lip pencil.

Peptide Lip Shape boasts soft-focus pigment suspended in a creamy, hydrating formula with a satiny matte finish. It comes in 10 shades from baby pink and caramel beige to chocolate brown. As the name suggests, the product also features peptides, or skin-strengthening proteins — a hero skincare ingredient that works wonders to hydrate and soften lips. (Many of us will certainly appreciate that during this time of year.) Secondly, there’s fenugreek extract, derived from leafy sprouts of the same name, which has a natural lip-plumping effect sans tingling or burning.

Sold? You can buy Peptide Lip Shape for £24 each or create a quartet of your favourite shades for £92. Keep reading for our beauty editors’ unfiltered thoughts on the buzzy new drop.

Shade(s) tested: Press, Lunge, Balance & Twist 

“Fans of Rhode and Hailey Bieber have been eagerly anticipating this launch ever since Hailey teased a version of it on Instagram over a year ago. It’s the product most closely associated with her, second only to her beloved Peptide Lip Tint. So when she finally introduced Peptide Lip Shape, a lip liner-meets-lipstick hybrid, expectations were sky-high — including mine. It did not disappoint. Peptide Lip Shape ticks every box for the perfect lip liner. It's pigmented, creamy and hydrating. It glides effortlessly across my typically dry lips, blending seamlessly to create an effortless, natural-looking pout — the kind that makes you wonder, Is that her real lip color?

While I appreciate the silicone smudger tip on the other end, I find it easier to use my finger for blending. As for shades, I’m partial to Press and Lunge since I love mauves and rose tones, but Balance and Twist delivers that quintessential ‘90s mocha mousse lip that I can’t resist. Top it with your favourite lip gloss and prepare for the compliments to roll in.” — Sara Tan, global beauty director

Shade(s) tested: Lunge, balance, twist & lean

“Hailey’s love of another viral lip pencil (Make Up For Ever’s Artist Color Pencil in Anywhere Caffeine and Wherever Walnut) is well documented, but Rhode’s version is no copycat. Unlike a traditional liner formula, Peptide Lip Shape is creamy and glides on like a crayon, with a blurred, diffused finish. It’s not super opaque and that’s the point. I tried a variety of brown-nude shades that suited my olive skin tone, ranging from slightly rosy to mocha. The finish is truly a 'my lips but better' effect, and feels very Rhode — effortlessly chic and natural. The product itself is soft enough that I honestly could take or leave the silicone smudger end; it’s meant to blend and blur the product onto lips but I found that it ended up rubbing some of it off instead. I love wearing it alone or layered under a glossy lip balm (which Rhode has also mastered, clever them!) for extra shine.” — Karina Hoshikawa, senior writer

Shade(s) tested: Lunge & Press 

“I’ve tried hundreds of lip liners as a beauty director but I’ve never been more excited to try Peptide Lip Shape. Perhaps it’s the clever marketing, or that Hailey has an incredible Cupid’s bow. Either way, I got my hands on them fast. I reached straight for Bend, which Rhode describes as a “soft peachy beige”, but as soon as I opened the lid, the stick of liner fell out. I had the same issue with Refy’s Blur Liner, which boasts similar plastic packaging. Thankfully, this wasn’t an issue with Press and Lunge, which I’m wearing here. The texture is silky smooth and glided over my dry lips with ease. Because it’s so creamy, though, the staying power isn’t as great as I’d hoped, but it’s very easy to apply. So much so that I rarely enlist a mirror when I’m topping up on the go! While I appreciate the addition of a smudger on the end, I found that it just removed the product from my lips. Fingers are a much better tool for achieving that blurred lip effect. Seeing as the formula is so moisturising, it has earned a place in my makeup bag for winter, but during spring and summer, when I want my lip liner to last — like really last — I’ll go back to Glossier’s Lip Line.” — Jacqueline Kilikita, beauty director

Shade(s) tested: Press, Lean

“Lip Shape has turned me into a Rhode convert. I’m a relative latecomer when it comes to the brand (I’ve found the social media hype quite intense at times) but after testing out this new launch in the shades Press and Lean, I can see why the brand nabbed home a R29 Beauty Innovator Award last year. I’m normally quite intimidated by lip liners, as I find the art of overlining difficult to master. Lip Shape’s creamy formula and wide, rounded tip make it oh-so-easy, though. There’s zero dragging or skipping; just a silky-smooth application that makes outlining your lips feel like applying a layer of lip balm. The skin-conditioning ingredients, namely peptides and fenugreek extract, keep my lips supple and firm all day without creating any dry lines (although it’s worth noting that some people with nut allergies can react to fenugreek, just FYI).

The brand recommends using the silicone tip to blend inwards for a more natural, diffused effect, but I found that easier to achieve with my fingertips. What had me hooked was its staying power. My lip liner stayed put throughout my lunch break and coffee run, and five-course dinner, with little need to reapply. I’ve been gravitating towards Lean (a medium brown) with a thin layer of the Rhode Peptide Lip Tint in Espresso for a ‘90s-inspired look. I also love Press, which gives my lips a head-turning rosy glow.” – Venus Wong, senior writer

Shade(s) tested: Stretch, Spin, Flex & Move

“I’ve been experiencing a bit of beauty burnout lately, finding excitement in only a handful of launches. However, something about Rhode’s Peptide Lip Shape particularly intrigued me. Each shade is incredibly pigmented, creamy and effortlessly glides along the natural lip line. I’ve found that many beauty products often look completely different from how they appear on a brand’s website or even on the packaging, but this range looks exactly the same IRL. As for the silicone smudger, I was certain I’d barely use it, but it has been a dream for tidying up unruly smudges. It won’t completely replace blending with my fingertips, but for on-the-go application, it’s exactly what I need. I found each shade to be long-lasting, with a good few hours of wear.

“As a Black woman, finding a good variety of brown lip liners isn’t as easy as people think. Often, you have to resort to an eyeliner to get a brown that actually shows up on your lips or doesn’t look ashy. It’s great to see Rhode paving the way for inclusive and fun lip liner shades. I’ve become particularly obsessed with Stretch (a neutral mocha brown), Spin (a rich plum brown) and Flex (a rich neutral brown), as they complement my lips beautifully. Each one is a distinct shade of brown and looks effortlessly cool. Move (a deep cool brown) was the only shade I didn’t particularly warm to as it was just a bit darker than I prefer, but it’s still nice to have variety.” — Vanese Maddix, freelance beauty writer