Big, pillowy, plumpy lips are the undisputable beauty trend of the last few years. It seems like everywhere you turn, there’s a new Instagram model, influencer, or literally EVERY CELEBRITY OUT THERE rocking unbelievably thick lips, (we’re looking at you, Kylie!)
Naturally, people became obsessed with having larger-than-life lips. Sadly, lip injections can be really pricey and they only last 6 to 12 months.
Fortunately for beauty fanatics everywhere, there are tons of makeup tricks and temporary products that offer an immediate plumping effect – and there are no injections needed.
With the right lip liner, highlighter, lip plumpers, and a homemade DIY lip plumper, there are plenty of ways to make can create the appearance of bigger lips. While these temporary fixes will not give you Bella Hadid instant lips, they will give you the volume you so desperately crave.
Try This Makeup Technique That’s Been in the Industry for Ages
The fastest and most dramatic way to make your lips look fuller instantly is to wear a lighter shade of lipstick and over-line your lips to the max. Before Kylie Jenner owned up to getting lip injections in 2015, the young makeup mogul relied on an old beauty industry trick to get that dramatic, plumped-up effect. Here’s how it works:
- Step One: Start by exfoliating your lips first to get rid of dry flaking skin.
- Step Two: Moisturize them with a hydrating balm, (you’d be surprised by how much fuller your lips can look just by hydrating them before putting on lipstick!) Let the balm sink in for a few minutes and blot away any excess product.
- Step Three: Before you even reach for your lip liner, slap on some concealer on your lips first. This step may come as a surprise if you’ve never tried it, but beauty gurus and makeup artists have been using this trick for ages.
- Step Four: Use a lip liner that’s a little bit darker than your natural lip color and trace outside the edges of your natural lip line. Finish off by applying a shade of lipstick that’s close to your natural lip color.
- Pro tips: Avoid deep red-tinted shades or burgundies, as dark colors can make your lips look smaller. As for what lipstick shades help plump up your lips, try pinky beige colors that are similar to your lips, flesh-toned browns, nude peaches, and mauve rosy browns.
Try a Volumizing Lip Plumper
Many of us don’t have the time (and patience) to sit around for half an hour trying to outline the perfect pout. Thankfully, there are a ton of hassle-free options that can create the illusion of thicker, plumper lips in just a few seconds.
With so many products to choose from – and hungry beauty gurus and influencers pushing a new product every other week just to get a commission – it can be really hard to tell which ones actually work and which ones are totally overhyped.
So to make it easier for you, here are two lip plumpers that scored high ratings at Sephora, Influenster, and Amazon:
- Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme Lip Plumper: Reviewers say you may experience a mild tingling sensation thanks to the pepper extract in the formula, but the feeling goes away quickly. But this product is a cult favorite because it delivers results that are more obvious than other lip plumpers. $29.
- GrandeLIPS Hydrating Lip Plumper, Gloss: This volumizing treatment is packed with hyaluronic acid and Volulip, two ingredients that promise to nourish and volumize your lips, while also hydrating and plumping them. $27.
A few lip plumpers worth mentioning, too: Becca Cosmetics Hydra-Light Plumping Lip Balm, Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Plumping Gloss, and Platinum Lip Plump by Dr. Lara Devgan.
Try This Cinnamon Oil Hack That Went Viral on TikTok
While there’s a wacky new beauty hack popping up on TikTok every other day, this one actually seems to work. User, Brittany Miller’s lip plumper hack uses two humble simple pantry ingredients – cinnamon oil and cinnamon powder.
Miller mixes them together to form a paste that kind of looks like a lip scrub and swipes it on her lips. After a few minutes, she wipes it off and is left with visibly fuller lips. Magic? Not really. Cinnamon oil works by irritating your lips. This causes blood to rush towards the surface, giving you high-impact lips in a matter of minutes. The effect does wear off after a while but unlike other frightening TikTok hacks, this one’s generally safe to use. Just make sure to do a patch test before risking it.
Use Bronzer and Highlighter to Add Dimension
If you want to level up your lips but you’re super lazy (or you’re always on the go) you’ll appreciate this super-quick beauty hack. Grab your favorite highlighter or a shimmer eyeshadow and apply it on your cupid’s bow. This will make your upper lip pop out and look more defined. Next, fake a plumpy bottom lip by sweeping some brown eyeshadow or bronzer in that tiny space underneath your lower lip. You can go as deep or as sultry as you like. Lastly, swipe a bit of highlighter in the center of your bottom lip, and hello major volume.
