Get a fuller pout with these lip gloss tips
In a world where we constantly seek to deemphasize certain features — large noses, wide hips, and rounded bellies — there remains one body part which women have long desired for the opposite effect. Large, full lips have always been en vogue, and thanks to the advances in fillers and cosmetics, a pillowy pout is now more desirable (and more attainable!) than ever before.
But just because you weren’t blessed with a swoon-worthy Cinderella smile doesn’t mean you’re destined for typecasting as a thin-lipped stepsister. You can still fake plump lips without the expense or pain of cosmetic fillers. All you’ll need are a few simple beauty items and a little bit of time.
Here’s how to harness the power of lip gloss and fake a full, pouty-lipped smile, no fillers (or filters!) required.
Smooth the Lips
Before you even attempt to shape your lips, it’s crucial that you begin with a smooth, even palette... meaning, well-moisturized lips. Since lips are prone to dryness and flakiness, particularly in the winter months, its essential that you first apply a hydrating balm to smooth the surface.
Let the balm soak in for five minutes, and then move on to the next step: scrubbing.
Scrubbing can be done using an old toothbrush to slough away the flakes, or by applying an exfoliating lip scrub in small, circular motions.
Once you’ve completed these two steps, not only will your lips feel smoother, they’ll also look rosier and better reflect light, mimicking a natural, glossy appearance.
Prime the Lips
Once your lips are smooth, you’ll next want to apply a bit of base or concealer to them, which acts as the foundation for your lip building. Not only will this further smooth your lips, it will actually grab onto the color and help better lock it into place.
Highlight the Cupid’s Bow
Once you have all the prep work out of the way, it’s now time to start contouring that kisser into the perfect pillow shape. To really make light reflect from your lip area, dab a bit of highlighter into your cupid’s bow, the dip at the top of your lips. Light reflection adds volume and highlighting the cupid’s bow is an easy, bonus way to further emphasize those pretty lips!
Line Before Shine
Before you move on to gloss, you’ll want to first line your lips with a pencil that’s one to two shades darker than your natural lip color. When you apply the liner, outline just slightly beyond your natural lip line. The key word here is slightly because extending too far beyond will create a Bozo the Clown lip, which probably isn’t the look you’re going for!
Once your lips are outlined, lightly fill in the entire lip with the liner, to create a uniform canvas for gloss application. This also helps makeup better adhere and stay put, so you’re not left with a 90’s inspired ring around the lips by the end of the day.
Lipsticks for Fuller Lips
Once you’ve lined everything into place, it’s now time to apply lip color. Choose a lipstick that’s nude or light, as dark colors will make your lips appear smaller. Think of this in the same terms as wearing all black clothing for a slimming effect.
Shine Time
Finally, finish up with a bit of clear, shiny lip gloss, concentrating on the middle of your lips to further add to the plumping highlighting effect.
After the shine is complete, finish up with concealer as needed to erase any mistakes.
How to Plump Lips Fast
While these steps are great to fake full lips when you have a little bit of time on your hands, what if you need a pretty pout pronto?
For this type of makeup emergency, you’ll want to have a lip plumping gloss on standby. These plumping glosses contain ingredients such as peptides and spearmint, which are known to naturally puff out your lips.
However, just like Cinderella and her glass slippers, all good things must come to an end. The plumping effects, while dramatic, sadly are only temporary. Once the plumping power wears away, expect your lips to deflate back down to their natural size, until you apply more gloss.
Resources — Loreal, Marie Claire
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