Sadly we were not all blessed with soft, full lips. Despite our genetics, we still strive to achieve a larger pout. If surgery isn’t an option for you, there are natural alternatives you can try. While the effects may not be permanent or long lasting, it can make your pucker look fuller for a special event or even a date.
Here are some easy and non-invasive ways to make your pout fuller than what it really is.
- Use a lip plumping gloss. You can find a lip plumping gloss in most beauty retail stores these days. These glosses have ingredients such as cinnamon or certain oils that slightly irritates lips to cause them to swell. Doesn’t sound pleasant, but most of these glosses are pretty tame and you will normally only experience a slight tingle as opposed to any stinging. If you do experience high irritation or pain, you may be allergic to one of the products.
- Apply peppermint oil or cinnamon oil. If you find yourself wanting to avoid a lip plumping gloss because of the myriad of ingredients, try using just peppermint or cinnamon oil. The scent is soothing and the oil will cause lips to swell temporarily without any later side effects or permanent results. Always test products on a small part of your skin first to make sure you aren’t allergic to them.
- Exfoliate your lips with a toothbrush. This is a standard method to get rid of dry, dead skin on your lips. However, when you exfoliate your lips, you bring the blood flow to it and can cause your lips to flush in color and appear fuller. All you need a medium to hard bristle toothbrush (soft bristles are too soft get scrub your lips with) and gently move it in a circular motion to get rid of any dead skin. Rinse your brush and lips and voila! Irresistibly smoother and fuller lips. Add your favorite balm to lock in the moisture.
- Use a lip liner. Everyone has raved about Kylie Jenner’s newest pout. Many believe that she has had fillers done to achieve her new full lips. In actuality, all she did was apply lip liner correctly. Besides preventing lipstick from bleeding, lip liners are a great way to define your lips and give the illusion of a fuller pout. In order to make this look natural, you will need to find a pencil that’s close to your lip color and line the outer edge of your lips. Once the lips are completely lined, fill them in. You can choose to leave them matte, but adding lipstick and gloss can give your lips more dimension and the illusion of fullness.
- Highlight your lips. Knowing where to place your highlight can also give you the look of fuller lips. Take a highlighter of your preference (it should be shimmery but not filled with chunky glitter) and apply the highlight directly on your cupid’s bow and also lightly to the center of your bottom lip. The highlight will reflect from the light and giving you lips dimension.
- Keep your lips moisturized. Dry lips can look thinner and older. Instead, always make sure you have lip balm on hand. Just like the skin on the rest of your body, you want your lips to stay supple and smooth. During the day, make sure to apply a balm with SPF to protect your pout from the sun. At night, apply a balm that’s a little thicker in consistency to help keep the moisture in. Also, make sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated!
