Madonna, 68, took blurred lips to the extreme, proving they work at any age

Never one to do things by halves, Madonna tried out the 2026 trend for blurred lips, taking the look to the extreme in a way that only she can.

Already worn by A-listers including Victoria Beckham, Dua Lipa and Emma Stone, blurred lips are plump and softly shaded rather than sharply outlined.

While most of the stars dabbling in the look went low-key, favouring the style for the undone, relaxed vibe, Madonna took the lip look one step further, overlining the lips a'la Kylie Jenner, going way beyond her lip line for a just-kissed, bitten look.

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Madonna's makeup was created by MUA Marcelo Gutierrez, who used Kiko Milano's Creamy Colour Comfort Lip Liner 07, £7.99, topped with Kissable Lip Volume Plumping Lip Cream 03, £9.99, finished with 3D Hydra Lipgloss 04, £12.99.

Fancy trying the look yourself? Read on.

Applying blurred lips

The key to blurred lips is choosing a liner close to your natural lip tone. Sketch the shape around your lips, then blend it inward with your fingers to avoid harsh edges.

Follow with a matte lipstick to build a velvety base or layer a slightly warmer gloss on top to create dimension and softness for an effortless, lived-in look.

© Variety via Getty Images

I tried the blurred lips trend for myself (fun fact, my friend asked if I'd had lip filler after trying the look – testament to its plumping powers), with YSL training manager Emma Backhouse applying the look for me – and she gave me a great tip.

"Apply YSL's Touche Éclat, £24 / $38.50, around the lip line before you apply your lip products. It gives more plumpness and volume to the lips as well as more longevity – your lip liner will last all day long."

Why are we obsessed with blur?

Blurred lips look undone, relaxed and act as a refreshing antidote to the perfect makeup we normally see in photoshoots and on the red carpet.

Nicole Kidman gave the look a go this week at the LA premiere of Practical Magic 2, with her makeup artist Gucci Westman scribbling onto the star's lips for the look.

© AFP via Getty Images

When Victoria Beckham migrated to the blurred side earlier this summer, our readers were quick to comment, praising the softer, gentler makeup look.

Madonna's fresh-faced look

It wasn't just Madonna's blurred lips that made her latest makeup look ultra-modern. Along with minimal eye makeup, her MUA had dotted faux freckles onto her nose and dialled back the eyeliner, using a brown pencil on her lower lash line.

I was struck by how similar Madonna looked to Sabrina Carpenter, 27. The duo released a collaboration earlier this summer, Bring Me Love – maybe Madonna felt inspired by Sabrina's fresh-faced look and asked her makeup artist to recreate it?

With autumn and then party season on the horizon, I predict that blurred lips might take a backseat during December, in favour of full glam, but I'm happy to be proved wrong…