I Tried TikTok’s Viral “Movie Lips” Makeup Hack: See Photos

Hi, my name is Renee, and I’m obsessed with my lips. OK, maybe not my lips, per se, but lips in general. And that includes lip products, lip hacks, and lip treatments. Not only do I have roughly nine different lip products sitting on my desk as I type this, but anytime I’m out and about, I typically carry between four and 15 different products on my person at all times.

I tried the tiniest amount of lip filler earlier this year, and immediately after, I decided to get it all dissolved. If there’s one lesson I learned from my “filler fiasco,” as I’ve fondly started to call it, it’s that when it comes to lips, natural is better. I’ve always been super into shades of lip products that are subtle, and when it comes to shine, I like a simple gloss — nothing too wild in the color department.

I’ve learned how to easily enhance my lips with lip liner, lip stains, and other products, so it’s pretty rare that a new technique comes across my desk (I mean, screen) that I haven’t tried or at least heard of yet. When I saw “movie lips” going viral on TikTok, not only was I intrigued — I was also totally clueless as to what it actually was.

Turns out, it’s quite simple. You know how actors have the most stunning, subtle lip look in pretty much every movie and television show? Well, that’s what we’re referring to. “Movie lips are that effortless, just kissed, perfect kind of look,” TikTok user Kat James says in her viral video that now has over 2 million views and counting. It’s not heavy on the lip liner or lipstick, and it’s more matte than glossy — it’s genuinely the mother of all no-makeup makeup looks. Your lips, but better.

So, how do you get movie lips? Well, according to James, it’s fairly simple and really only requires one product. In her video, James uses the Saie Lip Blur ($24), a matte product that seems halfway between a lipstick and a lip balm. The applicator is flatter than what you’d see on your run-of-the-mill lipstick, but it isn’t shiny like what you’d get with a gloss.

Although I’m a big fan of Saie products, I didn’t happen to have this lippie at home, so after digging through my larger-than-life collection of lip products, I opted for something that looked similar: the Hera Sensual Nude Balm ($33).

Once I figured out what lip product I was using, the rest was a piece of cake. All I needed to do was follow James’s instructions and dot my upper and lower lip with product. The dotting was a little different for me, because I’m used to covering my entire lips. However, in total, I covered my lips with about eight dots. From there, I used my finger to gently blend everything.

The blending instructions were also a little different than what I usually do — instead of gliding my fingers around, all I really did was press the product into my lips. The goal was to make things look effortless — the opposite of precise application. While I was initially a little skeptical about what it would look like (I’m a lip-liner lover), I was obsessed with the final result. It’s extremely rare that I leave the house without slathering on a high-shine lip gloss, but immediately after testing this hack, I slipped out the door ready to take on the world.

Truthfully, if you’re looking to test out this hack, any product with a similar applicator would work — as long as it’s fairly matte. You also want to make sure you’re opting for a shade that isn’t too far off from your natural lip color. I found that the Hera product was hydrating enough that I didn’t need to add a gloss on top; however, if I wanted to add a little extra hydration, I’d just add on a dab of the Mara Sea Silk Lip Balm ($26), my current go-to lip hydrator that lasts for hours and leaves my mouth feeling silky smooth.

Renee Rodriguez (she/her) is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for the PS TikTok and Instagram accounts.