You’ve got several needle-free options – try the following:
Lighten up: Steer clear or dark lipstick and lip glosses, which have the effect of making even the most Angelina-sized pout look a little puny. On the other hand, pale lipsticks and glosses create the illusion of fullness.
Add Shine: Better still, add in a shiny finish, which further visually plumps lips up. You can either buy a shimmer-strewn lipstick or gloss, as seen on Scarlett Johansson here, or you can follow up and add the finishing touch to any lip colour by pressing some loose glimmer dust into the middle of lips – this will have the effect of bring the mouth forward and making it look bigger.
Define: Another trick-of-the-light technique is to use a lip brush to apply an illuminiser along the cupid’s bow – as well as defining the upper lip, it also helps to visually puff lips up and make you look poutier. Some makeup artists also softly etch a light brown pencil below the middle of the lower lip line – they say it conjures up the illusion of a shadow, and therefore bigger lips.
Exfoliate: When brushing teeth, follow up by a light brush-over of lips – this is enough to stimulate circulation and cause a temporary plumping effect.
Hydrate: Drink heaps of h20 – especially at night, as you’ll find you wake up with plump, juicy-looking lips. Because lips don’t have their own natural moisture reserves, make sure to regularly lavish them with a deeply hydrating lip treatment – just as with skin, the more hydrated lips are, the plumper and less lined they will look. One great buy: Shizen Lip Hydrating Serum, $24.95, from Adore Beauty.
