Enter Lollipop Lips, The Controversial New Lipstick Trend

While you may do your best to apply lipstick like a professional — which usually means enviably clean edges — there happens to be a controversial makeup trend that is all about embracing the sloppy side of life. When MAC Cosmetics opted to share a look with their Instagram followers, they noted in the caption that it was called "lollipop lips." The term is used because you basically end up looking like you've been sucking on a lollipop and have been left with color smudged around your lips.

Frankly, people have had some pretty strong reactions to the undeniably messy style. Granted, it's probably not a look that you'll wear to work, and your friends may think that you've put your makeup on in the dark if you show up to brunch with lollipop lips. A few social media users thought it resembled lips after eating Hot Cheetos or spaghetti while others noted that the model looked like she had chapped lips, or what resembled a rash, an infection, or an allergic reaction. Another user who was obviously not a fan of the look commented on the post, saying, "If this is what makeup going to be from now on I'm done with makeup." 

Although plenty of people weren't on board and one even said that they hoped it was just a joke, not everyone was put off by lollipop lips. In fact, some have tried it out for themselves and put their own twist on this arguably iffy trend.

Whether you're totally in love with the lollipop lips trend or are simply intrigued by how unusual it is, you may want to try it out for yourself. If that's the case, then you might also want to start out with lips that boast a basic blur. With a slight smudge that extends around the entire mouth, all you need to do is use a makeup sponge to dab at and push the color softly so that it moves just beyond your lips and creates the desired seemingly messy effect.

If you're not too sure if you can pull off lollipop lips, then you can opt for a subtle version. In order to do that, instead of using an obvious blur, you may want to smudge your lipstick just a bit. First, this will help to soften the lines around your mouth. Next, it will also create a foggy effect with the lipstick that acts like blush when you use a rosy shade. This allows you to use the technique while perhaps putting the majority of the focus somewhere else, such as on your eyes.

In the fierce-opinion-sparking photo that MAC Cosmetics popped up on social media, the lollipop lips that were shown featured a noticeable shine — just enough of an eye-catching glimmer to truly make the mouth a highlight of the look. The same idea has been used on these radiantly red lips. While the blurring has been kept minimal and is focused primarily on the upper part of the mouth as well as between the cupid's bow, the resulting effect almost gives the lips more of a glow, which you might adore.

There are different kinds of makeup that are shimmery and shiny as well as other options that are glittery and sparkly. While they're each stunning in their own way, these lollipop lips are nothing less than super-glossy. The blurry effect appears to have been created first and is much lighter than the color used directly on the lips. On top of that, a gloss has been used that's so shiny and so thick that it pretty much looks like the lips are actually wet or sticky from enjoying a messy lollipop.

As this version of lollipop lips clearly proves, the color doesn't need to be blurred around every edge of your lip in order to have the same kind of impact. Instead, you can opt for a slight or even non-existent blur around the bottom and top of your lips while adding more prominent smudges on either side of the mouth. While this could be done with the help of a sponge, you could also simply use your (clean!) fingers to dramatically drag the makeup off of your lips.

There are a few makeup techniques that will give you a look that's celestial, otherworldly, and totally striking. You can embrace that vibe with ethereal lollipop lips. Starting with the standard blur that all mouths with this style have, this extends quite a bit away from the lips. That leaves enough space for a white line to be drawn between the clean section of the mouth and the smudges. Pristine in the middle, the line — which you could do in a range of colors — also fades at the edges, which works perfectly with the lollipop look.

You don't have to use candy-colored lipstick to achieve lollipop lips (unless perhaps it's black licorice candy-colored lipstick and, honestly, that's a treat which is just as controversial as this makeup). Instead, you can go much darker to create something that's ideal for a gorgeous goth aesthetic. Although you could certainly play around with different shades and various layers, this version uses black lipstick in the center of the mouth which then disappears at each side. Beyond that, a soft blur of red lipstick fully lines the mouth to intensify the entire edgy effect.