Posted by Danielle Spires on May 03, 2010 02:33 p.m.
While I was researching how to naturally plump lips, I came across a myriad of ridiculous machines, concoctions, and products that blew my mind! I must get something off my chest: Collagen does not somehow seep into your lips because the molecules are too big to be absorbed into your skin. Although some of these products are able to stimulate collagen and promote elasticity, do your research before shelling out big bucks for lip-plumping devices. Personally, I don’t dig the inflated look of lip injections, so I’ve found my own simple tricks to create a perfectly plump pout.
Lip plumpers make big promises, but what it comes down to is the ingredients. They work by irritating the lips with specific ingredients, which is why you’ll sometimes smell menthol or cinnamon in your lip gloss. Think of it as a bee sting; ingredients irritate the skin and cause slight swelling and increased color, so your lips look full and red. I prefer Urban Decay’s XXX Shine Lip Gloss, which uses peppermint oil and gives you a slight tingling feeling. There are a variety of lip plumpers available, but look for ones that include ingredients like cinnamon, peppermint, menthol, caffeine, and capsaicin (the spicy chemical in chili peppers).
You can also use lipstick application techniques to create fuller lips. To start, find lip liner that matches your lip color. Draw the line slightly over your natural lip line, and fill in with the nude liner. Be careful not to over-line your lips or follow your own lip line. If you are sticking with the nude lip look, apply shiny or plumping lip gloss over your lips. I also have a bit of light reflecting gloss, made with little flecks of sparkle, which I dab in the middle of my bottom lip, creating a fuller look. If you don’t have a light-reflecting gloss, just dab a bit of a shimmer eyeshadow in the center of your bottom lip.
If you’d like to use lipstick instead of a nude lip, apply a tinted lip liner or semi-gloss lipstick over your lined lips. Again, put a small dab of shiny lip gloss in the center of your bottom lip, blending it ever so slightly. For added effect, choose a lipstick or tinted gloss that contains lip-plumping ingredients.
If you want a foolproof way to plump your lips, Benefit Cosmetics offers instructions and a full kit to accentuate your cupid’s bow and create the illusion of a fuller lower lip. You simply highlight the area above your cupid's bow with the light shimmer end of the “bow maker” lip pencil, then blend with the angled brush. Next, use the mauve end of the pencil on the bottom lip and blend with the sponge brush, and top your lips with gloss or lipstick. The kit is quite pricy, so for the wallet-watching gals it may be easier to purchase light and dark mauve lip pencils and create the look yourself.
Since I’m a fairly low-maintenance makeup girl, I prefer to slightly over-outline my lips with a ‘50s retro red matte lip pencil, apply a dab of Urban Decay XXX Shine in Ozone, and periodically reapply the gloss throughout the night. Since I like the classic vintage matte look, it’s fairly smudge-proof and never gets on my pearly whites.
The best option for girls longing for natural-looking plump lips is to try several tricks the technique that feels the most comfortable and looks the best. Since these are fairly simple tricks, you’ll definitely find the perfect technique to pucker up those luscious lips!