Hailey Bieber wants us to contour our lips with her new Rhode Peptide Lip Shape. Does it live up to the hype?

Credit where credit is due, Hailey Bieber – founder and creative director of Rhode – knows how to launch a beauty product. For weeks, she has been teasing her 54.2 million Instagram followers with the suggestion of a new makeup addition. Fans were convinced it was going to be a lip liner as Bieber is such a huge fan, so much so that whenever she mentions a specific pencil she likes, it immediately sells out.

And they weren’t far wrong. Meet Rhode Peptide Lip Shape, £24 – a creamy lip contour, available in 11 shades, launching on 30 January at 5pm (UK time) via the brand’s website. There is currently a waitlist to alert you the second they are on sale because Bieber’s influence and Rhode’s cult status will mean these will be gone in seconds.

Hailey Bieber using Rhode Peptide Lip Shape

Now as you will have noticed it has not been called a lip liner, and this is because Bieber wants you to know that Rhode Peptide Lip Shape is not. It is, in fact, a lip contour. It has been designed to add definition and the illusion of volume to the lips. So instead of applying it with precision to define your lip shape as you would a traditional lip liner, Peptide Lip Shape can be scrawled on with more ease.

The idea is you apply it slightly above your natural lip line and then buff the creamy texture towards the centre with the smudger – built into the lid at the other end of the pencil – to create a soft, almost blurred effect on the lips.

Then you apply a slightly lighter lipstick or gloss in the centre – the Rhode Peptide Lip Shape are the perfect accompaniment to the brand’s existing lip tints (I have previously reviewed Rhode Peptide Lip Tints too)- but you can use whatever you like. The contrast between the blurriness of the Peptide Lip Shape and the lighter shade is what creates a contoured effect and the illusion of a fuller and more pillowy pout. A no-needle lip job in crayon form, sort of. And a makeup hack that makeup artists have used for years.

You can, of course, do none of that and apply it all over as you would a regular lip crayon.

And even though Rhode Peptide Lip Shape sits very much in your makeup bag, as with all Rhode products, there is a skincare-first approach with these newbies (don’t forget that Rhode launched skincare products first). The formula contains the brand’s signature blend of peptides to boost hydration and fenugreek extract to boost volume and firmness.

But what are they really like? I put them to the test. Here’s how I got on…

My verdict of Rhode Peptide Lip Shape

SJ roadtests Rhode’s Peptide Lip Shape shades

• Packaging: Housed in the same mid-brown packaging as the Rhode blushers and with the same slightly angled lid as the Rhode skincare (I appreciate details like that), the pencils feel weighty and luxe. They have a twist-up mechanism and a built-in buffer at the other end.
• Texture: They are super creamy and really easy to blend and not drying in the slightest. Personally, I didn’t enjoy using the buffer, it felt a bit hard on my lips and my finger was far easier to use.
• Finish: Somewhere between a velvet and a matte to create an effortless and expensive look. And they have good staying-power. Mine survived quite a few cups of coffee and swigs of my water bottle before needing reapplication.
• Shade range: Bieber (along with an excellent creative team) has created a very wearable and practical palette. The 11 shades have fitness-themed names (eg Lunge, Flex and Spin) and span from light pinks through shades of brown to dark berry hues. If you’re looking to recreate the Mocha Mousse makeup trend this season, that Bieber herself favours, there are a few Rhode Peptide Lip Shape options that will get you there.
  I managed to get hold of Lift (a soft neutral pink and the lightest shade), Bend (a soft peach beige) and Balance (a caramel brown). There are no bold or statement colours, they are everyday colours that work for all skin tones.

Overall thoughts: I am the most unlikely Rhode fan. I couldn’t have less in common with Mrs Bieber if I tried and I’m at least 15 years older than the brand’s target customer. Even with all of that against me, I think these are brilliant.

Am I going to do the whole lip contouring thing? No, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its merits for those who want to give it a go. But if you’re looking for an easy-to-use, low-maintenance lip product that feels comfortable on your lips and comes in a range of neutral tones that will lift your look but not require too much thinking about, these tick all the boxes. The shade called Lift has already taken up permanent residence in my makeup bag.

Rhode Peptide Lip Shape, £24 each (The Peptide Lip Shape Set is £92 for four) are available from rhodeskin.com from 30 January