I Cleaned Out My Makeup Bag After Testing the Refy Lip Sculpt Liner and Setter

Name: The Bottom Line
Brand: Refy
Price: 26 USD

Smudge-, budge- and bleed-proof

Author image: Stephanie Meraz Editor Bio Picture: editor with brunette hair in purple set at a beach in Cabo.

By Stephanie Meraz

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Published Apr 12, 2024

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Refy Lip Sculpt Lip Liner and Setter Review

Dasha Burobina for PureWow

I have lipsticks and lip liners up the wazoo, often surprising me in the pocket of a summer bag or winter coat I haven’t touched for eight month. Each time I think to myself, oh, that’s where I put that. But of late, I seem to always know where my Refy Lip Sculpt liners ($26) are—no matter the season.

Ever since Refy’s launch in 2020, I was mesmerized by how good the products looked on co-founder, model and influencer Jess Hunt. At the time, the beauty brand’s main product was the cult-favorite Brow Sculpt ($24)—which I still use to this day—so when they launched the dual action lip liner and setter, to no one’s surprise, it was an instant viral sensation with influencers like Ainara Tourné, Mary and Tasha Ghouri taking a liking to it on TikTok. I always thought of liner as the helping hand or stencil, if you will, for my lipstick, providing a defining baseline and extra oomph for the real star of the show, but was I wrong about lip liners? Could Refy’s Lip Sculpt get me to put down my lipstick for once? Here’s my review.

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What Is the Refy Lip Sculpt Lip Liner and Setter?

This dual-ended lippie, which comes in six neutral shades, is for all my fellow multi-taskers out there, a two-in-one, dual-ended product that uses a twistable lip liner on one end and a setting gel with a paintbrush-like applicator on the other. As the name suggests, it promises to line and set your lips for—get this—nearly 10-to-12 hours with three long-lasting, smoothing, barrier-building and water-resistant ingredients: dimethicone, trimethylsiloxysilicate and fluorine oil. It’s meant to give a matte, velvety finish, which just so happens to be right up this editor’s alley.

Refy Lip Sculpt Lip Liner and Setter Review up close image of editor wearing the lip liner

Stephanie Meraz

How I Tested the Refy Lip Sculpt Lip Liner and Setter

Refy

Having no patience to touch-up or reapply my makeup throughout the day, I’m a sucker for anything easy, and bearing the brand’s mission in mind of simplifying beauty, this one-application-stays-on lip liner almost seems like it’s tailor-made for me. For nearly six months, I’ve been using my Refy Lip Sculpts almost every time I apply product to my lips. I own three shades (rosewood, taupe [my personal fave!] and a limited-edition red) and decided to test the taupe for an entire day out to assess just how well it holds up outside of my usual girls’ night out. For full transparency, I ate multiple meals, slurped on a thick smoothie, ran errands, went shopping and even worked out with it on…yes, really. Here’s how the longevity, texture and formula held up over six hours of wear.

Dasha Burobina for PureWow

My Refy Beauty Lip Sculpt Lip Liner and Setter Review

What We Like

setter is smudge- and budge-proof
lip liner has a buttery-smooth application that smooths the lips and won’t bleed
twist-up applicator eliminates the need for a sharpener

What We Don’t Like

matte finish feels dry on your lips after hours of wear
oil ingredient in the setter creates a waxy consistency and texture that some people won’t like
delicate liner can break off if not careful

Refy

Value: 19/20
Functionality: 18/20
Quality: 18/20
Aesthetics: 18/20
Longevity: 19/20

Total: 91/100

This isn’t my first rodeo, y’all, so, I’m pretty familiar with (and love) the product. One of my favorite aspects is the twist applicator, which eliminates the need for a lip liner sharpener. (Does anyone else think those sharpeners end up shaving down more product in the long run, or just me?) I was alarmed to discover that many of the customer reviews complain about the tip breaking off easily, because this didn’t happen to me whatsoever…that is, until recently. I noticed that when I twisted the liner up an inkling *too* high, this caused the soft liner to crumble off. Similarly, I’ll likely experience a snap if I apply too much pressure at an angle. If you can imagine, these rare moments only happen when I’m in a rush. C’est la vie.

But back to that soft formula. The lip liner glides on like a dream and has the most buttery-soft application I’ve felt since my purchase of the original lip kit from Kylie Cosmetics back in 2015. It’s creamy, smoothing and blendable without bleeding beyond the natural contours of my lips. The setter, on the opposite side in a twistable container, acts as a sealant and has a waxy texture that leaves a small film atop the liner for a smudge-proof finish. Some customers can’t stand the waxlike consistency of the fluorine oil in the setter, and I’ll admit having a slick barrier that feels like it’s not quite dry is not my favorite, but boy does it make this non-transferable. I wiped my finger across it, dabbed my mouth with a napkin and literally underwent a full-blown sweat session, and it never budged. However, if you use the lip liner without the setter, don’t expect it to last for hours on end.

When it comes to its longevity, 10 or 12 hours seems like a stretch, and while I only had the Refy Lip Sculpt on for six hours during my wear test, it overall stayed put like a champ. My lips were still defined in that deep, moody taupe and kept that mattified finish that I absolutely love. You can totally put a lip gloss, Chapstick or lipstick over it, but I refrained for the purpose of this test. I have naturally fuller lips, which (IYK) comes with a lot of surface area, meaning I live with perpetually dry lips, so I did notice that my lips were starting to show cracks and dry-related divots after five hours. While I certainly could have spent another few hours wearing it, my lips were in desperate need of a wash and lip mask.

Fast Facts

Shades: 6
Finish: matte/velvet
Cruelty free: yes

Refy Lip Sculpt Lip Liner and Setter Review product image

sephora

The Bottom Line

Refy

When I tell you that this is one of the few lip products I gravitate towards daily, I’m not kidding. Yes, the $26 price tag is pricier than most liners on the market, but when the multi-use product is easy to use *and* the star of the show, knocking out the need for a lipstick or lip gloss, it’s oh-so worth it. It already has a best-in-class smooth application going for it, so couple that with its sleek packaging that’s easy to take on the go and truly fits in every purse I own, from my baguette bags, shoulder purses and gym totes, and we have ourselves a cream of the crop lippie

$26 at Sephora

Stephanie Meraz

Associate Fashion Commerce Editor

Covers all things fashion and shopping
Boasts over 23 years of experience as an avid shopper, having secured a personal stylist at Limited Too at the age of four
Studied English literature, communications and creative writing at the University of San Diego, and completed the Columbia Publishing Course at Columbia University in New York

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