I have a theory that we’re subconsciously drawn to the trends and tastes of the era we were born into. For example, I freakin’ love yacht rock, and it just so happens I was born right when The Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes” was topping the charts. Coincidence? I sincerely think not. And it might explain why Selena Gomez, born in 1992—the same year this Los Angeles Times article came out noting a particular new makeup trend—was drawn to the darker-lip-liner/lighter lipstick look.
While we really haven’t seen Gomez wear her lipstick this way before, she pulled it off so perfectly at the IndieWire Honors (where she received the Spotlight Award for her performance in Emilia Pérez) that it truly seems like she was born to pair high-contrast lip colors. Unsurprisingly, being the makeup mogul that she is, Gomez’s take on the look adheres closely to the ombré evolution of the trend, with a beautifully blurry blending between the outer and inner shades.